Crofton Anne Dale Infant and Pre-School

Inspection of Crofton Anne Dale Infant School Cuckoo Lane, Stubbington, Fareham, Hampshire PO14 3PH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 14 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 2 and 3 February 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Crofton Anne Dale is a kind and caring school. The refurbished early years setting provides purposeful outdoor learning and play. Older children enjoy the stimulating natural play areas, and like ascending the nautically themed climbing frame.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Promoting positive mental health is very important here. Pupils ‘check in’ when they arrive at school, letting their class teacher know how they feel. If they need help, pupils can leave their name on the ‘listening tree’ and an adult will find them and talk to them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff help pupils behave politely and respectfully. Pupils know they can trust staff to resolve problems quickly. Bullying is very rare. Pupils told inspectors that their teachers are quick to deal with it if it does happen. As a result, pupils say they feel safe here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many opportunities for pupils to learn extra skills and take on positions of responsibility. Some join ‘Little Troopers’ club and some join the student council. All pupils enjoy trips and visits to inspire their work in lessons. For example, they recently went on a history trip to the hovercraft museum. Leaders make sure the school motto of ‘striving for the best in everyone’ is at the heart of their plans.

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better?

Skilled staff teach phonics well because of the expert training organised by the school. Staff follow the updated programme, and this allows children in Reception to learn to read words quickly. Children enjoy the activities that help them learn to read confidently and fluently.

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better?

Reading is prioritised throughout the school. Pupils who have fallen behind, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are well supported. Pupils at an early stage of reading read books which match the sounds they know. Teachers read to pupils every day, and this helps develop a love of reading.

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better?

Teachers develop mathematical skills carefully and are working hard to fill the gaps in knowledge caused by the pandemic. Children in Reception learn to count quickly and appear to enjoy learning techniques to easily recognise big numbers. Teachers are always looking for ways to support fluency and confidence in mathematical reasoning. However, sometimes teachers are not clear how to use practical examples to support pupils’ learning as effectively as they could.

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better?

Leaders are working hard to make sure other subjects are organised and taught as well as reading. Careful curriculum design helps pupils learn important knowledge and skills. Pupils enjoy taking an active part in lessons, especially when inspired by the ‘big questions’ of their topic work. Occasionally, teachers do not adapt or explain tasks in the lessons well enough for the different abilities of pupils in their class. 2 and 3 February 2022

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Consequently, pupils lose focus in lessons and do not learn or remember as much as they could.

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Leaders and staff are determined to ensure pupils with SEND achieve as well as other pupils. Carefully designed activities support and stretch all pupils. Everyone is valued here, and no one is left out. Pupils play nicely together. They celebrate differences and respect each other as unique individuals.

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All pupils have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument at the school. Sports and the arts play a prominent part in school life. Clubs and activities have begun to restart after the pandemic and pupils have thrown themselves into them. Pupils learn from their mistakes; they understand how to take risks and develop resilience.

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Governors work with leaders to ensure that improvements to the school environment and the curriculum have continued in spite of the pandemic. Staff have worked tirelessly to care for and support the school community during the pandemic. This has resulted in closer and stronger relationships between school and home. Parents really value this. One parent, typical of many, said to inspectors, ‘I cannot fault this school. The staff are amazing, the setting is amazing.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff build strong relationships with pupils and their families. Parents really value the support given to them by the school, especially during the pandemic.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors, are meticulous in how they oversee safeguarding. Staff react to safeguarding concerns appropriately and in a timely manner because they are well trained. There are clear systems in place to record and share concerns staff have about pupils.

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Safeguarding

Staff exchange information in a timely manner. The safeguarding team meets regularly and responds effectively to emerging issues. The school teaches a comprehensive personal, social and health education curriculum. Through this, pupils learn how to look after themselves and keep themselves healthy and safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers’ subject knowledge is less well developed in the foundation subjects. This means that teachers do not consistently respond and adapt their teaching to the needs of the pupils in lessons to enable pupils to achieve well. Leaders should continue to develop teachers’ subject knowledge in all subjects, so pupils are able to achieve well across the curriculum. 2 and 3 February 2022

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 In lessons, staff do not have consistently high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and conduct. Low-level disruption prevents some pupils from achieving as well as they could. Leaders must ensure that all staff consistently apply the school’s high expectations in lessons to ensure that learning is not disrupted.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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 February 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Ivan Rowsell (Co-Chair) and Anthony Tyrell (Co-Chair) Headteacher Lorraine Phillips (Executive Headteacher) Keira Manley (Headteacher) Website www.croftonannedaleinfant.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 November 2007

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Information about this school

 The school is in a federation with a junior school, which is situated on the same site.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and the leaders with responsibility for SEND and inclusion. Inspectors also met with governors, and the local authority improvement officer (by telephone).  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, music and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a 2 and 3 February 2022

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sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also heard pupils read.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors reviewed a wide range of safeguarding documents and records, including the school’s record of recruitment checks. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead and the deputy designated safeguarding lead. An inspector also met with the team of designated safeguarding leaders on the second day of the inspection. Inspectors also spoke with pupils and staff.  Inspectors took account of parents’ responses to Ofsted’s survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ written comments. Inspectors also spoke with parents at the gate on the morning of the first day of inspection.  Inspectors considered pupils’ views through meetings, conversations and talking to them in lesson visits and at lunchtime. Inspectors also considered the

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responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  Inspectors met with staff to gather their views about the school and took account of their responses to Ofsted’s confidential staff survey.

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Inspection team

Linda Culling, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Sackett Her Majesty’s Inspector 2 and 3 February 2022

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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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