Nettleworth Infant and Nursery School

Overview

Pupils at Nettleworth Infant and Nursery School are described as loving school, with one noting they are ‘so excited to come to school’. Leaders aim for pupils to ‘shine like stars’, fostering an environment where children are ‘inquisitive and confident learners’ who demonstrate kindness and respect. The school maintains high standards in behaviour, personal development, and early years provision, ensuring pupils feel safe and supported.

Strengths

• Children get off to a ‘flying start’ in the early years, with staff adapting teaching to suit individual needs and establishing well-understood routines.
• A ‘love of reading builds swiftly’, supported by exciting book selections and immediate help in phonics lessons so pupils do not fall behind.
• Pupils show ‘great kindness’ and follow the ‘rainbow rules’, with bullying being rare and staff trusted to resolve upsets.
• Staff are ‘quick to notice positive behaviour’, celebrating learning through ‘superhero learning powers’ such as being a ‘teamwork ninja’.
• Leaders are ‘considerate of teachers’ workload’ and staff well-being, while governors work closely to support further improvements.

Areas to improve

• In a minority of subjects, leaders have not ‘fully identified the precise knowledge’ pupils should learn, nor checked the curriculum’s implementation and impact effectively.
• Individual targets for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are ‘too broad’ and lack precise identification of what pupils need to do to progress.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff knowledgeable about spotting concerns and working well with external agencies to secure support.