Wallisdean Infant School

Inspection of Wallisdean Infant School Wallisdean Avenue, Fareham, Hampshire PO14 1HT

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness 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 December 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 4 and 5 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get off to a great start in their education here. In the early years, children flourish. They settle quickly into school life and learn well. Staff make sure that the children learn the important social and communication skills they need to be successful as they move into key stage 1.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and feel safe. They learn to be confident, kind and helpful. They know the school rules and understand why rules are necessary and important. When playing together at breaktimes, pupils confidently remind each other about the school’s behaviour expectations. They play together harmoniously, enjoying their own and adult-led games and activities. Pupils learn and follow routines effectively. For example, children in the early years show great respect for their environment. They tidy up assiduously, taking great care to make their classrooms immaculate, well-organised places. In addition, the school ensures that pupils develop an age-appropriate understanding about keeping themselves safe, including when online.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Well-chosen resources and events support pupils to stay mentally and physically healthy. Pupils enjoy regular sessions which help them to understand the positive impact physical activity has on mental well-being. The school also provides interesting opportunities to enhance pupils’ learning such as trips to local places of interest.

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

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn a broad curriculum. For many subjects, the curriculum sets out in detail the important knowledge that pupils must learn and the most sensible order in which to learn it. This includes in the early years where there is clarity about exactly what children need to learn to be ready for key stage 1. Where the curriculum content is clearly set out, teachers use this information well to support pupils to remember their learning and achieve well. However, in a few subjects, the important knowledge that pupils must learn is too broad. Teachers do not know exactly what pupils must remember before they move on to learning something new.

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

Teachers generally set tasks that help pupils to achieve well. For example, in science, teachers routinely check pupils’ understanding and provide thoughtful activities to develop and deepen this further. However, teachers’ knowledge about how to deepen pupils’ understanding and ensure that pupils remember their learning is not consistently strong in all subjects. On occasion, pupils’ work does not enable them to secure the knowledge they need to remember. When this is the case, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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

The school wants all pupils to learn to read as quickly as possible. Right from the start of early years, developing children’s vocabulary and use of language is a priority. Pupils enjoy listening to a wide range of high-quality texts. In Nursery, children learn to communicate their ideas confidently such as when reciting excerpts from stories in their role-play activities. Children learn phonics right from the start of Reception, using a well- structured programme. In recent years, pupils have not achieved as well as they should in 4 and 5 February 2025

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phonics. However, this year the school has improved support for pupils who need additional help to learn to read. Now, most pupils learn the phonics knowledge they need to be successful when reading unfamiliar words.

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The school seeks to identify the needs of pupils with SEND swiftly and accurately. Helpful adaptations to the curriculum and within lessons, enable pupils with SEND to access learning effectively. In the early years, expert support for children with SEND ensures that they learn the knowledge and skills they need to achieve well.

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In lessons pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They show high levels of respect for each other and for adults. A small number of pupils do not attend school as well as they should. However, when needed, the school takes appropriate action to improve pupils’ attendance.

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Promoting pupils’ personal development is a priority. Pupils learn how to develop character traits such as independence, resilience and confidence that will serve them well in their futures. Pupils develop a secure understanding of British values. For example, they learn about the democratic process through opportunities to vote for school rewards and learn about the rule of law through devising class charters. The school also seeks to develop pupils’ understanding of the world around them. For example, children in Nursery love learning about the natural world through their regular ‘welly walks’.

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All staff and governors are passionate to achieve the very best for the pupils in their care. Governors know the school well. They fulfil their role effectively. Staff feel valued. They appreciate the support they receive to do their jobs well.

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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 subjects, the component knowledge that pupils must learn is not clear enough. This means that teachers do not have sufficient guidance about exactly what they need to teach and when they need to teach it. The school needs to refine the curriculum where needed to clarify the component knowledge pupils need to know so that they can build their understanding systematically towards the identified curriculum end points.  Sometimes, teachers do not design tasks or use the most effective strategies to ensure all pupils learn and remember the important knowledge they need to be ready for their next steps. When this is the case, pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should develop staff subject and pedagogical knowledge further so that they can support all pupils to achieve well in all subjects. 4 and 5 February 2025

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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). 4 and 5 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chairs of governing body Chris Robinson (co-chair) Michelle Young (co-chair) Headteacher Sandra Cammish

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 and 12 December 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is federated with Wallisdean Junior School, under one governing body and one executive headteacher.  Since the previous inspection, the school has opened a Nursery with places for three- and four-year-old children.  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. 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. 4 and 5 February 2025

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 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher and senior leaders. The lead inspector also met with representatives from the governing body, including a co- chair of governors, and met with an officer from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and computing. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.

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 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.  Inspectors considered the views of parents and carers through their responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors gathered the views of pupils and staff through the online staff and pupil surveys, as well as in-person interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.  The inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documents, including self-evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings and behaviour incident logs.

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Inspection team

Sue Keeling, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mike Wood Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 February 2025

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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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