Winklebury Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Winklebury Infant School Willoughby Way, Winklebury, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG23 8AF

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Outcome

Winklebury Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from attending this highly inclusive school. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are given the help they need to achieve well. Subsequently, all pupils progress well through the curriculum. Pupils recognise and appreciate the support from the school. They trust that decisions are made in their best interests. As a result, pupils work hard to meet the high expectations of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s core values of ‘empathy, respect, trust, perseverance, teamwork, and pride’ are clear to see through the whole community. Pupils understand the importance of showing these and do so well. This is most evident in the commitment they show to their various leadership roles. Whether as school councillors, eco-warriors, equalities and rights advocates or playground buddies, pupils are proud to play an important part in helping others in their community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Social times are harmonious and safe environments. Pupils show high levels of respect for each other and for the adults who help them. Pupils are considerate and calm in how they move around the school. They know the routines and rules that the school expects of them, and they support each other to stick to them.

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

There is an ambitious and well sequenced curriculum in the school. In most subjects, there has been careful thought about the precise knowledge pupils will learn and when. However, in a small number of foundation subjects, there are some changes still happening in the curriculum. This means that pupils are not learning equally as well in all subjects.

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

Lessons are engaging and interesting for pupils. The planned activities are well thought through and support pupils to build knowledge effectively. As a result, pupils progress well through the curriculum. Teachers show secure subject knowledge and help pupils to learn well. 4 and 5 October 2023

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A strong sense of inclusivity pervades the school. The provision for pupils with SEND is prioritised. The school has created a culture where the support for pupils with SEND is targeted and precise. This is reflected in how the school supports the weakest readers in the school.

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From the start of Reception, children learn how to read through a sequenced reading scheme. The school has specifically chosen this programme to meet the diverse needs of pupils in the school. All staff in the school have been trained to be expert teachers of phonics. They teach lessons and support pupils with accuracy and skill. They check to see if any pupils have fallen behind and put in place extra activities to close any gaps. As such, pupils learn to read very well.

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The school has an assessment structure in place to check how well pupils are learning through the entire curriculum. The approach used in the school is purposeful. Teachers use the information from assessments to spot when pupils have gaps in knowledge. This gives teachers valuable insight into what they need to do to make sure that all pupils achieve well.

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When children first start in Reception, they learn about the routines and expectations of the school. As such, in Reception, children focus on activities well and are purposeful and calm in all they do. This behaviour continues throughout the school. In lessons, low-level disruption is rare. Teachers deal with any disruptive behaviour positively and effectively. Pupils are enthusiastic learners and are rarely off task. The work the school does to develop pupils’ independence is clear to see. Pupils take ownership of their learning and show genuine pride in their work.

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There has been a focus on attendance in the school and there has been improvement in whole-school attendance levels as a result. However, the levels of persistent absence of vulnerable groups of pupils remain high. This means that these pupils are regularly missing learning time and do not get the support they need. The school is now working on refining the strategies it uses to improve this.

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Through the school’s personal, social, health and economics education programme, pupils learn how to be safe both online and in the community. The programme also teaches pupils that people and families can be different. This understanding is further developed in religious education lessons, where pupils learn about the different practices and traditions.

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Staff are proud and happy to work here. They describe the school as a family environment where they feel valued and cared for. The school is ambitious that all pupils will have the best educational experience. Governors play a vital role in providing effective challenge and support to school leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 4 and 5 October 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are changes to a small number of foundation subjects which are not yet embedded across the school. This means that pupils are not learning as well as they could across the entire curriculum. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge they need in all curriculum areas to ensure that pupils can build coherent knowledge effectively over time.  Persistent absence of the most vulnerable pupils remains high. This means that these pupils do not fully benefit from all that school has to offer. The school should now carefully consider what additional strategies and support the most vulnerable families need to further improve attendance.

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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.

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Background

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

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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.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, 4 and 5 October 2023

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 4 and 5 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Jeanette Meredith

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is federated with Winklebury Infant School under the leadership of one governing body and headteacher.  The school currently makes use of one unregistered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team. They also met with the chair and two other members of the governing body.  The lead inspector also met with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at 4 and 5 October 2023

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samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons. They also spoke to pupils in lessons and during play and lunchtimes.  The inspector considered a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluations of the school, their school improvement plan and minutes from governors’ meetings.  The inspector spoke to parents and carers and considered their responses to Ofsted Parent View.  The inspector took account of the views of staff through conversations and the responses to the online staff survey.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff, and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Nina Marabese, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 October 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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