Yew Tree Community Junior and Infant School (NC)

Overview

Pupils at Yew Tree Community Junior and Infant School receive a “good education” in an environment described as “happy and safe” and “built on respect.” The report highlights that pupils behave well, have “positive attitudes to learning,” and are proud of their school, with parents speaking “very positively” of the provision.

Strengths

• Leaders have designed an “ambitious curriculum” with clear priorities in subjects like history and science, helping pupils “remember what they have learned previously.”
• Reading is a strong priority; staff deliver phonics effectively, and pupils use strategies to “enjoy and understand the books they are reading.”
• Children in the early years make a “strong start,” settling in quickly and learning to follow routines that “sets the standard” for future years.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are quickly identified and largely follow the same curriculum as their peers, with leaders developing more specialised support.
• The school offers a range of enrichment activities, including visits and clubs, which help pupils understand “British values” and prepare for later life.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must ensure those at all levels have the “autonomy, skills and support” to consistently monitor the effectiveness of recent curriculum changes.
• Leaders should develop the personal development curriculum to ensure all pupils, including those with SEND, are “as fully prepared for life in modern Britain” as they can be.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective,” with staff receiving regular training and being alert to potential risks.