Springwood Infant School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Strengthen teaching and learning so that all groups of pupils, particularly the disadvantaged and most able, achieve at least the same as other pupils nationally, by:
  • making sure that teachers consistently identify the precise skills and learning that pupils need, including in subjects other than English and mathematics
  • consistently maximising opportunities for assessment during lessons so that activities are at the right level for all groups of pupils
  • developing teachers’ and teaching assistants’ questioning skills to provide high-quality challenge, particularly for the most able.
• Strengthen leadership and management by:
  • further refining school documentation and processes so that they are more effective in driving improvement
  • building on the skills of subject leaders so that there is less reliance on senior leaders to drive improvements in teaching
  • further developing governors’ skills and knowledge to support and challenge leaders in all areas.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The relatively new executive headteacher and head of school work effectively together to maintain and raise standards of teaching and learning. They have taken swift action to stem the high turnover of staff and reduce staff absence. Consequently, there have been no staff departures since the change of leadership. Staff recognise and appreciate the good support and development provided for them to be as effective as possible. They particularly value the close-knit teamworking across the school.
• Leaders, staff and governors ensure that pupils are at the heart of their work. All go above and beyond to meet the needs of pupils and families. Parents appreciate the proactive communication and specific adaptations made to meet their children’s individual needs. The unanimous vote of confidence shown through the online survey reflects the consistently positive comments made to the inspector.
• Leaders accurately evaluate strengths and weaknesses in all aspects of the school. They have streamlined documentation and processes to support school improvement, focusing on the right priorities. They rightly recognise that further refinement would enable all staff to know exactly what needs to be done to speed up the rate of improvement.
• Subject leaders are effective. They know the priorities for their subjects and lead useful training to develop teachers’ skills and knowledge. They are in the early stages of improving teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility and recognise that there is more to do.
• The systems for checking and recording how well pupils are doing are robust. Leaders review progress for individuals, groups and classes and identify any pupils that need to catch up. As a result, from low starting points, pupils make good progress.
• Senior leaders check teaching and provide accurate and useful feedback to individuals to enable teachers and teaching assistants to improve their practice. Leaders’ passion for high-quality teaching shines through in their detailed and specific feedback.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced. Pupils enjoy learning about topics such as castles and Antarctica, which often enable them to develop their skills in history, art and geography. However, sometimes topic activities are not precisely targeted at specific skills. Music is a strength, with each pupil learning a musical instrument for two years. Pupils enjoy attending music events such as the local Springwood music festival and the ‘giant sing’. The school achieved the ‘music mark’ this academic year.
• Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is supported well through carefully planned whole-school assemblies and class circle time. British values are woven through these learning opportunities, with teachers identifying and rewarding individuals who demonstrate a good understanding of areas such as democracy and justice. Pupils are strongly encouraged to be independent and to have a voice. For example, the current school council is consulting with its peers to restructure the regular school reading sessions with parents, which they have renamed ‘bringing books to life’.
• Leaders have reviewed and adapted the way in which they use pupil premium funding to support disadvantaged pupils. With a greater focus on meeting these pupils’ needs in class, much of the funding is concentrated on classroom teaching and support. There are signs that this is helping disadvantaged pupils to catch up more quickly to where they should be. However, this is not yet consistently the case for the older pupils, who are further behind their peers.
• Sports funding is used effectively to provide resources and opportunities for pupils’ participation in a range of sports. The funding also supports pupils to undertake training to become referees in school games. This encourages their independence and confidence.
• Systems to support pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities are effective, and funding is used well. Leaders ensure that pupils are appropriately supported from the moment they join the school. Their progress is tracked carefully at an individual level.
• The local authority advisers provide effective support and challenge for leaders and governors. They recently carried out a useful recruitment review, which identified that staff turnover at the school has been exceptionally high over the past few years. The training they have provided for leaders, staff and governors is helping the school to improve further.

Governance of the school

• Governors provide useful support and challenge for school leaders. Since September, governors, supported by the local authority, have developed their understanding of and effectiveness in holding leaders to account.
• Governors undertake visits to school to check what leaders tell them. This enables them to ask challenging questions. Documentation to support their work reflects their increased understanding and effectiveness. They rightly recognise that there is more to do.
• Governors are rightly very appreciative of leaders’ work to stabilise the staff. They attend parent and staff training and events to ensure that they are visible and involved.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The high level of reported concerns reflects the commitment each member of staff has to keeping pupils safe. Leaders rightly identify that they can further refine their systems and processes for safeguarding so that they are less arduous and more accessible at a glance.
• Designated safeguarding leads review each concern to agree what action is required. Detailed records show that actions are rigorously followed up and that, when necessary, referrals are made. The school works effectively with outside agencies to ensure that pupils are kept safe.
• Safer recruitment processes are robust and all appropriate checks are made and logged.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching across the school meets the needs of pupils well. Whole-school daily lesson planning, supported by leaders, ensures that lessons are at the right level. As a result, pupils make good progress over time.
• Teachers deliver lessons that are fun and motivating. Well-chosen topic areas ensure that pupils are interested and keen to learn. The activities are relevant and well organised. However, teachers do not use questions consistently well to probe pupils’ understanding and adapt tasks. Consequently, some pupils do not make as much progress as they could because the work they are given does not meet their needs precisely enough.
• Reading and phonics are taught well across the school. There has been a recent focus on teachers and teaching assistants using precise letter sounds. As a result, pupils are now catching up to where they should be. Reading lessons and activities develop specific skills, such as decoding and reading for meaning. This is helping to improve pupils’ confidence and love of books. Reading is encouraged and celebrated strongly.
• Teaching assistants provide useful support for individuals and small groups. They use their time well and do not provide too much help. This enables pupils to become increasingly independent, which is a feature of the way Springwood Infant pupils learn.
• Music is taught well by a teacher from the local authority. Through well-organised lessons and clear instructions, pupils develop their ability to play a musical instrument and perform as part of a large group.
• History, geography and art are taught through topics and weave in opportunities for pupils to practise their English and mathematic skills. However, on occasions, pupils complete activities which are linked to the topic area but do not develop their skills or knowledge.
• Teaching of disadvantaged pupils and the most able pupils is improving. Teachers are much more aware of the need to plan for these specific groups. The daily review of learning and next steps is helping these pupils to make more progress, although there is more to do to help them catch up with other pupils nationally.
• Teaching of and support for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are effective. Next steps in learning are specific so that these pupils make good progress.
• Homework has been an area of focus, with leaders and teachers taking care to make homework manageable and useful for pupils and parents. Consequently, of the parents who shared their views, almost all said that homework was effective in supporting learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pastoral care is very strong. Staff know pupils and their families well. Parents describe leaders and teachers as having ‘an open-door policy’ so that they can raise concerns immediately. One parent commented, ‘At least one of the heads is always on the gate and they always take time to listen to us.’ Pupils confirmed that staff take good care of them, saying, ‘All our teachers are kind and nice.’
• Pupils’ personal, social and health education is supported well. Pupils learn to keep themselves safe through visits from the fire brigade, road safety training and personal safety awareness. The annual internet awareness day helps pupils to stay safe online. They also learn about the importance of exercise and healthy eating, which is reflected in the ‘eat well’ award the school achieved this year.
• Pupils say that they are taught about bullying and that it does not occur at Springwood Infant School. Behaviour records support this statement, as does parental feedback.
• Lunchtime organisation and routines encourage pupils to develop independence and awareness of each other’s needs. Two pupils serve the food to the others at their table, making sure that it is shared out fairly.
• Pupils work together to raise money for charity. They contribute annually to the Poppy Appeal, as well as supporting charities which are closely linked to their own community. This helps pupils develop good social awareness.
• Parents are strongly encouraged to be part of the school and to contribute to pupils’ learning. The structured activities which take place three times each week in the Reception class are highly thought of by parents, who say that they feel well equipped to support their children as a result. Pupils benefit from the close working relationship between school and home because all are working together to achieve the best.

Behaviour

• Pupils’ behaviour is good.
• The behaviour of pupils is good in lessons and around the school. On a few occasions, when staff expectations are not quite as high or when pupils are moving around unsupervised, behaviour is slightly more variable.
• There is a consistent approach to behaviour management, with a strong focus on rewards in preference to sanctions. Pupils respond well to this and endeavour to please their teachers and other staff.
• Pupils concentrate well on their work, demonstrating confidence and independence in their learning. They are keen to get on with activities. An example of this was seen in a Year 2 lesson when a group of pupils completed the task they were set. They had some discussion about showing their work to the teacher but they quickly agreed that they should just go on to the next activity.
• Pupils’ attendance is better than at other schools nationally. Persistent absence was previously in line with other schools but leaders rightly identify that, the more pupils are in school, the better they will learn. Consequently, they have worked with individual families to support improved attendance. Persistent absence has reduced by 50% and is now well below the national average. Leaders are now working in the same way to improve punctuality.
• Leaders’ recording, reporting and analysis of behaviour, although reasonable, are not as useful as they could be. For example, although reports to governors include information about the very few incidents of poor behaviour that occur, the reports are not as detailed as they could be to ensure that analysis leads to even better standards of behaviour.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The majority of pupils make good progress across the school. In 2017, children in the early years did well from starting points that were lower than are typical. Although the proportion of pupils achieving a good level of development was not as high as other schools nationally, most individuals made more progress than expected. However, of the small minority that started school with typical skills, very few achieved exceeded expectations by the end of their first year. Leaders recognise that this is the case and have taken steps to target the most able children directly to make more progress. Consequently, outcomes are on track to be higher in 2018 than last year for those pupils.
• Previously, phonics attainment was high, with more pupils reaching the expected standard than other schools nationally. This proportion dipped in recent years due to high levels of staff changes, which resulted in teachers not being sufficiently skilled in phonics teaching. However, this has now been rectified. Since September, pupils have begun to catch up. Although results are unlikely to be in line with the national average again in 2018, pupils are developing better skills and knowledge, which is likely to be reflected in next year’s results.
• By the time pupils reach Year 2, most have caught up to the expected standard. Work in reading, writing and mathematics books shows that pupils are making good progress. As is the case in other years, the most able Year 2 pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Leaders’ work to improve outcomes means that more are on track to achieve greater depth this year, but there is more to do.
• Pupils do well in art and music. They develop good skills as a result of the precise teaching and well-structured lessons. In history, geography and science, pupils enjoy learning and work hard. However, at times, the activities provided do not support the development of specific skills and knowledge. Early years provision Good

• Children in the early years make good progress. Leaders rightly recognise that more precise information about their starting points would help them to target children who could make even more progress.
• Teachers and teaching assistants ensure that children are kept safe and are well cared for. Children enjoy coming to school and demonstrate independence and confidence as they move around the large and well-equipped indoor and outdoor areas.
• The learning activities are well organised and appealing so that children like choosing what they do. They concentrate well and make good progress, supported effectively by adults.
• The early years leader has a developing understanding of the strengths and priorities for improvement. She and her team work effectively with parents, so that parents frequently record and share what children do at home. This strengthens links between school and home.
• Teaching meets the needs of most pupils well. Teachers plan open-ended activities which enable children to explore learning at their own level. However, there is not always sufficient challenge for the most able.
• Leaders’ work to improve attendance has not been quite so successful in the early years. Typically, attendance in this year group is below the national average.
• Work in learning journeys shows children’s good progress. Teachers and teaching assistants record children’s development and identify next steps well. This ensures that school staff and parents work well together to improve children’s skills.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 115939 Hampshire 10045472 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Infant School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 4 to 7 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 144 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Stuart Warren Executive Headteacher Joanna Livingstone Telephone number 02392 262 078 Website Email address www.springwoodinfantschool.co.uk adminoffice@springwood-inf.hants.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 12–13 September 2013

Information about this school

• The infant school is part of the Springwood Federation, which links the infant and junior schools. It is larger than an average-sized infant school, with an intake of 43 and two classes in each year group.
• The previous executive headteacher of the federation left in July 2017 and was replaced by the head of the junior school. The head of the infant school has now become the head of both schools, working directly under the new executive headteacher.
• Approximately a quarter of the pupils at the school are eligible for pupil premium funding. About one fifth of pupils have SEN and/or disabilities. There are currently no pupils supported by an education, health and care plan.
• Most pupils are White British and there are few pupils whose first language is not English.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed an assembly and visited all classes at least twice, accompanied by senior leaders. The inspector also observed both senior leaders feed back to teachers on what was observed.
• The inspector met with the executive headteacher and head of school. She also met with groups of governors and staff and spoke to a representative from the local authority. These meetings included discussions about safeguarding, pupils’ progress and school improvement. Responses from 17 members of staff were also considered.
• Pupils’ views were gathered through conversations at breaktime and lunchtime and a meeting with a group of five Year 2 pupils.
• The inspector met with the English and mathematics leaders and, with them, evaluated work in books.
• Parents shared their views through conversations with the inspector before school and through the 26 responses to Parent View.
• Documents were reviewed to evaluate the effectiveness of governors’ and leaders’ work to improve the school and keep pupils safe.

Inspection team

Louise Adams, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector