Preston Candover Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Preston Candover Church of England Primary School Preston Candover, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG25 2EE

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 January 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The school was last inspected 13 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. 10 and 11 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff prioritise encouraging pupils to love and care for others and the world around them. Pupils are supported to demonstrate the school values of love, hope and justice. As a result, they are kind and respectful. Pupils make a highly positive contribution to the school through much-valued leadership opportunities that develop their confidence and character. This includes positions such as those of language ambassadors and fair-trade representatives. As one pupil commented, ‘We are all leaders here.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in this calm school and they play happily together. Leaders strongly promote equality through all of their work, and pupils understand the importance of being welcoming to everyone. One pupil commented, ‘At our school, everyone is included.’ Staff encourage them to reflect after playtimes to consider which pupils have demonstrated kindness. Bullying is rare, and incidents of unkindness are resolved swiftly by staff. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They are determined to prepare pupils for learning at secondary school and also life beyond. Pupils are inspired to have a love of learning and they achieve well across the curriculum.

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better?

Leaders promote pupils’ personal and especially their spiritual development exceptionally well by providing a rich range of opportunities. Staff strongly encourage pupils to reflect and appreciate the joy and diversity in the world around them. Pupils study inspirational, whole-school art projects, which they describe with enthusiasm and pride. Staff use highly effective personal, social, health and economic education lessons to equip pupils with the knowledge and skills they will need for life. This includes learning about keeping physically healthy. Pupils enjoy exciting trips, such as to the Houses of Parliament. They benefit from events including careers fairs to develop their understanding of life beyond education.

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better?

The teaching of early reading is effective. Leaders provide high-quality training so that staff have expert knowledge. From the start of Reception, teachers follow the phonics scheme closely. Pupils read books that accurately match the sounds they have learned, which helps them to develop fluency. Weaker readers are given carefully planned support to help them to keep up. Staff routinely read aloud to pupils, including from texts that promote being inclusive. Pupils are motivated to complete the ‘story wings challenge’, which encourages them to read a range of different text types.

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better?

Leaders make sure that from the start of Reception, children study an interesting and well-sequenced curriculum. They are supported to build knowledge gradually over time. For example, in Reception, children learn to identify simple feelings. By the end of Year 6, pupils study the importance of well-being to a balanced lifestyle. 10 and 11 January 2023

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Leaders have carefully considered what important knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn and remember in each subject and are continuing to refine this.

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Staff follow curriculum planning closely and recap prior learning to support pupils to remember the most important content. This helps pupils to link new learning with what they have studied before. In almost all subjects, staff accurately check pupils’ understanding to inform future teaching. The effective inclusion leader helps staff to identify pupils’ needs quickly. She prioritises supporting less experienced staff to help them adapt their teaching. As a result, pupils, including those with SEND, usually achieve well.

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In mathematics, not all teachers make consistently strong use of what they know that pupils understand and can do. Pupils sometimes choose the tasks that they complete. This means that, at times, some pupils complete work that is too easy or too hard, and so their learning is slowed. Leaders acknowledge that this aspect needs strengthening.

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From the start of Reception, children are successfully supported to learn the clear routines. Staff model the positive behaviour and language they expect pupils to demonstrate. Leaders have ensured that there is a clear procedure for staff to use to manage behaviour. Some staff do not consistently follow this, and so a few pupils sometimes disturb others’ learning. Pupils demonstrate highly positive attitudes to their education. One Reception child enthusiastically commented, ‘The best thing about school is all the learning!’.

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There have been changes to the governing body. Despite this, governors have a clear understanding of their role and know the school well. They use visits to check on the progress of school improvement work. This enables governors to hold leaders to account sufficiently. Almost all staff feel well supported by governors and leaders and value the professional development provided to help them in their roles.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide high-quality training to staff so that they understand their roles and responsibilities. They know the risks to pupils in the local community. Staff report concerns promptly, and leaders take swift action to ensure that pupils and families get the help that they need. Safeguarding record-keeping is comprehensive.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn to keep themselves safe when online and in the community. This includes studying road and sun safety. Pupils learn basic first aid and how to report an emergency. They are confident to talk to adults in school if they have a concern and know that they will be listened to and supported. 10 and 11 January 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not consistently make accurate use of pupils’ starting points in mathematics. This means that some pupils do not learn as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that all staff accurately check pupils’ mathematical understanding and use this to inform their teaching.

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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. 10 and 11 January 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.prestoncandover.hants.sch.uk

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Date of previous inspection

22 and 23 June 2010, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been changes to the governing body over the past few years. In the last year, some long-standing governors have left, and three new governors have recently been appointed.  The school currently uses no alternative provision.  This school is a voluntary-controlled Church of England school in the Diocese of Winchester. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in July 2018.

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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. 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 and other school staff. 10 and 11 January 2023

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 The lead inspector also met with members of the governing body, including the chair. The lead inspector spoke to representatives from the local authority and a representative from the diocese.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, art and design, and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors spoke with staff and pupils. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead 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.  To make wider judgements, inspectors spoke to staff and groups of pupils from different year groups and observed behaviour in classrooms and at lunchtime.

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 The views of staff and pupils, including responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey, were considered.  The responses of parents and carers to Ofsted Parent View, including written comments, were also taken into account.

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Inspection team

Laurie Anderson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Hiddleston Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 January 2023

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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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