Setting

Mrs T Daniel Headteacher Netley Marsh Church of England Infant School Ringwood Road Woodlands Southampton Hampshire SO40 7GY

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Marsh Church of England Infant School

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 24 March 2011, for the time you gave to our phone discussions and for the information which you provided before and during the inspection. I would be grateful if you would also extend my thanks to those pupils and to your School Improvement Partner who took the time to talk with me.

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Marsh Church of England Infant School

The school had very recently been federated with two other small local infant schools at the time of the previous inspection. Since then there has been a change of headteacher following retirement and the deputy head, or Head of Learning for this school has been appointed.

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Marsh Church of England Infant School

As a result of the inspection on 1 and 2 February 2010, the school was asked to address the most important areas for improvement which are set out in the annex to this letter.

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Marsh Church of England Infant School

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time the school has made outstanding progress in making improvements. It has made outstanding progress in demonstrating a better capacity for sustained improvement.

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Marsh Church of England Infant School

In 2010, Year 2 results improved significantly in all subjects, but particularly in writing. Inspection evidence shows that attainment and achievement in writing have improved further since then as a result of strong focus which has involved very effective staff training. The development of exceptional resources is also supporting an excellent, imaginative curriculum. All staff work together outstandingly well to promote significantly better learning, so that pupils have fun in lessons, which stimulates their writing. All pupils, notably boys, are developing very positive Tribal 1-4 Portland Square BRISTOL BS2 8RR T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0845 123 6001 Direct F 0117 315 0430 Direct email :stephen.godden@tribalgroup.com attitudes towards writing because of this creatively stimulating provision which promotes enjoyment in all their learning. Pupils like writing now because they can

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Marsh Church of England Infant School

‘share ideas and express their thoughts and feelings’ by using ‘wow words’ as some said. All teaching and learning observed was outstanding, generating excellent progress for pupils of all abilities. Highly-focused phonics teaching now leads to better spelling, and by Year 2, most pupils use cursive script neatly.

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Marsh Church of England Infant School

Provision for developing pupils’ knowledge of different cultures has been very good, widening their understanding ‘from the school outwards’, initially through exciting opportunities linking the three schools in the federation which lie in different types of locality. Other provision has been extended well, but this area remains a priority for the school because the development of pupils’ understanding of cultural diversity is less marked.

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Marsh Church of England Infant School

The impact of new leaders and managers, and strong links forged between all staff through the federation, has been excellent in this school. After a lengthy period when there have been many changes of headteacher, staff have embraced new opportunities with refreshing enthusiasm and relish. Teaching has been invigorated, with all staff willingly taking full responsibility for the progress and learning of the individuals and groups they teach. New systems for tracking pupils’ progress give teachers and support staff a clear view of their development, with useful shared training providing a clear understanding of how to measure and improve pupils’ achievement. All staff eagerly share successes and are stimulated by being encouraged to be creative and experiment with ideas. They greatly appreciate being valued and the opportunity to extend their range of skills and experience.

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Marsh Church of England Infant School

This highly positive approach has resulted in rapid and positive changes, not only to the quality of teaching but to curriculum provision which has improved very significantly. Staff across the federation cooperate very effectively to develop and strengthen good practice. Local authority arrangements have ensured that the School Improvement Partner oversees all three schools, providing effective support to the school’s outstanding leadership and management.

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Marsh Church of England Infant School

I hope that you have found the inspection helpful in promoting improvement in your school. This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website.

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place in February 2010

 Raise attainment in writing through:  using activities where pupils learn sounds in words to help improve their spelling in written work  improving the way pupils form their letters and encouraging more to write cursively.  Give pupils better opportunities to develop a greater understanding of the different social, cultural and religious groups in the United Kingdom and overseas.

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