North Baddesley Infant School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Embed improvements in teaching and learning to improve outcomes for all groups of pupils, by ensuring that:
  • teachers plan and adapt learning tasks precisely to meet pupils’ needs, particularly the least and most able, including the most able disadvantaged pupils
  • the recent improvements in the teaching of phonics are sustained so that pupils’ achievement in phonics continues to improve.
• Strengthen leadership and management, by:
  • ensuring that subject and middle leaders play an effective role in improving pupils’ outcomes
  • ensuring that performance management arrangements are more closely focused on pupils’ progress to enable leaders to hold staff more fully to account
  • sharpening governors’ focus on pupils’ outcomes, to improve their strategic oversight and evaluations of the school’s work.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher provides strong, effective leadership. She has led many improvements to tackle areas of weakness effectively. The headteacher’s principled leadership ensures that developments and improvements at the school are focused appropriately on the needs and interests of pupils.
• The headteacher has gained the support of staff. They speak enthusiastically about the significant positive shift in the ‘culture’ of the school and the headteacher’s strong leadership. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about her vision and how well they are supported.
• The headteacher’s accurate evaluations have enabled her to target support where it is most needed, to bring about rapid improvement. There was a legacy of some weaker teaching in the school, which the headteacher has successfully tackled. Pupils’ progress has improved as a result, evident in the improved outcomes for pupils at the end of key stage 1. However, leaders acknowledge that more work can be done to raise standards further.
• The headteacher champions the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and is determined that they should achieve well. Leaders have reviewed and successfully adapted the way the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used. Targeted support and close tracking of pupils’ progress are having a very positive impact on disadvantaged pupils’ achievement. Most of these pupils are now making good progress; however, few of these pupils are working at a greater depth of learning.
• The headteacher has provided effective training and professional development to enable staff to develop their teaching and leadership skills. Improved performance management is helping staff to be much clearer about their roles, responsibilities and the expectations of them. However, these processes are not consistently focused upon pupils’ progress.
• Staff share a clear vision for improvement and this is strengthening leadership throughout the school. However, subject and middle leaders do not yet contribute fully to improving pupils’ outcomes. The headteacher and governors have, rightly, reviewed the leadership structure. Their relevant plans for September, including the addition of the newly appointed deputy headteacher, are designed to strengthen leadership capacity.
• Leaders make effective use of the additional funds they receive to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders have high expectations for these pupils’ achievement, a very good understanding of pupils’ needs and carefully track these pupils’ progress. By providing an appropriate balance of challenge and support, leaders ensure that these pupils make good progress and grow in confidence.
• The curriculum is appropriately broad and balanced. Effective leadership of the curriculum ensures a coherent, planned progression of pupils’ skills and knowledge. The curriculum successfully engages and interests pupils in their learning. Additional visits enhance the curriculum adding interest, enjoyment and meaning to pupils’ learning. For example, when studying ‘The lighthouse keeper’s lunch’, pupils enjoyed a visit to the school from members of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
• Leaders make good use of additional sports funding to provide increased opportunities for pupils to take part in competitive sports, including through a range of sporting clubs. For example, pupils in key stage 1 enjoyed an inter-school gymnastics competition, and their achievements are proudly displayed in school.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is supported well. Pupils understand the school’s values and can explain the school’s rules that guide their behaviour. Pupils commented, ‘We have golden rules. They are to help us listen, try our best, be honest, and be kind and careful.’
• School leaders have ensured that pupils have appropriate opportunities to learn about fundamental British values. For example, pupils learn about democracy through the opportunities they have to vote when selecting the school’s nominated charity of the year. Leaders ensure that pupils learn well about different cultures through their religious education, including developing their understanding of religious festivals such as Eid and Diwali.
• The headteacher has worked very effectively to develop strong relationships with parents and harness their support. Together with parents, she has established a new parent teacher association which organises positive community events such as the summer fair. As one member of staff explained, ‘The headteacher has opened the doors of the school to the community.’

Governance of the school

• Governance of the school is effective. In recent years, there have been many changes to the membership of the governing body and most governors are relatively new to their roles. The governing body has seized the opportunity presented by the change in the school’s leadership to re-evaluate its roles and committee structure. The new structure has enabled governors to discharge their responsibilities more effectively. For example, they have ensured that the school’s new website complies with the requirements for the publication of information for parents.
• Governors ensure that they are kept well informed through the headteacher’s good-quality reports. This is enabling governors to have a growing understanding of the school’s work and to ask more probing, challenging questions which hold leaders to account. However, when governors visit the school to evaluate its performance their activities are not sufficiently focused on pupils’ progress.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have established very effective systems to record any concerns about pupils and ensure that when appropriate, these are referred to outside agencies. School leaders work effectively with the relevant agencies to ensure that pupils and families receive the help they need. Leaders make sure that appropriate checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils are carried out diligently prior to appointment.
• Good-quality training ensures that staff are confident in spotting any concerns about pupils and in referring these on to the headteacher. Leaders keep safeguarding under close review and continually seek to improve their arrangements.
• Leaders ensure that parents are supported well to keep their children safe; for example, the school’s website includes informative guidance for parents to help them keep their children safe when using the internet.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have good relationships with pupils and there is a positive climate for learning. Teachers set high standards of professional conduct and, as a result, act as good role models for pupils. Positive and warm relationships pervade the school community and enable pupils to feel confident, secure and settled in school. This supports pupils well to engage with confidence in their learning.
• Teachers’ secure subject knowledge enables them to plan interesting lessons which pupils enjoy. This is particularly evident in the teaching of phonics and early reading, which have improved considerably. This is enabling a higher proportion of pupils to achieve well in reading and in the Year 1 phonics screening check. During phonics lessons, teachers articulate sounds clearly and ensure that pupils are pronouncing and reading sounds correctly.
• Good teaching ensures that pupils develop their reading skills well. Teachers plan reading activities which are well matched to pupils’ needs. These activities develop pupils’ fluency, accuracy and understanding of different texts and writing conventions. For example, some reading tasks help pupils to learn about the purpose of the contents, index and glossary pages when reading non-fiction texts.
• Across key stage 1, In English lessons teachers plan many opportunities for pupils to write in a wide range of genres such as writing stories, instructions and different types of information texts. Teachers plan appropriate activities which enable pupils to develop their knowledge of grammar and spelling rules. However, when pupils are writing in other subjects, teachers do not consistently adapt tasks sufficiently to ensure that all pupils are able to make as much progress as they can.
• Teachers question pupils effectively to help them to learn well. In mathematics, teachers help pupils to develop their reasoning skills by asking pupils to solve problems and explain their thinking. For example, ‘Which would you rather have, ¼ of 12 or ½ of 6?’ Teachers also make sure pupils have opportunities to develop their fluency in number, and to make links between calculations such as multiplication and division.
• Effective teaching interests pupils and ensures that they learn a range of appropriate strategies to help them confidently solve mathematical problems. As the school year progresses, teachers plan increasing opportunities for pupils to apply their number skills to solve real-life problems.
• Teachers plan learning in meaningful contexts which interest pupils. For example, in design and technology pupils enjoyed designing a new collar for their school dog, Monty. In science, pupils enjoyed carrying out different scientific tests to find out which material would be best for Paddington Bear’s new coat. In geography, teachers set pupils work about physical and human features around the story of ‘The jolly postman’. Pupils created their own interesting maps, plotting the features from this well-known story.
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. Teachers and support staff provide timely, targeted support to enable pupils to settle to their learning tasks and make appropriate progress.
• Across the school, good teaching enables the vast majority of pupils to make good progress and achieve well. Learning is mostly matched well to pupils’ needs; however, there are some inconsistencies across the school. At times, the purpose of activities is not clear or precise and teachers do not consistently respond quickly to pupils to reshape activities according to how well they are learning. As a result, some pupils find the work too easy or too difficult and their attention wanders and progress slows.
• In the wider curriculum, teachers plan and provide interesting activities for pupils. However, in foundation subjects the design of some of these activities limits pupils’ responses. In addition, these activities are not always adapted well to provide sufficient challenge for the most able pupils or appropriate guidance for the least able pupils.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• Leaders’ work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils’ achievements are valued, shared and celebrated. Pupils respect each other and appreciate their individual differences; as one pupil explained, ‘We are all different.’ Important attributes of kindness are developed well and pupils have special buddies to help them if they are upset or worried.
• Leaders strongly promote the values of respect, resilience and independence. From the very start of their school days, pupils are encouraged to keep trying and do their best, including when they find learning challenging. The additional guidance and support adults make available for individual pupils at lunchtimes help them to play well together and return to lessons ready to learn.
• The school provides valuable, effective support to help pupils who have emotional difficulties. Parents greatly appreciate and value the way the school supports their children as individuals, and how well staff respond if their children are having any difficulties. As one parent commented, ‘I cannot speak highly enough of the school.’
• The school’s charitable work helps pupils to think about other people and communities in different parts of the world who are less fortunate. The school also develops pupils’ kindness well, for example by providing opportunities for some pupils to care for Monty, the school dog.
• Pupils feel safe in school and are confident about who to speak to if they are worried or upset by anything. They have a secure understanding of how to keep safe online, and the school’s e-safety posters provide helpful reminders for pupils whenever they are using the computer.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Around the school and in class, pupils behave well and are courteous and respectful. They have positive attitudes to learning and enjoy talking to visitors about their work. On the playground, pupils play well together. They enjoy taking turns in games and cooperate well with each other.
• Pupils comply quickly with adult requests and have a good understanding of the school’s golden rules, the expected behaviour, and what happens if, ‘you need to move your peg onto the cloud’. Transitions between lessons are smooth and pupils settle to learning swiftly.
• Pupils are generally attentive and try their best with their learning tasks. However, when tasks are not as well matched to pupils’ needs and abilities the attention of some pupils strays and they do not progress as well as they could or take enough pride in their finished work.
• Pupils’ attendance is above average and very few pupils are persistently absent. Leaders diligently follow up any absence concerns and work effectively with families to ensure that pupils attend well.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• In 2016, the proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standard at the end of key stage 1 was above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils working at a greater depth of learning was close to the national average.
• In the past, some pupils have not achieved as well as they could and needed to catch up. Leaders are working hard to make up for this dip and the majority of current pupils are now making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• In previous years, disadvantaged pupils have not made as much progress as other pupils. These pupils are now making much better progress and most are achieving well, relative to their starting points. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils working at the expected standard in reading and writing has risen sharply and continues to improve. However, few disadvantaged pupils are working at a greater depth of learning.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make sound progress and achieve well, relative to their starting points.
• The proportion of pupils who are achieving a greater depth of learning has increased in writing and mathematics. However, the most able pupils are not challenged consistently well to enable them to achieve as highly as they can in all subjects.
• The proportion of pupils who meet the required standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check is rising and there has been an improving trend over the last two years. However, standards in phonics remain below the national average.
• Over time, pupils’ stamina for writing increases, their handwriting improves, as does the accuracy of their spelling and punctuation. This is because pupils develop a good understanding of spelling rules and English grammar.
• In mathematics, pupils develop their calculation skills and fluency well and apply their skills well to solve problems. Pupils are confident in using different mathematical jottings and resources to help them solve problems. Their knowledge of different number facts, for example times tables, develops appropriately over time.
• Pupils achieve well in science. As well as learning about many different aspects of science, pupils also learn how to work scientifically. Pupils learn to plan and carry out simple experiments and put their predictions to the test. For example, Year 2 pupils planned an experiment to find out which cars would travel the furthest. One pupil wrote, ‘The car will travel further on the carpet because of friction.’
• Although pupils have many interesting opportunities to learn across the wider curriculum, their progress in some foundation subjects is not consistently good. This is mainly because the tasks teachers provide for pupils limit their responses at times and, as a result, inhibit their progress.

Early years provision Good

• The early years setting is a rich, exciting environment for learning, and teaching is consistently good. Interesting learning activities successfully harness children’s natural curiosity and thirst for learning. Teachers plan activities which develop children’s learning well across all areas of the early years curriculum. Adults respond to children well, capitalise on their interests and encourage them to be independent learners.
• Across the setting, adults move children’s learning on rapidly through well-timed comments and questions. Adults ensure that any misconceptions or errors are quickly addressed. For example, when learning to write numbers an adult quickly noticed that some children had made a mistake. The adult asked children to, ‘Have a look. How can you make your number three look like mine?’
• Teachers strongly promote early reading and writing. Many varied and interesting activities encourage children to write for different purposes, such as writing invitations to their fashion show and making lists of different animals. Overall, children make good progress in these areas, and some of the most able children make rapid progress in their writing skills. The most able children are beginning to link sentences together, write at greater length and make good vocabulary choices. For example, when writing about a spider one child wrote, ‘The spider has fangs so it can eat and poison its prey.’
• Phonics is taught well in the early years. Children develop good reading skills and apply their knowledge of phonics to help them read new words. Children apply their skills well, for example when ‘fishing’ for different words and sounds. Teachers use their good subject knowledge to model the correct sounds that letters make. They quickly notice when children need extra help with their sounds and provide good guidance to them.
• During independent learning activities adults question and guide children to move their learning on well. For example, when making a special worm house, a teacher’s careful guidance helped children to learn that worms like to live in the dark and in the soil. This activity also promoted very well children’s kindness and care for living things by ensuring the worms had, ‘… just the right home to make sure they were happy’.
• Children behave well, sensibly share resources and work together as a happy team. They are attentive and sustain attention in their activities. For example, one group of children couldn’t wait to get started on building their bug ‘hotel’ and spent considerable time working collaboratively to improve their ‘hotel’. The children are curious learners and enjoy using their imaginations to invent their own games and play.
• From their varied starting points, children in the early years make good progress in all areas of learning. By the end of the early years, the proportion of children who achieve the expected ‘good level of development’ is well above the national average. Children are therefore very well prepared for their move into Year 1. Good arrangements also help these children to make a happy and successful transition into key stage 1.
• Teachers and leaders carefully track children’s progress. Teachers’ regular observations and well-judged assessments enable them to have a good understanding of children’s learning. Leaders ensure that each parent is kept informed of their child’s progress through the school’s electronic ‘learning journeys’ which parents contribute to very well. The good-quality end-of-year reports give parents comprehensive information about their children’s progress and achievements.
• Leaders have ensured that the early years has continued to improve and the high standards children achieve have been maintained. Leaders’ effective action to improve the outside learning areas has contributed well to the quality of the learning environment and to children’s opportunities to learn outside.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 115875 Hampshire 10032906 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Infant School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 5 to 7 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 210 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Nicole Perry Carla Lashmar 02380 412412 www.northbaddesley-inf.co.uk adminoffice@northbaddesley-inf.hants.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 10–11 January 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• North Baddesley Infant School is smaller than the average-sized primary school. There are currently seven classes in the school.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage. A very small proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is similar to the national average.
• The headteacher was appointed to the school in September 2016. There have been many changes of staff since the previous inspection in 2012.
• There is a breakfast club which runs before the start of the normal school day. This is run by a private company which has separate Ofsted registration.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in all classrooms. Inspectors also conducted a learning walk with the headteacher and another learning walk with members of staff and pupils.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read, looked at pupils’ work in books and discussed pupils’ progress and achievement with leaders.
• Inspectors spoke to pupils informally during lessons and also met with a group of pupils from across key stage 1. Inspectors observed and spoke to pupils during playtime and lunchtime.
• Parents’ views were taken into account through discussions held before school and the 69 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View.
• Inspectors also took account of the views of staff in meetings and discussions.
• Inspectors checked records and documentation relating to: safeguarding; behaviour; attendance; governors’ meetings; staff performance management; leaders’ evaluation of the school’s work and leaders’ monitoring records.
• Inspectors reviewed the checks made on staff about their suitability to work with children.

Inspection team

Sue Cox, lead inspector Emma Palastanga Paul Shaughnessy

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector