Old Basing Infant School

Inspection of Old Basing Infant School Milkingpen Lane, Old Basing, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG24 7DL

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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. 21 and 22 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are full of enthusiasm for learning and proud to belong to Old Basing Infant School. They arrive every morning, happy and eager to learn. Pupils love being active at playtime and enjoy the different clubs on offer at lunchtime and after school. Staff expect pupils to behave well, and they do. In class and around the school, pupils behave sensibly. They are respectful of each other and their teachers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and know that staff are always on hand to help and support them. They are confident that any worries are quickly sorted out. Pupils find it difficult to recall any incidents of bullying or unkind behaviour. Staff know and value every pupil at the school. Relationships are warm and nurturing. The school’s ‘Rights Respecting Education’ curriculum helps pupils to learn about important rights for everyone. Pupils talk confidently about these, such as their right to be safe and have an education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have a strong vision for all pupils to develop a ‘love of learning for life’. They have high expectations and support pupils to achieve well. Pupils at this school get a good deal. They leave the school confident, well prepared for junior school and excited to continue to learn about the wider world.

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better?

Leaders want every pupil to succeed. They have created an ambitious and interesting curriculum with staff. The early years curriculum gives children a strong foundation on which to build in key stage 1. In most subjects, leaders have identified and sequenced the knowledge they would like pupils to learn and remember. However, in a minority of subjects, such as history, leaders have not yet identified precisely enough the most important knowledge pupils need to learn. This means that staff are not always clear about the content they need to teach.

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better?

Subject leaders are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. They provide effective training to help teachers continually strengthen their subject knowledge. Teachers are adept at helping pupils to understand and remember new ideas. They regularly revisit curriculum content. This helps pupils to remember and build on previous learning. Teachers keep on top of how well pupils are getting on. On the whole, they bring to light and address any gaps in knowledge. However, on occasions, some teachers do not notice or address misconceptions in pupils’ understanding. This means that sometimes, they move pupils on to new learning too quickly.

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better?

Pupils love reading. They start learning to read as soon as they join the school. Leaders have put in place a comprehensive phonics and wider reading programme. This gets pupils off to a great start in learning to read. Teachers use exciting books and poems to spark pupils’ imagination. Books are well matched to pupils’ interests and abilities. In early years, stories are brought to life and woven through many different learning activities. 21 and 22 June 2022

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Children in the early years get a good foundation in mathematics. Opportunities abound for them to develop their understanding of number. Pupils in key stage 1 continue to build their knowledge well through the school’s well-planned mathematics curriculum.

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Strong systems are in place for identifying pupils’ additional needs or any barriers to learning. Leaders have high aspirations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers support pupils with SEND well. They skilfully adapt activities. Sometimes, they ‘pre-teach’ some important curriculum content so that pupils can engage fully in lessons. Pupils with SEND get just what they need to achieve well.

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Personal development is a priority at this school. Leaders have enriched the curriculum through a wide diversity of engaging stories. They have chosen these to reflect the school community and the wider world beyond the locality. These enrich pupils’ experiences and understanding of difference and equality. Pupils enjoy taking on extra responsibilities, for example by belonging to the pupil council or being one of the eco-warriors. The school’s personal, social and health education curriculum and ‘Heartsmart’ programme is well considered. This enables pupils to learn about keeping safe online and how to look after their physical and mental health.

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Leaders are mindful of staff’s workload and well-being. They have prioritised the professional development of all staff. Staff are empowered by the autonomy they have and feel valued and lucky to work at the school.

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Governance is strong. Governors are highly skilled, experienced and effective. They keep all aspects of the school under the spotlight and challenge and support leaders and each other. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and appreciate leaders’ dedication. They view the school as an important part of the local community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that all staff have been trained so that they can fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities well. Staff are alert to any concerns and pass on any issues swiftly to leaders. Leaders know pupils and their families well. They make sure that when needed, they get the help that they need. However, some aspects of leaders’ record-keeping are not as tight as they need to be, including their actions when additional information has come to light. Governors maintain very close oversight of safeguarding arrangements.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ curriculum planning is not yet precise enough in a minority of foundation 21 and 22 June 2022

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subjects. As a result, staff are not always completely clear about what pupils need to learn and remember. Leaders need to ensure that they identify the essential knowledge pupils must learn in each subject and that it is sequenced logically so that pupils can build their knowledge cumulatively.  Sometimes, teachers move on to new learning before pupils are ready. This risks embedding any gaps or misunderstandings. Leaders need to ensure that all staff understand common misconceptions and carefully and consistently check pupils’ understanding.  Some aspects of leaders’ safeguarding record-keeping are not as tight as they need to be, including recording their actions when additional information has come to light. This risks important information being inadvertently overlooked. Leaders must ensure that records are clear about any safeguarding concerns and the actions taken, including their contact with outside agencies.

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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. 21 and 22 June 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Richard Lilleker

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 February 2008

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Information about this school

 This school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The current headteacher took up the post in 2009.  Since the previous inspection, there have been some changes in staff and governors at the school.

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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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, art and design and history. For each deep dive, they discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers, talked with pupils about their learning and sampled pupils’ work. Inspectors also heard some pupils read. 21 and 22 June 2022

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 The inspection team also spoke with leaders about the curriculum in other subjects and reviewed pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other leaders. They also met with subject leaders, teachers and a range of non-teaching staff.  The views of staff and pupils were gathered through informal discussions.  Inspectors spoke to some parents to gather their views. They also took account of parents’ responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and their free-text comments.  Inspectors considered the views of staff through their responses to Ofsted’s confidential staff survey. They also met with staff during the inspection.  The lead inspector met with six members of the school’s governing body, including the chair of governors. She held a separate meeting with two representatives from the local authority.  To inspect the school’s safeguarding arrangements, inspectors talked with pupils

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and staff and reviewed the school’s policies, documents and procedures, including the school’s records of recruitment checks. The lead inspector met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead.

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Inspection team

Vicky Matthews, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sara Staggs Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 June 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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