Hiltingbury Infant School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Hiltingbury Infant School Hiltingbury Road, Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO53 5NP

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 September 2021

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of outstanding as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Hiltingbury Infant is a vibrant, welcoming and friendly place. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. Teachers generally have high expectations. Pupils look forward to lessons; they work hard and rarely miss a day. Pupils hold doors open for others and greet adults in corridors. One pupil said: ‘Our school is a magnet for kindness and happiness.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They told the inspector that bullying is uncommon. They know that staff are always there to help them deal with any worries they may have. Pupils listen and debate their ideas maturely. They enjoy taking on positions of responsibility, such as ‘Hiltingbury helpers’, ‘cyber ambassadors’ and school councillors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are particularly fond of the after-school activities on offer. They spoke with enthusiasm about the recorder, street dancing and football clubs. They look forward to trips to the museum, the arboretum and places of worship.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop a strong love of reading. They look forward to visiting the well-stocked school library. However, pupils do not always make as much progress in reading as they could.

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

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is broad and ambitious, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They have carefully identified the essential knowledge that all pupils should learn and remember. Subject leaders are knowledgeable about their areas of responsibility. They develop teachers’ expertise across a number of subjects. 29 and 30 September 2021

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Teachers plan work that pupils often find interesting and enjoyable. In most subjects, lessons build on what pupils have learned in the past. Pupils remember what they have been taught and they use this to help them learn new concepts. However, in some subjects, such as computing, geography and history, this is not fully the case. This is because some teachers move pupils’ learning on too quickly before pupils have learned things fully. Consequently, not all pupils achieve as well as they could.

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Children are introduced to phonics as soon as they start in Reception Year. The phonics programme is well sequenced. However, some staff do not deliver phonics successfully. Books are not always matched to the sounds pupils learn in lessons. This slows some pupils’ ability to read with increased fluency and comprehension. Leaders are in the process of addressing these issues.

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The mathematics curriculum is organised well. Teachers check and make sure that all pupils, including those in early years, learn the important concepts well. Pupils confidently use and apply their knowledge of number and place value to solve word problems. In Reception Year, children are secure in their recognition and ordering of numbers. Staff accurately identify the needs of pupils with SEND. These pupils learn and do well in mathematics.

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There is a calm, purposeful and harmonious atmosphere in lessons and around school. Pupils are inquisitive about their learning. They share and discuss their ideas in lessons in a considerate way. From Reception Year onwards children learn to take turns and cooperate with each other.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development. Pupils know why it is important to show respect to others. The ‘Hiltingbury Heroes’ promote pupils’ independence, curiosity, confidence, resilience and teamwork. Pupils are quick to lend others a helping hand. Pupils organise and run activities to raise funds for several charities. Pupils learn about different faiths, religions and cultures. One pupil said, ‘We welcome everyone in our school.’

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Governors work well with leaders. They have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and priorities. Staff are proud to be part of the team. They appreciate and value that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspector agreed that the effectiveness of the school’s work to teach pupils to read and how well teachers are supported to deliver certain subjects may usefully serve as focuses for the next inspection. This would include considering how these aspects affect how well pupils achieve across the curriculum. 29 and 30 September 2021

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all employment checks are robust and clear. All staff receive appropriate and up-to-date training. Staff know pupils and their families well. Staff understand what they need to do if they are concerned about a child. Leaders take swift action to safeguard all pupils. Leaders have good relationships and work well with health and social care professionals. Teachers help pupils understand how to keep safe. Pupils have a secure knowledge of how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff do not teach the phonics programme effectively. They do not always check that all pupils learn the right sounds and blends. The books that some pupils read do not help them to read with increased fluency and comprehension. Leaders are in the process of introducing a new approach to teaching phonics. Leaders need to make sure that all staff are trained to deliver phonics effectively and that the books pupils read match the sounds pupils learn.  Subject leaders have worked well to design and introduce a well-structured and coherent curriculum in the foundation subjects. However, some teachers do not always check and help pupils, including those with SEND, make links in their learning. Consequently, pupils do not achieve as well as they could overall. Leaders should ensure that all teachers are trained to deliver the foundation curriculum well.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in January 2016. 29 and 30 September 2021

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 29 and 30 September 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.hiltingbury-inf.hants.sch.uk/

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 January 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher were appointed in September 2020.  The school shares an additional resource provision with Hiltingbury Junior School for pupils with speech, language and communication difficulties.  The school does currently not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school leaders, and has taken that into account in their evaluation.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, subject leaders and staff.  The inspector evaluated the quality of education by looking in detail at the teaching of early reading, mathematics and computing. The inspector discussed curriculum design with leaders, carried out lesson visits, scrutinised pupils’ work and spoke to pupils and teachers from the lessons visited. 29 and 30 September 2021

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 The inspector evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding. The inspector reviewed the school’s single central record. The inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead and spoke to pupils, staff and parents.  The inspector met with three governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspector met with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector considered the views of 35 members of staff who responded to Ofsted’s online staff survey.  The inspector took account of the 102 responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey, including 77 free-text comments. The inspector met with several parents during the inspection.  The inspector met with pupils to discuss their views on the school and talked to them informally about the school.

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Inspection team

Shazia Akram, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 29 and 30 September 2021

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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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