Knights Enham Nursery and Infant School

Knights Enham Infant School King Arthur’s Way, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 4BS

p.1

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

p.1

This is a good school

 The insightful headteacher has moved quickly to establish a good team of leaders. Leaders have a clear understanding of their roles and fully support the headteacher’s well- considered vision for further improving the school.  Pupils achieve well from low starting points. This is because they have positive attitudes to learning and teachers show great enthusiasm during lessons which helps pupils to be engaged and eager to learn.  A good assessment system means that pupils’ progress can be tracked well and those who require further intervention to support their learning can be identified.  Various actions, including improvements to teaching, have resulted in pupils making good progress. Standards have been sustained and are securely average by the end of Year 2.  Teachers develop their skills as a consequence of regular observation and coaching by senior leaders.  Pupils behave well and show high levels of

p.1

This is a good school

mutual respect. Learning support assistants, amongst others, comment positively about the effect of the ‘Rights and Respect’ work which has taken place.  Pupils feel safe and cared for in school. The Parent and Family Support worker develops most effective links with families which help pupils to settle in and learn well.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There are some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. A few teachers do not use assessment information to effectively plan the next steps in pupils’ learning. Occasionally, teachers do not show pupils how they can succeed and how they can work out for themselves how well they are doing.  A few subject leaders are less effective than others when they do not analyse pupils’ progress in depth and keep a detailed written record of progress in their subjects.  Meetings to discuss pupils’ progress are not shared widely enough to identify trends and generate improvements.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning and teaching in 11 lessons, including visits to guided reading and linking sounds and letters (phonics) sessions.  The inspection team listened to a sample of pupils from Years 1 and 2 reading.  Inspectors took account of 30 responses to Ofsted’s online Parent View survey and the most recent parent survey.  Questionnaires completed by school staff were also considered.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at progress and attainment data, the school’s development plan, curriculum plans, governing body documentation, and policies and procedures. Those relating to health and safety and safeguarding of pupils were carefully scrutinised.  Discussions were held with senior and other leaders, teachers, learning support assistants, the Chair of the Governing Body, pupils, and a representative from the local authority.

p.2

Inspection team

Michael Pye, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jan Edwards Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is smaller than average.  A well above average proportion of pupils is known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils on free school meals, looked after children and pupils of service families. There were no looked after children in Year 2 in 2012.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is well above average. There is an above average proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs. The main needs of these pupils relate to speech, language and communication needs.  The majority of pupils come from a predominantly White British background. The next largest minority ethnic group consists of pupils who come from other White heritages.  Children in the Nursery and Reception classes are organised in mixed Early Years Foundation

p.3

Information about this school

Stage classes. This is about to change, with Nursery children being taught separately from Reception children.  A breakfast club operates from the school hall and is overseen by the governors.  The headteacher took up her post in April 2013, after a short period of an interim headteacher.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Eradicate any inconsistencies in teaching to improve attainment and progress by ensuring that all teachers: – explain clearly to pupils what they have to do to succeed and encourage them to evaluate their work against these criteria – improve their planning by using assessment information to identify the next steps in individual pupils’ learning, and then evaluate the lesson – share good practice.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Maximise the impact of subject and area leaders’ and managers’ work by ensuring that: – all leaders and managers carry out in-depth and incisive evaluation of the information they collect through their monitoring and that all monitoring generates written evidence on which leaders can base their development priorities – the monitoring of literacy matches the best in the school – meetings about pupils’ progress are formalised and that any findings regarding individual pupils, trends and patterns over time are shared widely.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils, including the few from minority ethnic backgrounds, achieve well given their starting points. Since the last inspection, pupils’ attainment overall has been consistently average at the end of Year 2. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics have also been securely average.  Children enter the Nursery with skills and knowledge well below those expected nationally in communication and aspects of numeracy. They progress well and leave Reception with levels of attainment closer to the those expected.  In current work seen in Year 2, the majority of pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, are on track to make good progress and attain at least average levels. Progress is better in Year 1 than in Year 2.  In the 2012 assessments at the end of Year 2, pupils supported through the pupil premium were one month behind their peers overall but their progress in writing was better than their peers’

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

progress. This reflects a marked improvement on the previous year, when these pupils were over a year behind others.  The school recognised that girls attained less well than boys in mathematics in 2012 but their progress was broadly similar. After research and analysis, a whole-school focus has helped to ensure that the gap has been closed.  High attaining pupils progress at similar rates to their peers.  Low attaining pupils heard reading by inspectors say they enjoy reading. They are able to separate words into sounds and blend them together (phonics) to pronounce the words correctly. However, low attaining pupils do not use other cues, such as pictures, to help them to identify any difficult words, and their comprehension of texts is basic.  The effect of the varied interventions, such as Every Child a Talker, is tracked carefully and this shows that pupils make good progress as a consequence of such strategies.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Good and better teaching was observed during the inspection. A positive feature of all lessons is the quality of relationships established by adults. Pupils enjoy their lessons because they feel reassured and are settled. They are very keen to engage and do well. This was particularly seen in the Early Years Foundation Stage, where the children responded well when initiating their own learning. They settled well to work, played together well and related well to the adults.  Teachers have high expectations especially around the use of vocabulary. In a Year 1 lesson, the teacher helped pupils to gain knowledge by emphasising the technical language associated with frogs. There was an insistence that the pupils thought hard and mastered the word ‘amphibian’.  Teachers convey enthusiasm which motivates pupils. A Year 1 lesson saw a recording of a film producer inviting the pupils to make their own production linked to the topic of frogs. The

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

teacher’s excitement at this prospect stimulated the pupils to the point where they improved their scripts with real enthusiasm. The recording of one girl showed that she had completely rewritten her script to improve it!  Secure subject knowledge helps ensure that teachers and learning assistants are able to build on pupils’ answers and ask them challenging questions. This was seen in a guided reading session where adults, using focused questioning, were able to continually assess the knowledge and understanding of pupils about the text.  The quality of lesson and curriculum planning varies. Not all plans focus enough on different groups of pupils’ needs by identifying the next steps in their learning and encouraging incisive evaluation of the lesson by teachers.  Learning support assistants are well deployed and their good subject knowledge contributes well to pupils’ progress. This was seen in phonics sessions when a very good range of activities

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

helped keep pupils’ attention. Pupils were encouraged through games and quick question and answer sessions to think hard, to try to sound out and to then write the word or sound.  Teachers mark books regularly and usually make clear to pupils the next steps in their learning. The inconsistent use in lessons of what constitutes successful work means that opportunities are missed for pupils to self-evaluate and to receive feedback on their work.  The great majority of parents completing the online survey believe that the teachers set the right amount of relevant homework.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The great majority of pupils adopt positive attitudes to their learning. They are keen and want to do well.  In lessons and around the school, they behave well. They share resources well and mix well in the playground.  Pupils’ good moral development is seen in lessons when they show high levels of respect for their peers. They listen attentively to what others have to say, are polite and put their hand up when answering a question. Their social development is good. This is particularly seen when they have opportunities to adapt their behaviour to different environments such as in assembly or attending the breakfast club.  Pupils have a good understanding about what is meant by bullying; they know it involves actions over time. They are also able to talk about the different types of bullying such as name-calling and hitting. They are fully aware that any form of discrimination is not tolerated. However, their

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

knowledge of the dangers of cyber-bullying is underdeveloped.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school. If there are any issues, they know whom to go to and are adamant that the school acts quickly and effectively to deal with any incidents. All parents completing the online survey feel that their child is safe and happy in school. A great majority believe their child is looked after well.  The school has focused with determination on improving attendance and raising its profile amongst parents. Attendance remains low but there are signs that work done with younger children is paying off because the attendance by Year 1 and some younger pupils is now consistently better.  The school monitors behaviour thoroughly, recording incidents and ensuring that any patterns are identified.  Adults apply the behaviour policy very consistently, using positive approaches well. Pupils consequently know what is expected of them and fully understand what receiving the ‘sad peg’

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

means.  School councillors meet regularly. Reflecting the Rights and Respect agenda adopted by the school they are regularly invited to contribute their views on matters of school life. This has included their views on the development of the courtyard. Such experiences, along with older ones acting as escorts to others, undoubtedly contribute significantly to pupils’ moral and social development and their knowledge of democratic principles.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has quickly established her vision for the school. It is quite rightly focused on pupils fulfilling their academic potential. It goes further by involving the local community in the school’s work and ensuring that pupils’ cultural experiences are widened. The overwhelmingly positive response to the staff questionnaire reflects how staff share this vision of improvement.  Leaders have ensured that from Reception onwards there is a very positive and established ethos of mutual respect. Adults model this approach extremely well.  A good range of assessment data is collected. This enables the assessment manager to analyse the progress of different pupil groups well, and undoubtedly supports equal opportunities for pupils.  Subject coordinators regularly check the impact of work in their area of responsibility. The best monitoring results in focused, written evidence and in-depth analysis of the findings. Subject

p.5

The leadership and management are good

coordinators monitor in many ways, through lesson observations, pupil interviews, work scrutiny and data analysis. These are evaluated well in numeracy but the depth of analysis in literacy is insufficiently detailed and rigorous. For example, a new handwriting scheme has been introduced and is shortly to be refined further but there has been no deep analysis of the impact of this scheme.  Leaders have had a positive effect on school improvement. In mathematics, this has led to girls’ attainment rising.  Good use is made of performance management to develop staff and to benefit pupils’ performance. Teachers are positive about the process and are adamant that the professional development they need happens and helps them to achieve their targets. This has had a particularly good effect on the development of school leaders. All produce action plans and are developing their skills of written evaluations of their work in their area of responsibility.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Leaders conduct regular lesson observations. These have already been complemented by observations by the headteacher. Teachers’ skills are undoubtedly progressed by the guidance provided and some outstanding practice was observed during the inspection. Opportunities to share such good practice are sometimes missed.  There is a determined focus to raise the level of accountability amongst staff. Pupils’ progress and identification of those requiring additional support already takes place but the process is not as formal as it might be, and consequently the impact is not maximised.  The well-established curriculum presents good opportunities for pupils to practise their basic skills, particularly writing. Pupils develop their knowledge of other cultures through studying India and Africa, celebrating Diwali, and investigating Fair Trade.  Safeguarding and child protection arrangements are secure.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Partnerships are good and benefit pupils and staff. A parent-toddler group meets in the school, which helps to establish early links with prospective families. Positive links with the local federation of schools are growing. There are very valuable links with external agencies such as social services and speech and language specialists, which benefit both pupils and their families. Local businesses have been involved in providing incentives to pupils for good attendance.  The local authority has provided good support for the school over the recent period of headship changes.  The governance of the school: The governing body uses a good range of strategies to gather evidence about the school’s work; members regularly visit and observe lessons, talk to pupils and receive reports from subject leaders. The knowledge they gain, for example about pupils’ achievement and progress, helps ensure that they are able to ask probing questions of the school. Recent meetings have seen

p.6

The leadership and management are good

queries raised about attainment and progress, the budget, girls’ aspirations and their performance in mathematics. A special watch has been kept on attendance, which was an issue at the last inspection. Governors meet their statutory responsibilities, especially regarding child protection, safeguarding and health and safety issues. Governors know the strengths of the school and which aspects need improving, for example the quality of teaching and which aspects of it need further development. Performance management is well established, with challenging targets which help guide school improvement. There is a clear link between teachers’ salary progression, promotion and the need for them to demonstrate very secure teaching standards. Governors have a good knowledge of which pupils qualify for the pupil premium, and receive reports about the impact of how this funding is spent.

p.6

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 is

p.7

Grade Judgement Description

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 116026 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 401551

p.8

School details

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

p.8

School details

Type of school Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 223 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Steven Hardstaff Headteacher Sue Barry Date of previous school inspection 10–11 March 2010 Telephone number 01264 352151 Fax number 01264 337893 Email address sue.barry@knightsenham-inf.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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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, please

p.9

School details

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’.

p.9

School details

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

p.9