Locks Heath Infant & Nursery School

Overview

Locks Heath Infant School provides a high-quality education where pupils are "prepared well, both academically and socially" for their next stage. The report highlights a "happy and calm" atmosphere, with staff who "know children and families well" and treat them with "great care." Leaders have successfully reinvigorated reading provision, ensuring pupils learn to read "accurately and fluently."

Strengths

• Pupils are "kind to each other and respectful towards their teachers," with instances of bullying being rare.
• Teachers "know their subjects well," delivering a broad curriculum that prioritises reading, writing, and mathematics effectively.
• The school’s values are "evident throughout," with staff modelling curiosity, determination, and collaboration.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are "supported well," accessing the same broad curriculum as peers.
• Leaders hold an "accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses," actively seeking external expertise to improve.

Areas to improve

• The special educational needs of some pupils are not "formally identified quickly enough," limiting the precision of support provided.
• In the early years, adults’ checks on learning do not "systematically influence what they learn next" outside of literacy and mathematics, meaning planning is not always precise enough to meet emerging needs.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are "effective," characterised by a "culture of vigilance and support" where staff are well-trained and systems enable swift action on concerns.