Banister Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Banister Primary School Archers Road, Southampton, Hampshire SO15 2LS

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Outcome

Banister Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this caring and nurturing school. The above average proportions of pupils who are disadvantaged are supported well. Staff have high aspirations for all pupils to achieve their very best, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and the high numbers of pupils who speak English as an additional language. Pupils rise to the challenge. They concentrate in lessons and work hard. The school values of belief, pride and success are woven across all areas of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between adults and pupils are excellent. Above average numbers of pupils join the school part way through their education, many from different countries. All pupils are welcomed and valued as individuals. They know that if they have a worry, adults will help them. Pupils feel safe in school because they trust staff to look after them. Pupils behave well and know how to be a good friend.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school strives to give pupils a variety of rich experiences. They have partnerships with a wide range of groups. This includes the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Gospel Touch Choir and the Welsh National Opera. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the different opportunities they get to experience. Year 6 are excited about their forthcoming trip to London.

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

The school has designed an ambitious and broad curriculum which identifies key knowledge that pupils need to learn. The school have identified the sequence of learning in all subjects. The school has set out clear expectations for what pupils should learn in every year group. This starts in Reception and builds knowledge and understanding progressively as pupils move through the school. 23 and 24 April 2024

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Teachers have had training which enables them to deliver the planned curriculum confidently and effectively. They start lessons by checking what pupils know and have remembered before introducing the new learning. This is particularly strong in reading and mathematics. In these subjects, staff use these reviews to precisely inform their teaching and address gaps in learning or misconceptions swiftly. The school acknowledges there is more work to be done in other subjects to check pupils’ recall of the most important content and to refine how staff use this information to inform teaching.

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The school has prioritised reading so that pupils can access the whole curriculum. Children start learning to read as soon as they enter Reception. Teachers make sure that pupils are secure in the sounds they need in order to read consistently well. Weaker readers are provided with appropriate support to help them to keep up with their peers. Staff ensure that pupils read books that accurately match the sounds they know. This helps pupils to develop into fluent and confident readers. Pupils’ phonics results in 2023 were well above the national average.

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The provision for pupils who are disadvantaged is effective. There are secure procedures in place to identify pupils with SEND. The school ensures that the high proportion of pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. Teachers skilfully adapt tasks and provide support quickly. The school routinely reviews the impact of any extra support. The needs of disadvantaged pupils, including those with SEND or those for whom English is an additional language are met well.

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The school has high behaviour expectations. As a result, pupils learn to be polite and respectful to other pupils and adults from the start of Reception. They focus well and are keen to contribute in lessons. Pupils are keen to learn.

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Pupils’ personal development is promoted well. The ‘Leader in Me’ programme is used to teach pupils they can strive to achieve anything with positive habits. Pupils confidently talk about the importance of eating healthily and exercising. They learn how to keep themselves safe online as well as in the community. Pupils have a good understanding of how to promote positive mental health in their overall well-being. Pupils learn to become global citizens through studying the fundamental British values, such as the importance of respect and tolerance. They visit different places of worship to deepen their understanding of other faiths and religions. Pupils can talk about protected characteristics in an age-appropriate manner. They learn to recognise healthy relationships and what changes happen to their bodies as they get older.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the support and professional development they receive that positively impacts their teaching. Governors have a strong knowledge of the school from evaluating a range of information. They know what the school is doing well and what needs refining to continue to provide a good quality of education for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 23 and 24 April 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, teachers do not check what pupils know and remember. This makes it difficult to identify any gaps in pupils’ understanding. As a result, pupils are not able to build on prior learning securely. The school needs to continue to support staff to check pupils’ learning accurately in order to help them build on pupils’ prior knowledge effectively over time.

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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 November 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.

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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 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). 23 and 24 April 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 October 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Southampton Cooperative Learning Trust.  The school currently uses one registered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point in time judgement about the quality of the school’s education provision.

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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 the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  Deep dives were carried out in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, looked at samples of work and spoke to pupils about their learning. The inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, subject leaders and the special educational needs co-ordinator to discuss the provision for pupils with SEND. 23 and 24 April 2024

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 The inspector met with members of the governing body and spoke to a representative from the local authority.  The inspector considered how well the school protects pupils and keeps them safe. The lead inspector met with the safeguarding team to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding. She talked to staff about their safeguarding training and spoke to pupils about the support they have in understanding how to keep safe. She considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The views of parents were considered through parent view and free text. The inspector also took into account the results of the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Becky Greenhalgh, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 April 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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