Otterbourne Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Otterbourne Church of England Primary School

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116304 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 279788 Inspection number 6 October 2006 Inspection date Christopher Gray Reporting inspector

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

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Main Road School address Primary Type of school Otterbourne Voluntary controlled School category Winchester SO21 2EQ 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01962712020 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01962713336 Fax number 258 Number on roll (school) Mrs Sue Barham Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Alison Langrish Headteacher 14 March 2000 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 279788 6 October 2006 4 °11 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school is similar in size to most schools. Most pupils are of White British heritage and very few speak English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils with statements of educational need is slightly above that found in most schools. Most pupils come from socially advantaged backgrounds. The headteacher has been in post for one year.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Otterbourne Church of England Primary School, 6 October 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school of which the pupils are very proud. When asked what they would remember most about Otterbourne when they grow up, one girl said, 'having made a difference to the school by being a school councillor.' One boy said that what he liked best was 'being enabled to say what we thinks.' They clearly enjoy their schooling. Pupils achieve well during their time in the school and reach well above average standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave. They also acquire good information and communication technology (ICT) skills. These abilities stand them in good stead for their future education. Children in the Foundation Stage make a good start to their learning because of good teaching and provision. They make good progress and most are likely to meet, and many to exceed, the goals expected of them by the time they enter Year 1. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. They behave well and enjoy

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Grade: 2

taking responsibilities as they get older. They have an outstanding sense of community and the part they should play in it. As a school councillor said, 'Everyone has someone to play with; if they don't, you go up to them and say 'Do you want to play?' Pupils' appreciation of the importance of keeping healthy is outstanding. Discussions in every class led to real changes in the snacks children bring for break-times and the type of food they eat for lunch. They also understand moderation - when asked if there is anything that should be completely avoided, several thought and said 'No'. One added: 'Except perhaps drugs', then another, 'Lying down on a sofa all day.' They know that their school is a safe and secure place and told the inspector how no one can get in without permission. Teaching is good. Pupils learn well because teachers help them to improve - this is something pupils themselves said. This enables pupils to make good progress. The

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Grade: 2

school rightly identified that progress is uneven from year to year because the quality of teaching, particularly in lesson planning and the marking of pupils' work, is inconsistent. This was spotted because the school now makes very good use of a system of tracking individual progress, introduced twelve months ago. The work undertaken by senior management to iron out these differences has already borne fruit in reading and writing. This shows the good capacity the school has to improve further. Progress in mathematics is still uneven and is the focus of current work. This capacity for improvement is shared by staff at all levels and is the result of the outstanding leadership and management of the headteacher. Every avenue of the school's work is rigorously analysed and she involves all staff and governors in her vision. Leadership and management are good overall and lead to the provision of a good quality education.

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Grade: 2

The school gives its pupils good care, guidance and support. Welfare and security aspects are particularly strong and go well beyond what is required legally. Assessment data is used well to ensure that any pupils who are not making the expected progress are swiftly given extra help. The school's curriculum is well enriched by visits and a wide range of extra-curricular activities. It is currently being replanned to make 2 Inspection Report: Otterbourne Church of England Primary School, 6 October 2006 interesting links between subjects which will allow pupils to use many of their skills in different areas. This decision is a wise one because there was previously no clear overview of curriculum coverage, and is further evidence of the good capacity to make necessary improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Achieve greater consistency in the quality of teaching so that pupils make more even progress as they move through the school, especially in mathematics. • Plan the curriculum to include more meaningful links between subjects which build on pupils' interests and experience.

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Grade: 2

Children start school with skills that are broadly average, though a little above average in physical and personal development. By the time they leave Year 6, they reach well above average standards, which represents a good level of achievement. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make good progress to reach above average standards. The school identified that progress in Years 3 and 4 had been slowing down in the recent past, and that pupils caught up through very good teaching in Years 5 and 6. Work to overcome this uneven progress has been effective and is continuing, especially in mathematics. All groups of pupils achieve at similar rates. Those pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are well supported, especially by the school's new equipment to help pupils with disabilities. The school realised that some boys' attitudes to reading deteriorated as they got older and took action to reverse this trend in the form of a reading club,

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Grade: 2

led by the headteacher. The inspector met a group of boys, who were so keen to tell him of their favourite books and authors that they were nearly delayed from going to the harvest service. This is good evidence of the success of this initiative.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They talk openly about their feelings and their attitudes to other people's ideas. One pupil expressed her view of religious belief: 'A Christian might think his religion is all-important to him but might forget that a Buddhist might believe just the same'. 'Disliking other people for their religion is a form of racism' observed another. They insist that their attitudes to each other mean that bullying is virtually unknown, yet are clear what to do if it should happen. Pupils' enjoyment of their learning is evident, not only from their good attendance, but also from their attitudes in class. Just occasionally, this leads them to get a little over excited or too chatty. 3 Inspection Report: Otterbourne Church of England Primary School, 6 October 2006

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good because teachers work hard to match the work they give pupils to the levels that the pupils have reached. The pupils themselves agreed that one of the things that helped them improve was the groups in each class, doing similar work but with varying degrees of difficulty. That this type of planning is a regular feature of their learning is evident from the fact that pupils volunteered this opinion, unprompted. This is possible because of the detailed use of assessment data in planning lessons. It has been so only recently and the lack of consistency in its use, and in the quality of marking, account for some of the uneven progress identified by the school, especially in mathematics. Teachers use this assessment data well in reading and writing as is shown by the good progress made by pupils in all year groups last year.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. The extent of its enrichment, through visits, speakers and clubs, helps account for pupils' enjoyment of their learning. It meets the needs of pupils well because there is frequent challenge at the right level for all learners. ICT is incorporated into most subjects and the provision for this subject is good. Overall curriculum planning has been redesigned over the last year, because it lacked overall coherence. The school has drawn up new plans which make links between subjects where possible, so that pupils can more easily see the relevance of what they are learning. These plans now need to be fully implemented.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. Procedures to secure children's health and safety are rigorous and do all that is possible to make them secure. One parent wrote, 'The teachers make your child feel extra special and safe.' Assessment procedures are well used to promote pupils' progress, though there is still work to be done in ironing out pockets of uneven progress. The school has just introduced target setting and, already, older pupils know not only which level they ought to reach in English and mathematics, but also how to get there. The school is in the process of introducing similar target setting for younger pupils. A particularly effective system for improving writing is used in Year 5. 4 Inspection Report: Otterbourne Church of England Primary School, 6 October 2006

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher gives outstanding leadership and has quickly united the staff and governors in the drive for excellence all round. Her accurate analysis of the school has enabled it to move forward well on this journey. This self-evaluation has been rigorous and is being effective in achieving the school's shared goals. Subject leaders have received much input to help them develop their roles and most are fully involved in evaluating and improving the school's work. Others are still developing their skills. This process of evaluation includes governors, who hold the school to account and take a detailed part in tracking the progress of priorities in the school's improvement plan. These developments have been aided by the good partnership which the school has established with bodies such as the county advisory service and other schools. The good partnership with parents is summed up by the

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Grade: 2

parent who wrote, 'Our children are very happy at Otterbourne Primary. As the years have gone by, we have seen them blossom and flourish.' 5 Inspection Report: Otterbourne Church of England Primary School, 6 October 2006 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Otterbourne Church of England Primary School, 6 October 2006

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Inspection judgements

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

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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 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 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

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 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

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and interests of learners?

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

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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. 7 Inspection Report: Otterbourne Church of England Primary School, 6 October 2006

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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? 8 Inspection Report: Otterbourne Church of England Primary School, 6 October 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for making me so welcome when I visited your school recently. I very much enjoyed my visit and was pleased to have the chance to talk to many of you. You clearly enjoy being at Otterbourne Primary and there are many reasons why. It is a happy and safe place, where learning and working hard are important to you. You behave well and have much consideration for the feelings of others. You are proud to help in the running of the school, not only through the school council but also through jobs such as school librarians. Leading a healthy lifestyle is important to you, as you show in the concern you take for the kind of snacks which you decided should be eaten at playtimes. You and all the adults help to make Otterbourne a good school, and your parents think so too. You are taught well and reach good standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT. You are beginning to understand your targets and to use them to make your work better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Your headteacher does an excellent job in leading the school and is very thorough in making sure that everything is as it should be. One of the things she has found is that some of you do not always make as much progress in every class. She and her staff have worked to improve this in reading and writing, as I discovered for myself when talking to a group of boys about the reading club. Your progress in mathematics is not always smooth from class to class, and this is one of the things I have asked the school to work on. In fact, they were doing it already. The other thing is to make more links between subjects, so that your lessons can be even more interesting. An example of how this happens already is when you use the internet to research a topic in history or geography. I hope you continue to enjoy your time at Otterbourne. Yours sincerely Christopher Gray Lead Inspector 9 Inspection Report: Otterbourne Church of England Primary School, 6 October 2006

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