Meon Infant School

Inspection of Meon Infant School Shelford Road, Milton, Southsea, Hampshire PO4 8NT

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 November 2022

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Ofsted has not previously inspected Meon Infant School as an academy school under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections.

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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 of the predecessor school. 22 and 23 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to ‘be their best selves’. They make sure that pupils are taught about kindness, respect, being healthy in body and mind, and how to be confident and resilient. Pupils understand these values and know that being kind and accepting each other’s differences makes the school and the wider world a happier place. They learn how to keep themselves safe, including an age- appropriate understanding of how to keep safe online.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are encouraged to take a real interest in the world. For example, they learn about the history of space travel and know interesting facts about the first dog in space and the astronaut Tim Peake’s visit to the moon. However, they do not learn as well as they could. Leaders are working hard to improve the curriculum, but it is still early days.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their time at school. They play well together at playtimes, making the most of the equipment in the playground, or simply enjoying the opportunity to chat together. Pupils are right to be confident that teachers sort out any unkindness and make sure it does not happen again.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Through assemblies and in lessons, staff teach them about the school values of kindness, respect and being healthy in body and mind so they develop confidence and resilience.

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better?

The new leadership team has an ambitious vision for the school and its pupils. Senior leaders are fully aware of what needs to be done and have introduced many improvements in the short time they have been in post. With the support of trust leaders and through working with the other schools in the ‘M3’ partnership, they are strengthening the curriculum and the expertise of subject leaders. However, leaders’ vision is not yet a reality. Local and regional governors are not fully aware of the extent of the improvements that are needed.

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better?

Reading is mostly taught well. The school has focused on improving this to ensure pupils can learn well in other subjects and grow to love books. Leaders are making sure that all staff are fully trained to teach phonics confidently and effectively. They are looking closely at assessments to make sure that they know exactly what sounds pupils do not know, to better match any extra support. However, the teaching of phonics did not start early enough in the Reception class this year. Staff encourage pupils’ interest in books by reading to them every day. They make good use of these sessions to reinforce learning in other subjects and support pupils’ personal development.

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better?

Learning in mathematics is carefully planned to develop pupils’ confidence with calculation, problem-solving and reasoning. Pupils are given plenty of opportunities 22 and 23 November 2022

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to revise what they have previously learned so number facts are committed securely to memory. They are taught to make connections between different areas of the curriculum and apply their mathematical knowledge to solve problems. Teachers regularly analyse pupils’ mathematical reasoning skills to understand their thinking, so they know what they understand and remember. Leaders are still refining the precise content of the mathematics curriculum in early years, to ensure that children are fully prepared for Year 1.

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Leaders have got further with developing the curriculum in some subjects more than others. They are working to ensure that learning builds securely from Reception Year to the end of Year 2 and that pupils develop a deeper understanding of each subject. In the Reception Year, leaders are focusing on developing the skills of staff in using language to support children’s thinking and learning.

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Pupils behave well around school and in lessons. Staff treat them kindly and with encouragement. Pupils respond to this approach positively and there are good relationships between pupils and staff. If pupils lose concentration or start to misbehave, teachers regain their attention quickly.

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Staff know pupils well and any who need additional help are identified quickly. The new pastoral team works together effectively to make sure pupils, and their families, get the support they need to learn as well as their peers. Leaders do their best to get support for pupils from other agencies where it is needed.

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Pupils know that keeping mentally and physically healthy helps them to be their best selves. They learn how to recognise their own emotions and how others may be feeling. Pupils know that people have different needs and are taught to be respectful of this. The school offers a range of clubs and activities, including yoga, to widen pupils’ interests.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are knowledgeable about the safeguarding risks pupils may face. Leaders reinforce training through regularly discussing case studies, so safeguarding is kept high on the agenda. The new inclusion team works effectively to establish a strong culture of early identification. When pupils and their families need help, staff make sure this happens quickly. There are well-established systems in place for reviewing cases to make sure pupils stay safe.

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What does the school need to do to improve?

 The component knowledge in subjects other than reading and mathematics is not yet fully defined. Pupils’ learning, therefore, is not as deep and broad as it should be. Leaders should ensure that there is a coherently sequenced curriculum for all subjects from Reception to Year 2 22 and 23 November 2022

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 Leaders are still determining what the early years provision should look like. As a result, children are not learning as rapidly as they should be. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum and pedagogy in the Reception Year are secure, so children are ready for learning in Year 1.  Subject leaders do not all have sufficient experience in their role or the depth of subject knowledge to support teachers in delivering the curriculum. Senior leaders should continue to provide guidance and training to strengthen subject leaders’ expertise.

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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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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. 22 and 23 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10242353 Type of school Infant

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Meon Infant School converted to become an academy school in September 2018. When its predecessor school of the same name was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be outstanding overall. The school is part of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust (TSAT).  The school has seen several leadership changes over the last two years. The current executive headteacher started working with the school in April 2022 before formally joining the school as executive headteacher in September. The special educational needs coordinator and head of school were new to this school in September 2022, having previously worked at another school in the M3 partnership.  The school is not currently using any alternative provision. 22 and 23 November 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and senior trust leaders. The lead inspector also met with the chairs of the academy advisory body and the regional governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and design technology. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke to leaders, looked at samples of pupils’ work and spoke with pupils about art.  The inspectors reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding records and interviewing staff, and through discussions with pupils.  The views of parents and carers were considered through their responses to Ofsted Parent View. Further views of pupils and staff were gathered through Ofsted’s online surveys, interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.  The inspectors met with school leaders about safeguarding arrangements, attendance and progress of pupils in the alternative provision.  The inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documents, including self- evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings and behaviour incident logs.

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Inspection team

Joanna Brinkley, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Kate Magliocco Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 November 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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