Great Binfields Primary School

School report Great Binfields Primary School

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Binfields Farm Lane, Chineham, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 8AJ

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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

 Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has improved at both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Pupils now attain at or above the national averages of 2014. Pupils at all stages achieve well overall but particularly in reading and writing.  The progress pupils make between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 is good. The pupils’ workbooks indicate they are making good progress in writing and mathematics.  The headteacher has shown great determination to improve the quality of teaching which is now good. The deputy headteacher has provided her with good support. Together they have been tenacious in achieving the necessary improvements.  Middle leaders, promoted from within the school, play an active role in checking the pupils’ progress. They lead their subject teams very effectively.  Over three quarters of the children in the Reception classes attained a good level of development in 2015 continuing an upward trajectory. The quality of teaching and leadership

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

in the early years is good and effective.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress from their individual starting points.  Pupils who are visually impaired make very good progress and are fully integrated into the main school. The care and support they receive are excellent.  Pupils’ behaviour in school is good. They enjoy lessons and work hard. Attitudes to learning are very positive.  The pupils feel very safe in school. The school’s efforts to ensure the safety of all pupils are outstanding.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is good. The work of the school prepares the pupils effectively for life in modern, democratic Britain and for the next stage in their education.  The local authority has provided good support to the school over the last few years.  The governors hold the school to account robustly for the progress different groups of pupils make.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

They have an increasingly clear understanding of their role within the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ achievement in mathematics lags a little behind that seen at the end of Year 6 in reading and writing.  Teachers do not always provide the most able pupils with the level of challenge necessary to achieve at the highest levels, especially in mathematics.  Teachers do not always make sure pupils take sufficient care with the presentation of their work. Consequently, pupils’ handwriting is not always neat.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed learning in 11 lessons, some of which were jointly observed with the headteacher. Inspectors also watched two school assemblies.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils and senior leaders. The lead inspector met with the Chair of the Governing Body and five other members of the governing body. He also held a telephone conversation with the senior school improvement advisor.  An inspector listened to pupils from Year 2 and Year 6 reading and scrutinised a sample of workbooks from a range of year groups.  Inspectors examined a wide range of documents, including the school’s information on pupils’ recent progress. They also looked at planning and documentation about checks on teaching, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  There were 116 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). Five parents wrote to the inspection team and the content of those letters was also considered.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspector analysed questionnaires from 23 members of staff.

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Inspection team

David Hogg, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school. The proportions of boys and girls vary from year to year.  From Reception to Year 2, pupils work in single-age classes. The other classes are composed of mixed- age groups with pupils from Year 3 and Year 4 learning together and Years 5 and 6 together. All pupils attend on a full-time basis, including children in the Reception classes.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is in line with the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is well below the national average. This additional government funding is used to support those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after.  Most pupils are from a White British background. Only a small proportion of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and the proportion of pupils who do not speak English as their first language is lower

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Information about this school

than that found nationally.  The school met the government’s current floor standards in 2014, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Great Binfields Primary School hosts a specialist resource base for visual impairment (VI) which can support 10 pupils. Currently there are seven pupils educated in the unit. All of the pupils are integrated fully into the main classes and cover the age range within the school.  There has been a change of headteacher since the last inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and so raise achievement further by ensuring teachers:  provide pupils with greater opportunities to use and apply their mathematical understanding in a range of different situations to develop their skills  provide the most able with the challenge that will enable them to achieve at the highest levels in all subject areas but especially mathematics  make sure that pupils’ handwriting is always neat and their work is well presented.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has provided the school with effective leadership that has identified the aspects of teaching that previously required improvement. The deputy headteacher has provided good support and together they work as an effective team. Training and support for staff have raised the quality of teaching across the school. Teachers now have higher expectations of what pupils can achieve.  Senior leaders review the quality of teaching closely. Salary improvements and opportunities for promotion are closely linked to the achievement of pupils. Skilled teachers have been promoted. They form an increasingly strong middle leadership team.  Senior leaders rigorously check the progress made by different groups of pupils. Middle leaders also are actively involved in monitoring the progress pupils make. Those pupils with additional needs, including those with visual impairment, have received extra support when necessary. The progress made by

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The leadership and management are good

disabled pupils or those who have special educational needs, and pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is at least in line with that of others in the school. There is no discrimination and all pupils have an equal opportunity to succeed from their individual starting points. The school is very inclusive.  The local authority identified that standards, especially in Key Stage 1, were too low. The local authority has worked closely with the headteacher to provide additional support where needed. This has assisted the school leaders in their efforts to improve standards across the school. Governors have received training to improve their skills. As a result, their understanding of their role has grown. They are increasingly effective in supporting and challenging the school.  The pupils enjoy the activities provided in the school. The programmes of work are broad, balanced and well planned. Pupils enjoy a range of enriching activities, such as the Medieval Day that took place during

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The leadership and management are good

the inspection, enabling pupils to ‘experience’ aspects of medieval life. The theme provided motivation and a context for the writing task the Year 2 pupils were working on successfully.  The school actively promotes the fundamental British values of the rule of law, mutual respect and tolerance through a range of activities and visits. The work of the school prepares pupils well for life in modern democratic Britain. Pupils are able to explore the beliefs and values of other faith groups as well as their own. The pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social development is good. Across the school, good relationships are fostered between pupils by the way staff interact with them and model polite and respectful behaviour. Pupils are well prepared for the next stages in their education.  The school has good links with parents. Staff provide learning workshops to help parents understand how key concepts are taught. The school website provides parents with clear information about the

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The leadership and management are good

programmes of work and the activities that are taking place in school. Parents meet regularly with teachers to discuss the progress of their children. A large number of parents responded to the Parent View survey and all who did would recommend the school to another parent.  The additional resources available to the school through the primary school sports premium funding help the school offer a wide range of sports activities and clubs. In addition, it supports the training of staff to deliver better physical education lessons. The proportion of pupils who now take part in sports activities has increased. The school is actively participating in and promoting competitive games within the local area and more pupils than previously now take part in competitive sports. This has strengthened the school’s ethos of teamwork and ambition for excellence in sport. The school currently holds trophies for hockey and rugby.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s safeguarding systems are very robust and meet statutory requirements. The school makes careful background checks on all staff before they begin working in the school. All staff are trained to ensure they have a clear understanding of their roles in keeping pupils safe in school. The local authority checks the school’s work in this area annually.  The governance of the school:  The challenge from the governing body in holding the school to account is rigorous. Governors receive information on the progress that different groups of pupils make each term. This information enables governors to compare standards in the school against the national picture, especially the progress made by pupils with additional needs. Governors have a good understanding of their role within the school leadership group.  The governors understand how the school has secured improvements in the effectiveness of teaching

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The leadership and management are good

across the school through a process of careful review, supported by high quality training. They receive reports from the headteacher and compare these with information from experts from the local authority. Regular visits by the governors to meet with key members of staff and to visit classes help to confirm their view that teaching is good and improving. They have a clear understanding of how teachers’ salary improvements link to the achievement of the pupils.  Governors carefully consider how the school uses the resources it has available. They review how effectively the school uses specific additional resources, such as the primary sports and pupil premium funding. The financial position of the school is scrutinised closely.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils say bullying and acts of unkindness are very rare. They admit they do fall out with one another on occasions but usually make friends again quite quickly. If issues persist then they are confident the adults around them will help sort things out.  Pupils get along well together and are happy to help one another. They understand that some pupils require extra help in order to enjoy a full part in school life and are happy to offer assistance when needed.  Pupils enjoy the responsibilities the school offers. The school council is active in school, representing pupils’ views, and raising issues with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. They have presented their views to members of the governing body.  Pupils’ attendance is in line with the national average for primary schools. The school rewards good attendance and encourages parents to ensure that pupils’ absence is minimised.

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Behaviour

 In class most pupils work hard, although they say some can be slow to start and get on with their work. Inspectors did not see this in the classes visited and the positive attitudes of the pupils made a good contribution to their learning. Most pupils take pride in their work but the handwriting and presentation in some of the pupils’ books is untidy.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  The school’s core values of respect, honesty, co-operation and resilience promote and foster excellent relationships across the school. The pupils are courteous and work well with the adults around them. Pupils are confident that they can approach staff if they are worried or have problems that concern them.  The school provides high quality training and guidance to the pupils about staying safe. Pupils visit a safety centre to learn about road and personal safety. Through the work the school provides, pupils understand very clearly why they must be careful when playing games online or using social media sites on the internet. Pupils say they are very safe and well cared for when in school.  The school’s links with the local secondary school are very good. Staff regularly visit the pupils and provide them with a clear picture of what to expect when moving on at the end of Year 6. As a result, pupils are

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Safety

confident about the move to their new school.  The school provides excellent support to visually impaired pupils to ensure they are safe and well cared for when in school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved and is consistently good. Middle and senior leaders have worked with staff to raise their expectations of what the pupils can achieve. This has had the effect of raising the expectations and aspirations of the pupils themselves. When needed, school leaders work alongside staff to build their skills so that there is no underperformance.  The teaching of reading is good. Pupils learn and understand that sounds link to letters (phonics) in the Reception classes and Year 1. Pupils can use this knowledge to good effect when reading unfamiliar words. Older pupils develop their skills in reading and comprehension through regular guided reading sessions.  The school uses teaching assistants to good effect, both in lessons and to lead small group or one-to-one sessions. The teachers identify pupils who have additional needs or who may require extra help as early as possible. The support provided is very effective and ensures they make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The support for pupils who have visual impairment is very effective. They have appropriate resources to enable them to take part in school and for the most part join in mainstream classes, studying exactly the same topics as other pupils.  Activities planned by teachers build on the learning that has previously taken place. Teachers mark pupils’ books regularly and provide clear feedback to the pupils on how they can make their work better. The pupils then use this feedback to make the necessary corrections or improvements. This was clearly in evidence in a mixed Year 5 and 6 class, in which pupils further developed their suspense stories using the guidance the teacher had given them. As a result, the progress the pupils made was good.  Teachers plan activities that support and challenge most groups of pupils of different abilities. However, the challenge provided to the most able pupils does not always enable them to achieve the highest levels,

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The quality of teaching is good

particularly in mathematics. These pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to practise and develop their mathematical skills in solving and applying real-life problems.

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is good

 The attainment of pupils at the end of Year 2 has improved in 2015 in reading, writing and mathematics and reversed the decline seen in the time since the last inspection. The proportion of pupils attaining the higher levels larger than in previous years and is now in line with the national averages for mathematics and writing and well above that for reading.  The proportion of pupils attaining at least the expected level at the end of Year 6 in 2015 also improved in reading, writing and mathematics. Improvements occurred in the proportions of pupils achieving the higher levels in reading and writing, which were again above the 2014 national averages. However, although more pupils achieved the higher levels in in mathematics, the proportion was below other schools nationally and lagged behind reading and writing.  The school’s own information indicates that pupils are now making at least good progress from their

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is good

starting points in all subject areas. Scrutiny of pupils’ books generally confirms this, although the progress of some more able pupils in mathematics is more variable.  Disadvantaged pupils who receive support through the additional funding make good or better progress from their individual starting points when compared with other pupils in school and nationally. The school’s use of additional funding and resources is good. In 2014, the gaps in the skills of disadvantaged pupils compared to other pupils in the school in reading was just over one term, in writing it was over six terms and in mathematics the gap was just over two and a half terms. When compared with other pupils nationally, the gap in reading was less than half a term, in writing was again six terms and in mathematics nearly three terms. The wide gaps seen in writing in 2014 are linked to the attainment of a small number of pupils who had very specific additional needs.

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is good

 The data the school has indicate the gaps are much narrower in 2015 and are closing across the school. Unvalidated data for the end of Key Stage 2 indicate that disadvantaged pupils are working about one and a half terms behind other pupils in reading and writing, and two terms in mathematics.  The progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is good due to the effective support provided by both the class teachers and teaching assistants. The school is determined to be inclusive and provides every opportunity possible for all pupils to achieve as highly as they can.  Pupils with visual impairment receive very effective support and achieve well. They make good or excellent progress from their individual starting points.  The reading skills that pupils develop are good. Pupils of all ages say they enjoy reading and that it excites them. Pupils read regularly at home and at school where they often read to an adult. Older pupils

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is good

read with fluency and expression enjoying a wide range of material from poetry to plays.

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is good

 Children join the Reception class with skills that are typical for their age, although weaker in their reading skills and understanding of the world. During their first year in school, they make good progress because teaching builds well on their earlier learning and catches their interest. They progress particularly well in their reading and understanding of the world, so that this year nearly three quarters of the children achieved a good level of development. This is above the national figures for 2014. Most children are ready and prepared for the move to Year 1. Those who still need a little additional support do receive the help they require to develop their literacy and numeracy skills once they are in Year 1. The achievement of the girls at the highest levels is a little better than that of the boys.  Teaching is good. The staff have a well-developed understanding of how young children learn and

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is good

provide a rich range of opportunities to foster the children’s basic skills and personal development. The adults make sure the children have opportunities to explore a range of activities to develop their skills. Alongside this, teachers ensure the children benefit from well-structured adult-led tasks that foster their learning of key skills, for example in reading and writing and in their social development. On occasions, staff do not always provide children with enough guidance for some outdoor activities to accelerate their learning.  The leadership of the early years is good. Those responsible for the early years have improved the indoor and outdoor learning spaces over time. Adults regularly assess the children’s learning and record the progress they make. Teachers then use this information to plan the next steps in the children’s learning. The early years’ leader ensures that the planning of activities is good. This aspect of the team’s work has

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is good

improved since the last inspection.  The staff nurture and look after the children well. The children know that they are safe and that the adults around them will look after them. Two members of staff have the relevant first-aid qualifications. All the relevant safeguarding policies and procedures linked to the early years are in place and meet requirements.  The behaviour of the children is good. They get along well together and with the adults working with them. They share resources well. They take part in whole-school activities, such as assemblies, and listen to stories that help build their spiritual and moral understanding.  Teachers plan activities that challenge the most able children and support those with additional needs to accelerate their progress. Teachers and teaching assistants lead different ability groups for different activities, for example in phonics sessions. This enables learning activities to be tailored to the needs and

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is good

abilities of the children so their rates of progress speed up.  The early years’ team works well with parents. Informal meetings at the start and end of the day allow a regular opportunity for parents to find out how well their children are doing. The children’s ‘learning journal’ records show what they have learnt. The school is currently developing an online system for parents to see the progress their children make and to share any home-learning experiences with the school. There are regular progress meetings for the parents of those who need additional support.

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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 132212 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 449777

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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 264 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Janet Cullinane Headteacher Jules Rogers Date of previous school inspection 20–21 October 2009 Telephone number 01256 460532 Fax number 01256 334157 Email address office@greatbinfields.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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