Netley Marsh Church of England Infant School

Overview

Netley Marsh Church of England Infant School continues to be a good school, offering a ‘family atmosphere’ where pupils are happy and relationships are ‘respectful and trusting’. Leaders have created an ‘ambitious curriculum’ that is well sequenced to build knowledge incrementally, ensuring all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress.

Strengths

• Pupils benefit from a ‘purposeful learning atmosphere’ with clear behavioural expectations and effective handling of bullying.
• Reading is a high priority, with a ‘consistent approach’ to teaching phonics and carefully matched books helping pupils become ‘fluent and independent readers’.
• Staff are well trained to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, using external specialists to select ‘the most effective strategies’.
• The curriculum includes broad experiences, such as visits and leadership roles like ‘planet protector’, which develop resilience and environmental awareness.
• Leaders actively manage staff workload by removing ‘unnecessary administrative tasks’ that do not contribute to pupils’ learning.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must evaluate where teachers’ subject knowledge is ‘less strong’ and provide training to ensure curriculum content is taught effectively in every subject.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff well trained to recognise risks and leaders responding swiftly to referrals to access necessary help.