Knights Enham Nursery and Infant School

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

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Ms Sarah Jones Interim Executive Headteacher Knights Enham Nursery and Infant School King Arthurs Way Andover Hampshire SP10 4BS

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Short inspection of Knights Enham Nursery and Infant School

Following my visit to the school on 6 March 2018, 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 Knights Enham Nursery and Infant School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of Knights Enham Nursery and Infant School

In the last two years, there have been significant and frequent changes to the leadership of the school. Governors have worked with vision and determination to secure the long-term future of the school during the period of interim leadership. Since your arrival as interim executive headteacher in October 2017, you have worked with determination to improve the quality of education at the school. Ably supported by two knowledgeable acting deputy headteachers, you have quickly grasped the school’s many strengths and set about addressing those aspects that needed improvement. There is a strong team spirit within the staff body, and staff like working at the school.

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Short inspection of Knights Enham Nursery and Infant School

Pupils enjoy coming to Knights Enham Nursery and Infant School. They think that their school is friendly. They enjoy many aspects of school life, like the lunchtime clubs, cookery and playing outside with their friends. You and your team have created a caring school. As one parent commented, ‘The staff in this school truly are dedicated to their jobs and their pupils. I always find them friendly and approachable.’

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Short inspection of Knights Enham Nursery and Infant School

The previous inspection report highlighted the school’s many strengths, including pupils’ positive attitudes to learning, enthusiastic teachers and effective leadership. You have maintained these strengths. At the last inspection, leaders were asked to eradicate any inconsistences in teaching by sharing the good practice in the school. You have taken effective action to improve this aspect of the school’s work. We agreed, however, that expectations of what the most able pupils can attain could be higher in some classes. The previous report also asked leaders to formalise meetings about pupils’ progress. Leaders have ensured that this has been done. Action following these meetings is specific to individual pupils’ needs and reviewed swiftly to ensure that pupils catch up.

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Short inspection of Knights Enham Nursery and Infant School

In recent years, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has been below the national average. You have responded by improving the teaching of phonics across the school. However, we agreed that assessment in phonics is not as effective as it could be. Leaders have also rightly identified that accelerating the progress that disadvantaged pupils make should be a key priority in the immediate future.

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Short inspection of Knights Enham Nursery and Infant School

School leaders and governors fulfil their statutory safeguarding duties well. Policies and procedures are fit for purpose, and day-to-day routines are secure. Communication between staff is strong. Pre-employment checks to ensure the suitability of staff and volunteers are fully in place. You know your pupils and families well. You work successfully with outside agencies to support them. Safeguarding training is regular and up to date. As a result, staff and governors understand their roles and responsibilities well.

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Short inspection of Knights Enham Nursery and Infant School

Attendance figures have been below the national average for primary schools in recent years, and the proportion of pupils frequently absent has been high. This is also true of current attendance information. Leaders closely track the attendance of pupils whose levels of absence are a concern. They acknowledge that there is still work to do to ensure that all pupils attend school regularly.

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Short inspection of Knights Enham Nursery and Infant School

Pupils said that they feel safe in school and know who to talk to if they have any worries. They said that, when other children are not nice to them, their teachers help them sort it out. The school has introduced four puppets, including ‘the lamb of liberty’ and ‘the dog of democracy’, which pupils enjoy using to learn about fundamental British values. As a result, pupils show a strong understanding of these values and of how they are embedded at their school. They also know how to keep themselves safe online.

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Inspection findings

 Self-evaluation is accurate and reflective. Leaders regularly check the quality of teaching by visiting lessons and looking at pupils’ work. As a result, they have a strong understanding of the quality of teaching in the school. Leaders know that not enough pupils at the end of key stage 1 are reaching the higher standards in writing. We observed that not all teachers have high expectations of what the most able pupils can achieve. This was evident both in lessons and in pupils’ books. Increasing the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standards in writing is a suitable focus for the school.  You have recently established a clear strategy to ensure that disadvantaged pupils achieve well. Specific targets for individual pupils are set and shared weekly with teaching teams so that all adults involved with the pupil can focus on what will make the biggest difference. Where teaching is most effective, the

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Inspection findings

attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils are in line with those of their classmates. You rightly recognise that the impact of the additional funding now needs to be accurately measured to ensure that all interventions and actions are contributing to rapid improvement of outcomes for these pupils.  Governance is strong. Governors are knowledgeable and proactive, and have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas that need further improvement. They are ambitious that every child will succeed at Knights Enham Nursery and Infant School. Governors carry out their statutory duties effectively. They support and challenge you well.  In order to improve the teaching of phonics, leaders have introduced new teaching strategies, which focus sharply on pupils applying recently learned sounds. My classrooms visits, including scrutiny of pupils’ work, showed that pupils are able to apply their increasing phonics knowledge to their independent

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Inspection findings

writing. Pupils enjoy their phonics learning. This is because teachers plan engaging lessons. For example, in a Year 1 phonics lesson, pupils were running around the classroom finding hidden words that had the ‘wh’ sound in them. They excitedly shared each word with their teacher, who checked that the pupils could read each one correctly. However, during our visits to phonics lessons, we observed that some pupils were finding their work too easy. We agreed that assessment could be further improved so that more pupils make rapid progress.  Teaching in the early years is highly effective. Activities are planned well to capture the children’s interests, and they are engaged and excited by their learning. There are many opportunities for children to practise their early reading, writing and mathematics skills. During my visits to classes, including the additional Nursery unit for two-year olds, I observed how well the children get on

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Inspection findings

with each other and how confident they are in their surroundings. Relationships are a strength. Pupils who have special education needs (SEN) and/or disabilities make strong progress in the early years, as their needs are clearly identified and they are supported well, with care and dignity.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 rates of attendance match or exceed national averages for primary schools, and that there is a sharp focus on those who are regularly absent  the most able pupils in key stage 1 are able to work consistently at the higher standard in their writing  assessment of pupils’ phonics knowledge is used more effectively to ensure that more pupils make rapid progress and that more pupils reach the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check  they review the impact of the pupil premium funding to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

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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

During the inspection, I met with you and your two acting deputy headteachers to discuss the school’s effectiveness. We visited lessons to observe pupils learning, speak to them and look at their work. Together with the English lead, we looked at the quality of pupils’ work in books. I considered 19 responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View and the free-text comments. Responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil questionnaires were also considered. I spoke to parents at the beginning of the school day and to a representative from the local authority on the telephone. I met with four governors, including the chair of the governing body, and spoke to a group of pupils about their school. I evaluated the school’s safeguarding arrangements. A wide range of documents was examined, including: your school’s self-evaluation and school improvement planning; pupils’ progress information; records of leaders’ checks on teaching; and attendance

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