An infant school in Nottinghamshire has dropped to a 'requires improvement' rating after an Ofsted inspection highlighted a 'state of uncertainty'. James Peacock Infant and Nursery School, which teaches 322 pupils between the ages of three and seven years old in Ruddington, was previously rated 'outstanding' by inspectors in 2010.
In its most recent report, published on April 29 after a March inspection, leadership and staffing at the school were said to be in a "state of uncertainty". Some subject leaders were found to be "inexperienced", having not carried out any checks on the impact of a new curriculum.
The report adds: "Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are not consistently strong. Staff do not always set high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. This has a negative impact on pupils’ ability to focus on their learning."
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Ofsted also pointed out that pupils with special educational needs do not always receive well-planned support that matches their needs. Leaders were also said to not have promoted pupils’ broader development well enough in some areas.
It said: "For example, pupils have limited understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles," before adding the school had "not done enough to raise pupils’ awareness of different faiths and cultures present in modern Britain". Pupils did however say that they felt safe and happy and that bullying did not occur, according to the report. Inspectors also commented that the safeguarding is effective and that staff encourage a love of reading.
Acting headteacher at James Peacock, Hannah Cutts, said that the report was "disappointing" but added there was a "rigorous" school improvement plan in place. "We recognise the judgement to be a fair representation of where the school is currently at and is in line with our self-evaluation," she said.
“Everyone at the school has worked very hard over the past few months to ensure there is a rigorous school improvement plan in place, helping us to make rapid changes for the benefit of our children. We are confident that with the new curriculum, staff training and other changes we have put in place, with the support of the local authority, we are well placed to make progress in all areas required.
“We are proud of our children at this school and want to ensure they all receive the best education possible. We would like to thank our parents, carers and families for their continued support as we make every effort to improve further."
