Marlpool Infant School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 April 2025

Pupils enjoy coming to this happy and caring school. Pupils, staff, and parents and carers are positive about the school. They value that the school really cares about its pupils and families and the wider community. Typical comments from parents include, 'Children skip into school.' Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They know that staff will listen if they have a concern and that they will help them. The school's 'REACH - respect, enthusiasm, active, caring and happy' values successfully guide pupils in their actions and behaviours. The school has high expectations of behaviour. Pupils respond well to the positive approach and behave very well. They approach all activities with enthusiasm and are keen to learn. Pupils talk with confidence about the importance of respect and caring for one another. They are proud of the jobs that they do in school, for example helping their younger peers at lunchtime and being monitors. Pupils say, 'Jobs make us feel responsible,' and 'We have to set a good example.' The school wants the best for pupils and supports them effectively to succeed. Pupils achieve well. Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and for those who are disadvantaged is highly effective.

What the school should improve

• In some cases, safeguarding records do not fully document the actions that the school has taken to keep pupils safe. This reduces the school's ability to check on the impact of its actions over time. The school should ensure that records fully document the steps taken in relation to safeguarding.
• In a small number of foundation subjects, the curriculum does not clearly set out what pupils need to know and remember. Where this is the case, pupils do not remember their learning over time as well as they could. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, the key knowledge pupils need to learn and remember is identified clearly to enable pupils to know and remember more across all areas of the curriculum.
• Pupils have a limited understanding of the fundamental British values and the differences between people. Consequently, they are not prepared as well as they could be for life in modern Britain. The school should review its personal development provision to ensure that pupils develop their understanding of fundamental British values, equality and diversity appropriate to their age.

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