Shears Green Infant School

Overview

Shears Green Infant School has “taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.” The school is described as “welcoming,” with “respectful and nurturing” relationships that help pupils feel “valued and happy.” Staff maintain high expectations for behaviour and achievement, creating “purposeful places to learn.”

Strengths

• Pupils benefit from “high-quality phonics teaching” following swift action to raise standards in early reading.
• The curriculum is “well sequenced,” with teachers possessing “good subject knowledge” who explain concepts clearly.
• Staff provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), working closely with external professionals.
• The wider curriculum offers diverse opportunities, including clubs and roles of responsibility, helping pupils become “responsible, honest members of the community.”
• Staff are “extremely positive” about initiatives managing their workload and supporting their well-being.

Areas to improve

• Teachers’ checking of pupils’ understanding is “not as sharp as it could be,” leading to gaps in learning that must be addressed swiftly.
• Teaching approaches are not always adapted well enough for some pupils with SEND, which “hampers some pupils’ progress.”

Safeguarding

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