Schools in Portsmouth and Hampshire: Hart Plain Infant School in Cowplain maintains good Ofsted rating

Hart Plain Infant School, in Hart Plain Avenue, has been described as a place that creates a ‘fun, exciting and engaging’ learning environment by inspectors and the school promotes a number of learning characters that helps everyone fully engage with what is being taught and this also helps students with special education needs.

The report said: ‘Pupils are happy and eager. Parents say that the school has a real ‘family feel’. Pupils develop a love of learning right from the start because it is fun, exciting and engaging.

‘Pupils know that staff have high expectations for their learning and their behaviour. Staff develop trusting relationships with pupils. Knowing pupils well enables staff to develop effective plans for those who need particular support. This includes help for pupils who may find managing their behaviour more difficult.

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‘Reading is top priority and adults across the school ensure that pupils develop a love of reading right as soon as they join the school. All staff have been fully trained to teach the planned phonics programme. Pupils eagerly apply their sounds knowledge to read and write with confidence. Pupils are proud to practise their reading with adults, reading right as soon as they join the school.’

The safeguarding measures are effective, the report says, and there are warm, trusting relationships between pupils and adults which makes them feel safe. Children are taught age-appropriate ways to keep themselves safe when online and leaders work together with families to provide a line of communication.

The report added: ‘Behaviour is good and pupils are readily engaged. Leaders have recently put in place systems to improve attendance. This is particularly focused on helping those pupils who are more frequently absent. Despite some improvements, leaders acknowledge there is still more to do to ensure that vulnerable families have the support they need to help their children attend school regularly.’

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Within the report, it was outlined that there have been some changes made to the curriculum which means that some of the older children have some gaps in their knowledge and that leaders should assess the areas that need revisiting.

‘Sharon Peckham, headteacher, said: ‘We are all very proud of our recent report. We are pleased that parents feel Hart Plain Infant offers a 'family feel' and that Ofsted noted our curriculum is 'fun, exciting and engaging' thus developing a love of learning. The inspection was rather unusual as we had a power cut and the children all had to be sent home for lunch! Every child acted super sensibly and showed their best despite the power cut. We are having a special circus day at the end of term to celebrate the children and staff's efforts to 'aim high at Hart Plain Infants.’

To view the Ofsted, click here.