Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Debra Marshall Gomer Infant School Pyrford Close Alverstoke Gosport Hampshire PO12 2RP

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Subject inspection of Gomer Infant School

Following my visit to your school on 15 January, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. The findings do not change the overall effectiveness judgement of outstanding from the last section 5 inspection.

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Subject inspection of Gomer Infant School

This inspection was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for a no formal designation inspection of schools. The inspection was carried out to enable Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector to better understand the quality of education in specific subjects provided by outstanding primary schools.

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Main findings

Leaders have prioritised geographical education and this is reflected in the school’s planning and implementation of the curriculum. The curriculum is ambitious and, in places, goes beyond the requirements of the national curriculum. Leaders have been careful to ensure that pupils learn increasingly challenging concepts, such as climate change, as they progress through the school. This helps to prepare pupils with a firm understanding of their impact on the environment and contributes well to their personal development. However, plans do not always make clear what geographical knowledge is essential for pupils to possess in order to achieve their next steps. This means that occasionally pupils move on to complex notions without entirely securing the key foundational knowledge required to underpin their thinking. Most series of lessons are appropriately sequenced to ensure that pupils build on their prior learning. For example, pupils gain a strong understanding of the local

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Main findings

area and the radius of this work extends as they move through the school. Staff make good use of the school site to help pupils develop an idea of scale, direction and space. During the inspection, Year 2 pupils used aerial photographs to navigate their way to different parts of the playground and the woodland area.

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Main findings

Pupils are positive about geography and enjoy the opportunity to look at, and discuss, their immediate environment. They speak enthusiastically about the places they have studied and are beginning to make links between contrasting localities. Pupils are often able to recall their knowledge, particularly the content that they regularly revisit. For example, having observed and collected extensive weather data over time, pupils can explain how the seasons change and know that the weather around the world is dependent on the local climate. When learning is not revisited often enough, pupils struggle to remember this content. This means that some pupils do not remember the key features of countries and cities they have studied previously.

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Main findings

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well because staff ensure that activities and trips are inclusive. They have designed and adapted the school site so that it is accessible for all. Close liaison with families ensures that pupils with SEND are able to access all off-site visits. This means that all pupils can partake in fieldwork and develop an understanding of their immediate and local environment.

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Main findings

The geography leader possesses strong subject knowledge and uses this to support others to improve their teaching. For example, she has trained staff to use a wider range of electronic resources to provide up-to-date images and information from places around the world. This means that pupils study accurate data and images of places rather than considering old or outdated sources of information. Leaders have developed useful links with other schools and the local authority. This ensures that staff have access to appropriate support and guidance, leaving them well placed to improve the geography curriculum further.

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Evidence

During this inspection I met with you, senior leaders, the subject leader for geography and a group of teachers. I scrutinised curriculum planning and visited six lessons in the early years and key stage 1. I met with pupils to talk about their learning in geography and evaluated work in pupils’ books.

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Context

Gomer Infant School is an average-sized infant school. Most pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged or with SEND is below the national average. Most pupils join the school at the start of the early years and stay until the end of Year 2. However, the school also serves a small number of service families who join or leave the school part way through the academic year.

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Context

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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