Pickering Community Infant School

Overview

Pickering Community Infant School is described as a “welcoming and inclusive” environment where pupils are “happy and safe.” While the overall effectiveness is rated as Good, the report highlights that the quality of education in the early years “is not good enough,” leaving some children insufficiently prepared for the next stage of their education.

Strengths

• Staff build “nurturing relationships” with pupils, helping them become “resilient and confident learners.”
• The school has successfully addressed previous issues with early reading, with staff now teaching phonics with “precision and consistency.”
• Pupils benefit from a “cohesive, thematic curriculum” and enjoy “exciting visits” that enhance their learning experiences.
• The personal development curriculum is a strength, with pupils learning to “play safely” and understanding “what a safe relationship is.”
• Governors “fulfil their statutory duties effectively” and have an “accurate understanding” of the school’s strengths and areas for development.

Areas to improve

• The early years curriculum is “inconsistently implemented,” meaning children do not achieve as highly as they could; staff training requires review to ensure consistent delivery.
• Teaching of reading beyond phonics is “not as developed as it could be,” limiting pupils’ fluency and love of reading.
• In some wider subjects, the curriculum is “not as coherently sequenced,” preventing pupils from building knowledge securely over time.

Safeguarding

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