Galley Common Infant School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 November 2023

Galley Common Infant school is a special place to learn. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are happy and safe here. Parents and carers are highly positive about the school, typically saying that 'staff are kind, welcoming and knowledgeable.' Children get off to a flying start in early years. They love being in different outside spaces, exploring and playing together. Staff encourage children to praise each other for their achievements. This helps children to grow in confidence and appreciate each other's differences. Pupils respond enthusiastically to the high expectations that staff have for them. They learn from an exciting and ambitious curriculum that meets their individual needs. They usually behave well and try hard to do their best. Many pupils thrive taking on additional responsibilities, such as older pupils helping to look after younger pupils at lunchtime. This develops a sense of community and enables older pupils to be good role models.

What the school should improve

• Some staff do not apply the school's behaviour policy with consistency, and their expectations of pupils' behaviour, including pupils with additional needs, are not high enough. As a result, some pupils distract others or do not engage with their work. The school should ensure that all staff apply the behaviour policy as intended.
• The school has struggled with the recruitment of governors, resulting in many vacancies on the board. Therefore, governors have limited capacity to challenge and support leaders and undertake all aspects of their role fully. The school should find alternative ways to recruit new governors and build capacity within the governing body.

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