Devonshire Infant School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 19 May 2026

Pupils experience a warm start to each school day. Staff welcome families into the school and classrooms each morning. This helps families feel a secure sense of community and belonging from the moment that they arrive. This shared start helps pupils to feel settled and ready to learn. The school’s library sits at the heart of daily life. Pupils, parents and carers visit regularly to change books and talk with staff. This fosters a love of reading and strengthens the school community. Pupils understand and live the school’s values of ‘Be kind, be safe, be your best.’ From the early years onwards, these values shape how pupils interact with one another and with adults. Pupils are typically polite, considerate and supportive of each other. They understand routines and respond well to them, which helps the school to run smoothly. Bullying is extremely rare and is addressed swiftly if it does occur. Pupils feel safe and know that adults will support them if they need help. As a result, relationships across the school are positive and respectful. Most pupils attend regularly and enjoy being part of the school community. Overall, pupils feel that this is a place where they belong, where staff support them, and where they can thrive. Pupils enjoy their learning and typically engage well in lessons. They enjoy a curriculum that helps them to build knowledge securely and develop increasing confidence in their learning. They are keen to do their best and take pride in their work. Overall, pupils are well prepared for their future learning. Pupils benefit from the wider opportunities that the school provides. They learn to be interested in and respectful of other people’s views and lives. The school promotes care and compassion.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should continue to develop consistency of teaching, including the use of assessment and adaptations, across the curriculum to support pupils' progress through the curriculum so that pupils achieve leaders’ aspirational expectations for achievement.
• Leaders should continue to work on their attendance strategies to ensure that pupils' attendance rates, including for pupils who face barriers, further improve and are consistently high.
• Leaders, including governors, should further develop their analysis of school performance to refine and implement strategic approaches to inform their school improvement oversight and priorities.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)