Sandwich Infant School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 30 January 2024

Pupils feel that this is a friendly and caring place. As this is an infant school, their stay here is relatively short before transition to the next phase of their education. Despite this, children settle quickly on joining Reception and make good progress both academically and socially by the time they leave. The school's nurturing ethos supplements the high expectations of what all pupils can achieve. Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds do well because of the positive experiences provided by staff. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) thrive here. Parents and carers are particularly happy about the support that pupils with SEND receive. Inspectors' discussions with pupils revealed high levels of positivity about how safe they feel. Pupils feel that the actions of others do not impact on their learning. They behave well because routines are firmly established, and staff are consistent in their approach when pupils need gentle reminders. Pupils love their trips into the local community. During the inspection, Year 2 pupils could hardly contain their excitement about their pending visit to a local nature reserve to study microhabitats. Learning how to make (and then eating) pizza 'in town' scored equally highly in their well-considered list of favourites when talking to inspectors.

What the school should improve

• Pupils' achievements in writing are not as strong as they should be. Leaders know this and recognise how pupils' weaker writing could slow achievement in other curriculum areas. The school has already identified some steps to address the issue, but now needs to focus more sharply on a whole-school approach to improve writing.
• Pupils' love of books, reading and the written word is underdeveloped. While the school's programme to teach pupils to read fluently is effective, a significant number of pupils lack the spark and enthusiasm for reading that might be expected. The profile of books and reading needs to be raised further, and in a meaningful way, so that pupils' motivation and passion for reading and books are strengthened.

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