Inspection report

School (total) 234

Government funded early education 90

provision for children aged 3 to the end

of the EYFS

Childcare provision for children aged 0 0

to 3 years

.

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The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors who evaluated the overall

effectiveness of the school. The inspectors looked particularly at the children's progress and

standards as they move through the school, as well as the impact of initiatives taken by school

leaders to raise standards and the quality of provision. The inspectors met with staff, governors

and pupils. Parts of some lessons were observed, parents' questionnaires and a sample of pupils'

work were examined and school information, including self-evaluation, was scrutinised. Other

aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspectors found no

evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were

not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in the report.

This average sized school serves a suburb of Gosport. It is very popular and the numbers starting

in the Early Years Foundation Stage [EYFS] are increasing rapidly. Pupils come from a wide

variety of social backgrounds and are almost all of White British heritage. The number of pupils

eligible for free school meals is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with

learning difficulties varies from year to year but is broadly similar to that found nationally. The

school has achieved Enhanced Healthy School Status.

Grade 1 Outstanding

Grade 2 Good

Grade 3 Satisfactory

Grade 4 Inadequate

The school provides a good standard of education. Pupils really enjoy learning because teachers

make the activities fun and everyone is friendly and well behaved. Parents overwhelming agree.

One parent, representing the views of many, wrote, 'It is well organised with a friendly

atmosphere and I have no fears or worries about leaving my child in the care of Elson Infants'.

Pupils reach broadly average standards overall by the end of Year 2 and achieve well given their

starting points. The school is successfully raising achievement in reading and writing, which

was a school priority. Pupils with learning difficulties including those who struggle with basic

skills make good progress and achieve well because they are given good quality help and

support.

Achievement is good because teaching and learning are good. Teachers relate well to their

pupils and help promote the family atmosphere of which the school is justly proud. They know

their pupils' needs very well because they make regular and detailed assessments of their

day-to-day social and academic development. This information ensures that work is suitably

challenging for pupils at all levels. Teachers are increasing the opportunities for pupils to work

independently and to explore their own ideas during lessons. However, this is not yet consistent

across all classes so pupils' progress is not as rapid as it could be.

Another reason behind the school's success is the good level of pupils' personal development

including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils behave well, treat each

other with great respect and genuinely want to learn. They feel safe, are safety conscious

without being fearful, and are very knowledgeable about how to live healthily and adopt healthy

lifestyles. Members of the school council take their responsibilities seriously and enjoy making

suggestions about how to make the school better. Pupils' regular attendance and willingness

to become actively involved in their own learning is further evidence that they enjoy coming

to school. This is good preparation for future life and learning.

Care, guidance and support are good overall. The school is good at tracking pupils' progress

and using the information to plan challenging tasks and activities. This is because teachers

have an accurate overview of each individual's performance and set realistic yet challenging

targets for them to achieve. Pupils enjoy having targets to aim for. Some older pupils when

discussing the merits of targets said, '...otherwise how would we know how to make your work

better...and you get a reward when we do well...a certificate which everyone can see'. They

agreed that lessons are enjoyable and teachers are really helping them improve their

performance.

The curriculum is of good quality and is constantly evolving. It meets the basic academic needs

of pupils well, and supports their social and personal development through initiatives to

encourage healthy living and staying safe. Planning in the core subjects of English, mathematics

and science has been adapted well to reflect the new single age classes. It includes a good

range of support programmes to boost the progress of pupils who need extra help. A good

start has been made in increasing the opportunities for pupils to practise and develop their

reading, writing and communication skills through creative and imaginative links between the

different subjects. However, the school acknowledges there is still more to do.

Leadership and management are good. Under the good leadership of the headteacher, all adults

are working with determination to meet the changing needs of an increasingly diverse school

population. They have acted decisively to meet the challenge of increasing numbers on the

school roll. The checks carried out by the school show that pupils are achieving the challenging

targets set for them. School review is rigorous and results in actions that are accelerating

achievement and sustaining improvement. This confirms the school's good capacity to improve

further. The governing body is increasingly involved in school development.

Children achieve well because they are well looked after and benefit from good teaching and

support. Teachers continually share their accurate assessments so that activities are adapted

well to meet children's individual learning needs. They make good progress but some do not

reach the expected levels for their age by the time they move into Year 1, because they start

with low levels of skill in communication, language and literacy. Many parents were quick to

praise the happy and positive start their children make in Reception classes. This is because

adults are sensitive to the needs of both parents and children and support them well both

formally and informally. Consequently, the numbers starting at the school are increasing.

Children behave well and thoroughly enjoy the wide variety of stimulating learning opportunities

organised for them. Adults ensure there is a good balance between activities chosen by the

children and those planned for them by the teacher. Senior managers have responded promptly

to the rapidly growing numbers of children starting in Reception by increasing the teaching

space, which is bright, colourful and well resourced. The outdoor provision is too limited,

however, and restricts learning. Staff are now working at extending the space for outdoor

learning to match the very good indoor provision.

• Improve provision for outdoor learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

• Give pupils more opportunities to work independently and to use their initiative, in order to

accelerate the rate of progress.

.

2

Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last Yes

inspection

How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' 2

well being?

The capacity to make any necessary improvements 2

How well do children in the EYFS achieve? 2

How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children 2

in the EYFS?

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? 2

1Grade 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

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 2

The attendance of learners 2

The behaviour of learners 2

The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community 2

How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to 2

their future economic well-being

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and 2

interests of learners?

How well are learners cared for, guided and supported? 2

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading 2

to improvement and promote high quality of care and education

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 2

How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 2

How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to 2

achieve value for money

The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their 2

responsibilities

Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government Yes

requirements?

Does this school require special measures? No

Does this school require a notice to improve? No

29 September 2008

Dear Children

Inspection of Elson Infant School,Gosport,PO12 4EU

Thank you very much for making us so welcome when we inspected your school recently. We

believe, like you, that you go to a good school. We were very impressed with your friendliness

and your sensible and helpful attitudes towards each other.

We especially enjoyed talking to you about your work and were impressed with your enthusiasm

for school. I was excited to see you searching for mini-beasts in the school garden and was

impressed to see the homework you had completed about spiders and other creepy crawlies!

The teaching in your school is good and it means that, together with your enthusiasm for work,

you achieve your targets and get a certificate to celebrate it.

The adults are always looking at ways to improve your learning. To make it even better, we are

asking your teachers to give the youngest children a larger outdoor area in which they can

learn and play. We are also going to ask them to give you more opportunities to work on your

own and explore your own ideas. We know that you enjoy working like this because you told

us so.

I am sure that you are ready for this challenge! We know that you will continue to work hard

and we are sure that you will help your teachers to make your school even better.

We hope that you have great success in the future.

Yours sincerely

John Earish

Lead Inspector