Harestock Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Harestock Primary School Bramshaw Close, Harestock, Winchester, Hampshire SO22 6LU

p.1

Outcome

Harestock Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive as they learn to build friendships and become confident individuals at this school. Right from the very start, pupils try hard in lessons. They are keen to live up to staff’s high expectations. Pupils take pride in their achievements and those of others. They strive to have their name written in the ‘golden book’ or become ‘pupil of the week’. Bullying is rare and, if it does occur, pupils know that staff will help them stop it.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Creativity is nurtured in Reception as children build dens and share stories in the forest school. This continues as they grow, with opportunities to join a rock band, sing with the choir in Winchester Cathedral or make their own performances on the outdoor stage at lunchtime. At social times, pupils across the school delight in chatting together or taking part in the games organised by the pupil ‘play leaders’.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be members of this diverse and welcoming community. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are supported by ‘young translators’ and this means that they settle quickly into the life of the school. Pupils understand the need to take care of their mental health. They develop strategies to do this effectively.

p.1

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Reading is at the heart of the well-balanced and ambitious curriculum. Leaders have made sure that all staff deliver a well-sequenced phonics programme effectively. Children begin learning to read as soon as they start school. Teachers quickly spot pupils who struggle with reading. They ensure that these pupils get the extra help needed to catch up. Pupils read to adults in school regularly. Adults ensure that the books pupils read are matched carefully to the sounds that they know. As a result, pupils become fluent and enthusiastic readers quickly. This love of reading is promoted throughout the school. Pupils benefit from reading a range of interesting books by many different authors and characters. 28 and 29 June 2023

p.1

2

Leaders have established a broad and interesting curriculum. In most subjects, the content is structured so that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), build strong knowledge over time. In these stronger subjects, pupils achieve well. For example, in Reception, children develop a secure understanding of early mathematics, particularly in number. However, in a small number of subjects leaders have not identified the key information that they want pupils to learn in sufficient detail. This means that pupils do not always connect new knowledge to previous learning effectively. In these few subjects, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

p.2

2

In most subjects, teachers are confident about the subjects they teach. They explain new information clearly. They make sure that activities are relevant and deepen pupils’ understanding. Teachers use well-considered strategies to check pupils’ understanding. Teachers adapt their teaching and future lessons to address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

p.2

2

Staff know the pupils well and work hard to build strong relationships with families. Teachers identify where pupils may need additional help quickly. Leaders work in partnership with families and outside agencies to make sure that pupils with SEND have appropriate learning plans. Leaders ensure that teachers adapt their teaching so that all pupils can access the full curriculum.

p.2

2

Pupils are polite and behave well. Leaders have established a clear code of conduct that is known and understood by all pupils. Throughout the school, pupils endeavour to try hard, show respect, be honest and stay safe. Staff apply these expectations consistently. This helps pupils to learn how to overcome challenges when they face them.

p.2

2

Leaders enrich pupils’ learning through carefully planned educational experiences. Leaders make sure these are fully accessible to all. Pupils enjoy many trips such as to Parliament and to museums in Oxford. Visitors into school, for example from a farm, also enhance classroom learning. Pupils of all ages relish the many opportunities to stand for election for one of the school’s many roles of responsibility. They are proud of the way house captains and school councillors work with adults to improve the school. Furthermore, the eco-council encourages the school community to protect the environment. They work alongside the gardening club and parent ‘gardening army’ to create gardens in school. They also run the ‘seed library’ so all pupils can enjoy growing plants at home.

p.2

2

Governors make sure that they know the school well. They check that work to improve the school is making a positive difference for all pupils. Staff are proud to work at the school. They benefit from many training and development opportunities. Staff appreciate the way leaders consider staff workload when introducing changes.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff are trained well to spot the signs that a pupil could be at risk of harm. Staff confidently use the systems that leaders have put in place. Staff know that it 28 and 29 June 2023

p.2

3

is vital to report concerns, no matter how small. Leaders act quickly to make sure that pupils get the help that they need.

p.3

3

Pupils feel safe at school and trust adults to help them if they are worried. The curriculum ensures pupils learn how to stay safe both online and in the physical world.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not identified the important knowledge that pupils need to learn and when they need to learn it precisely enough. This means that pupils do not build knowledge systematically, remember their learning securely and achieve as well as they could in these subjects. Leaders must ensure that all subjects are planned and sequenced in sufficient detail so that pupils achieve well across the curriculum and are ready for the next stages of their education.

p.3

Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2013.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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.3

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 28 and 29 June 2023

p.3

4

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. 28 and 29 June 2023

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Chair of governing body Miranda Woolfenden

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 30 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her post in Easter 2023.  The school currently uses one unregistered alternative provision.  The governing body manages a before- and after-school club.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other leaders.  The inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with curriculum leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also sampled the curriculum thinking in some other subjects.  The inspector met with members of the local governing body. 28 and 29 June 2023

p.5

6

 The inspector had a telephone discussion with a representative from the local authority.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector explored the school’s safeguarding culture through considering safeguarding records and procedures, meeting with a range of pupils and staff, and talking to safeguarding leaders.  The inspector also observed behaviour at lunch and breaktimes.  The inspector considered the 66 responses and 55 free-text responses made by parents to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. The inspector also gathered the views of parents by speaking to groups and individuals.  The views of staff were gathered by speaking to groups and individuals. The inspector also considered the 17 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  The inspector gathered pupils’ views by speaking to groups of pupils and speaking to pupils at breaktimes and in lessons. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

p.6

Inspection team

Lizzie Jeanes, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 June 2023

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