Ascot Heath Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

This is an outstanding school where leaders, the staff team and governing body succeed admirably in fulfilling their vision to make 'learning a become fun and an exciting adventure'.

The excellent curriculum provides pupils with many memorable experiences that promote their academic and personal development. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary and this contributes to the purposeful atmosphere in lessons and around the school. Good teaching, underpinned by excellent relationships, capitalises on their enthusiasm for learning.

As a result, pupils achieve well and reach above-average standards. The outstanding care, guidance and support are much appreciated by parents and carers. Within this caring e...nvironment, pupils feel extremely safe and develop an excellent understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

Their outstanding spiritual, moral and social development is reflected in their enthusiasm in contributing to school life, their self-esteem and mutual support for one another, and their developing sense of cultural diversity. The school is highly successful in engaging parents and carers, the overwhelming majority of whom hold the school in high regard. Their typical comments included, 'Our daughter loves school and has developed a real enthusiasm for learning which staff have created by their innovative teaching'; 'The school provides a happy and stimulating learning environment'; and 'My children progress well, are nurtured and inspired.'

Excellent partnerships with other schools and local universities help to keep the school at the forefront of curriculum development. Close relationships with support agencies help staff to meet the needs of pupils who require specialist help, such as speech therapy. Rigorous self-review and sharply focused strategic planning have led to very good headway on several fronts since the last inspection, particularly in improving assessment systems.

These are now good overall, but the school has rightly identified the need to consolidate the existing range of effective methods being used across the school to further improve the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in establishing children's level of development as they start school, improving feedback to pupils and in honing planning for the most able. The headteacher, in close partnership with the deputy headteacher, plays a pivotal role in establishing a common determination among the staff to build on current success and drive improvements. Very good headway has been made, for example, in improving the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

The school's track record and continuing success demonstrates an outstanding capacity for sustaining current strengths and moving even further forward.

Information about the school

Ascot Heath Infant School is smaller than the average size for a primary school. Most pupils are of White British heritage.

A small number of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, but none is at the early stages of learning English. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average.

Most of this small number of pupils have social or emotional difficulties and others have speech and communication problems. The Early Years Foundation Stage provision is organised as a Reception unit with 70 children. The school has the Basic Skills Quality Mark, and the Active School, Healthy School and Eco-School awards.

Also at this postcode