Kempshott Infant School

Inspection of Kempshott Infant School Old Down Close, Homestead Road, Kempshott, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG22 5LL

p.1

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 15 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the framework in use at the time.

p.1

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. 24 and 25 May 2022

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Respectful relationships are at the heart of this school. Pupils are kind to each other and know that staff care about them. They are helped to understand the school rules of ‘kind words, kind hands, kind feet’. This helps them to behave well. Pupils say that bullying does happen on occasion, but it is dealt with swiftly. They have trusted adults in school they know will listen to them if they have a worry. This helps them to feel confident and safe.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of what all pupils can achieve. They help pupils to understand the importance of working hard. As a result, from the start of Reception, children listen well and usually try their best. Pupils know the school values and understand why they are important. They are keen to demonstrate being resilient or independent. As one pupil commented, ‘The values help us understand how to be’.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff provide a range of interesting opportunities to motivate and support pupils. This includes visits to Wellington Country Park and Hilliers arboretum. Pupils contribute to improving the school through leadership positions such as eco-council and school council. They enjoy playing with their friends at the welcoming lunchtime club.

p.2

better?

Leaders and staff strongly promote pupils’ personal development alongside academic learning. They are committed to developing pupils as well-rounded individuals. Leaders provide high-quality training for staff about diversity. This supports teachers to address important issues at an age-appropriate level. Pupils learn to respect and celebrate differences between people. Many pupils commented, ‘It is okay to be different’. Pupils learn to engage with views that are different from their own. They are supported to understand it is possible to have differing opinions and still be friends. Following the pandemic, staff have spent more time focused on pupils’ well-being. Pupils learn to identify and manage feelings and to recognise what makes them feel calm and happy.

p.2

better?

Pupils enjoy reading. They like their teachers reading books aloud about important issues such as equality and friendship. From the start of Reception, children get off to a positive start by learning songs and poems to broaden their vocabulary. Staff follow the school’s phonic programme closely and carefully check pupils’ understanding. Pupils read books that are closely matched to the sounds they have learned. They re-read texts which helps to develop their confidence and fluency. Struggling readers are given strong support to help them to keep up. As a result, the teaching of reading is effective.

p.2

better?

In mathematics, staff use small steps of learning effectively to help pupils develop their knowledge. They accurately check pupils’ understanding. Staff routinely revisit 24 and 25 May 2022

p.2

3

content from previous lessons to improve pupils’ accuracy. For example, children in Reception revisit how to double two when learning to double four.

p.3

3

Curriculum thinking in other subjects is developed but needs some refinement. In some subjects, staff have identified the precise knowledge and skills they intend pupils to learn. This helps staff to emphasise the most important content and to build on what pupils have learned before. For example, pupils in Year 1 learn about the events of the great fire of London and go on to look at sources to work out why it spread so quickly. Leaders recognise they need to determine the precise content in each year group for each subject.

p.3

3

In subjects other than English and mathematics, staff carefully check that pupils can complete the tasks and they are skilled at addressing misconceptions. They do not always ensure that pupils have learned and remembered the essential content. Leaders acknowledge this is an area to be strengthened.

p.3

3

The special educational needs and disabilities co-ordinator uses her expert knowledge to successfully support staff, families and pupils. She helps staff to identify pupils’ needs quickly. Support is put in place that meets their needs effectively. Staff work in partnership with parents. Many parents are positive about the care their child receives. One parent commented, ‘My child receives so much support through the school day and all this is communicated to us’.

p.3

3

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They respond well to the positive praise from staff. As a result, pupils are usually eager to learn. On occasion, there is behaviour that can disrupt learning but this is usually dealt with effectively by staff.

p.3

3

Governors know the school well, including its strengths and areas to develop. They challenge and support leaders effectively. Governors have a strong understanding of how well pupils are learning in English and mathematics. Staff highly value the support that governors and leaders provide to help them develop their skills and manage their workload.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Governors complete checks to ensure that a strong culture of safeguarding is maintained. This includes making sure that safer recruitment procedures are followed. Leaders provide high-quality training for staff to help them understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Staff know what signs may indicate a child is at risk of harm and how to report concerns. Safeguarding records are detailed.

p.3

Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online. In Year 1, pupils learn about keeping passwords secure. In Year 2, they learn about using emails safely. Pupils also learn how to manage risk when studying road, rail and sun safety. 24 and 25 May 2022

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In subjects other than mathematics and English, leaders have sequenced the broad content for pupils to learn. They have set out more precisely the key skills and knowledge in some subjects, but not all. Leaders should identify the essential content they intend pupils to learn and remember starting from Reception. Leaders have already taken action to address this weakness over the coming year. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.  In some foundation subjects, staff do not check that pupils have learned and remembered the most important content. Pupils are not always helped to link new learning to what they have previously studied. Leaders should ensure that staff know what it is essential that pupils remember, check that they do and use information about any gaps to adjust future learning, where needed.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

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 .

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 24 and 25 May 2022

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10211797 Type of school Infant

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 13 July 2007, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The headteacher started in her post in January 2016.  The chair of governors started in his role in February 2021.  Almost all teaching and support staff have joined the school since the previous inspection.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other school staff. 24 and 25 May 2022

p.5

6

 The lead inspector also met with members of the governing body, including the chair, and spoke to a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, art and design and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum planning, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors also looked at curriculum planning and pupils’ books from some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors spoke with staff and pupils. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding leads to review their knowledge, records and actions. The inspectors also looked at safeguarding records and actions and reviewed information about the safer recruitment of staff.

p.6

6

 To make wider judgements, inspectors spoke to staff and groups of pupils from different year groups and observed behaviour in classrooms and at lunchtime.  The views of staff and pupils, including responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil survey, were considered.  The responses to Ofsted’s Parent View, including written responses and one telephone call, were also taken into account.

p.6

Inspection team

Laurie Anderson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Deirdre Crutchley Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 May 2022

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7