Doddinghurst Infant School

Overview

Doddinghurst Infant School is described as a “happy village school” where pupils are “eager to play and learn together.” The report highlights a strong sense of community, with pupils feeling safe and supported by staff who maintain high expectations. Overall, the school provides a good quality of education, with effective safeguarding and positive behaviour.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe, with bullying being “very rare” and adults intervening “straight away” to stop unkindness.
• Teachers in many subjects have the expertise to teach new ideas clearly, using “small steps of learning” to help pupils achieve well.
• Reading is a priority from Reception, with “well-matched books” ensuring most pupils “quickly learn to read well.”
• Pupils develop independence and resilience, taking responsibility for their learning through roles such as “house captains and eco warriors.”
• Staff appreciate the “real ‘family’ feel” of the school, which includes strong support for parents and carers.

Areas to improve

• In a few subjects, leaders have not identified the most important learning precisely enough, leading to some pupils developing misconceptions.
• The governing body is “too reliant on” information from school leaders and does not always provide the necessary strategic challenge due to turnover and remote working.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with strong systems in place to keep pupils safe, including prompt recording of concerns and effective collaboration with external agencies.