Newton Solney CofE (Aided) Infant School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 October 2023

Newton Solney C of E Infant school is a caring and inclusive school. Pupils said that they enjoy school and staff help them. A typical comment from pupils was that the school is 'amazing'. Parents are positive about the work of the school. They commented on how nurturing, friendly and supportive the school is. Pupils feel safe. They know who they can talk to if they have any worries. All pupils get a toy mouse before they start school. Staff use these to support children's transition to school and to help them talk about any worries they may have. There are positive relationships between pupils and staff. Lessons are calm and orderly. Pupils said the school's 'do be' values of 'do be kind, do be respectful, do be responsible and do be friendly' help them to understand how to behave and treat others. Pupils are proud to get reward stickers for their work and for behaving well. Pupils enjoy a range of trips and visits. They said they enjoyed trips to a tram museum, the local garden centre and the theatre. All pupils enjoy going to forest school once a week. Many pupils attend an after-school multi-sports club.

What the school should improve

• Sometimes the activities that teachers use do not extend the learning of some pupils. This means they do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that the activities teachers use build on and extend the learning of all pupils.
• Some pupils do not always play well together at unstructured times. On occasions, some pupils are boisterous. Staff do not always challenge pupils when their behaviour falls below what is expected. This means that some pupils are not always aware of how they should behave at these times. The school should ensure that all pupils are aware of how they should behave at unstructured times. The school should also ensure that all staff address any poor behaviour at play times.
• Some safeguarding records lack detail. They are not always clear about the action the school has taken to address any safeguarding concerns. This means that important details could be missed. Governors do not monitor the school's safeguarding arrangements as well as they should. This means they are not always aware of how effective the school's safeguarding processes are. The school should ensure that all safeguarding records have enough detail so that it is clear what the issues are and what actions the school has taken. Governors should also ensure that they have the knowledge they need to monitor the school's safeguarding arrangements.

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