East Ruston Infant School & Nursery

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 November 2023

Overwhelmingly, pupils are happy at this small school that sits at the heart of the community. There is a shared ambition from all staff for pupils to achieve the very best that they can. Pupils enjoy their lessons and typically work hard to reach the expectations the school has of them. Children make a strong start to school in the Nursery and Reception classes. They quickly learn to love learning. Children rise to the challenges the school sets them. They listen attentively to adults and to each other. Older pupils enjoy playing with younger children. The school playground is a hive of activity where pupils play games and enjoy using the play equipment together. Being outside and learning in nature is important to everyone here. Pupils love nothing more than being outside. Heading to the nature area or local common for their learning is a highlight of the day. Birdwatching, storytelling and pond dipping in these areas are integral parts of the school curriculum. Pupils learn to be independent when learning outside. They also develop a strong sense of the importance of looking after the world they live in.

What the school should improve

• Monitoring of the curriculum is not embedded across all subjects. This means the school does not have as secure an understanding of how well pupils are learning as they might. They also do not always have the information they need to improve. The school, and the trust, should ensure they check with precision how well the curriculum is taught across all subjects. This is so they better understand where they might need to make the necessary improvements.
• There are some pupils who are persistently absent from school. This means they miss important learning. The school, and the trust, should ensure that their systems for securing positive attendance result in reduced levels of absence.

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