Droxford Junior School

Age group 7–11 Inspection date(s) 20–21 March 2012 Inspection number 379163 Droxford Junior School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 115881 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 379163 Inspection dates 20–21 March 2012 Lead inspector Michael Pye

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Junior School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 180 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mick Keegan Headteacher Ross Irving Date of previous school inspection 2 December 2008 School address Union Lane Droxford SO32 3QR Telephone number 01489 877537 Fax number 01489 877537 Email address adminoffice@droxford.hants.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. The inspectors observed 13 lessons, including those involving linking sounds and letters (phonics). Of these, four were joint observations with school leaders. A total of six teachers were seen. The inspectors looked at pupils’ work, heard pupils read and tracked the lessons experienced by those pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs. The inspectors held meetings with members of the governing body, pupils and staff. The inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work and looked at data relating to pupils’ attainment and progress. The school’s development plan, lesson and curriculum plans, governing body documentation, and school policies and procedures, particularly those relating to the health and safety, and safeguarding, of pupils, were scrutinised. Inspectors also looked at 126 questionnaires completed by

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Introduction

parents and carers as well as those returned by staff and pupils.

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Information about the school

Pupils in this smaller than average-sized junior school come from a predominantly White British background. The largest ethnic group other than White British consists of pupils from Any Other White background. The proportion of pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs is currently average. The main groups consist of pupils with moderate learning difficulties. Currently, the number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is below average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below average . The school exceeds the government’s current floor standards , which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. The school has been recognised through gaining a national information and communication technology award. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This is an outstanding school. Pupils achieve exceptionally well. A parent echoed the views of many when writing, ‘The standard of education and pastoral care is extremely high. Staff are passionate about the children’s learning.’  Achievement is outstanding. Pupils make excellent progress and attain well above average standards in writing, reading and mathematics. This has been the case for the past five years.  The quality of teaching is outstanding and teachers benefit from some extremely focused feedback from senior leaders. Strengths of the teaching are the extent to which the pupils are involved in self-evaluation and deciding what, and how best they can learn, and the constant increase of challenge for pupils during lessons. Pupils benefit from some excellent marking in literacy. In mathematics, the marking is good but does not always encourage them to reflect on their achievements or provide sufficient clear direction to pupils about

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Key findings

how to improve.  The behaviour of pupils is excellent. They feel safe in this very caring environment and they thrive extremely well. The core values of the school, such as collaboration and honesty, undoubtedly contribute to the high levels of respect shown by pupils to peers and adults. A parent and carer wrote, ‘The school is very warm and welcoming with a great atmosphere.’  Leadership and management are outstanding. An extremely clear vision for improvement has been shared with adults and pupils. There is a very strong focus on sustaining and improving the high quality of performance overall and teaching in particular. Governors monitor the school very well. The stimulating curriculum is based around the school’s core values together with ‘keys for success’, and these are very effectively interwoven into the daily life of the school, and contribute very well to the high levels of achievement and

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Key findings

behaviour. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build upon the already good standard of marking in mathematics by ensuring that teachers consistently provide clear messages to pupils that encourage them to think deeply about their marked work and about how to improve.

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Achievement of pupils

Most pupils enter the school with above average attainment levels. They achieve outstandingly because of the consistently high quality of teaching and the positive attitudes of the pupils. In a mathematics lesson, pupils’ determination to ‘solve’ the problems based around area and perimeter was observed. One pupil responded proudly to the award of a star for ‘resilience’ (a ‘key for success’). Younger pupils write with an increasingly cursive style and develop a richer vocabulary. By Year 6, the pupils are writing in complex sentences with a very good range of technical and other vocabulary. Their work regarding the issue of the dangers of speeding in the New Forest show the pupils having thought deeply as they completed a piece of persuasive writing using emotive language. The standard of their writing shows the pride they have in ensuring their work is at its best. One older pupil wrote, ‘I feel my

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Achievement of pupils

eyes and head now looking up to mum’s elegant face even though the ship looks amazing. I can’t take my eyes off her beauty, long eyelashes flickering, deep blue eyes, ruby red lipstick and her smooth blond hair.’ In another mathematics lesson, pupils showed their motivation when considering how best to present data in graph and pie chart form. They used laptops very effectively to aid their presentation. Typically for the school, the pupils were then further challenged to answer questions about proportion and percentages, to which they responded enthusiastically and accurately. Pupils enjoy reading. High attainers readily accept the challenge of more difficult books and talk in detail about the plot and characters – reflecting very high levels of comprehension. Middle attainers read confidently, with increasing expression, and talk with enthusiasm about the authors and characters they like. Those who find linking words and sounds difficult benefit from very good small group

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Achievement of pupils

work which they enjoy. They willingly sound out ‘ir’ and are motivated to recognise and write the letters in complete words such as ‘whirl’ and ‘twirl’. Reading levels are well above average by the end of Year 6.

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Achievement of pupils

In work seen, the attainment levels of pupils are well above the average, reflecting the exceptional progress of pupils, including those with disabilities or special educational needs. These pupils participate fully, enjoy working with their talk partners and are eager to answer questions. There are no significant gaps between the achievement of the different pupil groups. Those with gifts and talents achieve outstandingly, and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals progress in line with their peers and attain at levels well above the average.

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Achievement of pupils

Parents praise the school with comments such as ‘A wonderful school’ and ‘It Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

provides an excellent and varied education.’ The great majority of parents and carers believe their child is making good progress at the school, although inspectors found progress to be outstanding. Almost all parents and carers wrote that they would recommend it to another parent.

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Quality of teaching

The high quality of teaching – over half of lessons seen were judged outstanding – underpins the pupils’ excellent progress. Lessons are characterised by a consistent increase in challenge, with modern technology being used to add pace. Secure subject knowledge helps ensure that activities are planned that make learning ‘fun’, and motivate and challenge pupils. Younger pupils, for example, during a literacy lesson, examined Second World War photographs to generate discussion. They gave articulate answers about feelings and emotions, one pupil suggesting about an individual that, ‘He looks in despair.’ In such ways, teaching supports the moral and spiritual development of the pupils. Challenge was increased when they were asked to think about other viewpoints whilst using the ‘8 Way Thinking Wheel’ to develop vocabulary and thereby benefit their writing. A science lesson saw pupils eager to use a range of equipment to explore saturation. The teacher constantly visited the

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Quality of teaching

pupils, and skilfully increased the challenge for pupils through very focused questioning. Relationships are extremely secure and pupils are unafraid to give their views. One pupil, in a science lesson, explained why some residue remained in the beaker, ‘All the gaps between the water are full of salt’, while another demonstrated their understanding when saying that, ‘The solid didn’t turn into a liquid and, like all solids, it sinks to the bottom.’ Teachers skilfully involve the pupils in self-evaluation, in deciding whether they understand the work set, and also take suggestions about what and how the pupils want to learn. This approach is fully embedded and is a strength of the teaching. In literacy, pupils benefit extremely well from some very focused marking. In mathematics, while the marking is strong, there is room for developing the guidance for pupils. The very broad and well-balanced curriculum

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Quality of teaching

engages the pupils through exciting and challenging activities. Teaching supports the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development extremely well, such as when they played violins and cellos for parents and carers. Pupils thought deeply when asked to compare their core skills with the values of the North American native people. Parents, carers and pupils feel strongly that teaching is at least good whereas inspectors found the quality of teaching to be outstanding.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

All pupils, parents and carers who completed the questionnaire believe the pupils are safe and that there is a very high standard of behaviour. Pupils say that bullying is ‘not really an issue’. This is confirmed by school records, as is the high quality of behaviour over time. Pupils understand about cyberbullying and are aware of the potential dangers of the internet. They say that teachers would effectively pick up on inappropriate homophobic terms. Pupils from different ethnic groups feel safe. One typical view was, ‘We don’t have bullies in this school.’ A strength of the pupils’ personal development is their understanding of the core values and ‘keys for Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

success’, and, as one pupil said, ‘They make us really better to learn.’ The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellently addressed. Consequently, pupils have extremely positive attitudes to learning, they collaborate very well with each other, and are sensitive to each other’s needs. They are enthusiastic, thoughtful and caring. They are scrupulously punctual to lessons and their attendance is above average.

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Leadership and management

The determined and highly focused headteacher has a very clear idea for school development based around high quality teaching and consistently applying the school’s core values; this has been very successfully achieved. Educational research findings and the very appropriate use of continuing professional development helps to underpin the extremely high standards in the school, and has helped to further enhance the quality of teaching over time and hence, pupils’ achievement. Teachers benefit from focused feedback relating to their practice. Leaders give heightened attention to the learning environment, with the consequence that the school has a number of stimulating displays of work, including the jobcentre board that indicates the very good range of responsibilities available to pupils – all vacancies are filled! The sustaining of outstanding levels is testament to the extremely positive impact of

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Leadership and management

this leadership approach. Managerial responsibilities have been effectively shared and accountability emphasised. As a consequence of the successful evolution of this process, leadership knowledge and skills are very secure throughout various levels of management, including those in the area of assessment. The promotion of equality of opportunity is at the heart of the school and there is an absence of discrimination. The very varied activities in lessons enable all pupils to access learning appropriate to their needs. Teachers track pupils’ progress very carefully and constantly review the impact of any interventions put in place. They use their professional experience extremely well to identify strategies for improving pupil outcomes. The progress of pupils with disabilities or special educational needs is excellently tracked. They have not only been motivated by pupil-friendly target sheets but also respond well to

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Leadership and management

special success stickers and further helpful guidance on the reverse of their targets.

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Leadership and management

Governors are exceptionally well informed about the school through visits and reports. This enables them to raise questions about school performance. They also participate, alongside staff and parents and carers, in ‘improvement priority’ work, one impact being research and the seeking of stakeholder views leading to the development of a more focused reading diary. They carry out rigorous checks on all adults who work with the pupils. Annual child protection training takes place with staff having to sign that they have read the essential policies relating to child protection. Consequently, safeguarding arrangements are effective.

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Leadership and management

More evidence of the outstanding capacity to improve further is seen in the highly imaginative curriculum which has been carefully developed and which manifestly meets the needs of pupils. It motivates pupils extremely well and provides very good opportunities in all subjects for pupils to use their basic skills, including information and communication technology (ICT) in a stimulating and creative way. For example, Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

pupils develop a ‘local walk’. This develops very well their geography skills, and mapping and botanical knowledge, as well as mathematical and literacy skills. Pupils show their understanding of ICT by producing leaflets advertising the walk. The curriculum provision for pupils with gifts and talents is excellent with specific workshops scheduled and a range of activities within school. Partnerships, including those with local businesses and schools, are excellently used to challenge pupils. These benefits include a visit to a local supermarket to look at the use of ICT. Leadership has ensured that the curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development extremely well through providing highly imaginative tasks which challenge pupils. For example, the ‘Precious Places’ topic explores the local and Yosemite national parks. Pupils are given quotations relating to the natural

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Leadership and management

beauty around them and asked to explain them. The Greek proverb, ‘Wonder is the beginning of wisdom’, brought the view that, ‘When you see something new that fills your head with questions, it encourages you to find out more. This will lead to wisdom and knowledge.’

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

Inspection of Droxford Junior School, Droxford SO32 3QR

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

You may remember our recent visit. You were eager to tell us about your school and we listened carefully to what you told us. We judge yours to be an outstanding school.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

You are taught extremely well and make outstanding progress. You also told us that lessons are ‘always fun’, that you really enjoy the topics that you are set, and that you enjoy school.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

You are challenged by the work set to really think hard. We really liked the way that you are involved in deciding whether you understand the work you have been set, and also the way in which the teachers ask you about what, and how, you want to learn. You are able to talk about the core values of the school and we saw how well these are included in the daily life of the school. The assembly about the values of the North American native people made you think hard about how closely they match the values that you have identified for your school.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

We are very pleased to see that you behave so well. You told us you feel very safe and that if there are any incidents then you know the school will act to help you. The way the school cares for you is excellent and this helps you concentrate on your work.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

Your headteacher leads the school extremely well and, like the other adults, wants things to improve even more. The headteacher and his deputy have overseen a school that has been improving for a number of years. The school makes good plans for the future. We know that the teachers mark your work well. We have asked that their marking in mathematics is as good as that in literacy.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

Thank you again and we wish you all the best for the future.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

Michael Pye Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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