Crofton Hammond Junior School

Crofton Hammond Junior School Mancroft Avenue, Fareham, Hampshire, PO14 2DE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Outstanding teaching means that pupils make excellent progress and reach high standards. Although their writing standards are well above average, they do not usually match those in reading, which are exceptional high.  Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and strive to do their best. They behave extremely well in lessons and around the school.  Pupils feel entirely safe. They are well aware of how to keep themselves safe and they look out for one another, participating enthusiastically in the whole-school buddy system.  Teachers interpret the curriculum in imaginative ways to provide a wealth of rich experiences for pupils. Lessons fully engage pupils and move at a brisk pace. Teachers skilfully modify work to take account of pupils’ particular interests and individual abilities.  Visits, visitors and extra-curricular activities contribute significantly to pupils’ academic

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

achievement and personal development. Sport and music are particular strengths, providing opportunities for pupils to hone their skills and develop their talents.  School leaders and governors have a relentless commitment to sustaining high standards. They keep a close eye on the quality of teaching and meticulously monitor pupils’ progress in order to provide further challenge or extra support when necessary.

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Information about this inspection

 Nineteen lessons led by 12 teachers were observed, together with sessions taken by teaching assistants working with individuals or small groups of pupils.  Discussions were held with pupils, teaching staff, school leaders and members of the governing body.  Inspectors looked at self-evaluation and planning documents, assessment records, displays and samples of pupils’ work.  They took account of the the views of 49 parents and carers expressed through the Parent View survey and the 21 questionnaires completed by school staff.

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Inspection team

Rob Crompton, Lead inspector Additional inspector Stephanie Matthews Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is average in size, with two classes per year group.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds or who speak English as an additional language are below the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and the proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are below average. These needs relate mainly to moderate learning difficulties.  The school meets the floor standards, which are the minimum standards for attainment and progress expected by the government.  The school receives additional funding for around a fifth of pupils through the pupil premium because their parents and carers serve in the armed forces. This is an above average proportion of pupils.  At the time of the inspection, the school was being led temporarily by the deputy

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Information about this school

headteacher following the retirement of the previous headteacher.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build further on the most-able pupils’ excellent reading skills to promote even higher attainment in writing by:  sustaining the current emphasis on developing pupils’ use of imaginative vocabulary through oral storytelling, role play and drama  encouraging pupils to incorporate more of the vocabulary and literary devices they come across during their extensive reading.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 As they enter the school, pupils have above average skills. They build extremely well on these and levels of attainment have been consistently high for the last six years. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels in English and mathematics is typically well above the national average, although writing somewhat lags behind reading  As pupils move through the school, a rapid pace of learning is sustained. Pupils develop extremely good skills in reading. They read widely and are eager to discuss their preferences for different authors. As one explained, ‘I bury my head in books rather than watch television.’  Pupils’ writing often reflects their awareness of the ways in which authors engage their readers. One boy wrote, for example, ‘The old man pulled up to a dilapidated house built next to the rough sea…The waves crashed against the house with vehemence and all the sand vibrated. Thunder roared. Blood on the walls…’

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Although the writing of the most-able pupils is well crafted, it does not always fully reflect such insights and build on their excellent reading. The school is, rightly, promoting the use of oral activities including debate, role play and drama, in order to develop pupils’ confidence in experimenting with language and in using more of the vocabulary and literary devices they come across in their extensive reading.  In mathematics, pupils’ learning moves on apace because most have a very good grounding in basic number facts, including multiplication tables, and know how to apply these when tackling increasingly complex problems. Year 6 pupils, for example, were asked to work out how many candles a 73-year-old would have blown out so far in her life. They approached this systematically and, with skilful prompting by the teacher, they saw how their knowledge of square numbers could help solve the problem quickly.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve as well as all other groups of pupils in all year groups. They engage in learning well in daily lessons and benefit from additional support within lessons or in small withdrawal groups.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers take full account of pupils’ individual starting points and their enthusiasm for learning. They promote pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy highly effectively. Teachers and support staff are skilled in ensuring all pupils are challenged, including those who enter the school lacking confidence in literacy and numeracy. For example, last year, all those whose reading was below average at the start of Year 3 reached the expected levels by Year 6.  Teachers use assessment information very effectively to negotiate ambitious targets with pupils and frequently engage them in usefully reviewing their own work and that of their classmates. They provide excellent feedback through their marking of pupils’ work, identifying strengths and suggesting improvements.  Teachers use a wide range of resources to engage pupils and sustain their interest. Year 5 pupils were fully absorbed as they collected woodlice and set up investigations into their

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

preferred habitat. They handled the woodlice carefully and used resources including pipettes accurately to ensure equal quantities of water, cola and lemon juice, and observed carefully to see the creatures’ preferences.  In planning tasks with an appropriate level of challenge for pupils of different abilities, teachers set tasks in meaningful contexts and draw on their very secure subject knowledge. For example, after watching a video of the Olympic 100 metre final, Year 6 pupils enthusiastically set to work, matching graphs with the axes not labelled to various Olympic records. Throughout the lesson, they benefited from the teacher’s very skilful questioning.  Similarly, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are supported extremely well. Teachers take full account of pupils’ prior learning, and deploy knowledgeable and experienced support staff very effectively. For example, during one morning, a teacher

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

worked very effectively on mathematics with eight less confident pupils, while teaching assistants successfully checked on the early reading skills of Year 3 pupils and worked individually with a disabled pupil.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils have exceptionally positive attitudes to learning and this contributes significantly to their excellent progress in lessons. Attendance rates are high and the atmosphere is calm and purposeful. The school is a harmonious community where adults and pupils get along with one another extremely well.  Pupils are attentive in lessons and their increasing ability to work independently, share resources fairly and engage in discussions sensibly, has an extremely positive impact on their learning and progress. Behaviour around the school is typically impeccable. Following educational trips the school frequently receives letters paying tribute to pupils’ excellent behaviour.  During an assembly, led by Year 6, pupils’ enthusiasm and commitment were clearly evident. There was much spontaneous applause as pupils received awards including the Henry Hoover weekly prize for the best keep classroom chosen by the cleaning staff.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

Posters around the school proclaimed the merits of the candidates for election to the school council and there was a buzz of excitement as pupils prepared for the election the next day.  Every pupil has a ‘buddy’ of a different age and these relationships are highly valued. Pupils are sensitive to the needs of their classmates, including those who, because of their disabilities, require continuous support.  Pupils say that they feel extremely safe and well looked after, and their parents and carers agree. Pupils have a mature awareness of the different forms bullying can take. They are adamant that bullying is very rare; they know what to do should it occur and know how the school would respond, but could not recall any incidents.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The temporary headteacher is working highly effectively with members of the governing body to ensure that the high quality of teaching is sustained and that pupils continue to thrive in a vibrant learning environment. Subject leaders provide valuable guidance and support for colleagues and provide excellent role models in their teaching.  All staff feel valued and supported. They were unanimous in expressing their pride in being members of the school team. Leaders go to great lengths to sustain the high quality of teaching, and well-established procedures to monitor teachers’ performance work extremely well. Staff benefit from insightful feedback on their teaching and were very positive about the arrangements for further professional development, citing several examples of how extra training had improved their effectiveness.  The school has developed a strong partnership with parents and carers and is held in high

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The leadership and management are outstanding

regard. A home/school booklet, continuously maintained throughout each year, provides an excellent conduit for information about various aspects of pupils’ learning, personal development and welfare.  The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well. Assemblies, curriculum topics, visits and visitors incorporate learning about different cultures, faiths and lifestyles, and all contribute to broadening pupils’ horizons. Pupils gain an excellent understanding of core British values of democracy and citizenship through the school council and a strong focus on rights and responsibilities.  The governance of the school:  Governors take seriously their roles in ensuring pupils are safe and in holding the school to account. They use a wide range of strategies to monitor pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching. These include liaising with subject leaders, careful analysis of

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The leadership and management are outstanding

assessment information and visits to gain first-hand evidence of pupils’ attitudes, engagement and behaviour.  An annual questionnaire for parents and carers enables governors to gain their views and, where appropriate, respond. For example, following their suggestions, the reception/office area was extended and refurbished, and the transition from Year 6 to Year 7 was improved.  Self-evaluation is well informed by such activities and provides a secure basis for well- founded strategic planning.  Governors, along with other school leaders, are committed to including all pupils equally and eliminating discrimination. They ensure the funds from the pupil premium are used very effectively.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 116058 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 401285

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Junior School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 243 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jacqui Dye Headteacher Alison Russell Date of previous school inspection 17–18 October 2007 Telephone number 01329 664451 Fax number 01329 663930 Email address admin@croftonhammond-jun.hants.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 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,

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School details

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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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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