Sinclair Primary and Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools

Inspection of Sinclair Primary and Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools Sinclair Road, Lordshill, Southampton, Hampshire SO16 8GF

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good 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 Good

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection 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 February 2012. Federation Partnership of Schools 2 and 3 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils strive to live the school motto of ‘architects of a better world’ in this highly inclusive school. This motto is clear to see in all areas of the school. Pupils benefit from the ambition that the school has for what they will achieve. Pupils enjoy learning new things and asking questions about what they are being taught. They do not give up when they learn new things. As such, they constantly strive to achieve well and do so.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a happy place to be. Pupils have warm and mutually respectful relationships with everyone in the school. They consistently show consideration towards each other and there is a calmness in the school. Social times are joyous because pupils love being together. They enjoy helping each other successfully take part in the various activities provided for them and pupils appreciate the fact that staff ensure they are safe while also joining in the activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the wide range of leadership opportunities they are provided with. Whether as e-cadets, reading ambassadors or play leaders, pupils learn to be responsible and empathetic members of their community, who care deeply about their school. This is evident in how they actively encourage each other to be the best they can be.

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better?

There is high ambition for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), disadvantaged pupils and pupils who speak English as an additional language. The school’s well-sequenced curriculum sets out the small steps of knowledge that pupils need to learn in each year group and in what order. The curriculum has been enhanced by the strong collaboration that takes place across all six learning federation partnership schools. The school prepares pupils well for their next steps in learning at each key stage. Consequently, pupils achieve well, including pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge, which is enhanced through accessing the wealth of expertise available across the learning federation partnership schools. Staff make precise adaptations for pupils with SEND and, as a result, these pupils achieve well. In most subjects, staff use assessment effectively to check pupils’ understanding in lessons and quickly address their mistakes or misunderstandings. This is strongest in reading, writing and mathematics. However, in a small number of subjects teachers’ assessment strategies do not always ensure that pupils remember previously taught knowledge and connect it with new learning. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects.

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better?

The teaching of reading is a real strength in the school. This starts in Reception, where children receive expert support to develop their reading. Staff closely follow the phonics curriculum written by partnership leaders. The curriculum provides highly effective support for pupils who need more practise. Pupils read books that Federation Partnership of Schools 2 and 3 July 2024

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contain the sounds they have learned to develop their fluency. The school provides useful fortnightly workshops for parents to demonstrate how to support their child to read at home. Staff foster a love of stories by talking about the books they love and reading books aloud with enthusiasm and passion. They demonstrate how pupils can use varied language to write about the stories they hear. Consequently, pupils develop into confident readers and fluent writers.

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Behaviour is exceptional. The school teaches pupils about positive behaviour through all aspects of school life. Teachers in Reception embed routines and rules for children from the time they start. Staff use characters such as ‘Lucy Learning’ to remind pupils how to be a good learner. As a result, from the youngest age, pupils show positive attitudes to learning and excellent conduct.

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The school provide very effective support for pupils’ personal development. A strong culture of respect runs through the school. An extensive and carefully planned range of trips and visitors support the planned curriculum and broaden pupils’ understanding of the world around them. Pupils contribute within and beyond the school, for example, by fundraising for the school, and for a range of local charities selected by pupils.

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The strength in leadership across the school and wider partnership is highly evident. The same passion and determination are shared by all staff, who want the very best for pupils at the school. Staff enjoy being part of the ‘Sinclair family’, enthuse about their many professional development opportunities and truly appreciate being an integral part in driving their own development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not always use assessment well enough. Where this is the case, some pupils do not remember what they have learned before in sufficient detail. The school must ensure that teachers in all subjects assess what pupils know equally effectively.

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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. Federation Partnership of Schools 2 and 3 July 2024

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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). Federation Partnership of Schools 2 and 3 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Sarah Studzinski

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School details

Headteacher Gerida Montague (executive headteacher) Sarah Hendricks (Co-headteacher) Website www.sinclairlive.net

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 January 2013 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is an average size primary school with a nursery.  This school is one of six schools in the learning federation partnership of schools.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in the evaluation of the school. Federation Partnership of Schools 2 and 3 July 2024

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 Inspectors met with senior leaders, staff and pupils. The lead inspector also met with a representative of the school’s governing board and the vice-chair of the learning partnership federation governing board.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and history. They discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, teachers and pupils. Inspectors also visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire, including the free-text comments. They also took account of the responses to the confidential staff survey and gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: 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

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed and scrutinised a range of the school’s documentation, including leaders’ plans for improving the school, minutes of governing and federation board meetings and records of attendance and behaviour incidents.

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Inspection team

Neil Pilsworth, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Becky Greenhalgh Ofsted Inspector Federation Partnership of Schools 2 and 3 July 2024

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