Bishops Waltham Infant School

Inspection of Bishops Waltham Infant School Oak Road, Bishops Waltham, Southampton, Hampshire SO32 1EP

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine exemption because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since July 2011. 28 and 29 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are joyful and successful in this innovative infant school. Expectations from the start of early years are high, with no ceiling put on aspirations for all. Pupils rise to meet these expectations, achieving exceptionally well across the curriculum. Pupils who are disadvantaged, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receive high-quality support to enjoy great success alongside their peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is exemplary. Pupils are impeccably polite, compassionate, and respectful. They help each other to act with kindness by celebrating fellow pupils using the school’s well-embedded ‘badger values’. The school’s work on ‘healthy hearts and minds’ ensures that well-being is highly prioritised. Pupils love their school and feel great about themselves, giving them energy to try their best and embrace new learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school strives to make the world a better place. Pupils raise money for charities, embrace diversity and celebrate different cultures through well-designed curriculum and assembly activities. Pupils begin to be mindful in early years and develop impressive confidence and resilience by the end of Year 2. The school’s ‘Trickbox’ programme teaches everyone to follow the ‘ABCD’ of ‘accept, be, choose and do’. As a result, pupils gradually take responsibility for their learning and the world around them.

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better?

The curriculum has been skilfully developed and adapted to engage and excite pupils. All subjects are carefully planned with precise knowledge, skills and key vocabulary. Everyone shares the same high regard and rigour to help all pupils learn to read well. Reading is at the heart of the school’s work. Phonics teaching starts expertly in early years. Catch-up sessions ensure that struggling readers and pupils who are disadvantaged have the help they need, reading precisely matched books to practise sounds they find difficult. Pupils achieve superbly with phonics by the end of Year 1. They learn to become fluent, confident and ambitious readers who love books.

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better?

Professional development for staff is prioritised. As a result, teachers plan, design and teach activities that support and challenge pupils well. Teachers ensure that discussion times give pupils opportunities to think, reflect and share. Lessons include recall activities to help pupils remember their learning over time, so they can make impressive connections when discussing their studies. Pupils love seeing their efforts celebrated, and beam with pride when their parents visit to see the learning outcomes at the end of projects.

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better?

In wider subjects, pupils become accomplished artists, historians and scientists. Staff capture every opportunity to extend pupils’ learning. There are no barriers or limits for pupils. Transition work with local pre-school settings is excellent. School 28 and 29 November 2023

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staff identify how they can help children with SEND to thrive in early years as soon as they join. Across the school, teachers routinely check for gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Strong communication between staff helps them to identify individual needs. Provision is reviewed with parents, pupils and staff, so everyone works together to help pupils with SEND. Visual aids and language prompts help them to access the same tasks alongside their peers. The rich learning environment contains resources readily accessible for pupils to access independently. In early years, children show sustained concentration and develop their early reading and mathematics skills quickly. Achievement is exceptional by the end of Year 2. Pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is significantly higher than the national average.

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Learning behaviour is brilliant across the school. Classrooms are purposeful and industrious, and well-being is highly prioritised. Some pupils benefit from extra emotional support. Mental health expertise across the staff team ensures that pastoral care is exceptional. Pupils move around school with great thought and care, holding doors open for others and sharing gratitude.

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Pupils learn about global diversity in assemblies and lessons. Highlights include work on Hinduism, Māori culture, Africa and Chinese New Year. Leaders ensure that the curriculum continues to evolve to help pupils prepare for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about healthy relationships, online safety and anti-bullying. Talents and skills are nurtured further through active experiences such as swimming, gymnastics, dance and football. Pupils who are disadvantaged benefit from funded places in clubs, so nobody misses out. Teachers offer popular lunchtime clubs including art, sewing, construction and choir. Pupils love the theatre experiences and are proud to welcome visitors such as an author who shared his experience of foster care.

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Leaders are dedicated, inspirational and reflective. Morale is buoyant across the passionate, highly skilled staff team. Governors show expertise and diligence when monitoring the school’s work. They offer superb support and challenge to help leaders fulfil their high ambition. As a result of the excellent shared practice and values of leaders, governors, and staff, pupils thrive in this exceptional school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 28 and 29 November 2023

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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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 28 and 29 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 and 8 July 2011

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Information about this school

 The school currently uses no alternative provision.  The school offers a before-school club, overseen by the board of governors.  After-school provision is led by an outside provider.

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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

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 pan- demic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs and/or disabilities co-ordinator, early years leader, subject leaders, teachers and support staff. 28 and 29 November 2023

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 The lead inspector met with four governors, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, art and design, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at further work and spoke with groups of pupils about their learning across the wider curriculum.  The lead inspector listened to a range of pupils read. The inspector observed catch up interventions to learn how staff provide extra support to pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and consid- ered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture

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around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the responses to the staff survey and spoke to a range of staff about their views of the school.  Inspectors spoke with a range of pupils to learn their views about the school. The inspectors also took account of responses to the pupil questionnaire.  The lead inspector spoke by telephone with a representative from the local au- thority.  Inspectors took account of the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and the free-text responses. The lead inspector also considered written correspondence from parents.

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Inspection team

Scott Reece, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

James Everett Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 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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