South Stanley Infant and Nursery School

Overview

South Stanley Infant and Nursery School has “taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.” Pupils “thrive in this welcoming school,” benefiting from strong relationships and high expectations. The report confirms that leaders and governors are committed to continuous improvement, with effective systems in place to support staff and challenge practice.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate “good manners and respectful behaviours,” with classrooms described as “calm and purposeful.”
• The school has developed an “ambitious curriculum” where essential knowledge is mapped precisely, helping pupils build understanding step by step.
• There is a “sharp focus on promoting reading,” with phonics taught consistently well, enabling pupils to become “fluent readers quickly.”
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are “fully engaged in lessons,” with precise identification of needs and timely individual targets.
• The school’s “relentless” drive for regular attendance has led to year-on-year improvement and a significant reduction in persistent absence.

Areas to improve

• Staff must use approaches to teach early writing consistently, as current inconsistency means some pupils do not develop these skills as quickly as they should.
• The school should provide plentiful opportunities for pupils to revisit key knowledge about faiths and religions, as current recall is limited and variable.

Safeguarding

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