Schools in Hampshire: Newtown Soberton Infant School receives good Ofsted report following recent inspection

Newtown Soberton Infant School, located in Church Road, has received a good Ofsted rating following its inspection which took place on February 1, 2024. The inspection found that there have been significant improvements made since the previous visit. The report says: “Pupils are happy and safe. They describe their school as welcoming and take pride in knowing the school’s rules of ‘be ready, respectful and safe’. Learning is rarely interrupted. Pupils play happily on the playground. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and caring.

“Following a period of turbulence in staffing and leadership, the school is now in a stable position. Staff are working together to quickly address the issues that contributed to disappointing examination outcomes in 2023. The school is benefiting from links with another local infant school and there is a clear vision for improvement.

“The school is improving the teaching of reading. Staff receive the training they need to deliver the new phonics programme well. Pupils read books that are matched to the sounds that they know. Staff provide the help pupils need to use their phonics knowledge to decode with increasing fluency.”

The inspection found that the school is ‘aspirational’ for pupils but that there still needs to be progress in order to get the setting to a good quality. The report also found that the behaviour across the school is positive and students understand why it is important to behave in the correct mannor. Parents are supportive of the school and they recognise the work that is being done to make the necessary improvements.

The report added: “In subjects where the curriculum is new, teachers do not have the subject expertise to teach precisely and check pupils’ understanding. As a result, some pupils have developed misconceptions and/or have gaps in their knowledge.”

The safeguarding measures are effective and there is a strong culture of keeping students safe. To view the Ofsted report, click here.