Heatherside Infant School

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Early years provision Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Children in the early years make very good progress and reach very high standards by the time they leave the Reception Year.  Pupils make rapid progress throughout the school. Their results at the end of Key Stage 1 are significantly higher than national averages.  Teaching is highly effective across the school. Pupils are enthused and learn very well.  Pupils demonstrate a deep-seated love of learning. Their behaviour is very courteous and considerate. Pupils aim to do their best and achieve as highly as they can.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe is diligent and highly effective. Children and pupils are cared for very well.  The headteacher, other leaders and governors demonstrate an uncompromising drive to ensure that outstanding teaching enables pupils to reach very high standards.  Leaders have been highly successful in improving the school. They have made certain that pupils are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors saw teaching in every class. They observed one assembly, 15 lessons and pupils’ behaviour in the playground and at lunchtime. Ten lessons were observed jointly with senior leaders.  Discussions were held with pupils, six members of the governing body, the headteacher and other members of staff. A discussion was also held with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors observed many aspects of the school’s work, including support for pupils who need extra help. They heard pupils read and examined pupils’ work in their exercise books and on classroom and corridor wall displays.  The inspectors looked at a number of documents, including plans for what pupils should learn in each subject, plans for the school’s future development, and records of the school’s use of the primary sports funding and pupil premium funding. They also scrutinised the school’s arrangements for keeping pupils

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Information about this inspection

safe, pupils’ attendance records, minutes of governing body meetings, records of how pupils’ learning is monitored and records of how the quality of teaching is checked.  The views of parents were taken into account through discussions with several parents. The inspectors also took note of 106 responses to the online Parent View survey and four letters that were received.  Staff views were taken into consideration by looking at questionnaires completed by 48 staff members and through discussions with several members of staff.

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Inspection team

Steven Popper, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger than the average-sized infant school.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or in the care of the local authority) is much lower than the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is much lower than in most other schools. Most pupils are of White British heritage.  Children in the early years provision have three full-time Reception classes and one full-time mixed Reception and Year 1 class provided for them.  The deputy headteacher joined the school in January 2012. She is currently seconded to Southwood Infant School for two days a week.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop pupils’ appreciation and understanding of the range of cultures that represent modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher and leaders across the school have extremely high expectations. Their extremely effective work has meant that pupils’ achievement has remained very high over time and continues to improve.  Leaders carry out very thorough analysis of information about pupils’ progress and standards. They use this information very efficiently to plan improvements to school provision.  The headteacher and senior leaders rigorously check that teachers and other teaching staff perform to the very high standard that is expected. They ensure that staff are given proper support to help them develop their teaching skills well. Senior leaders make clear to teachers where their performance could improve, but do so in a very constructive and effective manner. Teachers’ targets are closely related to school improvement priorities.  Subject leaders contribute extremely effectively to the high standards of the school. They ensure that

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The leadership and management are outstanding

teaching in their subjects is consistently strong and that teachers’ knowledge of their subjects is thorough. Leaders at all levels support other staff very well, with the result that teachers’ expertise and confidence are high.  Leaders have made sure that the school’s expectations of learning across all subjects match or exceed those in the new National Curriculum. Pupils develop key skills, knowledge and understanding in a broad range of subjects very well. The school curriculum is extremely effective in promoting high academic standards. However, while the school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain overall, it recognises the need to do more to develop pupils’ appreciation and understanding of the range of cultures that represent the nation. Because of this, the school curriculum is good, rather than outstanding.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. This can be seen

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The leadership and management are outstanding

through, for example, assemblies that focus on moral values and responsibility, the school’s ‘eco-squad’ work and international links with other schools. The school council is used to develop pupils’ sense of responsibility towards others and their early understanding of democracy and the importance of listening to others’ views. The school has a very inclusive ethos which demonstrates its strong promotion of equal opportunities and work to guard against discrimination.  Sports premium funding is spent effectively. Teachers have received training in physical education teaching, which has developed their knowledge of the subject and led to better assessment of pupils. Pupils’ engagement and performance in sport have been promoted well through sport activities with other schools and a range of after-school clubs.  Other additional funding is spent well. Disadvantaged pupils’ progress and standards of work have

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The leadership and management are outstanding

improved as a result.  The school gives rigorous attention to safeguarding work, which meets and exceeds statutory requirements. The school works very well with other safeguarding agencies, and ensures that all staff are thoroughly trained. Pupils are well looked after as a result.  The local authority has supported school improvement well by giving effective training to staff and governors about, for example, safeguarding and the use of school data. It has made good use of leaders’ expertise to support other schools by agreeing the secondment of the deputy headteacher to another local school for two days a week.  Leaders and have very good relationships with parents and considers their views carefully when deciding how best to develop the school. An overwhelming majority of parents who offered an opinion thought that the school was led and managed well.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is highly effective. Governors have a detailed and precise understanding of data

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The leadership and management are outstanding

about pupils’ achievement. They use this understanding to challenge and check that leaders and teachers are doing enough to ensure the good progress of particular groups of pupils. Governors keep very well informed about the quality of teaching across the school. They have been instrumental in sharpening performance management and ensuring that targets set for teachers strongly match school improvement priorities. Governors check that leaders’ expectations are high enough and that they are doing enough to make sure teachers perform to a very high standard. They make sure that staff are well supported and properly rewarded for good performance. Governors take their safeguarding responsibilities very seriously, and are diligent in their work to keep pupils safe. Their impact on school improvement is substantial.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils demonstrate a very deep love of learning and consistently strive to do the best they can. Their very positive attitudes to learning have contributed strongly to the very good progress that they make.  Pupils are very courteous, considerate and respectful. They demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility towards others and are very well-mannered. They work together very co-operatively and listen to each other well.  Pupils behave very well in and out of lessons, in the playground, during lunchtime and when travelling around the school.  The school manages behaviour effectively and consistently. Teachers and other staff monitor behaviour closely. Each class keeps a record of behavioural incidents, but there have been very few of these over time. Pupils are clear about the high standards of behaviour that are expected of them.  Pupils who talked to the inspectors demonstrated an age-appropriate understanding of different kinds of

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Behaviour

bullying and of how bullying differed from other forms of poor behaviour. The school teaches pupils how to avoid bullying and how to get help if they feel at risk. Pupils reported that there was no bullying in the school.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Staff supervise children and pupils very well. Pupils behave very sensibly with resources and when travelling around the school.  The school promotes e-safety very strongly, including in the early years. Children and pupils are aware of key strategies to avoid risk. Leaders and governors strive to make sure that any possible risk to safety (for example, from speeding by the school entrance) is minimised as much as possible.  Attendance is consistently above that in most other schools and continues to improve. There is very little persistent absenteeism in the school.  Most parents who offered an opinion thought that their children were safe, happy and well-looked-after at the school. Some parents offered very high praise about the quality of care given to their children by the school.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching is highly effective throughout the school. As a consequence, pupils make rapid progress and attain very high results in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers and other teaching staff have extremely high expectations and offer all pupils, including the most able, substantial levels of challenge in all subjects. As a result, pupils’ standards of work in writing, mathematics and, especially, reading, are impressive.  Teachers know their subjects very well and give pupils very good guidance about them. Teachers’ and teaching assistants’ explanations are clear and precise.  Teachers’ skilful questioning deepens pupils’ thinking and excites them about their learning. Teachers’ marking helps pupils recognise the strengths of their work and see how they could improve it further.  Teachers set clear success criteria which pupils use to judge how well they have done in each lesson.  Leaders and teachers have worked together to ensure that the teaching of reading, writing and

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

mathematics is smooth and cohesive across the school. There is very good continuity between teaching in the early years and teaching in Key Stage 1. Pupils make consistently rapid progress as a result.  Teachers use data about pupils’ achievement highly effectively. They plan their teaching to match the needs of pupils with different abilities very well.  Almost all parents who offered an opinion think that their children are taught well and make good progress in the school.

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is outstanding

 Almost all children and pupils in the school make rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics from their starting points.  The school’s results in the Year 1 national phonics (linking letters to the sounds they make) check are much higher than average. This is because of a consistent and effective approach to phonics teaching from the early years upwards.  Pupils’ results in reading, writing and mathematics at expected levels at the end of Key Stage 1 are significantly higher than in most other schools. They have remained significantly high over a sustained period of time.  The most able pupils’ results at the higher levels at the end of Key Stage 1 are consistently well above average in writing, mathematics and, especially, reading. The most able pupils make rapid progress across the school.  There are very few disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs in the school. Because

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is outstanding

of this, it is not possible to generalise about the achievement of this group of pupils. However, the school meets the needs of this group of pupils very well through thorough consideration of their individual needs. They learn well and make rapid progress in line with that of other pupils in the school.  Similarly, there are very few disadvantaged pupils in the school. Because of this, it is not possible to generalise about their achievement and how it compares to that of other pupils nationally. However, disadvantaged pupils make fast progress in line with other pupils in the school. This is because the school plans their learning very carefully.

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is outstanding

 Children enter the school with skills below those typical for their age. They finish the Reception Year having attained standards well above those typically found. This demonstrates that children make very strong progress and are extremely well prepared for learning in Year 1.  Children quickly develop very good attitudes to learning. They use their time very purposefully whether their activities are child-led or directed by adults. Children focus very well on their learning and get the most out of the wide range of activities on offer.  Children are very friendly towards each other and behave very well. They co-operate and share resources happily and willingly.  Staff supervise children very well and ensure that children are kept safe. For example, great care is taken over the proper and safe use of resources in the outdoor area.  Teaching in the early years provision is consistently outstanding. It shares the same impressive qualities

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is outstanding

as teaching in the rest of the school. In addition, teaching in the early years features a very strong and highly effective promotion of language and communication skills. The early years leaders have ensured that the quality of teaching is consistently high across all the early years classrooms.  Teachers use the indoor and outdoor spaces and resources to develop key skills in reading, writing and mathematics very effectively.  Early years staff assess children’s skills across the different areas of learning very thoroughly and accurately. Early years leaders use their assessments of children’s achievements and needs to inform their planning. As a result, the activities offered to children are well-match to their needs.  Early years staff communicate very well with parents and listen carefully to parents’ own viewpoints about their children’s achievements. An example of this is the use of ‘proud clouds’ that parents can use

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is outstanding

to share children’s achievements at home with staff and other children.  The early years leaders work very effectively with other pre-school providers to ensure that children are ready to enter school.  The early years leaders contribute well to school improvement. The proportion of children attaining high standards, while already very impressive in the previous year, has continued to improve. Early years leaders have also developed Key Stage 1 teachers’ understanding of early years practice. Teaching across the school has become more fluid and cohesive as a result.

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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 116002 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 448781

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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 Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 299 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sarah Caine Headteacher Christine Lynch Date of previous school inspection 18–19 January 2010 Telephone number 01252 617101 Fax number 01252 810065 Email address adminoffice@heatherside-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 .

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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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