Petersfield Infant School

Inspection Report Petersfield Infant School

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115936 Unique Reference Number Hampshire LEA LEA 279706 Inspection number 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 Inspection dates James Crompton AI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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St Peter's Road School address Infant Type of school Petersfield Community School category Hampshire GU32 3HX 4 to 7 Age range of pupils 01730263048 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01730263048 Fax number 291 Number on roll Mrs Lesley Eaton Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Linda Lee Headteacher 4 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279706 3 October 2005 - 4 to 7 4 October 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Petersfield Infant School is a large infant school serving an affluent part of Hampshire. Children are mostly of British heritage. Four pupils are at an early stage of English. A typical proportion of pupils have special educational needs. As children start school in the reception classes, their attainment is generally above that expected.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Petersfield Infant School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school. Consistently good teaching enables children to achieve well. Very good provision in the foundation stage leads to good standards by the end of the reception year. Children continue to make good progress in years 1 and 2. They achieve high standards by the time they leave the school, although there was a dip in writing last year. Due to the excellent provision for personal development and first class care and support, children thrive and enjoy learning. Imaginatively planned lessons and a rich programme of activities outside the classroom stimulate children's curiosity and contribute much to their academic and personal development. Under the excellent leadership of the headteacher, there is clear commitment to helping all children achieve as well as they can. The school does not rest on its laurels. There is a strong sense of purpose underpinned by rigorous self-evaluation and a shared understanding of the

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Grade: 1

areas which can be improved further. This is reflected in the continuing drive to improve on the existing good standards in writing and the plans to refine assessment procedures. Parents are justifiably pleased with the school; as one said, 'I cannot imagine a better place for children to start their education'. Overall effectiveness has been sustained since the last inspection. The school has an accurate view of itself and its capacity to improve further is very good. The school provides very good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

* improve standards in writing* develop manageable ways to track children's progress in all subjects

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Grade: 2

Children build well on their good levels of attainment as they start school. As they start in the reception classes, most children have good social and communication skills. They speak with a good degree of confidence and have a good grasp of number. Teachers successfully extend these skills, so that many are already tackling Year 1 work before the end of reception.By the time they leave school at the end of Year 2, attainment is very good with many pupils achieving particularly high standards. The number doing so in writing, although good, is lower than in other subjects. The fact that some children are not doing as well as they could in writing accounts for the school's continuing efforts to raise standards in this area. There are good standards in other subjects, including information and communication technology (ICT) and art and design.Children with learning difficulties and disabilities make very good progress

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Grade: 2

towards their individual targets. Many overcome their initial difficulties and achieve average levels by the end of Year 2, reflecting the school's commitment for all children to do their best and the outstanding support that these children receive. 2 Inspection Report: Petersfield Infant School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005

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Grade: 1

Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. They have many opportunities for reflection and know how they should behave and why. Attitudes to learning are extremely positive and children enjoy lessons and playtimes. Relationships are excellent. Children get on very well with one another and with staff. They told the inspectors, 'There's no bullying in this school' and that, 'All teachers are very kind'. Children learn a lot about other cultures through art, music and dance, although their understanding of cultural diversity within the United Kingdom is not so secure. Children know how to keep themselves safe; they know the rules well and the reasons for them. Their understanding of a healthy life style is particularly well developed and they take advantage of the many and varied opportunities to play and exercise using a wide range of equipment. They cooperate well and contribute ideas

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Grade: 1

for improvement. Their request for more access to computers, for example, was a factor in the decision to include a new ICT suite in the recently completed building work.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good and has several very good features. Strengths include teachers' good subject knowledge and the way they cleverly make lessons come alive which encourages children's involvement and enjoyment. Basic literacy and numeracy skills are taught very skilfully and this is a major reason why standards are well above average. Pupils of all abilities are challenged appropriately. The support given to pupils with special educational needs is excellent and teachers make very good provision for more able pupils. Most teachers involve pupils very well in their own learning by direct questioning and by providing practical, hands-on activities. The positive way that children's responses are valued motivates them to try hard. Skilled and well-qualified support assistants make a very strong contribution to children's learning.Assessment procedures are effective in tracking pupils' progress in

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Grade: 2

the key skills of reading, writing and numeracy. This information is used to set them challenging achievement targets and helps to ensure that standards remain high. Systems to identify children requiring special help in English and mathematics are good and they receive highly effective support. Assessment procedures in other subjects are less well developed, so teachers do not have a very accurate view of how children are getting on.

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Grade: 1

The way that the curriculum is planned and managed is outstanding. A significant strength is the way in which excellence and enjoyment are at the heart of the school's 3 Inspection Report: Petersfield Infant School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 work. The curriculum is centred on the provision of basic literacy and numeracy skills and this ensures that very high standards in these areas are maintained. But the school has also ensured that other aspects of the curriculum, such as music and art and design are prominent. A commitment to activities that are challenging and enjoyable underpin the school's approach. The curriculum also supports children's personal development. Initiatives such as activities to develop mental agility, and shared discussion time, all promote their physical and emotional health and encourage learning that is more effective.The school provides an exceptionally varied and interesting range of

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Grade: 1

enrichment activities. Very good use is made of the local area for study purposes, regular visits are made to local and more distant venues and 'Focus Fortnights' provide opportunity for all the school to follow a planned topic. Important links are established with the local community through visits by police, fire officer, community nurse and church representatives. Parents are very well informed about the curriculum and feel fully involved in their children's education.

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Grade: 1

Children benefit from outstanding care, support and guidance. The school keeps a careful eye on how well children are getting on both socially and academically. Staff intervene very effectively if children are falling behind in their work. Sensitive support is given to children who are vulnerable and provision to support the self-esteem of the pupils is exemplary. As one parent put it, 'There is a kindness about the school which is reassuring to young children'. Arrangements for the safeguarding of pupils are extremely thorough. Parents particularly appreciate the level of care; one commented, 'I am extremely impressed with the considerate and caring way new starters are integrated'. They also praise the office staff for their helpfulness and knowledge of all the children.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher's outstanding leadership is a pivotal factor in the success of the school. In close partnership with the excellent deputy, she inspires staff and motivates children to do as well as they can. Central to the school's work is that every child matters. This is evident in the way children of all abilities and backgrounds are supported in their learning and personal development. Year group and subject leaders also play their part and contribute much to the school's extensive monitoring procedures. This means that individual children do not slip through the net. Strengths are shared; any weaknesses are picked up early and addressed. Children's achievements are carefully tracked and evaluated year on year. Governors know the school very well. They are kept well informed and many are frequent visitors to the school. The cycle of development planning is not left to governors and senior managers. All staff are

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Grade: 2

involved in weighing up how the school is doing, and parents and pupils have their say. The result of the school's highly effective self-evaluation procedures can be seen, for example, in improvement in the foundation stage and the establishment of a more 4 Inspection Report: Petersfield Infant School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 accessible and welcoming reception area. The school has a deservedly high reputation and parents are delighted with the quality of education. One commented, 'If we won the lottery, we'd have absolutely no desire to move her'.Since it was last inspected, the school has sustained high standards and has improved in significant ways. Overall, the leadership and management are good. There is a common commitment to provide the best possible education for pupils and the school is very well placed to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Petersfield Infant School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Petersfield Infant School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise NA Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse NA Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for greeting my friends and me so cheerfully during our visit to your school. We enjoyed seeing how hard you work in lessons and we were really pleased to see how all get on with one another so well. We talked to many of you and found out that you like your school very much. We agree with you and your parents that the school takes care of you very well and helps you to learn. The work we saw was really good. We think this is because teachers make lessons interesting and help you see how to improve. What a lot of exciting things you get up to! You told us how much you enjoy going on visits in and around the town and how you learn a lot from special visitors, such as the musician who showed you how to play African drums. You obviously like your teachers and it was nice to hear the good things you said about Mrs Lee and Mrs Clements. We felt that they really work hard to help everyone in the school to do

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

as well as they can. They have some good ideas to improve things even more. We know that many of you find writing harder than reading or numeracy and we think it's a good thing that teachers are working hard to help you improve. They are also finding ways to keep track of the things you do well in other subjects, such as ICT.Thanks again for making us so welcome. We wish you all well for the future.

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