Wootey Infant School

115985 Unique Reference Number Hampshire LEA LEA 279718 Inspection number 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005 Inspection dates David Marshall AI Reporting inspector

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

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Wooteys Way School address Infant Type of school Alton Foundation School category Hampshire GU34 2JA 4 to 7 Age range of pupils 0142083656 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 00 Fax number 109 Number on roll Mr T Duddridge Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs E Palmer Headteacher 11 December 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279718 27 September 2005 - 4 to 7 28 September 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 2 additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

andgt;Wootey Infants is a smaller than average size infant school with 109 pupils on roll. The number of pupils on roll has fallen significantly in the last two years from 153 due to a decline in the birth rate. There has been a reduction in the number of classes from six to four. The majority of pupils are from White/British backgrounds. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is now above the national average. Attainment on entry is below the national average. There are 13 pupils identified as having special educational needs, and two with statements of particular need. The school has been through a significant period of change in the last five terms. The long standing head teacher was replaced by the current head five terms ago. There have been three new teachers in the last two years. The governing body has six new members and also has two vacancies.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Wootey Infant School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005

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Grade: 2

The inspection team and the school agree that Wootey Infant School provides a good standard of education for its pupils. Strengths and weaknesses are quickly identified now because the school has good systems for monitoring its work. Pupils' progress is good and standards are improving. Despite the challenges of the falling school roll there has been significant improvement in the last two years and it provides good value for money. Teaching and learning are good. Teachers are clear about the effective ways to ensure that learning is productive for all pupils. Lessons are well planned and teachers aim to make learning fun. Parents are very pleased about this and give great support to the school. Very effective changes have been made to the organisation of the Foundation Stage for this year. Provision is good for these young children now and they are making a good start to their education. Staff acknowledge that there is

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Grade: 2

still more to do to make sure these changes are firmly embedded and their own robust and accurate self-evaluation is focused well on this.Staff who are new to the school are supported well. Pupils are cared for well, and all of them, including the most vulnerable, are safe and secure. The curriculum is broad and enhanced by a very good range of additional activities. Leadership and management of the school are good. The head teacher provides good leadership and is well supported by her deputy and all staff. Teamwork is a significant strength of the school and good support is given by governors and parents. The school's capacity to improve is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

1. Build on the well planned reorganisation of the Foundation Stage and Year 1 so that it becomes firmly established.2. Ensure that rigorous monitoring by the head and governors secures the school's effectiveness despite the falling roll.

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Grade: 2

Most children enter the school with standards that are below expectations for their age, especially in language and social development. Due to the effective reorganisation they are now making good progress in the Foundation Stage. Much emphasis is put on developing speaking and listening skills and this is already having an impact on those children beginning to read and write.Progress is good for pupils in Years 1 and 2. Although results in 2005 were lower than those in 2004, they reflected the differences in the cohorts of pupils and still represented good achievement for this particular year group in their final year in the school. Progress is good throughout the school, but pupils' attainments in 2005 were below expectations for their age. There is a secure system in place that tracks the progress each pupil makes and identifies where additional teaching will be most beneficial. There are many opportunities for

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Grade: 2

pupils to develop their creative, sporting and musical talents in the very good range of additional activities. Information and communication technology (ICT) is well used across the whole curriculum, standards are improving and this is a significant 2 Inspection Report: Wootey Infant School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005 development since the last inspection.Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, and those with above average ability, make good progress overall. They are well supported and have access to a curriculum that helps them to achieve well.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well being are good. Pupils like their school and have positive attitudes to learning. They say that they find others friendly and helpful. They display good behaviour in lessons and around the school. This is because teachers and support staff set high expectations for conduct and most pupils respond well to these. Those few pupils who have challenging behaviour are well managed by staff. There are effective systems of rewards to encourage and recognise good work and positive behaviour. For example, pupils receive a 'special mention' in assembly or a medal for an outstanding piece of writing. Attendance is satisfactory. The levels of attendance are slightly below average but the school has good systems for promoting and monitoring attendance. Pupils' spiritual, moral and social development is good. For example, in assemblies pupils are still and reflective as they consider the positive

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Grade: 2

qualities of others such as friendliness and being kind. The school's key values of happiness, respect and creativity are promoted well. Cultural development is satisfactory and the school recognises the need to introduce more opportunities for pupils to gain an understanding of multicultural issues in today's society. The school is effective in promoting healthy life styles and have gained Healthy School status. Pupils are aware of healthy eating matters and enjoy snacks of fresh fruit. There are good opportunities for regular exercise in physical education lessons and in the spacious school grounds and using the high quality play equipment. These outdoor facilities contribute well to pupils' physical and social development. Pupils are developing their self-confidence and enterprise skills well as they work and play together in teams.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Teachers' planning is good and in all subjects firmly based on the use of careful assessments. This ensures that tasks are pitched at the right level for all pupils. Teachers plan to make learning fun. The use of resources, such as the interactive whiteboard in the computer suite, holds pupils' attention well. Teaching and learning in the re-organised Foundation Stage classes is now good.High expectations of pupils' behaviour are evident in all classrooms. Teachers and teaching assistants are adept at creating a learning environment where pupils are encouraged to think for themselves and work together to meet the exacting challenges they are given.Marking is used well and gives pupils very clear and immediate pointers about what they need to do to reach higher standards. Targets have been introduced well 3 Inspection Report: Wootey Infant School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005

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Grade: 2

and they are being used very effectively to drive up standards. Again pupils know what they have to do to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good curriculum. Pupils have access to a well planned curriculum which provides a broad, balanced and relevant range of activities. It has recently been revised in order to promote further enjoyment and enthusiasm through a themed or topic approach. A good example of this was the topic on The Great Fire of London, called Fire, Fire that included a London trip for Year 2 pupils. Their opinion is it was the best thing we've ever done in school. Good emphasis is given to pupils applying and developing their literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology skills in a range of activities. Planning takes good account of the needs of different groups of pupils so that all are suitably challenged and make good progress. A very good range of additional activities are offered which enrich the curriculum and promote pupils' development and enjoyment. These include computers, digital photography,

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Grade: 2

The school provides good quality care for its pupils. The accommodation and grounds are regularly checked so that pupils can work and play in a safe environment. The outdoor play areas and the spacious grounds are particularly well maintained. Child protection procedures are clear, known and understood by all staff. Pupils with special educational needs are well provided for. In their individual educational plans, clear targets are set to help them make progress, and these are reviewed on a regular basis. All pupils have individual targets for literacy, numeracy and personal development. The school makes good use of external support agencies in order to support pupils and their families.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The head teacher leads the school very well. The commitment from all staff and governors under her leadership, and the close teamwork in the difficult circumstances of re-organisation, is a significant measure of her style and determination to help each pupil to achieve their best. The deputy-head, who has led the re-organisation of the Foundation Stage, offers first-rate support at all times. The school's ability to assess its own strengths and areas for development is very good. The school has made good use of the framework for self evaluation and this includes all activities and initiatives. Areas that need further development have been appropriately identified. The School Improvement Plan provides clear guidance on relevant issues for raising standards and takes into consideration support and initiatives from all sources. Management is good with effective systems in place to

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Grade: 2

4 Inspection Report: Wootey Infant School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005 monitor pupils' progress and the quality of teaching and learning. Governors bring a good range of skills to the school and are very committed to supporting the school. They have yet to refine fully their role in monitoring how well the school performs. The opinions of parents and pupils are valued and frequently acted on. Within the school there is a high commitment to include all pupils in all activities and the care and concern for all pupils is high priority. Parents value this and see it as an important feature of the school. There is a strong determination from all staff to improve their performance and the progress made by all pupils. The school, therefore, provides good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Wootey Infant School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 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: Wootey Infant School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 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 2 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 2 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 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 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 2 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 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 3 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 Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes 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 so much for welcoming us into your school. We enjoyed our time with you and would now like to tell you what we found out about your school. We think that you all do very well and really try hard at all times. We saw that you know you are especially lucky to have so many different activities both during and after school. We saw how keen you are to take part. Many of you told us how much you enjoy being at school, and how proud you are of what you can do. We certainly think that you all behave well. We are sure that you will continue to do so and so your school can be the calm place that you like and where you can all learn. All of you, what good progress you are making. We were very impressed that you knew what to do to make your work even better. Your enthusiasm bowled us over. Now your teachers have changed how you take part in lessons when you first come to school you must try really hard so that you will all continue to do well and make really good progress

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

in your learning.Finally, we would like to thank you once again for all your help. We wish you well in the future.

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