Petersgate Infant School

School report Petersgate Infant School Green Lane, Clanfield, Hampshire, PO8 0JU

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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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This is a good school

 Pupils make good progress and their attainment by the end of Year 2 is above average.  Pupils’ achievement in reading is a strength. Pupils are encouraged to read a wide range of stories and they are confident to build unfamiliar words using their understanding of phonics (the sounds that letters make).  Teaching is good and some is outstanding.  Pupils love coming to school. They behave well, they like their teachers and they enjoy the work they do.  Pupils have good attitudes to learning. They understand the skills they use to learn well and they try hard with their work.  Pupils, parents and teachers all think that the school is a very safe place in which to learn.  Leaders, including governors, have a detailed knowledge of what the school does well and what needs to improve.  Since her appointment, the headteacher has quickly gained the confidence of parents and staff and she is working effectively with them

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This is a good school

to make sure that the school is improving.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching to make sure that all pupils consistently make rapid progress.  Achievement in writing is not as high as in reading and mathematics.  On a few occasions teachers do not make sure that they give pupils work which provides high levels of challenge.  Sometimes teaching assistants do not give pupils all the help they need to make sure that they learn well.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 10 lessons and parts of lessons.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, other leaders in school, members of the governing body, a representative from the local authority and with parents and pupils.  The inspectors took account of 53 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), as well as one letter received during the inspection, and the views of parents and carers from informal discussions in school.  Inspectors considered information about how well school leaders know how good the school is and their plans for school improvement, as well as information about pupils’ progress. They also looked at teachers’ planning, pupils’ work, documentation about safeguarding procedures and examples of the targets teachers are given as part of the management of their performance.  The inspection team analysed the 25 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Jeanne Simpson, Lead inspector Additional inspector Andrew Lyons Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Petersgate Infant School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (those eligible for free school meals, those in local authority care and those with a parent or carer in the armed forces) is lower than average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is higher than average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with at statement of special educational needs is lower than average.  The headteacher was appointed in January 2013 after the previous inspection.  The school has gained the European Eco-School award.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the amount of outstanding teaching, particularly of writing, by:  giving pupils of all abilities work which consistently provides high levels of challenge, particularly when they are working on their own  giving pupils more chances to practise and apply their skills in writing through their work in different subjects  improving the effectiveness of support provided by teaching assistants to match that of the best.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards at the end of Year 2 have risen steadily and are well above average in all subjects. Pupils regularly read, both in school and with their parents at home, and the school encourages them to develop a love of reading. In mathematics, pupils frequently use their skills to solve problems which prepare them well for real-life situations.  In writing, whilst a high proportion reaches the expected standard, relatively few pupils reach the higher levels. This is because, while most teachers make sure that pupils practise and apply their skills through writing regularly at length across all the subjects they learn, others miss chances for pupils to record their understanding and their thinking.  When children start school, their skills and understanding are broadly typical for their age. In 2103 the proportion of pupils who reached a good level of development was lower than average because achievement in writing lagged behind other areas of their learning. The school’s records

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The achievement of pupils is good

indicate that pupils are now reaching higher standards than at this point last year.  Pupils have a good understanding of phonics which gives them a secure foundation on which to build their skills in reading.  Pupils who are supported by the pupil premium are given good support which is carefully targeted to help them to improve their work and their social or emotional development. As a result, the gap between their attainment and that of other pupils in the school is narrowing and the standards they reach are higher than similar pupils nationally in all subjects. It is not appropriate to make direct comparisons about their attainment because of the small number of pupils involved.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are given very precise help including one-to-one support, extra help in class and special programmes of work. They make good progress and the standards they reach are about three terms ahead of similar pupils nationally in

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The achievement of pupils is good

reading and about two terms ahead in writing and mathematics. They are now working towards national expectations for all pupils, as a result of which the school has removed many pupils from the register of special educational needs.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is improving. Most aspects of teaching are good and an increasing amount of teaching is outstanding.  Teachers use questioning well. They frequently follow up their first question with more questions to provide further challenge and extend pupils’ thinking. This helps pupils of all abilities to learn well, including the most able. They also use questioning to check that pupils understand the task that they are given to do so that no time is lost.  Pupils say that they love their learning because they like their teachers ‘very much’ and because they learn interesting things. They say that they like having targets for improvement because they know what to aim for and they say that the comments that teachers write when they mark their work are helpful. All these aspects contribute positively to the good progress pupils make.  Pupils regularly have chances to look at and comment on each other’s work. They say that they

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The quality of teaching is good

find it helpful because they can learn from other people’s good ideas to help improve their own work.  All adults are effective in teaching phonics and in helping pupils to develop the skills needed to become effective readers. They consistently help pupils to pronounce the sounds accurately and the pupils apply their skills through a variety of activities, including writing and computer challenges.  Most teachers have high expectations and use the information about how well pupils are doing to set work which provides high levels of challenge for pupils of all abilities. Occasionally, while the pupils who are working with adults learn well, some teachers do not ensure that pupils who are working on their own are given activities which are sufficiently demanding to enable them to make rapid progress.  Many teaching assistants complement the work of the teachers effectively. They usually ask just the right questions to help the pupils to clarify their understanding and help them to move on.

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The quality of teaching is good

However, some do not notice when pupils are having difficulties and they do not respond quickly enough to change the activity or to give more support, which holds back pupils’ progress.  Pupils make rapid progress because the teachers build skills and understanding over time, with a continual focus on improvement. In one English lesson, the pupils were challenged to think of words to add to the list they had developed the day before, but to include alliteration and similes to add more interest. The high expectations and skilful questioning of the teacher helped them to make exceptional progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They have very positive attitudes to school and they concentrate well on their work.  The headteacher has introduced the ‘Petersgate Eight’, which are eight values that help the pupils both to learn well and to become responsible and thoughtful young people. The pupils are proud that they can remember all eight values and they talk with impressive understanding about the meanings of words such as resilience, respect and independence. Teachers refer to the values frequently which keep them alive in pupils’ minds, and these reminders help pupils to develop positive attitudes to school, learning and each other.  Around the school, pupils behave calmly and they respond quickly to the instructions of adults. They play well together in the playground and they enjoy the large climbing equipment which helps them to learn how to deal with risks.  Pupils express no concerns about the behaviour of others in school. They say, ‘We always have

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

fun. We learn to get along and be happy.’ They say that the school is very friendly and that ‘lots of people should come here’.  Sometimes pupils can become distracted when the work does not provide the right level of challenge, but they can be re-engaged with a gentle reminder from their teachers.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good and all members of the school community, including the pupils themselves, agree that the school is a safe place.  Pupils understand the difference between bullying and rough play because the school has taken effective steps to make pupils aware of different forms of bullying, appropriate to their age. Pupils know what to do if they see bullying or if they feel that they are being bullied, and they are confident that it would be dealt with and it would stop.  Attendance is above average. The school follows up absence to make sure that pupils are safe.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has quickly earned the respect and support of staff and parents. The changes she has made have ensured that the quality of teaching is improving and that achievement is continuing to rise.  All leaders, including governors, know what the school does well and what needs to improve because regular checks are made on all aspects of the school’s work. The headteacher uses information about pupils’ attainment to identify if any groups have underachieved over time and she has made changes to make sure that these pupils are helped to catch up.  Leaders check on pupils’ progress regularly during the year, including through meetings with teachers to discuss pupils’ work. As a result, the gaps in attainment of different groups are closing, which demonstrates that the school is promoting equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination to good effect.  The school’s plans for continued improvement are focused on the right priorities. The improving

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The leadership and management are good

quality of teaching and rising standards indicate that the school has the capacity to continue to improve in the future.  Subject and other leaders provide good leadership. They have good understanding of the subjects or areas which they lead and they use their expertise well to support their colleagues. The headteacher and governors were aware that not all leaders had had enough time in the past to make as much difference as they could to pupils’ achievement. They made changes to the roles and responsibilities of these leaders to make sure that this was addressed as soon as possible, and this brought about improvements in their effectiveness.  Teachers know that the quality of teaching is getting better and that this is because of the training opportunities they have and the challenging targets they have been set as part of the management of their performance.  The subjects pupils learn are broad and include many opportunities for them to develop their

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The leadership and management are good

spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. They regularly read books from other cultures and they have studied religions of the world, including through visits and visitors to the school. The pupils love the wide range of clubs, such as dance, cooking and gardening.  The school has used the additional funding for sport and physical education to help teachers to improve their skills and to provide a wider range of sports activities for pupils. Pupils who have talent for sport are able to develop their skills to a higher level than previously, and a range of resources has been bought. Pupils value the extra chances they have to take part in sport and they know they are getting better, as shown by a comment from a pupil on the school’s website. ‘Now about half of us can skip, but a few weeks ago only about three of us could.’  The school’s systems for safeguarding meet statutory requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided good support to the school during and since the appointment of the new headteacher.  The governance of the school:  Governors are receiving the information they need to make sure that leaders are doing their job well and they have attended training to make sure that they have the skills they need to carry out their roles effectively. They know how well the school is doing compared with other schools nationally, and they know both how the pupil premium funding is being spent and the difference it is making. They are aware of the quality of teaching from reports from the headteacher and from the regular visits they make. This means that they are able to check that only the best teachers are rewarded by progression through the pay scales and that any underperformance is tackled. They make sure that the targets teachers are set for the management of their performance are appropriately challenging and they check that all

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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 is

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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.

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School details

Unique reference number 116065 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 431405

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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 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 172 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Carol Cockett Headteacher Julie Tasker Date of previous school inspection 13–14 January 2009 Telephone number 0239 259 3950 Email address 2357ds@hants.gov.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, please

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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’.

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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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