Fordingbridge Infant School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Fordingbridge Infant School Pennys Lane, Fordingbridge, Hampshire SP6 1HJ

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Outcome

Fordingbridge Infant School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this warm and happy school. Staff know their pupils well and work with families to make sure that pupils arrive at lessons ready to learn. The school has selected five core values of kindness, honesty, respect, responsibility and effort. These are woven through the curriculum and modelled by the adults. As a result, pupils try hard to demonstrate them as they learn and play together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are curious and enthusiastic learners. The ‘curiosity cubes’ in each classroom spark the imagination of pupils and lead to great conversations with their friends and adults. Pupils work hard in lessons and achieve well. The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. For example, pupils delight in reciting poetry by heart. They love learning, supported by dedicated staff and a strong community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to behave well. They listen carefully and are kind and respectful towards adults and each other. This creates a friendly and welcoming atmosphere in which pupils can learn and play without disruption. Weekly assemblies celebrate the achievement of pupils both in and out of school. The ‘apple’ and ‘bucket’ awards are highly prized by pupils as they seek to pack their ‘suitcase of life’.

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

The school has put in place a curriculum that is broad and balanced. It is complemented by explicit teaching of what the school calls ‘learning behaviours’. These are represented by a host of characters that help pupils to understand how to approach challenges. For example, pupils speak of ‘being like Toby’, the turtle who keeps trying even when things are tough. These firm foundations ensure that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are well prepared for their move to junior school. 5 and 6 November 2024

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Pupils are excited to learn to read, write and understand mathematics. As they learn to read, they talk animatedly about the stories they encounter and the sounds they are learning. Staff make sure that pupils practise these skills regularly. Early morning mathematics helps to consolidate the learning from the day before. In Reception, children learn about numbers in a range of well-thought-out activities in addition to focused mathematics sessions. Every pupil reads regularly to an adult. Close monitoring means teachers spot pupils who are falling behind in any area. They make sure that pupils get the help they need to keep up with their peers. Parents and carers welcome updates on what their children are learning.

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Teachers have strong subject knowledge and know their pupils well. They use what they know to identify the individual needs of pupils. Teachers work with well-trained additional adults to make appropriate adaptations to their lessons. Pupils with SEND achieve well overall as a result. In most lessons, teachers present information clearly, and pupils learn the intended curriculum. However, in a few subjects, teachers do not present information as clearly as they could. Sometimes, the activities that they choose do not help pupils to remember the key information that they need to recall.

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The school has high expectations for learning and behaviour. Routines are established in Reception and consolidated through purposeful practice in all years. Pupils walk calmly around the school. They are keen to demonstrate their good manners, especially when they eat together in the hall. Outside play is harmonious. Adults join in with games and engage pupils in conversations that develop their confidence and vocabulary. Pupils enjoy school and attend well.

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Pupils benefit from a wide range of lunchtime clubs, including construction, choir and colouring. They enjoy visits to local places of interest and engaging with visitors to the school, including theatre groups. Such experiences help them to understand more about the world and prepare them for the next steps in their education. Right from the start of Reception, pupils are encouraged to develop their independence by having a go at everyday tasks. In Year 2, pupils are proud of their roles of responsibility as table captains or handout helpers. Pupils value the contribution they make to the school through the school council. As a result, they develop an understanding of the democratic process.

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Leaders, including those responsible for governance, analyse information about the school forensically to work out what is working well and what could be improved. This is coupled with a strong understanding of the community and families that the school serves. As a result, leaders have taken effective action to improve the teaching of reading and writing. In other areas, they have maintained the standards seen at the last inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 5 and 6 November 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the way teachers present key information is not clear. Sometimes, activity choices do not match the desired learning outcomes well. This means that pupils do not recall some key information over time. The school should ensure that staff are supported to implement the intended curriculum in these subject areas so pupils learn and remember the key information.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in January 2019.

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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. 5 and 6 November 2024

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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). 5 and 6 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Claire Ainsworth and Julian Sims (Co- Chairs)

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School details

Headteacher Kim Robertson (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Fordingbridge Infant and Junior Schools Federation.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.

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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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the executive headteacher, deputy executive headteacher and special educational needs coordinators. She met with one of the co-chairs and other members of the governing body. The inspector spoke on the telephone to a representative of the local authority.  The inspector focused inspection activity on the following groups of subjects: early English, mathematics, geography, history, religious education and science. For each 5 and 6 November 2024

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group of subjects, the inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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 inspector met with groups of staff and considered the opinions expressed in Ofsted’s staff survey.  The inspector spoke with some parents at the beginning of the school day and considered the views gathered through Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Lizzie Jeanes, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 November 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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