Melbourne Infant & Nursery School

Overview

Melbourne Infant School fulfils the “Expected standard” across all inspection categories, including achievement, attendance, and leadership. The report describes a “welcoming and happy school” where pupils are “proud” and staff “treasure” them, noting that children make a “positive start” and are well-prepared for their transition to junior school.

Strengths

• Attendance is “high and above national averages,” supported by leaders who “spot any concerns early” and engage effectively with parents.
• The curriculum is “well-considered” and “clearly” sets out how pupils build knowledge, with staff delivering it well and focusing on “important vocabulary.”
• Pupils develop a “secure understanding of diverse life in modern Britain” and show respect for different cultures, faiths, and individual liberty.
• High-quality pastoral support is a “distinctive feature,” helping pupils manage their mental health and build resilience through initiatives like the “Rainbow Room.”
• Governors provide “suitable challenge” and hold leaders to account, while staff value the “caring culture” and professional learning opportunities.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must strengthen oversight to “identify swiftly, and address robustly, any inconsistencies” in teaching and policy implementation.
• Teachers should provide “timely feedback” to address errors in handwriting and spelling, which currently persist due to a lack of prompt correction.
• Systems for supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities require strengthening, specifically by setting “precise targets” and engaging parents more clearly in the support process.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an “open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility” and concerns being “actively identified, acted upon and managed.”