Doddinghurst Infant School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 29 November 2022

There is a kind word and a friendly smile for everyone at this happy village school. Pupils are eager to play and learn together. Bullying is very rare. Pupils say that adults stop any unkindness straight away. Pupils feel safe in school. They use their 'worry monsters' to let adults know when they need help. Pupils are confident that any adult in school will help them when they need it. In lessons, pupils rise to the high expectations of their teachers. They listen carefully and settle quickly to tasks. From the early years, they reflect on their learning and share their ideas sensibly. Across the school, pupils develop independence and resilience. Older pupils are proud of their learning. They say, 'Practice, practice, practice helps them get better, better, better!' Pupils have many opportunities to experience the world beyond the classroom. In outdoor sessions, they explore nature and learn new skills. They are proud of their teamwork and successes in sporting events. Pupils in choir raise money for charity and sing in the local church on Remembrance Day. Pupils develop links with the local community; they write 'thank you' letters for donations and collect items for the local foodbank.

What the school should improve

• In a few subjects, leaders have not identified precisely enough the most important learning. In these subjects, some pupils develop misconceptions and do not achieve as well as they do in the rest of the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that they clearly identify and set out the knowledge and skills to be learned and that staff have the expertise to put these in place in all subjects.
• The work of the governing body has been disrupted by turnover and remote working. Governors are not clear about some of the school's strengths and weaknesses. They are too reliant on, and do not always challenge, the information provided to them by school leaders. Governors should ensure that they have appropriate strategies and systems in place so that they have an accurate strategic understanding of leaders' work and how this contributes to improving the school.

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