Oliver's Battery Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Oliver’s Battery Primary School Austen Avenue, Oliver’s Battery, Winchester, Hampshire SO22 4HP

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Outcome

Oliver’s Battery Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like attending this school because everyone is so caring. They say that the friendships they make are what makes their school stand out. Older pupils are thoughtful towards younger pupils. New pupils are warmly welcomed to the community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their lessons and they work hard in them. They know that their teachers expect them to do so. Pupils get on well with their teachers. Year 6 pupils want to achieve well so that they are ready for secondary school transfer. They particularly enjoy the physical education and sports sessions that are led by secondary teachers. All of the pupils I spoke to told me they like learning in mathematics. They also enjoy subjects that are practical or creative.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The most able pupils find lots to interest them. They enjoy the challenges that they meet in science and other subjects. However, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) sometimes feel less successful than their peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Incidents of bullying or discrimination occur rarely. When they do, pupils trust the adults to sort things out quickly. Pupils are confident that they know how to stay safe, including when they are online.

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

The vast majority of pupils achieve high standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders have maintained a sharp focus on improving pupils’ progress. During the past year, leaders have increased their ambition. They want all pupils to achieve well in all subjects. To reach this ambition, several subjects have been newly replanned.

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

Reception children master early reading skills well. Already some of them understand how to blend sounds. Key stage 1 pupils are keen to practise their reading. They make strong progress to become confident and accurate. Very few pupils fall behind with their early reading but if they do, their teachers support them to catch up. Teachers’ questions help 1–2 October 2019

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pupils to understand what they are reading.

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Teachers’ high-quality planning supports mathematics. Right from their start in Reception, children learn to become fluent with numbers. They enter key stage 1 using mathematical apparatus with confidence. This helps them to have a deep understanding of basic concepts. Pupils understand a range of different calculation strategies. Teachers review pupils’ learning skilfully . They ensure that planned tasks match pupils’ different needs. By Year 6, most pupils can solve problems that need several steps in reasoning.

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Leaders have redesigned the content and sequence of learning in other subjects. This work is further forward in some subjects than in others. For instance, detailed planning supports learning in art and design. We saw Reception children exploring how to mix colour. Year 5 practised their sketching skills before creating clay sculptures. In some subjects, such as history, subject content is not as well planned. S ome curriculum leaders do not have a sharp enough oversight of how well pupils achieve .

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The school council has prepared a charter that sets out how everyone must behave. It helps the school to be calm and purposeful. Pupils let teachers do their job without causing any classroom disruption. Staff treat pupils with respect . Teachers encourage disadvantaged pupils to take part in the school’s activities. These include visits, musical tuition, breakfast club and help with homework. Older pupils enjoy interesting after-school clubs that promote their sporting and cultural interests.

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Leaders care about pupils’ positive emotional health and well-being. They have identified that an increasing number of pupils need extra help. The school provides this to help pupils self-manage their anxieties. Pupils with SEND make strong progress with early reading and in mathematics. Their needs are not so well met across other subjects. Nor do they tend to be as fully involved in school life as other pupils.

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Leaders make sure that teachers’ workload is reasonable. Planned changes always aim to benefit pupils. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Adults take great care to help pupils to keep safe. They are trained to spot any signs of abuse. They know exactly how to respond if they have any concerns. Every week, pupils are reminded how to keep themselves safe when they are online.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have a very clear understanding of the issues that can affect local families. They do their best to make sure vulnerable pupils and their families have the support they need. Governors ensure that the school’s procedures keep children safe. They make careful checks when staff and volunteers are appointed.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects leaders have not planned in enough detail how pupils will learn and remember what they need to know. Curriculum plans do not help pupils to make useful connections between subjects. Leaders need to ensure that planning in all subjects results in pupils acquiring cumulative knowledge, skills and understanding.  Some curriculum leaders do not have a secure understanding of how effectively the planning for their subject is being implemented across the school or of the impact it is having upon pupils’ achievement. The school’s curriculum leaders need to maintain sharper oversight of the standards pupils achieve in their subjects.  Curriculum and support plans are not sufficiently well-designed for pupils with SEND. Ambitions for their academic achievement are not consistently high across all subjects and areas of school life. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders are taking to

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

enhance planning and staff training that they are in the process of bringing this about. Leaders should ensure that all pupils with SEND achieve well.

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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 Oliver’s Battery Primary School to be good on 8–9 March 2016.

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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.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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You can search for published performance information about the school.

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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. 1–2 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111334 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Carly Redfern (Acting Headteacher)

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School details

Website http://www.oliversbatteryprimary.com

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8–9 March 2016

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Information about this school

 The headteacher retired in July 2019 following a period of absence during the 2018/19 academic year. There were interim (acting) arrangements during that period and at the time of the inspection.  The governing body runs a breakfast club.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, I met with the acting headteacher and the deputy headteacher. They were present during most of the inspection activities. I also met with curriculum and other leaders, teachers and support staff.  I met with seven members of the governing body, including the chair. I spoke on the telephone to a representative of the local authority.  A wide range of school documents were considered, including those published on the school’s website.  The school’s safeguarding processes were considered. I checked how the school makes recruitment checks on staff, governors and volunteers. In addition, I discussed safeguarding with leaders and saw how they maintain their record-keeping. 1–2 October 2019

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 To gain their views of the school, I spoke with pupils during breaktimes. I met a mixed group of Year 5 and 6 pupils to talk about their learning and experiences at school.  In addition to speaking to a number of parents and carers at the start of the school day, I took into account 36 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 27 written comments. I also considered survey responses from 32 pupils and 12 staff who either completed Ofsted’s survey or made their views known.  As part of this inspection, I considered three subjects in depth: reading, mathematics, and art and design. I visited lessons, including for Reception children, and I spoke to teachers and pupils about the learning that took place. I listened to a small number of Year 2 pupils reading to their teacher.

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Inspection team

Linda Jacobs, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 1–2 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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