Hatch Warren Infant School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Michelle Moore Headteacher Hatch Warren Infant School Gershwin Road Basingstoke Hampshire RG22 4PQ

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Short inspection of Hatch Warren Infant School

Following my visit to the school on 8 March 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in June 2013.

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Short inspection of Hatch Warren Infant School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You and your team have created a vibrant, happy school, where pupils make good progress. The vast majority of parents agree, with one parent commenting that, ‘it feels like the children have fun every day with how they learn’. Pupils are happy and proud of their school, especially the way that, as one pupil said, ‘everyone is nice’ to each other.

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Short inspection of Hatch Warren Infant School

The strengths of the school identified in the previous inspection report have been maintained, and the recommendations for improvement achieved. In particular, leaders’ development of ‘purposeful writing’ throughout the curriculum has successfully accelerated pupils’ progress in writing. Pupils enjoy using their ‘target pencils’ to identify their next steps with their writing. They were keen to talk to me about what their specific targets meant they needed to do next. Their learning journals and books show they are making good progress.

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Short inspection of Hatch Warren Infant School

You have successfully established an inclusive culture and high expectations for all. Leaders support pupils from their different starting points effectively, and make adaptations as required. Parents of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are very positive about leaders’ determination to provide the best for their children. One commented that the staff, ‘are very approachable and we have always felt that they have been in our corner, fighting for the best for our child’. Another praised the way staff support the whole family’s needs, ‘emotionally and physically’. Governors share your vision and ambition for the school. They are responding robustly to the challenge of training new members of the governing body. Their work to develop the governing body is effective, and supports them in holding you to account. Their regular school visits and conversations with school leaders mean

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Short inspection of Hatch Warren Infant School

they have a detailed understanding of the school and its priorities. They use this to carefully monitor the progress of school initiatives. For example, they have a good understanding of how additional funding, such as that for disadvantaged pupils, is used.

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Short inspection of Hatch Warren Infant School

The accurate self-evaluation and school improvement plans show that leaders know the school very well. You make good use of high-quality support from the local authority and the local cluster of schools. For example, you carefully moderate teachers’ assessments of pupils’ work with these partners to ensure that the judgement is accurate and the level of work is in line with national expectations. Leaders’ work to accelerate the progress of disadvantaged pupils, especially those with lower starting points, is now effective, although you know there is still much to be done.

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Short inspection of Hatch Warren Infant School

You provide a wide range of extra-curricular activities to complement the curriculum. Pupils and parents appreciate these aspects of school life and one parent commented that, ‘there are always plenty of events for parents and children to get involved in’. However, you are now working to further develop your partnership with parents to involve them more closely in supporting their child’s progress. Current activities, such as encouraging parents to come into the school to listen to pupils read, are already proving effective. A few parents raised concerns about your high expectations regarding homework, but others were more positive. One parent commented that, ‘home learning projects are fun and engage my child’.

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Short inspection of Hatch Warren Infant School

School leaders and governors have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and that records are detailed and of a high quality. There are secure systems for checking and recording the suitability of adults before they are allowed to work with the pupils. Staff are well trained and understand their role in safeguarding pupils. The governor responsible for safeguarding is diligent in his regular scrutiny of processes and school records.

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Short inspection of Hatch Warren Infant School

Leaders take appropriate action when required, and work effectively with external partners. They are rigorous in following up any concerns if they believe action is not swift enough. They work to support the whole family and ensure that pupils are kept safe. Parents recognise and appreciate the work staff do, one commenting that they, ‘are approachable and sympathetic to life’s challenges’.

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Inspection findings

 During this inspection, I considered how effectively leaders are supporting disadvantaged pupils to make good progress. Leaders are acutely aware that this group of pupils did not achieve as well as other pupils in 2016. Improving their performance is a priority for leaders and is an area the local authority has supported leaders to address. Leaders have a precise understanding of the needs of each individual pupil in this group, and have put in place effective support to address these needs. Short, intense strategies, such as ‘pre-teaching’, are successfully linked to the work pupils undertake in class. School tracking information and the work in pupils’ books indicates they are now making good progress. Leaders evaluate each strategy to monitor its effectiveness and make any necessary changes. For example, leaders are finding the work of the emotional literacy support assistant and the phonics groups to be particularly

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Inspection findings

effective. Leaders understand the need to continue to develop and embed this work, especially as the numbers of pupils in this group rise.  Another school priority is to develop reasoning and problem solving in mathematics. I considered how effective this work has been in supporting pupils to make good progress in this subject. All staff have received high-quality training in mathematical reasoning. They have successfully used this to develop pupils’ abilities to effectively apply their mathematical knowledge to solve problems. The partnership with the local authority and the local cluster of schools has supported this development work. The school’s own performance information shows that pupils are making good progress in mathematics. This is shown by pupils’ work in books and during lessons. They are successfully using their mathematical skills to reason and explain their thinking. Pupils enjoy the ‘hands on’ practical activities

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Inspection findings

that have been built into their mathematics lessons. For example, Reception Year children enjoyed hammering nails into blocks of wood and putting elastic bands around them to make three-dimensional shapes. I also observed a group of children working out what proportion of dry ingredients they needed to add to their play dough recipe to make it less ‘squishy’.  School leaders are determined to provide a broad and balanced curriculum. I explored how effectively this supports pupils to be successful in their next steps and contribute to wider society. The curriculum is regularly reviewed and developed to find the ‘hook’ that will engage and motivate pupils. One parent commented that, ‘the variation in topics covers all interests’. For example, Reception Year children enjoyed finding the large ‘dinosaur egg’ in their outdoor area and were eager to consider different possibilities. Year 1 and 2 pupils undertake longitudinal science studies. For example, they have planted a variety

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Inspection findings

of flower bulbs and are monitoring the growing conditions and results. Pupils enjoy posing questions and working out how they will successfully answer them. The focus on practical activities successfully engages pupils’ interest and captures their imagination. There is a good range of activities to develop motor skills, for example children were learning to peel real vegetables in one of the Reception Year role-play areas. Pupils are also introduced to democracy and the rule of law through the application and voting process for the school council. Two recently elected Year 1 pupils were very proud to explain their responsibilities to me. For example, they are undertaking a safer parking campaign. The wide range of extra-curricular activities also successfully supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, pupils enjoyed the bi-annual show at the local theatre and the visit to the Houses of Parliament.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that they:  accelerate the progress of disadvantaged pupils so they catch up with their peers  further develop the partnership with parents to involve them more closely in supporting their child’s progress.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Hampshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I met with you, other members of school staff and members of the governing body. I also held a telephone call with your leadership and learning partner from the local authority. Together, you, your deputy and I planned the key lines of enquiry for the inspection. We jointly visited all Reception and Year 1 classes in the school to observe pupils’ learning, speak with them and look in their books. I spoke with Year 2 pupils when they returned from their school trip, and looked at their books. I also spoke with pupils at lunch and during the day. I spoke with parents at the start of the school day and considered 57 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 40 written contributions by parents. I spoke with staff and took account of 24 responses to the online staff questionnaire. I looked at a range of documentation, including information about the work of governors, safeguarding,

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Information about the inspection

attendance and behaviour. I also scrutinised and discussed the school’s tracking of pupils’ progress and attainment, and the school’s self-evaluation and plans for improvement.

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