Charlotte Nursery and Infant School

Overview

Charlotte Nursery and Infant School is described as a “happy, warm and welcoming” community where pupils feel secure and enjoy attending. While behaviour and personal development are strong, the report states that the quality of education and leadership require improvement due to inconsistencies in curriculum planning and subject leadership.

Strengths

• Pupils display excellent behaviour, moving “calmly” and showing politeness, supported by high expectations and the school’s THRIVE values.
• Reading is a clear priority with a “consistent approach” to teaching, ensuring pupils read fluently by Year 2.
• The specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) offers “bespoke learning pathways” that help many progress well.
• Attendance has improved significantly following a “more rigorous approach” to challenging low attendance.
• Staff well-being is prioritised, with staff feeling “cared for” in a supportive environment.

Areas to improve

• The early years curriculum lacks “precision and clarity,” failing to ensure children secure key foundational knowledge for the transition to Year 1.
• Curriculum progression between early years and Key Stage 1 is not cohesive, leading to gaps in pupils’ understanding in some subjects.
• Subject leaders lack the expertise to effectively monitor and evaluate their subjects, resulting in inconsistencies in teaching approaches.
• Support for some pupils with SEND in mainstream classrooms is not always effective, as teachers do not consistently adapt tasks appropriately.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”