Oldfield Park Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Oldfield Park Infant School Dorset Close, Bath, Somerset BA2 3RF

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Outcome

Oldfield Park Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe at Oldfield Park Infant School. They feel at ease here. They know adults listen to them. Staff build good relationships with parents and carers. Both these things help pupils feel safe. They are eager to come to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well at school. They listen to adults and follow instructions quickly. At breaktime, there is plenty to do and pupils play together cheerfully. Pupils are seldom unkind to each other. They are sure that if there is a problem, adults will sort it out. Bullying is rare. Pupils know adults would deal with it promptly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ ambition for every pupil is that, when they leave in Year 2, they have the learning they need to do well in life. Leaders make sure that pupils quickly learn to read, write and use mathematics well. Pupils are enthusiastic and curious learners. They want to get better at their work. They were eager to share their work with me.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum helps pupils develop skills such as confidence and cooperation. This includes through activities such as sports clubs, trips, visits and opportunities to perform in the arts, such as at the annual ‘One Night at the Palladian’. Parents appreciate the broad curriculum the school offers.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers share leaders’ ambitious vision for every pupil. Year on year, pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged. This means that pupils can make a good start in their next school.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders make it a priority that pupils learn to read confidently and quickly. The phonics programme ensures that children in Reception are briskly learning the sounds they need to begin to read. This includes children with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language. Later on, if pupils do start to fall behind, they get the support they 16–17 October 2019

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need to catch up. By the end of Year 2, almost every pupil is secure in their knowledge of letters and the sounds they represent.

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Leaders are eager that pupils have a love of reading. Classrooms have inviting book corners and many books for pupils to read. Teachers speak with animation of the value of storytelling and the sharing of books. They read aloud with skill and enjoyment and pupils are enthralled. This adds to pupils’ enthusiasm for reading.

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Leaders make sure that the curriculum is broad, and pupils have a wide range of experiences. Pupils can talk about what they have learned in, for example, physical education and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. However, leaders know that the sequence of learning is not as clear in some subjects. This is the case in history, where there are too few opportunities for pupils to build on learning from one year to another.

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The school’s approach to mathematics teaching has changed over the past two years. There is a very clear order and progression to the teaching of mathematics. This helps pupils to securely build their knowledge. They can apply what they know to new learning. For example, pupils use their knowledge of place value to successfully add two-digit numbers to two-digit numbers. However, occasionally, teachers do not explain new strategies as clearly as they could.

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Children receive a good start to their education in the Reception Year. Adults quickly settle children and establish routines in the classroom. This means that children behave well, and they are ready to learn. Children pick up new concepts in phonics and mathematics quickly. This includes children with SEND and those who are disadvantaged. However, sometimes, there are inconsistencies in the way adults use vocabulary and explain ideas in mathematics. This causes misconceptions for a few children. Children’s enjoyment in learning is evident. Children have strong and secure relationships with adults.

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Staff say leaders are considerate of their workload. They appreciate what leaders do to improve their well-being, such as well-being time and well-being buddies. Leaders are held in high regard by staff. Their expectations are high, but they are fair and approachable. Leaders’ overarching concern for all pupils is evident and this ensures that staff share these values.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff across the school know what to do if they have a concern about a pupil. They can and do take action. Leaders make sure that training for staff is up to date. Leaders have good relationships with external agencies that support children and their families. Leaders make sure that plans are reviewed and actions are timely. They will challenge decisions to make sure that pupils are safe. The multi-academy trust and school leaders ensure that new staff are recruited safely. 16–17 October 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The teaching of reading is effective. By the end of Year 2, a very high proportion of pupils pass the phonics screening check. For almost all pupils, including pupils who need to catch up, the books they read are linked closely to their phonics knowledge. However, in Reception, the first books children receive have too many words in them that they cannot yet decode. Leaders should ensure that the early books that Reception children take home are more closely matched to their phonics ability so that the chance of misconceptions occurring is limited.  The mathematics curriculum is well planned. Pupils build their understanding over time so that they become confident mathematicians. Occasionally, however, teachers’ explanations of new learning lack clarity. This means that some pupils do not grasp concepts as securely they could. Leaders need to make sure that there is consistency in teachers’ use of mathematical vocabulary and explanation of new strategies so that all

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

pupils can learn well.  The wider curriculum is planned so that pupils’ knowledge is increasing. For example, in geography, pupils in Year 2 know what a continent is and can name Africa and Europe as examples. Currently, however, the organisation of the curriculum in some subjects means that pupils’ learning can become disjointed. This is the case in history. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is planned so that pupils can secure key learning from year to year, so their understanding of key concepts deepens.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Oldfield Park Infant School, to be good in July 2015.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 16–17 October 2019

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 16–17 October 2019

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School details

Local authority Bath and North East Somerset Council

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School details

Inspection number 10111586 Type of school Infant

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Oldfield Park Infant School became an academy in 2016 as a part of a multi- academy trust, the Palladian Academy Trust.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher and other school leaders. I met governors. I spoke with officers of the Palladian Academy Trust. I talked with teachers, teaching assistants and other members of the school staff.  Together with the headteacher, I visited lessons in all classes. I talked to pupils about their learning and looked at their work with them. I listened to pupils from every class read. I talked with a group of pupils about their life at school.  The inspection concentrated on the teaching of reading, mathematics and geography.  I looked to see how the school keeps pupils safe. I checked the school’s records and procedures. I checked how the school makes sure that staff are recruited safely. I asked staff across the school how they keep pupils safe. I asked pupils what they would do if they had a worry or concern.  I observed pupils as they played outside at breaktime. 16–17 October 2019

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 I considered the responses to the pupil questionnaire and the staff questionnaire.  I met parents on the playground at the end of the school day. I looked at the 54 responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the 53 free-text comments received.

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Inspection team

Sarah O’Donnell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 16–17 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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