Winklebury Infant School

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

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Mrs Sarah Mathlin Headteacher Winklebury Infant School Willoughby Way Winklebury Basingstoke Hampshire RG23 8AF

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Short inspection of Winklebury Infant School

Following my visit to the school on 22 May 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 November 2013.

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Short inspection of Winklebury Infant School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. There have been a number of changes to leadership in the past year, including your appointment as headteacher and a new deputy headteacher, who started in January 2018. These changes have allowed you to continue the school’s effective work, building on its previous successes while also introducing new ideas and developing existing approaches. For example, you have re-structured the leadership team so that it now works across the federation. As a result, you have used leaders’ strengths to benefit both the infant and junior schools.

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Short inspection of Winklebury Infant School

You are determined that all pupils receive the best possible education and their welfare is at the heart of all you do. Strong teamwork across the federation has enabled you to develop staff skills further. Peer observations have improved teaching and increased teachers’ confidence to try new strategies. You have used support from the local authority effectively to improve provision across the school, particularly in mathematics.

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Short inspection of Winklebury Infant School

Areas in the federation development plan are being tackled with rigour. You and your leaders have correctly identified that the assessment system currently used by teachers is not as effective as you would like. It does not give precise enough information about pupils’ next steps in learning, particularly for different groups of learners. You have also identified the need to accelerate the progress of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, who need to catch up with their peers. Pupils behave very well. They told me that incidents of poor behaviour and bullying are very rare. Pupils are confident that adults sort out any disagreements quickly and fairly. Parental views are very positive. The vast majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire stated that their children were safe and happy and would recommend the school to others. One parent told me: ‘This school is fantastic. Staff helped my child settle in well.’ Another commented: ‘I think

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Short inspection of Winklebury Infant School

this school is brilliant. My children are very happy here.’

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Short inspection of Winklebury Infant School

The governing body works well across the federation. Governors make regular visits to the school in order to check on the progress of the federation development plan and to talk to pupils about their work. Findings from these visits are reported to governors at meetings, thereby ensuring that the governing body is kept up to date.

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Short inspection of Winklebury Infant School

All staff who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire are proud to be part of Winklebury Infant School and enjoy working there. Most feel that the school is well led and managed, with leaders taking the time to make sure that staff are treated with respect and valued. Staff share your vision and aspirations and there is a strong sense of the staff team working to achieve the best for pupils.

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Short inspection of Winklebury Infant School

At the previous inspection, inspectors identified a need to further develop the independence of pupils in their learning, particularly for the most able. Inspectors also identified that pupils would benefit from having more opportunities to improve their work. During the inspection I found that pupils were eager to tackle their work independently. Pupils enjoy the challenges they are set, particularly in mathematics, and are not afraid to make mistakes. Staff provide regular opportunities for pupils to deepen their understanding by applying their learning in different situations, for example through problem-solving or reasoning tasks. Pupils are also given opportunities to improve their work through editing and as a result of additional teaching and intervention sessions.

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Short inspection of Winklebury Infant School

Pupils’ safety is at the forefront of everything that the school does. Pupils feel safe and parents feel that the school looks after their children well. Pupils know how to use the internet safely and have also been taught about road safety. They behave sensibly in lessons and around the school. They are supervised well during breaks, where they play together sensibly and safely.

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Short inspection of Winklebury Infant School

Staff receive regular and useful training in safeguarding. They discuss pupils’ safety and the needs of vulnerable children frequently. Leaders take swift action to follow up on any concerns raised by staff. The school works effectively with external agencies when necessary. Leaders, including governors, monitor safeguarding arrangements robustly to ensure that the correct procedures are being followed. Governors carry out an annual safeguarding audit with senior leaders to identify any areas requiring further action. Governors also monitor health and safety arrangements to ensure the site and grounds are safe.

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Short inspection of Winklebury Infant School

Current pupils’ attendance is strong overall. Leaders track attendance rigorously and give support to families who need it. As a result, the persistent absence rates for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities have reduced significantly.

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Inspection findings

 During the inspection, I met with you to discuss the school’s progress since the last inspection. We agreed the following lines of enquiry: how well leaders have improved teaching and learning, particularly for the most able; how effectively leaders have ensured that pupils from different starting points make the progress they should from early years in reading, writing and mathematics; and how well leaders have ensured that the teaching of phonics is effective.  The quality of teaching is high across the school. Teachers adapt work well to the needs of different ability groups in their classes. Pupils say that flexible grouping in lessons enables them to do the work that is the right level for them. Practical resources and real life contexts are used effectively to deepen pupils’ understanding, particularly in mathematics. The most able pupils are challenged more in lessons. For example, in early years, daily challenges are set for the

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Inspection findings

children to complete. They enjoy working independently and persevere well to complete them. As a result, a higher proportion of children are exceeding the early learning goals in reading, writing and number this year.  Outcomes at the end of key stage 1 have improved. In 2017, more pupils in Year 2 achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics than those nationally. Pupils also achieved above national figures at the higher standard in reading and writing. Current attainment information for both Years 1 and 2 shows that the most able pupils are achieving very well and are on track to achieve standards higher than in 2017.  The majority of pupils across the school make good progress in their learning. Pupils’ reading skills are developing well, as they have regular opportunities to read whole-class texts. Those pupils requiring additional support also have the opportunity to read individually to staff. Most pupils progress well through the

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Inspection findings

school’s book-banding system.  Pupils’ writing skills are progressing well. From an early age, children build their confidence to write through mark-making and letter formation. In Year 1, pupils learn how to write simple sentences correctly and use basic punctuation effectively. In Year 2, pupils develop their stamina to write for longer and use more complex vocabulary and punctuation.  In mathematics, as the year progresses, pupils are able to tackle more challenging calculations, problem-solving and reasoning. Practical equipment is used effectively to support pupils’ understanding of new concepts. For example, pupils in Year 2 used 2D and 3D shapes to identify their different properties.  However, those pupils who need to catch up with their peers, particularly disadvantaged pupils who fall into this group, need more specific support to increase their progress. Leaders recognise that the current assessment system

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Inspection findings

used by the school does not give enough information about the progress and learning needs of vulnerable groups.  The teaching of phonics is effective because pupils are given regular opportunities to practise and learn the sounds needed at each phase. The teaching of phonics in the early years gives children the foundations they need to pronounce each sound correctly. In Year 1, pupils blend and segment sounds effectively and are able to apply their phonics knowledge well to ‘alien’ words. Workshops and information on the website enable parents to support their children’s phonics learning at home. Outcomes are improving as pupils receive additional intervention sessions to consolidate and practise their learning further.

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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

 a more effective assessment system is developed to identify the next steps in pupils’ learning more precisely  the progress of pupils who need to catch up, particularly disadvantaged pupils who fall into this group, is increased so that a greater proportion achieve age- related expectations

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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 leaders, pupils and members of the governing body and spoke to a representative from the local authority. Together with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, we visited all year groups. I also reviewed a range of pupils’ work. Parents’ views were taken into account through the 18 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 15 free-text comments. I also spoke to a number of parents at the beginning of the school day. I observed pupils’ behaviour during break and lunchtimes, in class and around the school. I reviewed a wide range of the school’s documents including information about pupils’ achievement, attendance, the federation development plan and policies and procedures including those for safeguarding. We also discussed the school’s self- evaluation.

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