Birk Hill Infant & Nursery School, Eckington

What it's like to be a pupil at Birk Hill Infant & Nursery School

Pupils feel happy and safe at Birk Hill Infant and Nursery School. They are welcomed into a calm, friendly and supportive environment, where many are keen to learn. Pupils benefit from well-established routines and increasingly high expectations of behaviour. As a result, they learn in calm and orderly classrooms. Many pupils enjoy their learning. They talk with enthusiasm about what they have learned in science and mathematics. However, in some subjects, pupils do not achieve well. As a result, some pupils are not well prepared for the next stage of their learning. At times, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive work that does not take enough account of what they know and can do. Consequently, this work does not meet their needs, and they do not make the progress that they should. Pupils play and socialise well together. They report that incidents of bullying are rare. They say that if it did happen, teachers would help them. Staff build warm and positive relationships with pupils. Pupils know that staff will listen to them if they have a concern. Most pupils attend well, but some pupils still miss too much school time through absence. Pupils enjoy the school trips that the school provides. They enjoy their leadership roles, for example, as a school council member or as a mini leader, helping younger children to develop their play. However, pupils lack opportunities to develop their talents or interests. This limits their wider development. The ‘Birk Hill Way' sets out the values that pupils should follow. Pupils are clear about respect and understand the need to be kind to others. In the early years, children get off to a positive start. They are happy and settled. They develop independence. The curriculum is focused on developing communication and language. Most staff engage in high-quality interactions with children, which help them to develop their communication skills well.

What Ofsted says the school should do next

• Leaders, including governors, should ensure that they have a full and accurate understanding of all aspects of the school's work so that they can prioritise the most important areas for improvement and work strategically to monitor the impact of their work to address these priorities.
• Leaders should ensure that all teachers use assessment information to establish what pupils already know and can do, and take account of this when adapting learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Leaders should ensure that all teachers identify, quickly and accurately, any misconceptions or missing knowledge that pupils may have, especially in writing and mathematics, so that these gaps can be addressed swiftly before pupils move on to new learning.
• Leaders should ensure that highly effective teaching is embedded and consistent across the school so that pupils progress well in all subjects of the curriculum.
• Leaders should ensure that their work consistently and successfully improves pupils' attendance and reduces rates of persistent absence.
• Leaders should support pupils to develop a clear, age-appropriate understanding of fundamental British values, for example, by helping them to make connections with the values that they follow in school for their behaviour and conduct.

The school excels in early years education, where children develop strong communication skills and make good progress towards Year 1. Teachers are particularly skilled at phonics and reading instruction, helping pupils achieve well in the phonics screening check. The school creates a calm, positive learning environment where behaviour is good and pupils feel safe and supported.

Safeguarding standards are met. Leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

School trips and visits

Bus Stops