Bassett Green Primary School

Bassett Green Primary School Honeysuckle Road, Bassett Green, Southampton, SO16 3BZ

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Most pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 has improved significantly and is now broadly in line with national expectations.  Teaching and learning are good. High expectations, effective match of work and interesting lesson content ensure, in most instances, pupils learn well. Good support from additional staff who take pupils for individual and small group work contributes well to pupils’ successful learning.  Good leadership and management have ensured a strong drive towards improving teaching and pupils’ achievement. Rigorous tracking of pupils’ progress means that all pupils, including disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those at an early stage of learning English, get the help they need to achieve well.  Pupils enjoy school and behave well. They feel very safe in school and say confidently that bullying is rare.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school has a strong, caring ethos and is very welcoming to children whatever their level of need.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Although progress at Key Stage 1 is accelerating and improving it is not yet consistently good for a minority of pupils.  High attaining pupils are not always sufficiently challenged in lessons.  The quality and range of resources in the Early Years Foundation Stage are not good enough to ensure a challenging and stimulating experience for the children and this slows their progress in some areas of learning.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 15 lessons, of which two were joint observations, one with the headteacher and one with the deputy headteacher. In addition, the inspection team made a number of other short visits to lessons.  Meetings were held with three groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body, two other governors, members of staff including senior and subject leaders, and with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 20 responses to the online Parent View survey and the two submitted during the inspection.  Inspectors 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 Simon Griffiths Additional inspector Janet Warburton Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Bassett Green is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well above average, an above-average proportion of whom are at an early stage of learning English.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is high.  Pupil stability is below average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding is above average.  The school has 14 classes. Pupils are mainly in single-age classes, except for pupils in Years 3 and 4 who are in three mixed-age classes.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure progress at Key Stage 1 is consistently good or better through higher expectations for all pupils and a clearer focus on what pupils are expected to learn in lessons.  Increase the level of challenge for higher attaining pupils in school so that they more consistently make the progress of which they are capable.  Improve the quality and range of resources in the Early Years Foundation Stage so that they better provide a challenging and enjoyable experience for the children.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment at the end of Year 6 is rising and was close to national expectations in 2012. Pupils make good progress given their starting points in Year 3. The school has used its pupil premium funding well to support pupils for whom it is allocated, particularly at Key Stage 2.  Children start in the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and abilities that are well below age-related expectations. Although they make good progress across most areas of learning, and skills and knowledge improve well, their reading, writing and mathematics skills are typically below average as they start in Year 1  The progress of pupils at Key Stage 1 continues to improve at an accelerated rate but on occasions is not as rapid as it should be. Levels of attainment are below average by the end of Year 2. Expectations have not always been high enough, but this is now being rigorously addressed through, for example, specific small group support for reading.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is good due to a clear focus on their specific needs through careful tracking and well-targeted interventions.  Pupils at an early stage of learning English benefit from initial work with bi-lingual assistants and then targeted language support in small groups. This enables them to develop their English language skills quickly and so access the curriculum.  On the occasions when higher attaining pupils do not always make the progress of which they are capable it is because work is not always well enough matched to their needs.  There is a good emphasis on letters and sounds work, both in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, and this enables pupils to use this knowledge well when decoding words in their reading books. Pupils who read to the inspectors were developing their reading skills well and showed obvious enjoyment.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ writing records show that they have regular opportunities for writing, including in different subjects, such as writing about Florence Nightingale or a visit to the beach, that support good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The vast majority of pupils achieve well due to the good teaching.  Teachers are well supported by a large number of teaching assistants who provide effective help for small groups and individuals, particularly disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, and those at an early stage of learning English. This contributes well to pupils’ effective learning.  There is sensitive, caring and effective one-to-one support for pupils with a statement of special educational needs enabling them to be fully integrated.  Teachers make good use of resources to promote effective learning, for example first-hand experiences with bread, butter and cucumber to help pupils in Year 2 to write a set of instructions for making sandwiches.  Well-structured guided reading sessions with clear learning objectives improve pupils’ ability to analyse texts and increase their interest and enjoyment.  Teachers give good attention to teaching letters and sounds (phonics) in an interesting and

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The quality of teaching is good

engaging manner. For example, pupils in Year 2 enjoyed writing simple sentences that included words with the ‘oa’ sound in them. Pupils who read to the inspectors made good use of their phonic knowledge to decode simple words.  Teachers mark pupils work well and set clear targets for improvement. There was good use of ongoing assessment in a Year 6 lesson, where pupils were asked to review their understanding of decimals.  Effective teaching of pupils supported through the nurture group helps them to learn to work together and share their ideas in a non-threatening way.  Pupils enjoy their learning, work well together and are keen to help each other.  Occasionally lessons, particularly at Key Stage 1, are not clearly enough focused on what pupils are expected to learn, nor do they provide sufficient challenge for higher attaining pupils. This is due to a lack of clear planning and insufficient attention to matching of work

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The quality of teaching is good

to pupils’ needs, particularly those of the higher attaining pupils.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, good relationships and a supportive learning environment mean that children settle well and develop positive attitudes to their learning. However, the quality and organisation of resources inside and the range of resources outside do not always ensure a challenging or exciting learning experience for children.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well both in lessons and around the school. They know that there are clear expectations for their behaviour that are consistently applied by all staff. They respond well by developing a good sense of responsibility for their own conduct. There is only the very occasional low-level disruption in lessons, and this is handled well by staff. Pupils enjoy each other’s company and the good support they get from staff. They are considerate and courteous both to each other and to adults.  Pupils have good attitudes to learning and collaborate well with each other. This was particularly noticeable in a Year 2 class where pupils enjoyed working in pairs to discuss the content of their sentences.  Pupils say that there is very little bullying in school and that the anti-bullying days help them to understand different forms of bullying and to deal with any minor issues.  Attendance has improved well and continues to rise due to the school’s efforts and is now

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

average. Pupils enjoy the treats they get for good attendance. There have been no exclusions this year, which is a good improvement on previous years.  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 computers safely and benefit from assemblies about safe use of the internet.  There were very few parents or carers who responded to the online inspection survey, a very small minority of whom were unhappy with behaviour and safety. The inspection team could find no evidence of any issues related to behaviour and safety.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher demonstrates a strong drive and clear vision that ensures an effective and improving learning experience for pupils. She and her senior leaders have established a good staff team who are all keen to bring about further improvement.  The school improvement plan, involving all staff and governors, clearly identifies the most important areas for development and is reviewed regularly to ensure that progress is being made in key areas.  Senior leaders have a clear view of the quality of teaching and learning through effective monitoring. They know what needs to be done to bring about further improvement.  Performance management supports teachers’ continuing professional development well and has ensured their accountability for the progress of pupils in their class.  The school has worked hard and successfully to address the issues from the previous inspection and has been supported well by the local authority during this time. There is a

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The leadership and management are good

continuing trend of improvement which demonstrates that the school has capacity for further improvement.  Rigorous tracking of pupils’ progress and regular pupil progress meetings ensure that the school quickly identifies pupils not achieving well enough and gives them additional support to help them catch up. This demonstrates the school’s determination to provide equality of opportunity and tackle discrimination.  The school has a wide range of partnerships, for example Sports England and the local authority music service, which support pupils’ achievement. There were very few responses to the online parent survey, and these were not unanimously positive about the home- school partnership. Parents and carers that inspectors spoke with during the inspection were happy with the school and what it provides.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils get on well

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The leadership and management are good

together, care about each other and show high levels of tolerance. The school celebrates pupils’ cultural diversity and uses it well to deepen their wider awareness.  The curriculum rightly places priority on reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, pupils achieve well. 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:  is highly committed to, and proud of, the school  knows its strengths and weaknesses and is developing its ability to challenge it effectively  demonstrates a good knowledge of how the pupil premium is spent.

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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 131839 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 402510

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 380 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Maggie Rance Headteacher Liz Filer Date of previous school inspection 17−18 November 2009 Telephone number 02380 676262 Fax number 02380 570444 Email address info@bassettgreen.net 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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