Ilfracombe Infant and Nursery School

Overview

Pupils at Ilfracombe Infant and Nursery School follow a broad curriculum but “do not achieve as well as they should” because leaders are “not ambitious enough for what pupils can do.” Consequently, pupils are “not well prepared for the next stage of their education,” with inconsistencies in teaching quality and assessment impacting progress across the school.

Strengths

• The teaching of phonics is a strength, with staff well trained to implement the scheme and quickly identify pupils who fall behind.
• Children in the nursery “get off to a strong start,” developing a love of learning with activities designed to “hook their imagination.”
• The school provides a “wide range of extra-curricular activities,” such as dance and creative clubs, which help develop pupils’ talents.
• Pupils are “well cared for” and know they can speak to staff if they have concerns.
• Pupils benefit from regular swimming lessons and learn about healthy eating and drinking water.

Areas to improve

• The reading curriculum beyond phonics is not clearly defined or ambitious enough, meaning pupils do not access a “wide variety of rich and stimulating texts.”
• Assessment is not used with sufficient precision to check what pupils know, leading to tasks that do not account for prior knowledge or ability.
• Personal development provision is ineffective, with insufficient opportunities to develop confidence, resilience, or knowledge of different cultures and beliefs.
• Strategic oversight is not robust, with governors accepting information from leaders “without robust challenge.”

Safeguarding

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