Wirksworth CofE Infant School

Overview

Wirksworth CofE Infant School is described as being “truly at the heart of its local community,” where pupils are “happy, polite and kind.” The report highlights that relationships between adults and pupils are “nurturing and kind,” resulting in a culture where children feel “very happy and safe.” The school has successfully navigated a recent merger, with leaders maintaining high standards during this period of transition.

Strengths

• Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), “achieve well” and meet high expectations for behaviour.
• Personal development is praised as “exceptional,” with pupils taking on leadership roles such as eco-councillors and participating in community activities like charity fundraising.
• The school “prioritises reading,” ensuring children rapidly learn to read in Reception and receive timely support if they fall behind.
• Staff possess “good subject knowledge” due to regular training, and the curriculum is “broad and ambitious” with a clearly defined learning sequence.
• Parents are “overwhelmingly positive,” describing the school as “caring” and noting that staff are “kind and understanding.”

Areas to improve

• The school should ensure curriculum implementation is “consistently well,” as some activity choices do not help all pupils “deepen their knowledge and skills.”
• Assessment procedures in the early years need refinement, as staff currently cannot always check “with precision what children know and can do.”

Safeguarding

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