Priory Park Infant School & Pre-School

Overview

Pupils at Priory Park Infant School & Playgroup “think highly of their school” and benefit from a “nurturing learning environment” that fosters kindness and respect. The inspection found that leaders have designed a well-planned curriculum, with particular success in early reading, ensuring children are “successfully prepared” for the next stages of their education.

Strengths

• Pupils are “kind to each other,” polite, and feel safe, with bullying being rare due to effective adult guidance.
• Leaders have made a “positive difference” in early reading through staff training and well-matched books, resulting in many pupils becoming “confident, accurate and fluent readers” by Year 2.
• Staff provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, using adaptations such as “one-to-one support” and “hands-on activities.”
• The curriculum offers rich experiences, including “forest school experiences,” local visits, and clubs, promoting strong personal development.
• Governors work strategically to hold leaders to account, while leaders support staff well-being and workload.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must ensure pupils “regularly revisit areas needed to learn” across the curriculum, as some do not get enough opportunity to revisit key knowledge, hindering deep understanding.
• Leaders should further develop assessment systems to ensure staff are clear about what pupils must know and routinely check what they have learned and remembered.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective,” with leaders and staff receiving regular training and knowing how to report concerns appropriately.