Spire Nursery and Infant School

Overview

Spire Nursery and Infant School continues to be a good school, where pupils are described as happy, independent, and resilient. Leaders maintain high expectations for behaviour and learning, fostering a culture of respect where children feel safe and valued. The school is highly inclusive, with particular praise for the support provided to pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

Strengths

• Pupils are polite, friendly, and demonstrate high aspirations, with a strong sense of belonging described as a ‘family’.
• Reading is a top priority, with staff skilfully teaching sounds and providing timely support, resulting in confident and fluent readers.
• The school is highly inclusive; pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) ‘thrive’ in a bespoke resource base with skilled staff.
• Early years provision offers strong stimulation, ensuring children start Year 1 with ‘secure knowledge and blossoming confidence’.
• Staff and governors are dedicated, with leaders prioritising staff well-being and providing effective support for early career teachers.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should continue implementing ambitious curriculum plans for new subjects and monitor their impact on improving pupils’ knowledge over time.
• Leaders should support subject leaders, particularly those new to the role, to ensure they have the skills to effectively monitor and evaluate their subject areas.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders described as ‘tenacious’ in keeping pupils safe, ensuring secure recruitment practices and regular staff training.