Springwood Infant School

Age group 4–7 Inspection date(s) 2–3 November 2011 Inspection number 363842 Stakes Hill Infant School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 115939 Local Authority Hampshire Inspection number 363842 Inspection dates 2−3 November 2011 Reporting inspector Joy Considine

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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 Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 4−7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 124 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ann Wrightson Headteacher Sue Aspland Date of previous school inspection 6 July 2010 School address Springwood Avenue Waterlooville Hampshire PO7 8ED Fax number 023 9223 1937 Email address adminoffice@stakeshill.hants.sch.uk 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

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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 telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors. They visited 10 lessons taught by six teachers and they held meetings with senior leaders, members of the governing body and groups of pupils. They observed the school’s work, and looked at school development planning, pupils’ assessment and tracking information, documentation relating to safeguarding and minutes from governing body meetings. They also analysed 37 questionnaires from parents and carers as well as those from staff.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 What is the school doing to raise attainment in reading, writing and mathematics?  What has the school done to improve pupils’ rates of attendance?  What is the quality of teaching and how well does it meet the needs of all pupils?  How effective is the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

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Information about the school

The school is smaller than most primary schools and it serves pupils from the local community. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is higher than usual. Most pupils are of White British heritage with a few who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is broadly average. There is provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage in the Reception class and there is a breakfast club for pupils. An assistant headteacher has joined the school since the previous inspection and a new headteacher joined the school in September 2011. The school has gained the award of National Healthy Schools. There is an independent playgroup on site that is not managed by the governing body and will be inspected separately.

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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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Main findings

In accordance with section 13(3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Main findings

The school has improved since the previous inspection and it now provides a satisfactory quality of education for pupils. School leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths of the school and a clear view of what more needs to be done. They are ambitious for the future, as shown in the targets set for pupils. A comprehensive programme of monitoring and coaching to improve the quality of teaching and learning has been established. This has led to improvements in teaching which are reflected in pupils’ higher attainment. Remaining weaknesses in teaching have been identified and there are plans in place to address these. Pupils’ attendance, which was low at the time of the previous inspection, has improved significantly and is now above average. The effective action taken since the last inspection and the strong focus now on further improvement demonstrate that the school has a good capacity to improve further.

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Main findings

Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage and reach levels of development broadly expected for their age. At the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has improved and it is now broadly average. It is higher in a few classes, particularly in reading and mathematics, as shown in assessment information held by the school and in a scrutiny of pupils’ work. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall, although it is slower in writing than it is in reading or mathematics. This is because teachers do not routinely use good models of written language when teaching literacy and marking does not consistently provide pupils with sufficiently clear guidance on how to improve.

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Main findings

Teachers use imaginative methods to capture pupils’ interest and the pace is often lively and brisk. However, they do not always make enough use of assessment information to plan lessons that are matched well enough to pupils’ needs. The curriculum is enriched with imaginative experiences which add to pupils’ enjoyment, but this is satisfactory rather than good. This is because skills and knowledge in some subjects are not planned for systematically and progressively and the time allocated to some subjects is insufficient.

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Main findings

Pupils’ personal development is good and is underpinned by good quality care,

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

guidance and support. Pupils have an excellent understanding of the need to adopt a healthy lifestyle and they say that the school is a safe and happy place to be. They are enthusiastic in lessons and appreciate the imaginative activities teachers plan for them. They thoroughly enjoy taking on responsibilities in school such as acting as lunchtime monitors and they make a good contribution to the wider community through their involvement in local events.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Up to 40% of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment and improve pupils’ progress in writing so that it matches that of reading and mathematics by January 2013, by:  regularly providing pupils with models of high quality texts to show them how they can improve their writing  ensuring that when teachers mark pupils’ work, they consistently provide clear guidance about how they can improve the quality of their writing.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that it is all good or better by January 2013, by:  making full use of assessment information to ensure that lessons are always well matched to pupils’ learning needs.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of the curriculum by September 2012, by:  ensuring that pupils develop their skills and knowledge sequentially and progressively  modifying the school timetable so that pupils can study more subjects in depth.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils make satisfactory progress leading to broadly average attainment by the end of Year 2. Assessment information held by the school shows that pupils make good progress in reading and satisfactory, and sometimes better, progress in mathematics. Teachers have introduced a systematic programme to teach letters and sounds and this has led to significant improvements in reading. Pupils are typically well motivated by lesson content and keen to learn. In one lesson, pupils were fully engaged in their learning and made good progress because the teacher provided them with similar words such as ‘lots’ and ‘lost’ to reinforce the need to look at the letters and sounds carefully. Scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that, although pupils make satisfactory progress in writing, a few do not make enough progress. This is because teachers do not provide pupils with enough information about how they can improve the quality

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

of their work. Pupils use information and communication technology (ICT) confidently to draw pictures, to write and to produce graphs and charts. The skills they acquire, together with their above-average attendance, equip them adequately for the next stage of education and beyond. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress relative to their starting points. They reach higher levels than those pupils nationally because they receive focused support from skilled teaching assistants, often on a one-to-one basis.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Pupils are friendly and they get on well together. They feel safe in school because they know that adults will listen to them and address their concerns. They say there is very little bullying and that the school helps them to stay safe. Pupils enjoy school and they behave well in all lessons. Pupils have an excellent understanding of the need to make healthy choices and they appreciate the opportunity to clean their teeth after lunch. The National Healthy Schools award further demonstrates pupils’ excellent awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyles. Pupils make a good contribution to their school and local community. They initiate collections for charities such as Water Aid and Hearing Dogs for the Deaf. They recently worked with local residents to establish a community garden which provides space for them all to grow plants and flowers, or to sit quietly and reflect in peaceful surroundings.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes

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Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning

Taking into account: Pupils’ attainment 1 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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contribute to their future economic well-being

Taking into account: Pupils’ attendance 1

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How effective is the provision?

Lessons are carefully planned to stimulate pupils’ interest although assessment information is not always fully used to inform planning. Most teachers use imaginative methods to introduce their lessons. For example, in one literacy lesson a

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

teacher, dressed as a bear, was videoed cleaning his teeth with a giant-sized toothbrush. Pupils were then asked to write a set of instructions to tell him how to clean his teeth properly. This engaged pupils’ interest and gave them a purpose to write and linked with the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Relationships between teachers and pupils are good in all lessons and this inspires pupils to engage willingly in teacher-led activities. In many lessons, teachers’ questioning is lively and brisk and used effectively to develop pupils’ understanding. However, there are few examples of teachers making good use of high quality texts to show pupils how they can improve their writing. Although teachers mark pupils’ work regularly, they do not always provide enough information about how the work can be improved.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

The curriculum is enriched with a wide range of experiences and activities, many of which take place in the school’s extensive grounds. Pupils in some classes have explored the outdoor area to look for signs of autumn and another group of pupils hunted for mini-beasts. Visits to schools outside the locality and to a local residential home make a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Although the curriculum is adequate the amount of time available for subjects other than literacy and numeracy is sometimes too short. This means that there is little scope for pupils to study other subjects to any depth, although the school has taken recent steps to address this in art. Pupils thoroughly enjoy the extra-curricular activities, including gardening and cookery, which help to keep them fit and healthy.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Pupils, parents and carers appreciate the good quality care, guidance and support provided by the school, especially for those whose circumstances may make them more vulnerable. One parent or carer wrote, ‘We are very happy with how the school treats all children as individuals and gives them extra support as required.’ The school works in close partnership with external agencies and actively seeks additional support for those pupils who find some aspects of school difficult to manage from time to time. The school has successfully improved pupils’ attendance through parent partnerships and by implementing a structured system of rewards and incentives. The school works in close partnership with the adjacent junior school to provide a smooth transfer of pupils as they move to the next stage of their education. The breakfast club provides pupils with a nourishing start to the school day.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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The quality of teaching

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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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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How effective are leadership and management?

School leaders are dedicated and they have an ambitious vision for the future. They have effectively harnessed the skills and experience of the whole school team who fully share their vision for improvement. They have systematically evaluated the school’s performance, taken effective action, and set challenging targets for development. Consequently outcomes for pupils show a consistent pattern of sustained improvement. One parent wrote, ‘I am happy and confident that Stakes Hill is improving in many areas of late, and that we are on a clear path to providing an even better education and environment for our children.’ Robust systems for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning have led to improvements although school leaders acknowledge that there is more to be done.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The governing body has a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Governors are provided with high quality information which they use to monitor and challenge the work of the school. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils are robust. All staff and visitors to school are carefully checked and the school site is safe and secure. School leaders interrogate information rigorously to ensure that no groups are disadvantaged and they have put into place actions to overcome any remaining variations. As a result, gaps between different groups are closing. Planned provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities has been particularly effective. Discrimination is not tolerated and pupils respect each other and get on well together. Community cohesion is effectively promoted. Links have been established with a school in an inner-city area and there are links with a school

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How effective are leadership and management?

in Uganda. Through their work associated with fund raising for charities, for example Water Aid and Children in Need, pupils are developing their understanding of the cultures and beliefs of those from other parts of the world.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management

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driving improvement

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

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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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Early Years Foundation Stage

‘My child has settled well and can’t wait to get to school each day’ is how one parent or carer described her child’s experience in the Reception class. This is because children are welcomed into a stimulating environment in which children can thrive and flourish. Staff plan activities through a thematic approach to draw on children’s interests and enthusiasm. The current topic of castles enables children to use their imagination to develop their language, physical and creative abilities. During the inspection, one group were acting as knights, princes and princesses while another group were building a tower. Teachers assess children’s progress effectively and use this information to plan the next steps for individual children as well as groups. This enables children to make good progress in many areas of learning, from starting points that are low in comparison with those expected nationally.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Staff care for children and have due regard for their safety and well-being at all times. Children behave well and get on well together. They are able to share and to take turns and they enjoy the opportunities they have to work and play indoors as well as outside. There is a good balance of activities that are led by the teacher and those that children are able to select for themselves. There are strong links with parents and carers and good induction arrangements ensure that children quickly settle into the routines of the Reception class. The leader has a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement and has plans in place to further develop the outdoor area. Currently it provides insufficient foci for children’s learning and adults spend too much time supervising their activities rather than interacting more fully with children to move their learning further forward.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

Most parents and carers who responded to the survey were very positive about the school. They agreed that their children were happy and that the school keeps their children safe. Most agreed that their children are making good progress and that teaching is good. Most parents and carers agreed that the school was well led and managed. A very few felt that the school does not deal well enough with unacceptable behaviour. During the inspection, pupils behaved well at all times, both in lessons and in the playground.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Stakes Hill Infant School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 37 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 124 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 24 65 13 35 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 26 70 11 30 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child’s progress 21 57 16 43 0 0 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 21 57 12 32 0 0 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 26 70 10 27 3 8 0 0 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 24 65 13 35 0 0 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 23 62 14 38 0 0 0 0 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 21 57 15 40 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child’s particular needs 22 59 11 30 2 5 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 14 38 17 46 4 11 0 0 The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 22 59 13 35 2 5 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 21 57 16 43 0 0 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 27 73 9 24 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest 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. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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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

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on 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 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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.  The school’s capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Stakes Hill Primary School, Waterlooville PO7 8ED

Thank you very much for making us so welcome when we visited your school. We enjoyed meeting you and listening to what you had to say about your school. You told us that you enjoy school and that you feel safe because your teachers care for you. You also said that you enjoy lessons because teachers try to make them fun. Some of you said that you sometimes find lessons too easy and that you would like harder work.

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Inspection of Stakes Hill Primary School, Waterlooville PO7 8ED

We found that your school has improved and that it now provides you with a satisfactory quality of education. Your school leaders have a good understanding of what the school does well and what needs to be improved further. This is what we have asked your school leaders to do to make your school even better.

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Inspection of Stakes Hill Primary School, Waterlooville PO7 8ED

 Make sure that you all do as well in writing as you do in reading and mathematics by showing you how you can improve your writing.  Plan lessons that are always matched to your learning needs, so that you can all make better progress  Develop the curriculum by making sure that skills and knowledge in subjects build on each other and that you can study more subjects in depth.

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Inspection of Stakes Hill Primary School, Waterlooville PO7 8ED

You can help your school leaders by asking your teachers for harder work when you find your lessons are too easy and asking them how you can make your writing better. I wish you all every success in the future.

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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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