Amport Church of England Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 8–9 February 2012 Inspection number 379237 Amport Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 116348 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 379237 Inspection dates 8–9 February 2012 Lead inspector Lindsey Diamond

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 83 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Anna Dixon-Green Headteacher Bernadette Fleet Date of previous school inspection 30 April 2009 School address The Green Amport Andover SP11 8BA Telephone number 01264 772396 Fax number 01264 771948 Email address bernadette.fleet@amport.hants.sch.uk

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. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice by one additional inspector. During the inspection, seven lessons were observed, taught by five teachers, adding up to nearly three hours of teaching time. Assemblies, playtimes and lunchtimes were also observed. Meetings were held with two governors and senior and middle managers. The inspector took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at the school's data on attainment, learning and progress for all year groups. The school development plan, self-evaluation documentation and lesson plans were also scrutinised. The inspector heard pupils read and met with pupils to discuss their work. The inspector analysed 56 questionnaires completed by parents and carers, to some of whom she also talked informally. Additionally, 45 questionnaires completed by pupils and 9 completed by staff were analysed.

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Information about the school

Amport is a much smaller than average primary school, in rural surroundings. About 70% of pupils attend from the immediate area, whilst others come from further afield. Many children join the Reception Year from nursery and pre-school provision, although, for some, Amport is their first experience of a school setting. There are four classes in the school, three of which have mixed year groups. Year 4 is taught as a single year-group class. The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals is significantly below the national average. Nearly all pupils are from a White British background. The percentage of disabled pupils and those who have special educational is lower than the national average, as is the proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs. The school meets the current floor standards, which set the government’s minimum expectations for pupils’

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Information about the school

attainment and progress. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 Children settle quickly into school and their needs are met well.  Throughout their time at school, pupils make good progress. By the time they leave at the end of Year 6, standards are above average in both English and mathematics.  Teaching is good across the school, particularly for the older pupils.  Parents and carers are actively engaged and involved in the life of the school and this helps their children’s learning significantly from the earliest age.  Pupils apply good skills in reading, writing and mathematics across different subjects of the curriculum.  Pupils have a very positive attitude to learning, behave well in class and around the school, and produce their best work when encouraged to complete tasks independently.  An interesting curriculum ensures that pupils are motivated to learn and provides positive experiences which help them develop into mature and confident young people.

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Key findings

 The curriculum is extended effectively by clear links with the local community and homework projects that encourage independent thinking.  The headteacher sets high expectations and has a clear view of what is needed for improvement. The school leadership, staff, and the governing body are all committed to ensuring that pupils are successful, happy and safe.

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Key findings

It is not yet an outstanding school because:

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Key findings

 The targets set for pupils are sometimes not as challenging as they might be, especially for the younger pupils.  There are some inconsistencies in the quality and pace of teaching and learning in individual classes and subjects.  Learning tasks in some lessons are not consistently differentiated to match the learning needs of pupils exactly. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure leaders at all levels, including teachers as leaders of learning, are focused on setting aspirational targets, particularly for younger learners, and ensuring that these are fully achieved.  Improve the quality of teaching throughout the school so that all is good and more is outstanding by:  ensuring that tasks in lessons match learners abilities consistently in order to enable each individual to reach their full potential  checking pupils’ understanding systematically throughout lessons in order to be clear when intervention is needed or when teaching should introduce new learning  sharing the best practice evident currently within the school.

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Achievement of pupils

Children enter the Reception Year with skills that are slightly above the levels expected for their age. They make appropriate progress and are then ready for the challenges of Year 1. As pupils progress through the school, their learning is accelerated so that, by the end of Year 6, they reach attainment levels that are above the national average. Pupils make especially good progress towards the end of their time at Amport. This is recognised by pupils; for example, when an inspector discussed the progress pupils had made over time, one was keen to point out, ‘we learn quickly.’ This was evidenced well by the wide range of pupil work looked at during the inspection. Parents and carers are likewise, rightly, pleased with the strides in learning their children are making. During a playground discussion, one parent was happy to report that their child’s progress had accelerated significantly since moving to the school. The progress of disabled pupils and those who have

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Achievement of pupils

special educational needs is good. Parents and carers of these pupils are equally positive about the pace of learning for their children, one reporting that their child’s learning needs had been met specifically by the school so that they can ‘learn effectively’.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils develop well the necessary skills in reading, writing and mathematics to help prepare them for the next stage of their education. They have good oral communication skills. They are skilled at applying these in a range of situations to support learning, in negotiating with their peers, and in discussions with adults beyond the classroom. The school has recently focused on improving progress in mathematics and, as a result, all pupils make significantly better progress than their peers nationally and attain well. Similarly, pupils make good progress in reading and are working above national averages at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. The school is now making the same concerted effort to improve writing, and, as a result, progress has been accelerated. Some good examples of extended writing were seen throughout the school with, for example, Year 1 pupils taking several days to plan Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Achievement of pupils

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

and write their version of a well-known fairy tale. The vast majority of parents and carers state that their children achieve well and their comments reflect the evidence of the inspector.

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Quality of teaching

Most of the parents and carers who returned the inspection questionnaires believe their children are taught well and inspection evidence supports this view. Oral communication skills are taught well and pupils work together and collaborate very well when provided with opportunities to do so. Teachers are adept at weaving meaningful opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development into lessons and this adds much to learning experiences and permeates the culture of the school. During the inspection, a visitor from Barnado’s instigated much pupil discussion on supporting people that were less fortunate than themselves. Typically, teachers have high expectations of learners and push them to achieve as much as they can. In lessons observed, learning was most effective when the teachers planned tasks accurately to match the learning needs of pupils and allowed them to have a key decision-making role in their own learning. When this happened, progress

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Quality of teaching

was good and, at times, outstanding. For example, in a Year 5/6 mathematics lesson, pupils were encouraged to select the appropriate level of challenge to help them move on. Consistently, they chose the very hardest task that they could tackle. When questioned by the inspector after the lesson about why they had not opted for an easier option, one reported ‘If we do not challenge ourselves, we do not learn’ whilst another said ‘It is not interesting if it is too easy.’ Teaching is good overall. There are occasions, however, when teachers’ questioning is not incisive enough and, therefore, they are not aware when pupils are ready to be pushed on in their learning. Likewise, at times, the pace of teaching does not allow all pupils to move on quickly enough in their learning. Other adults, including parents and carers, are used as an effective resource to support and enhance pupil learning.

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Quality of teaching

The pupils benefit from a well-planned curriculum that helps them build up key reading, writing and mathematical skills in a progressive and systematic manner. These skills are developed well and reinforced in different subjects of the curriculum. During the inspection, it was apparent that teachers have a very clear understanding of the achievement of individual pupils. Their accurate assessments are mostly used effectively to guide and inform lesson planning. Marking is used effectively as a tool for improving the quality of individual pupils’ work. Homework is set throughout the school and contributes well to the learning of pupils. This is especially true of the innovative homework projects that are used effectively to support and extend learning and allow pupils to make decisions for themselves.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Discussions with parents and carers and pupils, as well as pupil questionnaires, confirm the inspection findings that behaviour and safety are typically good. Pupils report that they feel safe at school and that behaviour, both in lessons and around the school, is good. However, there were a small number of parental concerns about Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

bullying and this was followed up in detail during the inspection. The behaviour log and playground incident log were investigated and discussions took place with pupils. The logs showed that incidents were minor and dealt with appropriately. Rare playground injuries are, likewise, dealt with appropriately by staff. No pupils were able to cite any examples of bullying of any kind and no inappropriate behaviour was seen during the course of the inspection. During the inspection, pupils were typically extremely polite and courteous and engaged well in learning. Just occasionally, pupils became less focused when the pace of teaching dropped, although they always conducted themselves in line with the generally high teacher expectations. Attendance is above the national average and punctuality is good. Pupils show a good understanding of the risks associated with, for example, substance misuse, the use of new technology, and cyber-bullying.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher demonstrates an ambitious vision for school improvement. She has worked effectively with staff and the governing body, who all share the vision, to ensure that this successful school continues to improve and to accelerate the progress for all pupils, especially in reading and mathematics. The current lack of a deputy headteacher has been a challenge for this small school. However, strategic planning has ensured that the school continues effectively to meet the needs of pupils, whilst offering middle leaders challenging professional development opportunities, which they are undertaking with enthusiasm. Assessment systems for evaluating pupil achievement are fully in place and they are having considerable impact on improving progress for most learners because any underachievement is identified and addressed quickly. Further challenge is needed in planning for younger learners and particularly in setting them aspirational targets and this features in

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Leadership and management

forward planning already. A clear vision for the future, combined with good progress to date in improving teaching and achievement, and further well-targeted action plans, demonstrate a clear capacity to improve.

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Leadership and management

The school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination well. All the requirements for safeguarding pupils are met. The school has invested much time and effort effectively in engaging parents and carers and, as a result, has ensured that they are key partners in their children’s learning. The curriculum is good and is matched very well to the needs of learners, as well as their interests. Much of the curriculum is based around the local area and the school makes good use of the facilities at the historical building of Amport House. Staff members recognise and value the efforts that are being made continually to improve opportunities for pupils. As one teacher said, reflecting the views of many, ‘Amport has an engaging curriculum for learners’, while another noted that the leadership is ‘firmly based in moving the school forward – we are a team’. The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral

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Leadership and management

and cultural development is a key feature of school life; as a result, pupils develop strong moral and social awareness and an appreciation of the views and beliefs of others. These features help to create a cohesive school community and prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the la test published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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8BA

Thank you all very much for welcoming me to your school. I enjoyed talking with you and your teachers and observing the lessons, assemblies, lunch times and play times. I read your opinions carefully also, put forward in the pupil questionnaires. I found that your school is good and that your headteacher and other leaders are determined to make it even better.

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8BA

These are the things I found that your school does well.

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8BA

 Your headteacher, staff and governing body are very clear about how they want to keep improving your school.  Children settle quickly into the Reception Year and then progress well throughout the school.  Your school has worked hard to involve parents and carers successfully in your learning in a range of ways, such as your homework projects.  The school assesses your learning needs carefully so that you get help when you need it.  The curriculum is interesting and fun and is generally targeted to suit your learning needs well.  Communication skills are taught well and you use them effectively at work and at play.  The school has good systems in place to keep you safe.

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8BA

Your headteacher agrees with me that your school could be even better and I have asked her and the staff to do two important things.

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8BA

 Make sure that you are always set challenging targets so that you can achieve the very best that you can.  Make sure that teachers check your understanding in lessons carefully so that you can be moved quickly on to new learning as soon as you are ready.

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8BA

I wish you every success for the future.

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8BA

Lindsey Diamond Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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