Oakley Infant School

116047 Unique Reference Number Hampshire LEA LEA 279731 Inspection number 17 May 2006 to 18 May 2006 Inspection dates James Sage Reporting inspector

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

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Oakley Lane School address Infant Type of school Oakley Community School category Basingstoke RG23 7JZ 4 to 7 Age range of pupils 01256780445 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01256781687 Fax number 183 Number on roll Mrs Julie Pearce Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Sally Harvey Headteacher 5 May 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279731 17 May 2006 - 4 to 7 18 May 2006 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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Oakley Infant School is set within the village of Oakley on the outskirts of Basingstoke. Pupils come mainly from an environment that is advantaged in economic terms, by national indicators, although a small proportion of the pupils come from social priority housing. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD) is well above the national average. The school has established a good reputation for inclusion and attracts pupils with learning difficulties from a wide area. Almost all pupils are of white British ethnicity and the proportion who speak English as an additional language is well below the national average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Oakley Infant School, 17 May 2006 to 18 May 2006

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Grade: 2

Oakley Infants is a good school with some outstanding features. This judgement is consistent with the school's own self-evaluation. Achievements and standards are good because teaching is good and because the children's attitudes to their work and their behaviour are very good. Some achieve very well because of the excellent attention given to individuals. The early identification of barriers to learning and early intervention in the Foundation Stage, and the support given to children with learning difficulties in both key stages enabling them to make very good progress are very strong features. In the Foundation Stage children make good progress in all areas of learning and the provision for them is good. In both key stages, progress in lessons is sometimes limited because children are not given a clear indication of what it is they are required to do to improve. The school has made very good progress in improving its ICT resources and training staff in how to use them.

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Grade: 2

However, currently ICT is not used effectively as a tool for learning. Children's personal development and well-being are outstanding, reflecting the high priority the school gives this. The school's excellent programme of 'Rights, Respect and Responsibilities' reinforces this approach. These principles are applied well in lessons and in many other aspects of the school. Teachers model these values well in all of their work. The school is very clear about its strengths and the areas requiring further improvement, including formative assessment and the use of ICT, although monitoring is based more on the completion of actions than on evaluation of impact. The headteacher and the governing body provide clear direction and there is good capacity for further improvement in the school, as shown in the improvements in a number of curriculum areas. The governance of the school is outstanding. The school provides good value

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Grade: 2

for money by ensuring that resources are focused on teaching and learning and on raising standards.

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What the school should do to improve further

andmiddot; Use data to monitor and evaluate the impact of developments in teaching and assessment.andmiddot; Ensure that assessment for learning is used consistently across the school.andmiddot; Improve the use of ICT to support teaching and learning.

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Grade: 2

Attainment on entry to the Foundation Stage is above what is normally found and children make good progress in their reception year and achieve good standards. A particularly strong feature is the early identification of learning difficulties and barriers to learning and the very effective range of early intervention strategies used. The school continues to refine its assessment systems and the use of data, focusing well on individual children. 2 Inspection Report: Oakley Infant School, 17 May 2006 to 18 May 2006 All pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1 and some do very well, in particular those with learning difficulties. Standards are very good, although there is some variation between different groups, for example, high attaining girls do not do as well as boys in some areas; the school recognises this and monitors it carefully. In both key stages, very good attention is given to individual children and they are

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Grade: 2

set and meet challenging targets, although there is some variation in the effectiveness of this across the classes in each year group. Learners with LDD are very well integrated into the school community and make very good progress.

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Grade: 1

The school sets the all-round development of its pupils at the heart of all aspects of its work. The children have a strongly developed sense of care and respect for each other, ensuring that all feel valued for their unique qualities. The school's 'Rights, Respect and Responsibilities' project is very successful in promoting these core values. The three themes are incorporated into lessons well, modelled very well by teachers, and provide a strong link to the Every Child Matters outcomes. All children demonstrate very positive attitudes to their work, their behaviour is excellent and they are very keen to do well. They enjoy coming to school and attendance is very good. The school has achieved the Healthy Schools Award and actively promotes healthy living; as a result children can explain a healthy diet and know that they should take exercise. There is a very good range of activities to encourage physical activity. Children

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Grade: 1

learn skills that will later enable them to become active citizens in their community such as literacy, numeracy, communication, team work, ability to cope with change and curiosity. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. They learn to reflect on their feelings and those of others. They show care and consideration for other people, other creatures and their environment. They know about aspects of other cultures and faiths.

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Grade: 2

Most teaching is good, with a small proportion that is outstanding. All teachers have an excellent relationship with their classes. A particular strength is the attention given to individual children; those with particular needs are integrated extremely well into lessons. Good use is made of questioning and drawing ideas from children to develop teaching points. Activities are matched well to the learning objectives, with imaginative approaches often used, as shown in the high quality display of children's work in classrooms and around the school. Children are fully engaged with their learning, reflecting their positive attitudes as well as good teaching. Work is assessed accurately 3 Inspection Report: Oakley Infant School, 17 May 2006 to 18 May 2006 and this is used to set targets for future work and helps children make good overall progress. Where the teaching is weaker it is because insufficient attention is given to monitoring

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Grade: 2

carefully children's progress during the lesson. Although some good progress has been made, assessment for learning is not embedded in practice across the school and this inhibits the progress made by some children during lessons.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is good. A well planned PSHE programme, which includes the three 'Rights, Respect and Responsibilities' themes, is central to the work of all classes. Planning shows clearly the areas of learning that are to be covered and the progression that is expected. The curriculum for Key Stage 1 meets all statutory requirements and meets the needs of all pupils well. There is a good balance of discrete work, integrated topics and themes running through the curriculum. A good example is the development of numeracy and writing skills throughout the curriculum. The school also makes particularly good use of focus weeks; children enjoy these and talk with enthusiasm about the woodland, drama, science, healthy eating, and the 'Rights, Respect and Responsibilities' weeks, as well as about the wide range of people who come to the school to work with them. Good use is made of the local environment

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Grade: 2

and community. In both key stages, medium-term and weekly planning includes good assessment activities and differentiated expectations of learning, although lesson planning sometimes lacks these features. Although computer-based activities are built into many lessons, ICT is not being used effectively as a tool to support learning. Children of all ages have access to a good range of lunchtime activities and some after school clubs. These activities are used well to extend the curriculum and to develop particular aspects of overall development and well as provide enjoyment.

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Grade: 1

The school provides outstanding care and support for its learners. It is a very calm, safe and orderly environment in which children know what is expected of them and how they can expect others to behave. The attention given to individual children is outstanding and their needs are very well met. Children say that they feel very safe at school. They know that they can talk to their teacher if they have any worries. They are confident that any rare misbehaviour will be dealt with effectively. Effective procedures are in place to address any child protection issues and to ensure that designated staff are well trained. Procedures for ensuring children's health and safety are rigorous and effective. There is good communication with other agencies to provide an effective response to these concerns. The very small number of looked after children 4 Inspection Report: Oakley Infant School, 17 May 2006 to 18 May 2006

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Grade: 1

are well supported through the school's framework for supporting children with any learning difficulties.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good overall, with some outstanding features. There is a good focus on raising standards and promoting personal development and well-being. All issues arising from the previous inspection have been addressed fully. The school's self-evaluation is comprehensive and accurate. The headteacher and the governing body are very clear about the strengths of the school and the areas requiring further improvement. The objectives in the school improvement plan identify accurately what is required to raise standards. Although the plan provides clear details of the actions to be taken, evaluation is focused on completing the actions rather than monitoring the impact. The school undertakes extensive monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning, although currently, partly because of historical difficulties, the analysis of data is not used well to evaluate the impact of changes

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Grade: 2

made. The school is very inclusive and this reflects the approach adopted by the headteacher and extends to all staff as well as children. She provides very good leadership that has led to a very positive ethos and a clear direction for the school. Her analysis of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching are accurate and provide a very good basis for professional development; a 'leading sustainable development' programme is being used well in the school. The potential in less experienced teachers is recognised and they are given encouragement and support to take on new responsibilities. The restructuring of middle management is intended to provide the headteacher with good support. There is good capacity for improvement in the school. Progress has already been made, for example, in formative assessment and in the use of ICT, although both require further development. The governance of the school is outstanding. The school provides good value for

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Grade: 2

money. This is monitored carefully by the governing body and the allocation of resources is focused well on supporting teaching and learning and raising standards. 5 Inspection Report: Oakley Infant School, 17 May 2006 to 18 May 2006 .

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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: Oakley Infant School, 17 May 2006 to 18 May 2006

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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 1 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 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 1 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 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 2 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 1 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

Children We enjoyed visiting your school recently and would like to thank you for all the help that you gave us. We particularly enjoyed talking to you and were impressed by the way you made us feel welcome in your school and how sensibly you answered our questions. We think your school is a good school and I am sure you want to know why. * Oakley Infant is a happy school, where you are encouraged to work hard and do your best. You enjoy coming to school. You are very polite and friendly and behave very well.* Your teachers look after you very well. They make sure you know how to stay healthy and safe. They are always ready to help you when needed.* You enjoy making a contribution to the school and helping your teachers. You work well with other people in your community.* The work you do on 'rights, respect and responsibilities' is excellent. We were impressed by the displays we saw in your classrooms.* Teaching is good and some is very good. Your teachers take care to make sure

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you do well.* You enjoy your 'focus weeks' and these help to make your learning fun and interesting. * The school makes sure you have interesting activities to do during lunchtimes.* Your headteacher does an excellent job. She has worked hard to make the school a very caring one where everyone is looked after very well. She is helped by the teachers, the other adults who work with you, and by the governors, who support her well. We have asked the teachers to help you further in lessons by letting you know exactly what you have to do to get better. We have also asked them to make sure that ICT is used to help you learn.Thank you once again for your help during the inspection. Good luck in the future. Yours sincerely, James Sage Her Majesty's Inspector

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