Savile Town Church of England Voluntary Controlled Infant and Nursery School

Overview

Savile Town Church of England Voluntary Controlled Infant and Nursery School continues to be a good school. It is described as a “caring and happy place” where pupils feel safe, enjoy their learning, and make good progress. The school’s Christian values are “woven through the heart of everyday life,” fostering an environment where staff and pupils treat each other with respect.

Strengths

• Staff have “very high expectations for all pupils,” who are supported well to meet these standards.
• The curriculum is “ambitious” and effectively adapted for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), ensuring they learn as well as their classmates.
• Early reading is a high priority; most teachers teach phonics very well, and pupils with low starting points or English as an additional language learn to read well.
• Pupils behave very well, being “polite, friendly and kind,” with bullying rarely happening.
• Parents and carers are “overwhelmingly positive” about the school, particularly appreciating the support for SEND pupils and the responsive staff.

Areas to improve

• The curriculums for some foundation subjects, such as music and PE, are not yet embedded, meaning pupils lack “rich and deep knowledge” in these areas.
• A small minority of staff do not implement the new phonics scheme well, resulting in some pupils not learning to read quickly and fluently.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with a strong culture of safety where staff and governors are knowledgeable about concerns and thorough recruitment checks are carried out.