Marlborough Infant School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Marlborough Infant School Redvers Buller Road, Aldershot, Hampshire GU11 2HR

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Outcome

Marlborough 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 thrive in this school, which makes ‘every moment matter’. No time is wasted in welcoming new pupils and helping them start learning straight away. Many join at different points of the school year. Whenever they join, each new pupil gets the special help that they need to settle in swiftly. The school provides an imaginative set of special events such as ‘camo-day’, where pupils have great fun learning about people who help them and their community. Pupils benefit from a deep sense of belonging at this school. They benefit from a highly considered curriculum, and as a result, they achieve well and are very well prepared for the future.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending school and experience nurturing relationships with caring staff. Pupils work and play harmoniously. They behave very well. There are high expectations of pupils, which is evident in their work and their positive attitudes to learning. The school is inclusive and celebrates the differences between people. In early years and beyond, children develop the strong foundations they need for future learning. The school works closely with parents and carers. They are welcomed into school, and this helps parents support their children’s learning at home.

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

The curriculum is very carefully considered and continuously refined. Leaders have chosen the important knowledge that pupils need to know. It is taught in a logical order that helps pupils learn. This means that pupils are able to build securely on what they know already. In the early years, the curriculum is equally well structured and lays the firm foundations for children’s future learning. As a result, pupils learn well. The school is quick to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Barriers 13 May 2025

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to learning are removed because pupils have access to the right support and adaptations they need.

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Staff have good subject knowledge. They use subject-specific language well to strengthen pupils’ understanding. They design learning that captures pupils’ interests. For example, children in the early years learn important facts by using rhymes and singing songs, such as the ‘days of the week’ song. This approach helps pupils to have a strong recall of all they have learned. The school has effective systems in place to assess what pupils know. Teachers use a range of ways to understand how well pupils learn the curriculum. However, these checks are not always consistently followed. For example, staff do not always use questions precisely enough to check pupils’ understanding. As a result, misconceptions or mistakes are missed.

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Reading is a priority in this school. Children learn to read as soon as they start in Reception. Staff have all received training to ensure they teach phonics consistently. They provide extra help for pupils who fall behind so they can catch up with their peers. Regular checks on what pupils know make sure any gaps in reading ability are identified so pupils are given additional support to catch up. There are high expectations of pupils, which is evident in their work and their positive attitudes to learning. Younger children are enthralled with the stories teachers read to them, such as ‘Farmer Duck’. This encourages pupils to read regularly and widely.

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Relationships between adults and pupils are very strong. Adults are excellent role models. Pupils are well behaved. They listen to their teachers in lessons and move around the school in a calm and orderly manner. They play happily together at social times. The ‘Calm Castle’ space is a special area where pupils can play cooperatively. Attendance at school is very high. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are inspired by what they are learning.

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The school has a carefully considered personal, social and health education programme in place. Pupils learn what they need to know to help keep themselves safe. They develop a good understanding of healthy habits and how to form secure relationships. They learn how to understand their feelings and emotions. This helps pupils to be full of confidence. The school offers pupils a wide range of special opportunities to spark their interests and talents. For example, pupils speak with great enthusiasm about their Nepalese dance club and trips to a zoo, museums and forts. These visits help pupils understand and be curious about the wider world.

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Through prioritising pupils’ education and well-being, leaders have sustained the school’s performance. Staff benefit from training and careful consideration of their workload. They support each other and work very well as a team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 13 May 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority.)

 In some subjects, teachers do not check what pupils know and can do with enough rigour. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge or misconceptions that teachers do not pick up on and address. The school should ensure that teachers know the best ways to systematically check that pupils have secured their learning before moving on.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we the school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 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. 13 May 2025

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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). 13 May 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Amanda Webb (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 to 6 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Bolds Futures Federation  The school does not currently use any 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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders. The inspectors also met with representatives of the board of governors, including the chair of governors, and local authority representatives. 13 May 2025

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 The inspectors met with some pupils and members of staff to discuss their views of the school. The inspectors also took their views into account through their responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.  The inspectors considered responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View.  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.

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Inspection team

Ginny Rhodes, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Blackmore Ofsted Inspector 13 May 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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