Toton Banks Road Infant and Nursery School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 February 2025

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming and inclusive school where they are happy and excited to learn. They are inspired by the school values of 'Be Kind, Be Brave, Be Curious', and they flourish here. Staff take great care to get to know each pupil and their family. The youngest children settle quickly, and learn to share, to listen to others and to take turns. The school is a place of high expectations for all pupils. Pupils are respectful, courteous and well mannered throughout the school. They understand and champion the school's 'kindness curriculum'. At social times, pupils play and chat happily. This helps most pupils achieve well across a range of subjects. Pupils feel safe. They know staff are always on hand if they need support or have a worry. The school offers a variety of extra-curricular clubs, such as netball, construction, choir, 'pop' and dance. These are very popular and enable pupils to develop their talents and interests. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent, reflecting the views of many, said: 'The teachers absolutely make this school. They are so caring towards the children. They help them to develop not just academically but into lovely human beings.'

What the school should improve

• Sometimes, the school does not ensure that some of its curriculum is clear on the essential knowledge to teach to pupils and when. This makes it harder for staff to make sure that pupils know and remember the information that the school intends. The school could further refine the curriculum for each subject to specify the knowledge that pupils are expected to learn and recall.
• Assessment is not used consistently well across some areas of the curriculum. As a result, gaps in pupils' learning are not effectively identified and resolved quickly. The school should further develop its systems for using assessment information to better prepare children for the next steps in their learning.
• The school is not using its knowledge of children's prior learning in the early years as well as it should to shape their next steps. This is leading to inconsistency in the quality of provision, both indoors and outside, and means that children are not achieving as well as they could. The school should build on what children know and can do so that activities provide a strong foundation for their future learning.

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