Farnborough Grange Nursery & Infant Community School

Inspection of a good school: Farnborough Grange Nursery & Infant Community School Moor Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 8HW

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good 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

Farnborough Grange Nursery & Infant School is a welcoming and caring place. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Every pupil is treated as an individual and staff know them very well. Pupils thrive here and they feel safe. They know that the adults here will help them if they have a problem. Pupils know what a bully is, but they say that there is no bullying in this school.

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What is it like to attend this school

Leaders want all pupils to be curious and inquisitive. They are developing a curriculum that encourages pupils to ask questions. Pupils, including the youngest children, find their curriculum topics interesting and exciting. For example, they explained, with enthusiasm, that the equator is like an invisible line around the middle of the world. However, sometimes pupils’ excitement stops them listening carefully to their teachers. They lose concentration and do not pay attention. This stops them learning and distracts other pupils in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school

Leaders know that they have to raise expectations for what pupils should achieve across the whole curriculum. Too many pupils do not do as well as they could. Some pupils are not reading as well as they should be able to.

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

Leaders know what improvements are needed. They have prioritised and already started to make changes that are beginning to have an impact. As a result, the school is now moving in the right direction. There has been a high turnover of staff, including senior leaders, which has affected the quality of education and pupils’ outcomes. Staff are 2 and 3 November 2021

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supportive of leaders. They know that leaders are conscious of their workload and their well-being.

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Leaders across the school are highly ambitious for all pupils, including the very youngest children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most subject leaders are new to their post this year. They have developed a curriculum to engage pupils and enable them to learn and remember more. Leaders have set out what pupils should know and remember, starting with the very youngest children in Nursery and progressing through to Year 2. However, these plans are new and teachers have not had sufficient time using them to ensure that all pupils learn what they need to.

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Leaders have focused on the teaching of early reading. Children in early years are now getting off to a stronger start. However, too many pupils, including those with SEND, are not reading fluently. Leaders’ new phonics programme provides pupils with matched books that will help them to practise the taught sounds. Staff have had phonics training, but not all staff are confident in delivering the phonics programme effectively. Pupils love being read to and enjoy talking about the books that adults have shared with them.

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In mathematics, leaders have made sure that teachers sequence lessons carefully. Teachers now know what pupils have already learned and remembered. However, some pupils in Years 1 and 2 are not achieving as well as they should. This is because previous teaching did not give pupils enough opportunities to practise what they had learned. As a result, some pupils are unable to remember and build on their mathematical knowledge.

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Children in Nursery know how to listen to and follow instructions. For example, children were seen concentrating on using painted marbles to make a firework picture. However, not all pupils in other year groups consistently behave well in lessons. Some pupils will talk while the adult is talking. This then stops the learning for pupils in lessons. Staff are not always consistent in reinforcing the school’s behaviour expectations.

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Pupils with SEND are well supported and fully included across the school. Leaders’ detailed understanding of pupils’ needs ensures that targeted plans are in place to support pupils’ learning. This includes children in the specially resourced provision for Nursery-aged children with SEND. Staff are well trained and adapt tasks when necessary. However, some pupils are not learning the curriculum well enough, particularly in learning to read.

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Leaders have high aspirations for pupils. They work hard to give pupils opportunities to experience a wide range of activities. Teachers offer a range of clubs, including library and choir. Leaders are keen for pupils to extend their knowledge of the career paths available. Leaders organise a ‘Bright Futures Week’ for pupils to meet people from a wide variety of careers.

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The trust is supporting leaders to improve the quality of education and outcomes for all pupils. A comprehensive training programme to develop subject leaders’ and staff’s subject knowledge is in place. 2 and 3 November 2021

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspector agreed that the teaching of reading, the curriculum and pupils’ behaviour may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a strength of the school. Leaders ensure that staff training is up to date and is revisited throughout the year. As a result, all staff are vigilant in keeping pupils safe. Staff report concerns immediately and leaders’ response is prompt. Leaders work closely with other agencies to get the support that pupils and families need. They are aware of local issues that could affect pupils.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep safe online. They were keen to explain how to keep safe when not in school, for instance by not talking to strangers.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have only very recently introduced a systematic, synthetic phonics programme to teach pupils to read. Pupils have not been taught well enough to read previously. Many pupils are not yet fluent readers. Leaders must ensure that all staff are well trained in how to successfully implement the new phonics programme, so that all pupils learn to read fluently.  Staff do not have high enough expectations for pupils’ behaviour. This is disrupting the learning of other pupils at times. Leaders must ensure that all staff consistently follow the school’s behaviour policy so that all pupils can learn well.  Some subjects in the wider curriculum, such as geography, have not been fully implemented. This means that pupils are not learning all the planned content. Leaders are already taking action to address this. They need to ensure that teachers deliver the full curriculum so that pupils learn the knowledge and skills they need across all

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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 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 a section 5 inspection immediately. 2 and 3 November 2021

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This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Farnborough Grange Nursery & Infant Community School, to be good in November 2013.

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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. 2 and 3 November 2021

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School details

Chair of trust The Very Revd Dianna Lynn Gwilliams

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School details

Website www.farnboroughgrange.hants.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Farnborough Grange Nursery & Infant Community School is part of The Good Shepherd Trust (GST).  The headteacher was appointed in September 2020, having been head of school the previous school year.  The school has a specially resourced provision for 12 children with SEND, including speech, language and communication needs.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders, and has taken that into account in her evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with senior leaders, staff and pupils.  She also held meetings with the chief executive and a director of GST. 2 and 3 November 2021

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 The inspector reviewed the school’s safeguarding arrangements and talked to the designated safeguarding lead, staff and pupils. She looked at staff recruitment checks, as well as scrutinising records of staff training.  Parents’ responses to Ofsted Parent View and free-text comments were considered, as were responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. Deep dives included speaking to senior leaders, subject leaders and class teachers about how these subjects are planned. The inspector also visited lessons with leaders, talked to pupils about their learning and looked at pupils’ work.

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Inspection team

Becky Greenhalgh, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 November 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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