Binsted Church of England Primary School

School report Binsted Church of England Primary School Church Street, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 4NX

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because:

 Teaching does not stretch some pupils enough and others find the work too difficult.  Improvements introduced by the new headteacher have not had sufficient time to ensure good achievement for all pupils.  Pupils are not sufficiently involved in improving their work through responding to teachers’ marking or assessing how well they are doing in lessons.  In writing, progress is hampered by inconsistencies in teaching across the school.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage requires improvement as it does not take sufficient account of children’s starting points.  In mathematics, there are not enough opportunities for practical problem-solving activities in order for pupils to achieve higher standards.  The governing body and senior leaders, although they have successfully brought the school through a prolonged period of uncertainty, have not sufficiently improved provision.

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The school has the following strengths

 The recently appointed headteacher has a clear vision, understands the school’s strengths and weaknesses and has quickly put things in place so that pupils’ rates of progress are beginning to accelerate.  Good teaching in some year groups enables good progress for these pupils, particularly in reading.  Effective tracking of pupils’ progress now ensures that any pupils falling behind in their work are supported quicker and given extra help.  A good range of out-of-school activities support pupils’ achievement well.  Pupils feel very safe in school. Behaviour is good and bullying is extremely rare.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed six lessons, of which one was a joint observation with the headteacher. In addition, the inspector made a number of other short visits to lessons.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body, three other governors and the headteacher.  The inspector took account of the 28 responses to the on-line Parent View survey.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Janet Sinclair, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Binsted is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action, school action plus and with a statement of special educational needs is below the national average.  There are no pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or who are supported by the pupil premium.  The school’s pupil premium funding is based on historical data.  The school has three mixed-age classes. These are for Reception and Year 1, Years 2 and 3 and Years 5 and 6. Pupils in Year 4 are taught in a single-age class each morning and join Years 5 and 6 in the afternoon.  A new headteacher was appointed in January 2012. There were several acting headships between 2009 and 2012. Additionally, there have been on-going staff changes.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school needs to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ achievement through consistently good or better teaching, ensuring that: – work is well matched to pupils’ differing learning needs – lessons challenge pupils through effective questioning and tasks that extend their knowledge and understanding – staff provide more opportunities for problem solving in mathematics – there is a consistent approach to writing across the school in monitoring pupils’ progress and in setting targets for improvement – pupils are more involved in assessing how well they are doing and in responding to marking to help them improve their work and to accelerate progress – activities for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage take sufficient account of their previous learning.  Improve the capacity of leadership and management to sustain improvement by: – developing further the roles of all staff as leaders so that they are fully involved in ensuring school improvement and share responsibility for accelerating pupils’ progress

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What does the school needs to do to improve further?

– ensuring that the school development plan has clear and measurable success criteria so that leaders can accurately measure the impact of their actions – ensuring that the governing body is more rigorous in monitoring the school’s performance so that it can successfully hold it to account.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Attainment at the end of Year 6 varies year on year due to the small numbers in each year group. Progress across the school requires improvement because, although there is evidence of some good progress particularly in reading, it is not consistently good. A very small minority of pupils do not make enough progress in writing.  Children start in the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and abilities that are broadly in line with those expected for their age, except in sounds and letters, reading and writing which are below those expected. They make satisfactory progress and they achieve the expected learning goals on entry to Year 1.  A legacy of inconsistencies in practice has hampered pupils’ progress in the past from Years 1 to 6. This is now being addressed through regular pupil progress meetings and additional support for pupils who need it.  Progress of pupils with disabilities and special educational needs is accelerating due to a

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

clear focus on their specific needs through careful tracking and well-targeted interventions. This is helping to ensure equality of opportunity for these pupils.  An appropriate emphasis on letters and sounds ensured that pupils in Year 1 successfully completed the National Phonics Screening Test in June 2012. However, older pupils are not always confident to use their knowledge of advanced sounds and letters when decoding words in their reading books which hinders their progress in reading.  Regular opportunities for reading, as an individual and as a group, ensure that pupils develop their confidence and enjoyment in reading. However, there is not always enough emphasis on extending their reading skills in guided reading sessions.  Pupils enjoy the opportunities they get for extended writing through the ‘Big Write’ and there are many examples of good writing. This support is not consistently used throughout

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

the school, nor used regularly enough to analyse pupils’ skills or set clear and specific targets for future learning.  In mathematics, pupils do not always get enough opportunities to solve problems related to real-life situations or to discuss what they are doing. When this happens, as was seen in the Years 2/3 class, pupils respond enthusiastically and use their mathematical skills and knowledge well.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching over time requires improvement. It is variable and not enough is good or better. As a result, pupils are not learning as well as they are capable of, particularly in writing.  Good teaching is exemplified by regular well-marked work, clear targets for future learning and high expectations of pupils’ work and presentation. Presentation of work has improved significantly since the previous inspection when it was a key issue.  Where teaching requires improvement, work is not matched well enough to individual pupils’ needs, questioning does not extend their understanding and tasks do not fully engage or excite their interest.  Good use of resources engages pupils in their work. For example, younger pupils enjoyed the practical activities involved in making a bar chart and, in a Year 4 guided reading session, pupils thoroughly enjoyed the humour in the book chosen by the teacher and responded well to her effective questioning that extended their reading skills.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils enjoy writing especially when the topic excites their interest. For example, older pupils responded well to a writing task after enjoying a drama session related to the poem, The Highwayman. There is not enough emphasis on involving pupils in setting targets that will improve their writing.  Teachers make regular use of clear learning objectives to focus their work with pupils, but they do not always follow this up sufficiently with skilful questioning or targeted work for groups and individuals.  Although most teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and give guidance on how to make it better, they do not ensure pupils respond to their comments nor do they involve them enough in assessing how well they are doing.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage requires improvement. There are good relationships between adults and children that ensure children are confident learners. Although activities excite interest and there are good opportunities for indoor and outdoor

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

play, they are too adult led and do not take enough account of children’s different starting points. This slows the progress that children make.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school.  They have a clear understanding of the school’s expectations for their behaviour as both they and their parents have been consulted on the new behaviour policy.  Behaviour over time has been good and pupils speak of the happy friendly atmosphere in school and the very rare occurrences of disruptive behaviour. The school carefully records the very few poor incidents that take place.  Pupils have good attitudes to school and their learning. They enjoy each other’s company and work well together on tasks. For example, the older pupils worked well together on their map work related to the countries involved in the Second World War.  Pupils say that there is no bullying in school. In fact, pupils spoken to said, ‘We are hardly ever even mean to each other.’ There are no recorded incidents of bullying and parents who responded to the inspection questionnaire confirm pupils’ views.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is above average. There are no significant variations in the attendance of different groups.  Pupils say that they feel very safe in school and confident of help from any adult should they need it. They are aware of the importance of using the computer safely and a police officer has spoken to them about safe use of the internet.  All parents who responded to Parent View, the on-line survey, considered that their children were safe in school.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The new headteacher has quickly and accurately evaluated the school. She has shared her vision with staff and governors who are strongly supportive of the direction that she has set for the school. The senior leadership team has strengthened the school’s provision, and this is already having a positive impact on achievement.  Performance management has supported staff adequately. It is now being more rigorously implemented. Additionally, the local authority has provided adequate professional development for staff through advisory support for improving writing and mathematics. It has also provided acting headteachers with a proven track record to support the school. Many of the issues from the previous inspection have been addressed and there is a trend of continuing improvement. This demonstrates that the school has capacity for further improvement.  Clearer roles and higher expectations are beginning to enable staff to contribute to

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The leadership and management require improvement

leadership and share in accountability for pupils’ progress.  The school improvement plan, involving all staff and governors, clearly identifies the most important areas for improvement, but the success criteria are not always specific enough to enable the school to evaluate clearly the impact of its actions.  Senior leaders have a clear view of the quality of teaching and learning through effective monitoring and know what needs to be done to bring about further improvement.  There are good links with parents, and those who responded to the on-line survey were mainly very positive about the school’s provision for their children. A very small minority did not feel the school provided them with enough information on their children’s progress. The inspector found that parents were given good information on their children’s progress.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development is promoted adequately. The school

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The leadership and management require improvement

fosters good relationships and ensures there is no discrimination. Pupils get on well together, are polite and friendly to adults and enjoy social activities such as the recent Jubilee Day.  The curriculum is broad and balanced, but is not sufficiently well matched to pupils’ needs. There is good curricular enrichment through visits, visitors and after-school clubs.  All statutory requirements related to safeguarding are met.  The governance of the school: – Governors have a good knowledge of the school through their committees and the visits they make to the school. However, they are not robust enough in challenging the school or setting its direction in order to improve pupils’ achievement. They manage financial resources effectively.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 116271 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 405635

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 71 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sally Hibbert Headteacher Sharron Morton Date of previous school inspection 11−12 October 2010 Telephone number 01420 23200 Fax number 01429 23200 Email address headteacher@binsted.hants.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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,

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School details

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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School details

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

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