Potley Hill Primary School

Inspection of Potley Hill Primary School Potley Hill Road, Yateley, Hampshire GU46 6AG

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 October 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding 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?

The motto ‘dream big, aim high and make a difference’ is enacted by the whole school community. Pupils are happy at school and take pride in their achievements. They are well cared for by the school staff, who help them if they ever have any worries. This means that pupils feel safe and settled in their school environment. They arrive at school enthusiastic for the day ahead.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for pupils. Pupils live up to these expectations. They follow the school rules and work hard in lessons, achieving well in much of their learning. During social times, pupils from different year groups interact well together, developing positive and supportive relationships. Pupils participate in a range of fun activities during breaktimes. These include football, colouring and playing on the popular adventure playground.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their opportunities to learn about the world beyond Potley Hill. These include residential trips and meeting visitors, who help pupils to make links with their learning beyond school. Pupils benefit from the part they play in community events, such as litter picking and Christmas events at the local church. The annual careers day allows pupils to build aspirations for their future. Pupils enjoy the after-school activities on offer, including the popular space club.

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

The school has high ambition for all pupils. In most curriculum subjects, there is clarity about what pupils need to learn and in what order. This means that in many subjects, pupils achieve well and are prepared for their next steps. There are a small number of subjects where the learning journey is less clearly defined. This sometimes affects pupils’ ability to identify their essential learning and what they need to remember.

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

Pupils are confident and skilled readers. Staff teach younger pupils to read using a phonics-based approach. Pupils use their knowledge of letter sounds to break down words and read them with increasing fluency. A love of reading is promoted across the school. Pupils enjoy their ‘book talk’ lessons and the many opportunities to explore books and listen to stories. They use their detailed analysis of texts to explore authors’ grammatical structure and language. Pupils then apply this knowledge well in their own written work.

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

Recent work to improve the teaching of mathematics has had a positive impact. Pupils have many opportunities to practise and build their number fluency. They apply these skills in their mathematical reasoning and problem-solving activities. Teachers routinely recap previous learning and demonstrate efficient calculation methods. This means that pupils have strong recall of what they have learned before and are successful in their new learning.

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

Children are happy and settled in early years. They are cared for by their kind staff, who take the time to get to know them well. The curriculum is shaped around their interests as well as including what they must learn to prepare them for Year 1. There are many 15 and 16 October 2024

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activities for children to explore, including a well-stocked reading area that reminds children about the stories they have listened to. However, there are sometimes activities where the intended learning is not clear to children. This means that they are less likely to engage with these activities and learn.

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The school has highly effective strategies to identify and support any pupils who need extra help with their learning. Teachers use their strong questioning skills to check for gaps in pupils’ learning. Pre-teaching sessions and interventions are successful at addressing any gaps. This includes carefully tailored support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, allowing them to achieve well.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They enjoy the school’s many celebrations that mark their achievements. Pupils know the school values well, and these thread through their actions and learning. Older pupils are superb role models. They develop extremely strong and positive relationships with younger children through the buddy system and as play leaders. Pupils have high levels of attendance. This is because the school supports families well and promotes the benefits of regular attendance. Pupils want to come to school because they enjoy their learning.

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The school ensures that pupils benefit from many wider opportunities. Pupils relish their responsibilities through leadership roles, which include team captains, road safety officers and school councillors. As a result, pupil voice is strong and contributes to school decision-making. There are a wide range of support systems available for pupils who need extra help and nurture. These include access to additional services, such as play therapy and canine-assisted learning.

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Staff are proud to be part of the school team. They appreciate their wide-ranging development opportunities and the consideration given to their workload and well-being. There is a shared passion to enact the school’s vision and ensure that everyone does make a difference.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few foundation subjects, the curriculum does not clearly identify the key knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn. This means that pupils do not always learn as well as they should. The school should continue to develop a clearly sequenced curriculum in all subjects, which allows pupils to be well prepared for their next educational steps. 15 and 16 October 2024

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 In early years, activities do not always have a clear learning focus. This means that children do not make the most of them to consolidate and deepen their learning. The school should ensure that all activities support children with their learning.

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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 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 25 April 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school currently uses one alternative provider.

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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.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 15 and 16 October 2024

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and history. For each deep dive, the 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.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector had meetings with senior school leaders and with representatives from the governing body and the local authority.  The inspectors analysed responses to the staff survey and spoke to staff about their views of the school.  The inspectors took account of the responses to the Ofsted online parent survey,

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Ofsted Parent View, and the additional free-text responses. An inspector also spoke with parents on the morning of the second day of the inspection.  The inspectors evaluated responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Kate Fripp, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kirstine Boon 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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