Moving beyond the floor target: Sinclair Primary School, Southampton

• Date: Jan 2008
• Programme: Improving Schools Programme (ISP)
• Focus: Tackling underachievement in schools causing concern
• Number in series: 16
• School name: Sinclair Primary School
• Phase: Early Years, Primary
• Key stage: Foundation Stage, Key Stages 1 and 2
• Local authority: Southampton
• Ref: 00150-2008DWO-EN-01

School context and profile

The school serves an area with a high level of social deprivation and most pupils are white British. The current headteacher joined the school four years ago, following an unsettled period in the school's leadership. An amalgamation of a nursery, infant and junior school and a major building project were also planned.

• Number on roll: 174. Age range: three to 11 years
• Prior attainment of pupils is low.
• Just over a third have special educational needs and these are mainly social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

The school was inspected in June 2006 and received an overall grade of 3 for effectiveness, along with leadership and management and capacity to improve.

Key Stage 2 level 4+ results:

2005 English 42%; mathematics 40%
2006 English 44%; mathematics 41%
2007 English 66%; mathematics 69%