A HAPPY atmosphere and top quality teaching have won Bursledon Infant School the thumbs up from Ofsted inspectors.

The Long Lane infant school was said to have taken great strides forward since its last inspection and is now doing well on almost all fronts.

Previously some teaching at the school had been identified as weak but that's all changed and inspectors hailed "good overall progress".

They really like the way the school cares for pupils and helps bring on their personal development, saying it gives children a good start in life.

And academic standards are usually either better or in line with national standards.

Parents like what they see. The report says they are "very positive" about how the school has improved and there is a "high degree of satisfaction".

Pupils are pleased, too. The school has an innovative system called Golden Time, which has been a smash hit with children. It lets youngsters choose what they want to do from a group of popular activities as a reward for keeping to the school's Golden Rules.

Head teacher Rebecca Kingsland, who was described as a significant factor in the school's progress, said: "I am very pleased with the outcome of the inspection. It acknowledges the hard work of the staff to ensure that all children at our school get the best education possible.

"It shows how well the children behave in school and how much they enjoy their time here.

"I am very pleased that the strong relationships with parents and the local community are acknowledged and my thanks go to the parents for their support of all we do at the school."

Hilary Bax, chairman of governors, said: "The governors are delighted with the inspection findings. Staff at the school work very hard to make each day a happy and interesting one for the children.

"The report gives a positive picture of the way the school is looking towards the future to ensure the children receive the best education possible."

STRENGTHS:

Pupils of all ages achieve well.

Standards in reading, maths and science are consistently average or above.

The head teacher provides strong, purposeful and forward-looking leadership.

The development of pupils personally, morally, socially and culturally is very good.

The school provides a very high standard of care for pupils.

Relationships in the school are very good.

There are very good links with parents and the community

WEAKNESSES

Strategic planning and operational planning is underdeveloped

There is a need for more detailed curriculum planning in some areas such as IT.

STANDARDS:

Children's attainment when they start the reception year is generally below average but during the year the children make very good progress. They are well on course to achieve standards expected at the end of the reception year in all areas except in communication, language and literacy and this is because of their lower starting point in these areas.

Pupils continue to achieve well in Years 1 and 2 and reach standards in reading, maths and science that match and sometimes exceed national averages and the results of similar schools. Standards in writing have been more variable, matching national averages in some years and being below in others.

Standards in art are above national expectations and standards match national expectations in ICT, music and PE.

TEACHING AND LEARNING:

The school provides a good education and the quality of teaching ranges from satisfactory to very good and is good overall.

Pupils learn effectively and make good progress because they are given a good start in the reception classes, are taught well in Years 1 and 2 and are helped to develop very good personal and social skills so they work well together and behave well in school.

Pupils are given good support in lessons by teachers and support staff. The use of ICT in different subjects is underdeveloped.