Scantabout Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Short inspection of Scantabout Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 5 February 2019, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in March 2015.

This school continues to be good. The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You, the staff and pupils successfully work to achieve Scantabout School's motto: 'achieving our best together'.

Leaders have established a culture in which every person is valued and respected. You know the pupils and their families well..., enabling you to provide targeted and specific support when required. Pupils work hard in a safe and stimulating environment.

Relationships between pupils and adults are extremely positive. Pupils told me they enjoy school and feel happy and safe. Teachers ensure that learning activities are interesting and offer pupils a good level of challenge.

For example, pupils in Year 6 were successfully using their knowledge of ratio and proportion to solve complex problems. In Year 4, pupils enjoyed the challenge of writing contrasting paragraphs about their class text, 'My dad's a birdman'. You have provided diligent and determined leadership, since becoming headteacher in January 2017.

Standards at the end of key stage 2 had declined in 2016. You have focused your attention on the effectiveness of teaching, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. Consequently, improvements made have led to a significant increase in the progress that pupils make between key stage 1 and key stage 2.

However, the outcomes for boys could be improved further. Staff working parties have been established to review and develop the wider curriculum. Although more work is needed to establish clear sequences of learning that can be adapted to meet the learning needs of all groups of pupils.

Since the last inspection, the governing body has been restructured. Governor profiles have been established which ensure that roles and responsibilities are clear. Governors make visits to the school in order to check on the progress of the school development plan and talk to pupils about their work.

Findings from these visits are reported at meetings, therefore ensuring that the governing body is kept up to date. Members of the governing body have received effective training from the local authority adviser, which has helped enable governors to hold you to account. As a result, governors now have a greater understanding of their strategic leadership role in the school and are more proactive in addressing areas that require further work.

For example, governors have approached local businesses to recruit new members with the skills required, such as in finance. You have successfully addressed the improvement areas identified in the previous inspection report. The school development plan is sharply focused on areas requiring improvement.

Termly review dates enable the governors to monitor progress made in achieving the targets more easily. Subject leaders have been developed well and have been instrumental in the improvements made to teaching. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve.

Pupils take pride in what they do and the presentation of their work is a strength. Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team ensures that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose.

You keep detailed records and carefully track every staff concern and any involvement with outside agencies. Governors review your processes regularly as part of their monitoring activity. You and your staff believe that safeguarding is 'everybody's responsibility'.

Pupils feel safe and say that bullying is rare. Parents are positive about how the school cares for their children. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, particularly when using the internet.

Pupils behave sensibly around the school and in lessons. They are supervised well during breaktimes and lunchtimes, when they play happily. Staff receive regular, useful training in safeguarding.

They discuss pupils' safety in weekly staff meetings and leaders take swift action to follow up on any concerns raised by staff. Governors and staff have received training about keeping pupils safe from the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. Leaders work effectively with external agencies when needed.

They carry out regular reviews of safeguarding and governors monitor recommendations to improve the school's practice carefully. Inspection findings ? Leaders have successfully improved teaching since the last inspection. Teachers systematically check the progress that learners make in lessons and over time.

The school's 'mark book' system effectively identifies pupils who require further support. Rapid acceleration plans and flexible pupil groupings enable pupils to make good progress, as aspects requiring further teaching are addressed quickly by teachers. Teachers provide focused feedback in lessons which enables pupils to improve their work straight away.

Pupils say they enjoy using the 'editing strips' to improve their work. ? Subject leaders have supported teachers to develop detailed learning journeys in English and mathematics. The reading curriculum has been revised and now provides a greater focus on developing pupils' comprehension and deduction skills.

This and the introduction of high-quality texts has led to a rapid improvement in outcomes in reading across the school. ? Training for staff has led to better use of practical equipment to support learning in mathematics than in the past. Pupils are also given more opportunities to apply their knowledge through problem-solving and reasoning tasks.

This has deepened pupils' understanding of key concepts such as decimals, percentages and fractions. ? Improvements in the teaching of grammar, punctuation, spelling and handwriting support pupils to write more precisely. For example, the introduction of daily spelling sessions has significantly improved pupils' spelling across the school.

• Outcomes for pupils at the end of 2018 have been good. For example, pupils' progress from key stage 1 to the end of key stage 2 was in the top 20% of schools nationally for reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard and higher standards at the end of key stage 2 was significantly above the national average.

• The proportion who attained the expected standard at the end of key stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics was also well above national figures. Over the last three years, the proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has been higher than the national average. Similarly, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development in the early years has been above national figures.

However, boys do not make the same amount of progress as girls, particularly in reading and writing. ? The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum which offers a wide range of learning opportunities. Special days focus on developing key concepts such as pupils' understanding of using microscopes during 'STEM' week.

Music is a strength of the school as pupils can learn to play a range of instruments. ? The curriculum makes a strong contribution to pupils' personal development and well-being. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development opportunities are effectively built into the curriculum.

The subject leader has introduced new units of work such as a 'healthy mind' unit which supports pupils' mental health well. Units on financial management have also been incorporated, which increase pupils' understanding of how to manage a budget. Recently introduced discussion times have enabled pupils to share their views and opinions.

Themes covered include: peer pressure, managing my emotions, taking risks and questions such as 'Why are rules important?' and 'Who can help me at school?' ? Diversity is celebrated through assembly themes, in the religious education curriculum and through topics such as 'becoming unstuck', which helps pupils develop their understanding of prejudice. Literacy texts have been introduced which provide good examples across a range of themes such as immigration and tolerance. Pupils respect each other, listen well to each other's ideas and work and play happily together.

Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Published outcomes show that pupils are making good progress and are well prepared for the next stage in their education. However, leaders need to develop clearer sequences of learning in science and the foundation subjects in order to better meet the learning needs of all groups of pupils.

Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: ? the sequence of learning in the wider curriculum is improved so that it meets the needs of all learners ? the progress that boys make in reading and writing is accelerated further, to enable a greater proportion to achieve the higher standards. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for Hampshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

Yours sincerely Mo Galway Ofsted Inspector Information about the inspection I met with you, other leaders, pupils and members of the governing body and spoke to a representative of the local authority. The headteacher and I visited all classes. I also scrutinised a wide range of pupils' work with your subject leaders.

I took account of 18 staff responses to the online questionnaire and considered 103 responses by parents to Ofsted's online questionnaire, Parent View, including 102 free-text comments. I observed pupils' behaviour at breaktimes and around the school and spoke to several parents at the beginning of the school day. I analysed a range of the school's documentation including information about pupils' achievement, attendance information, the school development plan and a range of policies and procedures, including those for safeguarding.

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