Stalyhill Infant School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 April 2026

Pupils are well looked after at this school. Staff have a deep understanding of pupils’ individual personalities and interests, which helps staff to build positive relationships with them. Staff also use this insight to reduce pupils’ barriers to success, such as by providing emotional support that helps pupils manage their feelings and worries. Pupils appreciate their teachers' support. They feel safe and secure in their care. Pupils enjoy school. They consistently attend well, which means that they rarely miss important learning. This includes pupils who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most pupils are attentive in their lessons, especially when learning is well matched to their needs and aptitudes. They are sensible around school and get along nicely with classmates during social times. Pupils rarely experience bullying. Leaders deal with any such instances effectively and do not allow issues to persist. Pupils experience a curriculum that is not consistently taught well. This sometimes impacts how well they build their knowledge. Despite these issues, pupils still achieve well overall. They are suitably prepared for their next stage of education. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, who typically make positive progress from their individual starting points. Pupils’ schooling is enriched through a wide variety of experiences and additional opportunities. These include school trips such as to a zoo and an airport, as well as regular visiting speakers ranging from the fire service to an insect specialist. Leaders also organise various extra-curricular clubs that take place during lunchtimes, which ensures pupils can regularly take part. There is an active school council that ensures pupils can regularly share their ideas on how to improve their school.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should improve how they evaluate the quality of curriculum delivery and the impact it has on pupils’ knowledge so that deficiencies can be routinely identified and addressed.
• Leaders should ensure that the delivery of writing and phonics is more effective, and that approaches to target pupils’ gaps in foundational knowledge are more rigorous.
• In the early years, staff should further develop how they engage children in high-quality interactions so that they maximise opportunities to deepen children’s learning.

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