Stoke Park Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Stoke Park Infant School Abbotsbury Road, Bishopstoke, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO50 8NZ

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Inspection dates: 31 October and 1 November 2023

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Outcome

Stoke Park Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where pupils are happy. The atmosphere is calm. Pupils are engaged. They attend school regularly and behave well in their lessons. Staff set high expectations. Pupils are well cared for and say that staff are kind. Pupils feel comfortable talking to an adult in school if they have any concerns, and they rightly trust that an adult will act to keep them safe and help them navigate any friendship issues.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to follow the school’s ‘RANGER’ values, which include a focus on positive behaviours, such as resilience, adaptability and resourcefulness. They appreciate the rewards they can earn for kindness and helping others, as well as for trying their best in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embrace opportunities to lead. They take these roles seriously. Eco warriors proudly contribute to the upkeep of the school environment, and lunchtime helpers are happy to support younger pupils at lunchtime. All pupils enjoy frequent outdoor learning in the forest on the school site.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All pupils benefit from a well-designed curriculum and achieve well. Pupils enjoy learning, and they are keen to participate fully in lessons.

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

The school provides pupils with a good-quality education. The school’s curriculum is well planned and sequenced. In all subjects, the school has carefully broken down learning into appropriate small steps. Leaders have identified key knowledge and important vocabulary that they want pupils to know and remember.

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

Teachers have good subject knowledge. The school has ensured that all teachers have access to appropriate training. The impact of this is particularly evident in early reading and mathematics. In these subjects, adults present information clearly to pupils, then use 31 October and 1 November 2023

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questioning to check that knowledge has been understood. However, in some other subjects, staff do not always have a clear picture of pupils’ prior knowledge. This is because the school is still refining how to make best use of assessment and how to help pupils to remember the knowledge over time. Consequently, the work given to some pupils does not build on what they already know.

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Most children get off to a successful start in the early years, benefiting from well-thought- out activities that deepen their knowledge of the intended curriculum. Staff interact with children in a way that supports and nurtures their development of language and communication. For most, there are also clearly embedded routines, and children are developing the knowledge they need for the next stage of their education. However, at times, learning is not as well suited to the needs of the children, expectations are less clear and children can become disengaged. Leaders are aware of this variability and are working to improve consistency.

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Pupils with SEND are particularly well supported. Right from the start, pupils in need of additional help are swiftly identified. Staff understand these pupils’ needs well and adapt activities to help them access the curriculum. This enables pupils with SEND to learn alongside their peers. The work of the specialist resource provision is particularly effective. Pupils flourish in this quiet, calm environment.

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Reading is prioritised. Staff promote a love of reading through daily story times. The popular ‘book swaps’ support families in accessing a wide range of texts. There is a well-established and systematic approach to teaching early reading. Pupils begin to learn phonics as soon they start in Reception. Pupils read from books that match the sounds they know. Pupils who are not yet fluent readers receive skilled support to develop their confidence. Consequently, pupils build knowledge over time, which enables them to read with increasing fluency.

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Pupils’ wider development is well considered. A structured personal, social and health education programme ensures pupils learn about the importance of staying safe online. Pupils visit places of interest, such as the local church, and they learn about healthy eating. The school’s values help pupils to learn about right and wrong. Opportunities for pupils to develop talents and interests beyond the curriculum are currently limited. They have been impeded by the COVID-19 pandemic and recent building works at school. There are plans in place to address this gap.

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Governors have an accurate view of the strengths and needs of the school. They focus on the right things at the right time. They support the school effectively and fulfil their statutory duties well. Leaders at all levels are conscious of staff’s workload. Staff appreciate the consideration given to their well-being. They are proud to work at the school, and there is a strong sense of teamwork. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, assessment is not used routinely to check what pupils have learned. As a result, future teaching does not build precisely enough on what pupils know. The school should ensure that assessment is used consistently well across all subjects to match future learning to what pupils know and understand.  Learning activities in the early years are not always as effective as they need to be. This means that children sometimes miss out on opportunities to develop key skills. The school needs to ensure that the planned curriculum is delivered consistently well across the early years, so that children are suitably prepared for their key stage 1 learning.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2018.

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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. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 31 October and 1 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision currently.  The school has a breakfast club provided by Premier Education.  The school has a specialist resourced provision for pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan for speech, language and communication needs.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the other school leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, the teaching staff, the chair of governors and the other members of the governing body. The inspector also met with a representative from the local authority. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and religious education. For each deep dive, the inspector 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.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documents, including those relating to behaviour, attendance and SEND.  The inspector considered the views of pupils, parents and staff through discussions during the inspection and the Ofsted surveys.  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

James Stuart, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 31 October and 1 November 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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