Mengham Infant School

115986 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 312133 Inspection number 17–18 November 2008 Inspection dates Linda Kelsey HMI Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Infant Type of school Community School category 4–7 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 121 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Michael Powell Chair Mrs Janet Randall Headteacher 14 March 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection St Mary's Road School address Hayling Island PO11 9DD 02392 462470 Telephone number 02392 463794 Fax number

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4–7 Age group 17–18 November 2008 Inspection dates 312133 Inspection number .

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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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Mengham Infant School, 17–18 November 2008

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Introduction

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

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average school. Numbers were declining but in 2008 have risen. Most pupils come from a white British background. The proportion of pupils identified as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below the national average although a quarter of the class in the current Year 1 are identified as needing extra support. The proportion of children entitled to free school meals is above the national average. Most children attend some kind of pre-school provision; the school hosts a voluntary sector pre-school, a before and after school club and a holiday club, in addition to an independent nursery. These extended services are part of the full care children's centre for the area. The school holds Healthy Schools Award and an Activemark for Sports.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Mengham Infant School, 17–18 November 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. Leadership of the school is good because steps have been taken to address issues raised at the time of the last inspection. Focus has rightly been directed on raising standards through improved data and rigorous analysis of results. The school also has some outstanding features because it has effectively extended its provision and made excellent links with the outside locality; churches, groups and organisations to ensure that it has a good reputation in the community. Its care and welfare of pupils is outstanding and capacity for further improvement is good. A 'true professional' and a 'head with a heart' are some of the comments made about the excellent leadership qualities of the headteacher. Parents fully support the school and many took the opportunity to write personal thanks and endorsements of the leadership and teachers. As one parent commented, 'this is a fantastic school which always has time for children and

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Grade: 2

parents'. Teachers' expectations of what pupils can achieve have improved and standards are rising. Pupils are making good progress as they move through the school. They start in Year 1 with standards, which are below expectations and by the end of Year 2, reach national averages. The school, never complacent, rightly recognises that there is more to do in improving writing and mathematical skills for the higher achievers who already do well in reading, speaking and listening. Pupils behave very well and enjoy their time at school. They say they feel safe and know how to keep healthy through their well thought out lunch boxes and daily snacks of fruit and water. They love the creative side of the curriculum and that they can make things. Art, music and learning a foreign language are all part of the rich and diverse curriculum offered through the international primary curriculum (IPC), which the school has introduced this year. Pupils have

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Grade: 2

a good understanding of beliefs and cultures from around the world. Good links are developing with schools in other countries, although cultural links with the wider British heritage are less secure. Attendance, while improving, is still not at national levels and unauthorised absences are higher than they should be. The school does all it can to work closely with families and as a result punctuality has improved. The introduction of the breakfast club and the physical routines and exercises offered through the 'activate regime' has ensured that more children are prepared well to start work when school begins. Teaching is good as teachers know their pupils well and make sure that their individual needs are appropriately addressed. There is a shared responsibility of management through the senior leadership team, and supportive governors who understand their role as critical friend well. They monitor the school's

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Grade: 2

progress through regular visits to the school and at committee meetings. Steps are being taken to strengthen the leadership team further through the permanent appointment of a deputy headteacher.

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Grade: 2

Children made good progress in the EYFS but are still below age expected levels at the end of Reception Year. This is because good opportunities are offered from an exciting and well-balanced curriculum, which covers all six areas of learning. Planning takes good note of 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Mengham Infant School, 17–18 November 2008 children's starting points and interests and consequently the planned activities meet children's needs well. As a result, the children are happy to be at school and are achieving well both in personal and social development and in their communication, language and literacy skills. Their achievement in other areas is at least satisfactory. Members of staff are well deployed to support different groups and activities using both the inside and outside space. However, children do not have continuous access to the outside to give them constant choice and opportunity to

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Grade: 2

write and count outdoors. Leadership of the EYFS is good and there is a good understanding of where there is work still to do. There are strong links with parents and outside agencies and good partnership working with the on-site pre-school, nursery and children's centre. All welfare requirements are in place.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Make more innovative use of the EYFS outside curriculum to improve writing and mathematics so that more children build the foundations to enable them to achieve even higher standards by Year 2. ■ Reduce unauthorised absences and improve attendance overall so that a higher proportion of pupils are in school every day.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enter the school with under-developed skills in social and personal development and make good progress. By the time they leave school at the end of Year 2 standards are broadly average, and in some areas, notably reading, speaking, and listening are above average. However, higher achievers do less well in writing and mathematics because they have not built up secure enough early writing or number skills prior to entering Year 1. The good curriculum is also ensuring that achievement is good in French, music, information and communication technology (ICT) and physical education.

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Grade: 2

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good overall. Pupils' excellent contribution to their community through fund raising, charity events, singing in choirs and being involved in the local life of the Island have all contributed well to the personal development of all children. Pupils are well prepared for their future through improved basic skills in literacy and numeracy. Story time is used well to explore personal feelings such as anger and joy. Pupils know what is expected of them and behave well around the school and in class. Regular routines are understood, so that the school is a harmonious and happy place. Pupils know what constitutes a healthy diet and take regular exercise. Attendance is not as good as it could be. Too many parents choose to take their children out of school, unauthorised, during term time, although the school's targets for attendance this term have been reached and the school is doing a great

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Grade: 2

deal to encourage pupils to attend. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Mengham Infant School, 17–18 November 2008

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Grade: 2

Teaching is well planned and resourced; teachers are particularly skilled practitioners in music, French and physical exercise (PE). Teachers use language well to help develop pupils' thinking and engage them in learning. They give good praise to encourage pupils to achieve more and use good strategies for behaviour management. Teachers plan well using their knowledge of the pupils to deploy teaching assistants effectively. Work is marked well; it helps pupils to know how they can improve although few knew their targets when asked. Play and outdoor learning is a little too structured and teacher led. This restricts, somewhat, the children's independent writing opportunities including those to write numbers.

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Grade: 2

The well-balanced and wide curriculum based on the international primary curriculum (IPC) has been in place since January 2008. It has strengthened the curriculum for the pupils making it more creative and fun. Resources are well planned and there is good provision for ICT, music, physical education and French. Planning is of a high quality with a high focus on literacy, personal and social development. Extra activities and after school and breakfast and lunch clubs promote further enjoyment and exercise.

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding area of the school. The very high levels of adult supervision, rigorous checks on staff and ensuring all pupils are well cared for, and supported through their early years at school means that they are well prepared for the next stage of learning. The school site is attractive, secure and well managed; it is used appropriately to promote aspects of learning and exercise. The assessment and tracking of pupils' progress is good and this enables teachers to know how well pupils are doing and plan work according to their needs. Where pupils have specific needs good additional support through the nurture group or one to one support is provided for them.

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Grade: 2

Strong and experienced leadership, focused on raising achievement and eliminating inequality has made this school successful. Standards have risen over the last two years since the headteacher took up post. The focus put on achieving better outcomes for all children including the most vulnerable and those who have the ability to do well have been a strong and successful development. Management at all levels is good and the school is rightly developing the roles of the middle leaders so that they can have a more active insight into how well the school is doing. There is a strong common sense of purpose amongst the staff, governors and parents. These parents have overwhelming praise about the care and education of their children. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Mengham Infant School, 17–18 November 2008 The accurate self-evaluation recognises the school for its good quality while also highlighting where there is still work to do. The current enthusiasm and the effective use of the monitoring

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Grade: 2

of teachers' performance, as well as the assessment of pupils' progress, has led to challenging targets being set for the future. The school is welcoming, resources are well used and the environment is colourful, interesting and stimulates children's learning. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Mengham Infant School, 17–18 November 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Mengham Infant School, 17–18 November 2008

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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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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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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/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Mengham Infant School, 17–18 November 2008

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Mengham Infant School, 17–18 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

02 December 2008 Dear Children Inspection of Mengham Infant School,Hayling Island,PO11 9DD Thank you for making me so welcome to your school. I enjoyed chatting with you at lunchtime, playtime and in class and seeing how happy you all are. With all the colourful displays and good resources both inside and outside I am not surprised you all love coming to school. This is a good school where many of you are now working hard to get better at reading, writing and number work. You also behave well and know that you have to exercise regularly and eat properly to keep healthy. Your activities in the local community are highly commendable. Your teachers work hard to make sure that you all do the work that is right for you so that you can get even better. You are pleased that you can offer your suggestions to the school through your school council. Your school is well led by your headteacher who knows exactly what to do to make this good

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

school even better. I know the teachers are planning more time for you to work and play outside so you will find more things to help you write and count. However, they need your help and that of your parents to make sure as many as possible attend the school when it is open. The school will then be able to improve all your writing and mathematics so that it is as good as your reading and talking. Good luck! I wish you all the health and happiness for the future. Yours sincerely Linda Kelsey Her Majesty's Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Mengham Infant School, 17–18 November 2008

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