Liss Junior School

Age group 7–11 Inspection date(s) 13–14 September 2011 Inspection number 379172 Liss Junior School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 115925 Local Authority Hampshire Inspection number 379172 Inspection dates 13–14 September 2011 Reporting inspector Anthony Byrne

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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 232 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Caroline Pritchard Headteacher Andrew Burford Date of previous school inspection 27 April 2009 School address Hillbrow Road Liss Hampshire GU33 7LQ Telephone number 01730 892292 Fax number 01730 894831 Email address info@lissjunior.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, pl ease 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 wa y. 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

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. They observed 16 lessons taught by nine teachers and met with a representative group of pupils, with governors and with staff. They observed the school’s work, and looked at documentation including pupils’ work from the previous school year, progress tracking, school policies and notes compiled by governors, alongside 94 questionnaires returned by parents and carers.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 Have actions taken to improve achievement in mathematics been effective and is improvement sustained and evident throughout the school?  Is achievement in English keeping up with the advances made in mathematics?  In lessons, are the more able pupils set suitably challenging tasks?  How well integrated are pupils in the unit with those in mainstream?  How well developed is pupils’ awareness of cultural diversity?

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Information about the school

Liss Junior School is larger than average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. A unit for pupils from the East Hampshire area who have moderate learning difficulties is attached to the school; including these pupils, the school has a higher than average proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Fewer pupils than average are from minority ethnic groups or speak English as an additional language. Pupils are taught in mixed-age classes in Years 3 and 4 and Years 5 and 6. The school buys in specialist provision for sports and music tuition. A breakfast club run by the school is open daily. The school has gained Enhanced Healthy School status among other awards.

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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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Main findings

Liss Junior School provides a good quality of education. Issues raised by the previous inspection when the school was judged satisfactory have been thoroughly tackled and good features maintained. Achievement in mathematics is now a notable strength. Most pupils make good progress to reach above average standards in English, and attainment in mathematics is well above average. Teachers’ good, detailed planning and assessment ensure mathematics lessons offer stimulating challenge and good pace for all. Challenge for able pupils is stronger in mathematics than in writing and this is borne out by recent test results; although pupils reach above average standards in English, writing is generally weaker than their high standards of reading and speaking. Having worked with external consultants to improve progress in mathematics, the school’s own ‘improving standards team’ is confidently adapting the approach to English. They work with all teachers to

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Main findings

accelerate progress so that pupils can achieve well from their starting point. However, this work in English is not yet fully established, for instance assessment of written work is inconsistent in providing pupils with clear guidance on how to improve. It is also the case that while the members of the ‘improving standards team’ collaborate well with colleagues in setting up strategies, they have little time to check consistency of implementation. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because they too benefit from the close tracking of progress and high expectations that are applied to others as well as good support from teaching assistants. Pupils who are placed in the unit for moderate learning difficulties make particularly good progress. These pupils are readily accepted and respected by those in the main school. This is of mutual benefit because it boosts

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Main findings

their confidence and their presence commands the tolerance and respect that the school helps all pupils to develop. Pupils enjoy coming to school, as demonstrated by their consistently high attendance and good behaviour. They concentrate well in lessons and are responsible and thoughtful of others in keeping noise levels down in class and when they move around in the open-plan building.

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Main findings

Governors have high expectations of the school. Use of detailed progress records to set challenging targets for pupils achieving beyond typically expected levels is a strong feature of management. Intervention to secure those targets by the ‘improving standards team’ is having some impact. Resources widely used in school and links with schools abroad and in the United Kingdom have extended pupils’ understanding of cultural diversity. Governors and senior leaders work well together and self-evaluation is strong. The improving standards team is now operating autonomously and focusing with appropriate ambition on English to improve

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

achievement in writing in order to match the higher achievement in mathematics. The school demonstrates good capacity to sustain improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement in written work in English:  applying a consistent system of assessment that involves pupils in understanding precisely what they need to do to improve  sharing more widely the good practice seen in some lessons in providing stimulating ideas for pupils’ writing  stretching able pupils to reach their full potential.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Monitor teaching and learning more regularly to ensure that strategies agreed with the school’s ‘improving standards team’ are being consistently applied.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils begin the school with average attainment and most make good progress to reach above average standards by the end of Year 6, although writing persists in being a relative weakness, particularly in extending higher ability pupils to their full potential. Nevertheless it is clear from looking back at work done over time that pupils now beginning Year 6 made good progress in Year 5. This is also reflected in the books of younger pupils, endorsing the school’s demand that pupils ‘keep up’ right from the start of Year 3, rather than ‘catch up’ in later years. Some of the best quality writing was seen in subjects such as history and geography when the topic had inspired deep interest, for example when pupils were composing post cards to their twinned school in Africa to find out about it. Pupils were not seen to be as inspired by some writing tasks they undertook in English. Good attitudes to learning

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

and positive relationships with staff ensure pupils respond well at all times. Pupils develop their capacity to work independently when working in small groups or with partners; they collaborate well and stay focused. In this encouraging learning climate the very few pupils who speak English as an additional language speedily settle in and acquire the understanding they need to make good progress. Pupils recollected how much they enjoyed learning activities such as making films and participating in Enterprise Week and they are enjoying researching history projects on computers.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils’ personal development thrives alongside learning. They feel safe and at ease in school and know about risks in the world outside. They admit there are a few

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

arguments but nothing seriously worries them. In keeping with Enhanced Healthy School status pupils take full advantage of good play space for games and sports and freshly baked bread rolls are popular snacks at playtime. Pupils think about others and respect their rights. They make a very good effort to raise funds on charity day. They have contact with vulnerable groups in the village and contribute to village festivities. As an important part of the village’s future they have contributed to the Village Plan. Their knowledge of the wider world and numeracy skills to serve future economic well-being are better developed than at the previous inspection. They take a lot of pleasure from joining in dance and music.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes

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Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning

Taking into account: Pupils’ attainment 1 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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contribute to their future economic well-being

Taking into account: Pupils’ attendance 1

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How effective is the provision?

The mix of age groups in classes works well because teachers frequently set work appropriate to pupils working in small groups based on the progress they have made. Just occasionally more able pupils are held back for instruction when they could have got on by themselves. There is a good deal of movement to different spaces and resources which keeps learning lively. In the majority of lessons seen teaching was good. In an outstanding mathematics lesson the teacher worked with the majority of the class to develop understanding of numbers’ place value, while the most able solved problems in a computer program. After playing a lively team game in the music room that involved standing in the right place according to the value of the number they held, pupils gained great confidence to reinforce that knowledge when

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

writing answers on a worksheet. There is some good practice in English, for instance when a teacher had used a very good range of resources and methods, including film, drama and note-taking, before pupils began writing about a character from a book. Consequently, in this lesson all pupils had ample ideas to support their writing. However, planning and assessment are not as consistently good in English as in mathematics; as a result, pupils are not always fully aware of precisely what they need to do to improve their work.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

The curriculum is well designed to provide active and varied learning experiences. Teachers make very good use of the open-plan nature of the building to move groups into different spaces, for instance to use computers or to take advantage of the attractive outdoor space, so that learning has a fluid, active ethos that keeps pupils involved. The link with an external partner to provide sports education works very well as pupils respond enthusiastically to good quality coaching. Participation in music is also a good feature with about a third of pupils receiving individual tuition as well as whole-class experiences. A good range of after-school clubs is on offer and those who come to breakfast club are helped to enjoy extra learning experiences. Pupils take part in trips and visits and have welcomed children from other places by hosting a day for a school from a very different area.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Pupils are well guided and cared for. There is good support for all pupils and especially for those experiencing emotional upsets, or whose family circumstances may render them vulnerable in some way. Attendance is high overall and the school has helped some pupils to achieve much more regular attendance and to improve progress through liaising with the Education Welfare Service and working with parents. Guidance and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those who attend the unit, are of particularly high quality and ensure that they make the best of opportunities provided by the school.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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The quality of teaching

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

Regular and detailed tracking of pupils’ progress shines a spotlight into every class so that individuals and groups can be identified if they are at risk of not meeting their challenging targets. Governors receive regular reports on how well each class is doing so that they can and do challenge on the basis of being well informed. They monitor the implementation of statutory policies and the welfare and safeguarding of

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

pupils. Requirements for safeguarding are met well.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

The drive to achieve ambitious targets is shared throughout the staff because of the prominence of progress tracking and the intervention of the ‘improving standards team’. This group reviews work and helps colleagues to devise new strategies to remove barriers when progress is slower than the rapid rate demanded. However, the team’s capacity to monitor the success in lessons of agreed approaches is limited by their own involvement in teaching, so that some inconsistency in following through does occur.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

The school engages with parents and carers through a mid-year progress meeting and a summer report, open days, newsletters and the website to which regular blogs have recently been added. A large majority of parents and carers are very content with the school. However, as questionnaires returned show, a small minority remains unaware of the school’s raised expectations and the ways in which learning has improved. These parents and carers, although few in number, still have some concerns about how their child is progressing and how they can help.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Community cohesion is good. Governors recognise the importance of the school playing a part in village life and alongside that have encouraged the school to plan experiences which broaden pupils’ horizons in respect of other cultures and countries and other places in the United Kingdom. Equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination are rooted in the values, policies and practices of the school and are particularly well illustrated by the successful integration of the unit pupils.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for leadership and management

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driving improvement

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

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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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Views of parents and carers

A large majority of parents and carers have positive views about the school and most are content with their child’s experience overall. The inspection team agrees with them. However there is clearly a small minority expressing concerns about various matters. The school maintains a lot of information about pupils’ progress and has taken rigorous action to improve; leaders are now aware of the need to ensure that all parents and carers feel fully informed about what is happening.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Liss Junior School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 94 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 232 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 42 45 48 51 4 4 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 44 47 48 51 0 0 2 2 The school informs me about my child’s progress 24 26 48 51 17 18 1 1 My child is making enough progress at this school 19 20 53 56 13 14 2 2 The teaching is good at this school 26 28 52 55 8 9 0 0 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 28 30 44 47 17 18 2 2 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 35 37 45 48 9 10 0 0 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 40 43 41 44 5 5 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child’s particular needs 26 28 48 51 15 16 1 1 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 22 23 43 46 17 18 4 4 The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 21 22 47 50 19 20 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 22 23 50 53 7 7 9 10 Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 26 28 56 59 8 9 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and 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. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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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

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on 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 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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.  The school’s capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Liss Junior School, Liss GU33 7LQ

Thank you from the inspection team for welcoming us when we visited the school. Liss Junior is a good school and we could see that you are happy to be there. You try hard to live up to what your teachers expect of you, so your progress in most lessons is good. Great improvements have been made in how you learn mathematics. You make good progress in English too, but your writing, which is not quite as strong as your reading and speaking skills, needs to be even better to keep up with mathematics. Teachers’ track your progress carefully and whenever there is a sign that you are getting stuck, governors and the headteacher want something to be done about it.

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Inspection of Liss Junior School, Liss GU33 7LQ

We saw that you treat each other as friends, respect each other’s rights and behave responsibly. You make a very positive contribution to village life but are also gaining a view of the wider world through your links with other schools. The school looks after you well and you quite rightly feel safe there. We noticed that in keeping with being an Enhanced Healthy School you do a lot of sport. You eat well too; I joined the big queue for freshly baked buns one playtime – delicious!

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Inspection of Liss Junior School, Liss GU33 7LQ

Your teachers work together to plan ways of learning that will support your progress. However, once plans are made they need a bit more help to make sure that they are working, especially in improving your written work in English. To help your school become even better we asked governors and staff to see that the following things happen.  Involve you in improving your writing through very clear guidance in marking about what you need to do to improve.  Make sure you have lots of ideas about what you want to say in your writing before you begin.  Expect more of the most capable pupils.  Find ways of checking that good plans to help you learn are going smoothly and having an effect.

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Inspection of Liss Junior School, Liss GU33 7LQ

Your school has improved well since the inspection a few years ago. Keep up the good work!

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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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