Selborne Church of England Primary School

School report Selborne Church of England Primary School School Lane, Selborne, GU34 3JA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teaching is good overall with some that is outstanding. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to ensure pupils make good progress.  The school is committed to continuous improvement and staff take pride in their work. Senior leaders have created a new team, members of which are working together to raise pupils’ achievement.  Pupils make good progress, with those eligible for additional funding achieving as well as other pupils and sometimes better.  Early years provision is good. Children in Reception are offered an exciting, creative learning environment which provides appropriately challenging problem-solving opportunities.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is the strength of the school.  Pupils have a positive attitude to their work and their behaviour is good. They are respectful to visitors, staff and each other.  Pupils indicate they feel safe and know who to talk

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

to if they have any concerns.  Parents are very positive about the school’s caring and supportive culture emphasising that ‘the headteacher is always available if there is an issue’.  Governors are proud of the school and have a good understanding of its strengths and areas for development. They share the vision for the school with the local community.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers’ marking does not consistently tell pupils how well they are doing. Not enough time is given to pupils to allow them to respond specifically to teachers’ comments.  The skills of the new staff to support the raising of standards across the different subject areas are not sufficiently developed.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in all classes and was accompanied by the headteacher or deputy headteacher to all lessons. The Inspector looked at pupils’ work, spoke with them in lessons and listened to some of them read. The inspector also visited the playground and talked to pupils to gain their views.  The inspector examined a range of documents: the school’s plans for improvement, policies about keeping pupils safe and data regarding pupils’ progress.  The inspector had discussions with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, three members of the governing body and a local authority officer.  Views of 42 parents from the Parent View website were analysed and considered as well as the views of parents who wrote to and met with the inspector.  Nine responses returned from the staff questionnaires of teaching and non-teaching staff were analysed.

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Inspection team

Julie Ritchie, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is a smaller than the average village school.  The vast majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from ethnic minority groups is much lower than the national average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is very low.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, at school action, is broadly average. The proportion of pupils at school action plus or with a statement of special educational need is below the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through the pupil premium is much lower than the national average. This extra government funding supports pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those in the care of the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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Information about this school

 One newly qualified teacher had recently joined the school staff at the time of inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the role of subject leaders within the new staff team, so that all staff can make a more significant contribution to raising standards in the areas for which they are responsible.  Raise pupils’ achievement further by:  modelling the high quality marking and feedback in English and mathematics observed in Year 5/6 to the rest of the school  allowing pupils more time to respond to the teachers’ marking comments  ensuring the pupils are given clear guidance on what they need to do to improve further.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is rigorous in her pursuit to raise standards across the school. She has a new staff team which she encourages and guides towards ensuring the pupils receive the best possible education. Staff respond well to this and are working hard to bring about improvements. The headteacher is well supported by the governing body as she develops this team.  The school’s self-evaluation and plan for improvement effectively identify priorities to raise achievement.  The school’s tracking system allows staff members to track the progress of pupils and prepare progress reports for half-termly discussions with the leadership team about ways to accelerate pupils’ progress.  The performance of staff is managed effectively and teachers are held accountable for the progress of the pupils in their class. The leaders regularly observe lessons, talk to pupils about their learning and look at their work to guide further improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The current mathematics and English subject leaders manage the subjects well. These are currently the responsibility of the headteacher and deputy headteacher because the new teachers do not yet have the necessary skills and experience to take on these roles. The headteacher is leading in many other areas while training staff to take on these roles.  The pupils, apart from the children in Reception, are taught in mixed-age classes and lessons are adapted to the right level in order to engage all pupils.  As a small school, it has built many partnerships within the area. These partnership schools join together as a cluster for training and to support each other, which they do effectively.  Additional sport funding is used to employ a specialist sports teacher across the cluster. This teacher works with pupils and alongside staff to develop teachers’ skills in physical education. As the specialist is

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The leadership and management are good

employed across the cluster he is able to arrange inter-school sporting activities which help to raise standards.  The school has developed the curriculum and is now working together with all pupils to ensure the themes selected are engaging the pupils.  There is an excellent relationship with parents, all of whom spoke highly of the school and particularly the leadership of the school.  A key strength of the school is the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development which underpins the school’s values. In lessons and generally around the school, the staff and pupils are courteous and kind to each other. The general atmosphere is one of friendship.  There are opportunities for pupils to celebrate other cultures, highlighted by displays showcasing the work the pupils have produced. The school has links with another school in Tanzania. The assembly observed reflected different religions and values appropriately.

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The leadership and management are good

 Arrangements for safeguarding pupils are good and meet statutory requirements.  The local authority provides light-touch support and the school takes advantage of the training opportunities offered.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has a clear understanding of the school’s performance, its strengths and areas for development especially in relation to the community it serves. There is a clear understanding of the priorities set, with the knowledge that both challenge and support bring about the improvements required. Statutory requirements such as safeguarding are fully in place and effective. Governors have a good understanding of the changes to the curriculum. They are aware of the quality of teaching, the management of teachers’ performance and the implementation of the national standards to tackle underperformance. They are involved in the school’s pupil progress meetings and know the data well.

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The leadership and management are good

Governors monitor spending carefully and are aware of how the school is using its additional funds, including the pupil premium and the primary sports funding, to improve pupils’ skills, overall enjoyment and achievement.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils behave well in lessons and around school and value each other.  Pupils report there is no bullying and the school records support this. Pupils are polite and courteous and willing to help each other and adults. Pupils speak highly of other pupils and say how kind and friendly everyone is.  Pupils show they have a good understanding of right and wrong and respond well to reward. The culture within the school is of positive management and as such pupils were able to explain the reward system but could not think of many sanctions as everyone behaves. Class groups create their own classroom charter as well as abiding by the rules of the school.  Pupils have high expectations and aspirations for the future hoping to go to university or become musicians and recognise the importance of education in achieving their goals.  Pupils take care of the school environment with the older pupils adopting responsible roles to help in this.

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Behaviour

 Attendance is average and improving through strategies which are rigorously followed and monitored.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. The school site is secure and staff work successfully in keeping pupils safe, for example the headteacher greets every child into school each session through the single entrance.  The children understand about different forms of bullying. They understand how to stay safe when using the internet and they know people to approach if they are worried.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good despite the recent staff changes. The headteacher is working with the new staff to develop more consistent approaches and expectations across the school.  Meetings to share data about pupils’ progress ensure that staff are fully informed about what pupils already know and so plan their lessons to meet the needs of all groups of pupils.  Pupils enjoy their lessons, for example in a mathematics lesson in Years 5 and 6, there was an atmosphere of excitement as pupils were challenged to achieve beyond the learning intention of identifying the properties of three-dimensional shapes by finding a pattern within their answers.  Teachers plan their lessons setting the correct level of work for all groups of pupils. They make sure pupils know what they will be learning and that they understand what is required for a successful outcome. In a literacy lesson, for example, pupils were looking at features of a newspaper article and worked well

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The quality of teaching is good

together to identify and highlight particular aspects of the writing.  Pupils’ presentation is generally good but expectations are not reinforced consistently enough.  Pupils read regularly and enjoy reading and discussing books. They use their understanding of letters and sounds to interpret more difficult words.  Teaching assistants guide and question pupils effectively, particularly disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. They help these pupils make good progress as well as supporting them to develop confidence in their abilities.  Teachers’ marking and feedback to pupils, although effective in Years 5 and 6, lack consistency across the school. Not all teachers provide enough clear advice to pupils about how they could improve their work further. Teachers do not allow pupils sufficient opportunity to respond to their marking comments or to correct their work.  The questioning of pupils is strong; teachers ask questions which build on the answers given, therefore

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The quality of teaching is good

further extending pupils’ thinking and knowledge.  The teaching of music is a strength with musical opportunities offered both in school and through the lunchtime band practice. The pupils take great pride in their band and invited the inspector to the practice. Seventeen pupils from Year 1 to Year 6, representing over a quarter of the school, were involved in playing a complex piece of music most effectively.  Where teaching is less effective progress is slower as pupils take too much time to settle to the task.  Homework is used well to consolidate and support learning in school.  Teaching promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development extremely well. An example of this was seen in a classroom where pupils could write down their aspirations for the future.

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is good

 Improving pupils’ achievement is a priority for the school. Progress is generally in line with that expected.  The school’s data are used to identify the needs of all groups of pupils in the school. During the school’s half-termly progress meetings, interventions and support are discussed and put in place to ensure pupils make the expected progress towards their targets.  The progress of pupils who left Year 6 in 2013 was not consistently strong across all subjects. The reason for this was identified and addressed effectively so that both attainment and progress improved in 2014. Detailed evidence provided by the school now shows all groups of pupils are making good progress in all subjects.  The priority to improve pupils’ writing in 2014 is already resulting in progress as shown in the pupils’ books, through the strategies put in place by the school.  Mathematics has been a priority and an improving picture is evident in the 2014 results.

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is good

 Pupils were heard reading and used their knowledge of letters and sounds to help them sound out new words. Pupils are enthusiastic about reading and were observed reading around the school and changing their library books throughout the day. Pupils brought their ‘home readers’ into school to show the inspector and were able to discuss the stories and their authors.  The attainment of Year 1 pupils in the national phonics screening check show pupils perform well, achieving just above the national expectation.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive additional help and guidance for their literacy and numeracy skills, which enables them to make similar rates of progress to other pupils.  The more able pupils achieve well, rising to the challenges presented to them during lessons. The number of pupils achieving well in English and mathematics is increasing.  The attainment of pupils who are eligible for additional funding is similar to or higher than other pupils in

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is good

the school and against pupils nationally. The number of pupils who receive this funding is very small.  The additional sport funding is enhancing the teachers’ and pupils’ skills by providing a specialist teacher once a week. There are also more opportunities to participate than previously, through the cluster of schools. The pupils understand why they need to participate in regular exercise and what is required to be healthy.  Pupils’ attitude to learning is good and this contributes to the progress the children make in lessons.  Parents report that the school brings out the best in their children and prepares them well for the next stage in their education.

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is good

 Senior leaders arrange home visits, induction sessions and early assessments to enable staff to encompass children’s differing abilities and interests. This knowledge helps staff to prepare activities at the correct level and interest so as to engage the children at the start of their education.  Children enter Reception with the level of skills and knowledge expected for their age group.  The present group of children in Reception has settled quickly and demonstrate the positive attributes of listening, sharing, taking turns and helping each other.  A lovely phonics lesson was observed with the teacher, support staff and children all enjoying the experience. The children were giggling with delight as they demonstrated their newly acquired skills.  Teaching is excellent with the teacher using close knowledge of the children’s ability levels to challenge them appropriately. This enabled the staff to create problem-solving opportunities which further engaged

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is good

the children.  Children have the opportunity to take part in activities using the inside and outside areas with an appropriate emphasis on learning through play and investigation. At one point a princess had to leave her castle, where they were planning a banquet, to help support a group trying to pipe enough water into a pond to float a duck!  Children are happy and secure due to the skills of the staff team and the atmosphere created within the learning areas.  Parents are involved in their children’s learning through learning journals that travel between school and home showing photographs of the learning and examples of work.  The assessment of children’s achievements were over cautious last year, but the leadership team is aware of this and so closely monitoring assessment judgements this year.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 116399 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 448797

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 96 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Britton Headteacher Janet Knott Date of previous school inspection 11−12 November 2009 Telephone number 01420 511213 Fax number 01420 511213 Email address adminoffice@selborne.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 and 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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