Donnington Wood Infant School and Nursery Centre

Overview

Donnington Wood Infant School and Nursery Centre is described as a “welcoming and inclusive” establishment with a “real sense of family.” Leaders maintain high expectations, resulting in pupils who behave very well and feel safe, supported by a “detailed, ambitious curriculum” that ensures children build knowledge over time.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit excellent behaviour in “calm and orderly” classrooms, playing happily and showing respect for one another.
• The curriculum is carefully sequenced, allowing pupils to “build knowledge over time” through clear teaching and regular checks for understanding.
• Staff provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who “make good progress, learning alongside their peers.”
• Reading is a priority, with staff reading “enthusiastically” to pupils daily, helping most children learn to read “accurately and fluently.”
• Personal development is rich, with effective pastoral support in the “Rainbow room” helping pupils manage emotions and develop independence.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should provide more opportunities for parents to engage with their child’s learning and support reading at home.
• Reading books taken home by some struggling pupils are not always well matched to the sounds they are learning, limiting their ability to develop fluency.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders establishing a “robust culture” where staff are alert to risks and work relentlessly with external agencies to secure help for pupils.