Upton Infant School

Overview

Upton Infant School continues to be a good school, where pupils feel valued and included within a supportive ethos. Leaders maintain high expectations for all pupils to thrive, fostering strong relationships between staff and children. The curriculum is well-sequenced, enabling most pupils to achieve well through carefully developed knowledge from the early years to Year 2.

Strengths

• Leaders have developed a "well-sequenced curriculum" that builds pupils’ knowledge effectively, particularly in mathematics and art.
• Staff possess "strong subject knowledge" and present learning clearly, checking understanding and addressing misconceptions promptly.
• Reading is prioritised, with children learning phonics from Reception; most become "fluent, confident readers" with effective support for those falling behind.
• The school enriches learning beyond academics through trips, clubs, and community contributions, such as singing to care home residents.
• Governors provide "strong support" by asking challenging questions, while leaders ensure staff workload is manageable and well-being is prioritised.

Areas to improve

• The behaviour policy is not consistently applied; staff do not always pick up quickly when pupils are off task, leading to some distraction.
• Teachers do not always adapt work sufficiently for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), resulting in slower learning for these pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with a strong culture where staff are well trained to spot risks and leaders follow up concerns swiftly with appropriate agencies.