Killamarsh Infant School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 March 2025

This is a welcoming school, where pupils are happy and safe. Parents and carers appreciate the kindness that staff extend to their children. The nurturing support for children begins in the Nursery provision, where children make a positive start to their education. The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve well and, typically, they do. However, some pupils do not achieve well enough in some subjects. They do not remember what they have been taught and some of them have misconceptions that are not resolved. Pupils' behaviour is a variable picture. It is positive during social times of the day. Pupils benefit from a range of engaging activities at playtimes and play happily with friends. Pupils have trusted adults, who respond appropriately to any concerns. However, at other times of the day, including during lessons, pupils do not always listen or concentrate well. The school provides effective support for pupils' emotional well-being. Families appreciate this. Pupils benefit from wider experiences, learning outside as well as indoors. For instance, 'muddy Mondays' and 'welly Wednesdays' are popular times that are enjoyed and valued by pupils.

What the school should improve

• The support for pupils with SEND does not always meet these pupils' needs well. They do not always benefit from a curriculum that is adapted effectively according to their needs. The school must continue to review the provision for pupils with SEND. It must ensure that staff have suitable knowledge and expertise, so that they can provide the help that pupils with SEND need to achieve well.
• In some subjects, the curriculum is not implemented well enough. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to revisit what they have learned. They sometimes make mistakes that are left uncorrected. When this happens, pupils cannot remember important knowledge they have been taught and do not have firm foundations on which they can build. The school must ensure that the curriculum is implemented effectively in each subject, so that pupils can secure their knowledge.
• Currently, the school's approach to teaching pupils how to write is not consistent. Pupils do not routinely draw on their phonic knowledge to spell accurately or apply a fluent handwriting style. This means that the quality of pupils' writing is frequently not of a high-enough standard. The school must make sure there is an effective approach to teaching pupils how to write so that they are fluent and accurate.
• The school's approach to managing behaviour during lessons is not applied consistently. Some pupils interrupt the learning and miss out on important information. The school must ensure that staff maintain consistently high expectations of pupils' behaviour so that all pupils benefit from disruption-free learning and can focus their attention on their studies.

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