Springwood Infant School

Stakes Hill Infant School Inspection report

p.1

115939 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 279707 Inspection number 22 °23 May 2007 Inspection dates John Seal HMI Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Infant Type of school Community School category 4 °7 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 133 School

p.1

The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Ann Wrightson Chair Mrs Fran Beckett Headteacher 15 May 2000 Date of previous school inspection Springwood Avenue School address Waterlooville PO7 8ED

p.1

023 9226 2078 Telephone number 023 9223 1937 Fax number

p.1

4 °7 Age group 22 °23 May 2007 Inspection dates 279707 Inspection number .

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

Stakes Hill Infants is a two form entry school. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals and those with learning difficulties and statements of special educational need is very high. Most children join the school from the pre-school which shares the building. A community room on the site is used by the local further education college and community nurses.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Stakes Hill Infant School, 22 °23 May 2007

p.3

Grade: 2

This is a good school with some outstanding features. The outstanding headteacher leads a committed staff, with an effective governing body. By including everybody in the school's short and long term planning, the headteacher has made sure the school community share a common purpose and clearly understand the school's priorities. Because of the effective whole school approach to self-evaluation and the very good monitoring procedures in place, effective steps have been taken to make improvements from the last report. The school has outstanding capacity to improve. Pupils' achievement is good overall. Standards of attainment are below national expectations but the rate of progress pupils make is good. When the children start school their skills are not as well developed as expected. For a significant minority their starting point is very low. The school acts quickly to support pupils in making good progress. This is especially so for those

p.4

Grade: 2

with learning difficulties and disabilities and the more able. The quality of teaching is good. Children have a good start in Reception where they have access to a wide range of exciting activities. During the inspection, they were making porridge for the three bears and building caves. Lessons are relentlessly focussed on raising pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers plan effectively with a team of highly skilled and qualified teaching assistants. In some lessons, teachers' explain what they want pupils to do for too long before starting their learning activities which hinders progress. Personal development and well-being are outstanding. Relationships are warm, friendly and supportive. Pupils' behaviour is good. Pupils take a full and active part in all activities. They have adopted very good safe practices and feel exceptionally safe, secure and cared for. They have adopted very healthy lifestyles and this is reflected in the recently awarded Healthy Schools

p.4

Grade: 2

Enhanced Status and the Trailblazer scheme commended by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). Care, guidance and support are outstanding. Pupils enjoy their time at school. A pupil was heard to say 'we have lovely teachers'. Pupils are set challenging targets which are met and exceeded. The school has made supreme efforts to reach out and work with parents. One parent stated 'this is a fantastic school. All the staff are easy to approach. They have made a huge difference to my child's education'. The curriculum is outstanding. It is active, relevant and broad with an extremely wide variety of experiences including visits to Chichester Harbour and visitors to the school. The Year 2 pupils were very excited and motivated by the fire and rescue service's visit which included opportunities to sound the tender's siren and talk to the fire officers. The school has outstanding partnerships with others to promote pupils' well-being. This can

p.4

Grade: 2

be seen in the significant reduction of unauthorised absences and the very effective use of the community room by the local further education college and community nurses to increase participation of parents and members of the local community with the school.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Maintain its rigorous focus on raising pupils' standards of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Stakes Hill Infant School, 22 °23 May 2007

p.4

Grade: 2

Standards are below average. The proportion of pupils who attained nationally expected levels in the 2006 assessments for reading, writing and mathematics, at the end of Year 2, was below average. Nevertheless, the pupils achieved well from relatively low starting points. The children make good progress during Reception, especially in their social and emotional development and attitudes and dispositions. They also make good progress in communication, language and literacy and in their mathematical development but only a small proportion of them reach levels that are in line with national expectations by the beginning of Year 1. The pupils, including the high proportion with learning difficulties and disabilities, continue to make good progress in Years 1 and 2. The school's effective self-evaluation has already identified priorities for improvement which are focussed on acting quickly to ensure that all pupils make consistently good progress. The

p.5

Grade: 2

school sets challenging targets which pupils frequently meet and exceed.

p.5

Grade: 1

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Relationships are warm and positive and incidents of bullying are rare. There are very good links with a school in India. Attendance is average but the school has worked hard with other agencies to significantly reduce the rate of unauthorised absences. Pupils make an extensive positive contribution to the community through their involvement in their school council, the local school council cluster and the extended schools service. Pupils' development of work place skills and contribution to their future economic well being is good. The school has recently been awarded the Basic Skills Quality Mark.

p.5

Grade: 2

Teachers motivate pupils and make lessons interesting through practical and stimulating activities. In Reception, teachers plan very effectively. They skilfully and enthusiastically lead exciting activities which ensure the children make good progress. In Key Stage 1 pupils make good progress because teachers effectively match activities to the learning needs of pupils. Teachers adapt resources to support the pupils who need the most structure, and challenge the more able.

p.5

Grade: 1

Pupils enjoy learning and make good progress because the curriculum is exciting, practical and challenging. In Reception, children are encouraged to develop their skills of independent learning through well organised and practical activities. As part of their topic on The Three Bears children were learning how to make porridge and were involved in good discussions about change, time and health and safety. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Stakes Hill Infant School, 22 °23 May 2007 Planning across the school is highly effective and supports pupils' progress. Health and safety education is very good. Literacy, numeracy and information technology (ICT) skills are well embedded in other subjects. There are very good extra curricular opportunities for pupils including cookery club, ICT and problem solving.

p.5

Grade: 1

The school's effective tracking and assessment systems ensure pupils' progress is very well monitored in all year groups. By working very effectively with the relevant outside agencies, the school provides outstanding support to individual pupils with a wide range of needs. This support ensures that they make very good progress. Safeguarding procedures are very well established. Exclusion rates are zero.

p.6

Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. All staff and governors are involved in planning what the school needs to do next. Governors take an active interest in how children make progress and effectively challenge the school to make best use of resources. Child protection procedures are secure. The school has a very good reputation locally. It plays a very active role in the development of cluster groups and extended services. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Stakes Hill Infant School, 22 °23 May 2007 .

p.6

Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Stakes Hill Infant School, 22 °23 May 2007

p.7

Inspection judgements

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

p.8

Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

p.8

Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.8

learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

p.8

and interests of learners?

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

p.8

and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Stakes Hill Infant School, 22 °23 May 2007

p.8

and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Stakes Hill Infant School, 22 °23 May 2007

p.9

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

11 June 2007 Dear Children Inspection of Stakes Hill Infant School,Waterlooville,PO7 8ED Thank you for making me feel so welcome in your school during my visit. I really enjoyed seeing you in your lessons, meeting your school council and looking at your work. You told me that your school was a good school and I agree. You make good progress because your teachers and helpers work very hard to make your lessons interesting and exciting. I enjoyed watching the children in Reception make porridge for the three bears and the exciting time pupils in Year 2 had with the fire engine! You have an outstanding headteacher who knows what your school needs to do to become even better. You have good teachers and teaching assistants who know how to make lessons interesting, fun and help you make even better progress in your reading writing and mathematics. You can help your teachers by carrying on working hard. The adults in your school do a very good job of looking after you and you know how to be very

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

healthy, behave well and stay very safe. To help the school become even better, your headteacher, teachers and the governors are already working on ways to make sure you all continue to make good progress. I have asked them to carry on with this work so even more of you can reach higher standards. I hope you all continue to be very happy in your school and learn as much as you can. I wish you all the very best for the future. Best wishes John Seal Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Stakes Hill Infant School, 22 °23 May 2007

p.10