Spixworth Infant School

Overview

Spixworth Infant School continues to be a good school, where pupils experience "warmth and kindness" from adults and "look forward to coming to school." Leaders have planned the curriculum in detail, ensuring pupils make connections with prior learning, while staff provide effective support for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and respond with politeness, appreciating staff who help them overcome worries and friendship issues.
• Teachers use engaging strategies, such as stories, drama, and rehearsing mathematical facts, to help pupils understand and remember new knowledge.
• Reading instruction is strong, with staff knowledgeable about teaching methods and providing ample opportunities for pupils to practise and succeed.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive tailored support, including visual prompts and extra teaching, allowing them to access the full curriculum.
• A wide range of activities, including cookery club, archery, and forest school, helps pupils appreciate the wider world and build confidence.

Areas to improve

• Assessment in some subjects, such as religious education, is at an early stage of development; leaders should support staff to use assessment information to refine the curriculum.
• On rare occasions, routines slip during activity changes, causing pupils to lose focus; leaders should ensure staff apply agreed systems consistently to maintain positive behaviour.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff knowing how to identify signs of harm and share concerns quickly, while leaders maintain up-to-date knowledge of contextual issues.