Badshot Lea Village Infant School

Badshot Lea Village Infant School Inspection report

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125051 Unique Reference Number Surrey Local Authority 315133 Inspection number 1 May 2008 Inspection date Bernice Magson 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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Infant Type of school Community School category 4 °7 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 133 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Geoff Jeal Chair Mrs Jan Weir Headteacher 26 April 2004 Date of previous school inspection Badshot Lea School address Farnham GU9 9LE 01252 320883 Telephone number 01252 320891 Fax number

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4-7 Age group 1 May 2008 Inspection date 315133 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: how well all pupils are achieving; how the school is seeking to raise standards in writing, particularly for the more able pupils; standards in pupils' personal development; and the effectiveness of the school's systems of self-evaluation in measuring the school's performance. Evidence was gathered from the school's records, planning and policies, from observing teaching and learning, from discussion with staff, pupils and governors and from a scrutiny of parents' questionnaires. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspector found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included in the report.

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Description of the school

Badshot Lea Village Infant School is situated in the centre of the village of Badshot Lea, which is close to Farnham. Pupils join the school in the September of the school year in which they are five years of age. Most pupils are of White British origin, with a few of Caribbean, Asian and Gypsy/Roma heritage. None is at an early stage of learning English. Well above average numbers of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. A few pupils attend specialist provision in the school for their complex special needs, including physical difficulties, speech, language and communication delay, and autism. The school has achieved the Activemark Award for sport and Healthy Schools status.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Badshot Lea Village Infant School, 1 May 2008

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Grade: 2

'Badshot Lea is a very special school, which is at the heart of our community, and feels very safe, warm and welcoming. Our children love it,' commented one parent, reflecting the views of many. Indeed, in this good school, every effort is made to ensure that pupils learn in a safe and stimulating environment, and the care and support given by all staff is excellent. Relationships between pupils and with adults are outstanding. As a result, pupils achieve well, because they have very good attitudes to learning, and work hard in lessons. They greatly enjoy all the school has to offer and attend regularly. Good teaching means that pupils make good progress from average starting points. By the end of Year 2, standards in reading and mathematics are significantly above average in national tests, and slightly above average in writing. The school is effective in tracking pupils' progress and identifying strengths and weaknesses in performance. Currently, teachers are working to

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Grade: 2

raise standards in writing in Years 1 and 2, and there is evidence of good improvement in the achievement of boys and the more able. The school has now identified as a priority the need to provide better guidance to teachers for marking and target setting, so that pupils can understand more how to improve their work. Outside agencies give excellent support to less able and vulnerable pupils, and this enables them to make the same progress as their classmates. An outstanding curriculum provides pupils with an extensive range of learning experiences, planned effectively to meet their needs. Strong links with other schools are used to enhance the curriculum very well, and pupils make an excellent contribution to the community in events such as Farnham Carnival. Theme-based topics, 'Wow' days and an extensive range of out of school activities are popular with pupils. Recently, many pupils took part in special celebrations

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Grade: 2

for Diwali, including Indian dancing. Teachers' enthusiasm and good subject knowledge is instrumental in motivating pupils and extending their learning. Planning shows that there are good opportunities for pupils to practise new skills in problem-solving activities. For example, in a mixed class of Years 1 and 2, in an excellent science lesson, pupils made detailed predictions about the growth of plants, and used appropriate technical terms to describe their findings during experiments. All teachers plan lessons well and challenge individuals effectively by skilful questioning. Teaching assistants give valuable support, particularly to less able pupils. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher nurtures the school's ethos and promotes its aims and values very well, ably supported by staff and governors. There is a clear sense of direction among leaders and managers and they set challenging targets, which the

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Grade: 2

school reaches. Through their good efforts the learning environment has been extended very effectively, both indoors and out, and with strong financial support from parents and the local community. Financial management is good. However, systems for monitoring and evaluation of standards and provision are underdeveloped. The improvement plan has insufficient detail to enable staff and governors to fulfil their roles with enough rigour. This means that the school's self-evaluation is only satisfactory. Leaders and managers recognise that this is an area for improvement and, given the school's track record, there is a good capacity to improve.

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Grade: 2

Teamwork is very strong in the Foundation Stage and staff work seamlessly together to ensure that children enjoy school and learn well. A strong feature of the provision is the vibrant and 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Badshot Lea Village Infant School, 1 May 2008 spacious learning environment both indoors and out, which provides children with many opportunities in which to play and explore. Early assessment of attainment on entry ensures that learning tasks are matched effectively to children's needs and they are challenged in depth. Staff know children well and have excellent relationships with them. As a result, children behave well, having a good understanding of right and wrong. They take care of themselves very well. Each day children are encouraged to make decisions about their play and access equipment responsibly. They concentrate well and persevere for long periods on difficult tasks. From average starting points, most children reach beyond expected goals in all areas of learning by

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What the school should do to improve further

■ In Years 1 and 2, improve the quality of teachers' marking and target setting, so that pupils have a better understanding of how to improve their work. ■ Refine the school improvement plan in order to sharpen monitoring and evaluation procedures by leaders and managers at all levels. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Badshot Lea Village Infant School, 1 May 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Badshot Lea Village Infant School, 1 May 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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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the 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 effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 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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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 of 9 Inspection Report: Badshot Lea Village Infant School, 1 May 2008

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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 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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 of 9 Inspection Report: Badshot Lea Village Infant School, 1 May 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 May 2008 Dear Children Inspection of Badshot Lea Village Infant School,Farnham,GU9 9LE Thank you for making me so welcome when I visited your school a few days ago. It was good to meet so many of you and I had a lovely time. I enjoyed finding out about all the exciting things you are doing. I enjoyed hearing some of your stories in Year 1, and the horse riding looked very exciting for children in Rainbow class. I think that you have a good school and I can see why you enjoy coming each day. What I liked most about your school is:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you reach standards above those in most schools, particularly in your reading, writing and mathematics ■ you work hard in lessons because there are many exciting things to do

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the teachers plan activities which interest and challenge all of you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ everybody takes good care of you and this helps you to feel happy and safe

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you join in lots of events in Badshot Lea and Farnham, and you have won many awards, such as in the tallest sunflower competition ■ your parents and carers are very glad that you go to this school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the school is led well by the headteacher.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

To make your school even better, I have asked your headteacher and the other grown ups to check regularly how the school is doing so that it will always be as good as it can be. I think that it would help in your writing if the teachers could give you more ideas about how you can improve. I know that your school will continue to get better. Best wishes Bernice Magson Lead Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Badshot Lea Village Infant School, 1 May 2008

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