Downs Infant School

Overview

Downs Infant School is described as a ‘warm and nurturing’ environment where children ‘learn and play together very happily’. The report highlights a strong sense of community, with parents being ‘unanimously positive’ and pupils feeling ‘valued and welcomed’. While most pupils achieve well academically and behaviour is generally good, the report identifies specific inconsistencies in curriculum delivery and staff expertise that hinder some children’s progress.

Strengths

• The school fosters a ‘strong culture of reading’ with daily reading aloud and a phonics programme that supports decoding.
• Personal development is comprehensive, teaching pupils to regulate their emotions so they are ‘ready, respectful and safe’.
• The curriculum is carefully designed with ‘the needs of young children at the heart of its decision-making’, particularly in early years.
• Staff build ‘positive and nurturing relationships’ with families, which has had a ‘very positive impact’ on attendance for some pupils.
• The school is ‘very inclusive of all pupils’, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Areas to improve

• Some staff lack the expertise to support the weakest readers, slowing the development of reading fluency for these pupils.
• The school does not consistently intervene quickly enough when pupils, including those with SEND, fall behind in key foundational knowledge and skills.
• Teachers do not always adapt the curriculum consistently well to ensure pupils with SEND achieve the best possible academic outcomes.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.