Sefton Park Infant School

Overview

Sefton Park Infant School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at its previous inspection. The school is described as being ‘at the heart of the community’ where ‘everyone is valued and respected’, fostering a strong sense of belonging. Pupils are safe, behave well, and most achieve well, supported by staff who hold high expectations for achievement.

Strengths

• The school offers a ‘broad and ambitious curriculum’ that helps pupils build knowledge and skills, with a ‘sharp focus on reading’ ensuring pupils become ‘confident, fluent readers’.
• Staff in the Nursery provide skilled teaching that develops children’s language and fine motor skills through ‘visual and verbal modelling’.
• The personal development programme is a strength, offering a ‘rich variety of wider experiences’ such as sporting clubs and educational visits.
• The school carefully meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), providing scaffolds and resources that help them ‘progress well’.
• Governors share the leaders’ vision and ensure statutory duties are fulfilled, while leaders remain mindful of staff workload.

Areas to improve

• The school must ensure all staff have the ‘depth of subject and pedagogical knowledge’ required to deliver the curriculum effectively, as some currently lack the expertise to help all pupils secure necessary learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.