Hadleigh Infant and Nursery School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 April 2025

Pupils happily attend Hadleigh Infant and Nursery School. They learn the school values and understand that 'everyone is welcome'. Positive relationships between staff and pupils create a safe space. In this environment, pupils feel secure and comfortable sharing their worries or concerns. Younger children in the early years follow the school rules well. They understand the routines and how to follow them effectively. This creates a calm atmosphere that reduces distractions, which enables pupils to concentrate well on the learning tasks. Combined with stimulating activities, this ensures that pupils are actively involved in their learning. This helps them to develop key knowledge and skills. In Year 1 and Year 2, most pupils behave well and understand the importance of good behaviour. They enjoy learning and socialising with their peers. Playtimes and learning times are happy and fun. Those who find it more challenging to manage their feelings receive tailored support from skilled staff, and their behaviour improves over time. Teachers have high expectations, and pupils achieve well across the curriculum. They remember important subject knowledge. Additionally, pupils develop a well-rounded vocabulary. This is because teachers provide clear explanations of new words and demonstrate how to use them.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, teachers do not use their checks on what pupils know and remember effectively. Subsequent learning does not take into account pupils' prior knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge well over time in these subjects, and this slows the progress they make across the curriculum. The school should ensure that teachers check what pupils know and remember across all subjects and use this to inform future learning.
• Some trustees do not have an accurate view of the strengths and areas for improvement for the school. This prevents them from robustly holding school leaders to account for their actions. The trust should ensure that trustees develop their expertise further so that they can hold leaders fully to account for the school's performance.

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