Wootey Infant School

Inspection of Wootey Infant School Wooteys Way, Alton, Hampshire GU34 2JA

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 October 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 15 and 16 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a nurturing school that has high ambition for pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most pupils achieve well. Adults take great care of pupils, and this helps pupils to feel safe. They know adults will help to clear their worries away.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know the school values of happiness, respect and creativity. They strive to follow these and the ‘golden rules’. Children in the Reception Year are well on their way to learning the clear routines that are in place. Those pupils, across the school, who do struggle with their behaviour are very well supported. Pupils appreciate the recognition for their hard work and effort, which is celebrated weekly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enthusiastically talk about the opportunities they have to learn different skills during golden time. Gardening, sewing and bookmaking are popular, though cooking wins the first prize. They enjoy the school trips to a local zoo and the fire station. There are many opportunities for pupils to take on a leadership role. Year 2 lunchtime leaders wear their green aprons with pride while they help children in Reception year.

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

The school is ambitious for every pupil. This starts with reading. Staff are experts in teaching phonics and early reading. They check regularly to ensure that pupils keep up. Those that are struggling are given the appropriate support through interventions that enable them to catch up. Staff carefully select reading books that match pupils’ stage of development. As pupils become more confident, they gradually move to reading rich- quality texts that focus on comprehension and the skills needed to become a fluent reader. School is working on further developing pupils’ love for reading this year. Pupils are read to daily. The school celebrates World Book Day. The youngest children enjoy walking to the local book shop to spend their book voucher.

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

The school has developed a broad, balanced and engaging curriculum. The important knowledge and skills that the school want pupils to know at the end of each unit of learning is clear. This starts in the Reception year and builds progressively as pupils move up the school. The impact of the new mixed classes in key stage 1 is due to be reviewed. This is to ensure that pupils learning is sequenced, particularly in mathematics, and there are no gaps in learning. Across the curriculum, the school has focused on pupils learning technical vocabulary. This is to extend pupils understanding of language. As a result, pupils confidently use a range of vocabulary. For example, in science, germination and research can be heard.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They use pupils’ curiosity to engage them in their learning. In the Reception Year, children hunted excitedly for patterns hidden in the outdoor area. Teachers ensure that pupils can remember what they have learned. They do this through skilful questioning. Staff constantly check pupils’ learning and provide appropriate support. This effective support helps pupils to listen, concentrate and engage well in their learning in class. 15 and 16 October 2024

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Pupils with barriers to learning are quickly identified and plans are put in place that address their individual needs. The school ensures that staff adapt activities for pupils with SEND so that they engage positively with all areas of the curriculum. The school acknowledges that more work in some subjects does needs further adaptation. Leaders work well with external agencies and with adults to explore the right provision for vulnerable pupils. Pupils get the right support, at the right time and in the right way, to make sure they are ready to learn.

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Pupils’ personal development is a central part of the school’s work. The pastoral support for pupils and their families is a strength of the school. Through the school values the pupils learn to understand and respect differences. This starts with the youngest children, who learn how their life is the same and/or different to others in the world.

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Governors have high expectations for all groups of pupils. They are committed to the school being fully inclusive. Staff feel well supported. Leaders show real consideration for the workload and well-being of staff. They recognise and take account of the demands that mixed-age classes bring. The way leaders have tackled this helps staff to be happy, confident and well versed in the curriculum. This, in turn, leads to pupils who achieve well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some curriculum subjects, activities are not adapted well enough to support pupils with barriers to their learning and pupils with SEND. This means that support is not as effective as it could be. Pupils with SEND, and those who are disadvantaged, are not catching up quickly enough. Leaders must make sure that teachers provide tasks and support so all pupils make expected progress.

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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. 15 and 16 October 2024

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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). 15 and 16 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 April 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use alternative provision.  The school runs an after-school club for pupils from both Wootey Infant school and Wootey Junior school.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 15 and 16 October 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and computing. 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.  The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, inclusion and other leaders, school staff and pupils.  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 culture around

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, both in person and remotely, including the chair. She spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Becky Greenhalgh, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mineza Maher Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 October 2024

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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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