Trosnant Junior School

Trosnant Junior School and BESD Unit Stockheath Lane, Havant, Hampshire PO9 3BD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a good school

 The headteacher, governors and staff are determined to make sure that the school’s provision and pupils’ progress is continuously improved. The result is that pupils’ achievement, teaching and the school’s overall effectiveness have improved since the previous inspection.  Teaching is led well and is typically good or better in almost all lessons. This is often because activities that teachers provide are often well matched to pupils’ varying abilities. There is an increasing proportion of outstanding lessons.  All groups of pupils, including those in the unit, achieve well. Standards are above average in reading. In writing and mathematics, they are average and getting better.  Relationships are good. Pupils behave well. They feel safe, thoroughly enjoy school and learning and have positive attitudes. Their attendance is high.  It is the excellence of the leadership and management of the headteacher that is

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This is a good school

pivotal to the school’s increasing success.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Although some lessons are outstanding, there are not yet enough to make achievement outstanding.  Although teachers plan most subjects very well, there is a weakness in the provision of French.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out with a half day’s notice.  Inspectors observed 22 lessons taught by 15 members of staff. Of these, five were joint observations undertaken with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  Inspectors held meetings with a representative from the local authority, with members of the governing body and with groups of pupils. In addition to a number of meetings with members of staff, the questionnaires completed by 28 members of staff were taken into account.  As well as informal discussions with parents and carers at the end of the school day, a meeting was held with them. Account could not be taken of the online questionnaire (Parent View) because there were no responses.  The inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation, including the school’s analysis of pupils’ progress, teachers’ lesson plans, the school’s action plan, local authority reports, leaders’ monitoring of teaching reports and pupils’ work.

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Inspection team

Keith Sadler, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lily Evans Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is of average size. It is federated with the adjacent infant school and there is one headteacher (the executive headteacher) and a governing body for both schools. In addition, the schools share a coordinator for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.  The school includes a special unit for seven pupils who have behavioural, emotional or social development (BESD) needs. All of these pupils have statements of special educational needs. Although almost all of the pupils in the main school live within the immediate vicinity, the BESD unit pupils travel from a wide area of southern Hampshire.  Almost all the pupils are of White British heritage and very few are from minority ethnic groups. No pupils are at an early stage of learning English.  The number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is high in comparison to the national average. These pupils are entitled to the pupil premium (additional funding).

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Information about this school

 The number of pupils supported because of the learning difficulties at school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs, is very high in comparison to the national average.  The school meets the current floor standards set by the government, which determines the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.  The school has a breakfast club. This provision is managed by the governing body.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By January 2014, lift the quality of teaching and accelerate learning to outstanding levels by ensuring that:  pupils’ handwriting skills are strengthened  teachers’ questioning of pupils consistently demands extended answers  the quality of marking in mathematics matches the high quality seen in English, by making sure that next steps in learning are made explicit  teachers’ introductions to lessons are kept brief.  Strengthen curricular provision in French by:  deepening the staff’s knowledge and understanding of French  ensuring that the school’s provision is extended and includes regular opportunities for pupils to speak and listen, read and write in the language.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils join Year 3 with attainment that is below average. A high percentage of pupils make the progress expected for their age and a growing proportion makes more than expected progress. As a result, standards in both English and mathematics are improving and are now average overall with attainment above average in reading. There is an increasing proportion of pupils who gain the higher level at the end of Year 6, particularly in reading.  Pupils in the BESD unit, and others across the school who are disabled or have special educational needs, make good progress in their learning. This is because they receive high quality and well-targeted support that is effectively tailored to meet their individual needs.  Boys and girls achieve equally well. Some pupils make very substantial gains in their learning because the additional funding for them is used effectively to provide well-considered help. Lesson observations and reviews of pupils’ work show that overall achievement is good.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There has been a marked improvement in standards over the past three years from previously low to current average attainment. The previous gap in achievement between reading and writing is being closed successfully, even though attainment in writing remains slightly below that for reading.  The strong focus on improving pupils’ grammar work is paying dividends. Even so, pupils’ overall attainment is hampered because they do not always use cursive script and this limits the amount of work that they can produce.  In mathematics, the school is rightly placing an emphasis on lifting the proportion of pupils gaining the higher level at the end of Year 6. Because work is challenging for more able pupils, they achieve particularly well. Pupils’ calculation skills are developed well in all year groups. Staff plan many opportunities for pupils to apply their good arithmetical knowledge in practical and investigative problems and this helps to boost standards.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Senior staff’s relentless drive to lift standards is paying off well. The current Year 6 pupils are on course to attain above average standards in both reading and mathematics. Over half the current Year 5 pupils have already attained the standards expected at the end of Year 6 in both reading and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Inspection findings confirm the school’s own monitoring records that almost all teaching is now typically good across a range of subjects and an increasing proportion, particularly in Year 6, is outstanding.  Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. All pupils, including those that are disabled or need extra help, are provided with work that is well matched to their abilities. This helps to motivate the pupils. As one Year 6 pupil said, ‘We like work that is challenging because it helps us to learn better.’  Excellent relationships and behaviour management result in all classes having a calm and purposeful atmosphere. Teachers offer lots of praise and this helps to build the pupils’ confidence and self-esteem well. Teachers plan many opportunities for pupils to work in pairs and in small groups. As well as successfully promoting the pupils’ social and moral skills, this enables them to share and support each other in their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the best lessons, the pace of learning is rapid and pupils respond enthusiastically. Teachers question pupils well and they successfully adapt their aims for pupils’ learning in light of these assessments. However, this is not always the case. On a few occasions, teachers do not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to provide extended answers to questions and this limits the chances for pupils to show what they understand.  Marking is now much more consistent than previously. Some, particularly in writing in Years 4 and 6, is of outstanding quality. It is thorough, supportive and aided by clear next steps being given. Furthermore, the school’s well-founded policy of pupils responding to teachers’ comments further supports pupils’ understanding. However, in mathematics, there are inconsistencies in this practice. Even though pupils’ targets for learning are provided in the front of their

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The quality of teaching is good

mathematics books, teachers guidance for next steps in learning are not well established.  Occasionally, even in good lessons, the pace of learning is slowed because teachers spend too long introducing topics or their explanations are so extended that pupils lose concentration.  Pupils who are part of the unit are supported well both within their class and also when working alongside their classmates. These, and other pupils with disabilities or additional learning needs, are provided with work that is interesting and helps them to move well towards their individual targets. Both the specialist one-to-one teacher and the support staff teach pupils well and they make rapid progress towards their individual targets.  Reading is taught well and this leads to above average standards. Those pupils entering Year 3 who have reading difficulties are particularly well supported. The teaching of letters and sounds

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The quality of teaching is good

is systematic. This aids the progress of less able pupils because they are carefully taught to blend and build sounds so that their reading is accurate. Staff encourage parents and carers well to become involved in supporting their child’s reading at home. Most parents willingly help their children at home, except in Year 4, where fewer are involved.  Even though outstanding teaching is increasing and very few lessons require improvement, teaching is not yet outstanding overall because not enough is at this highest level.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 An enduring strength of the school is the way in which all pupils are welcomed and valued for who they are. Pupils get on well together and enjoy being part of the learning community. They have positive attitudes and, by the time they reach Year 6, they develop high levels of self- confidence. The school successfully encourages an understanding of the differences in the pupils’ backgrounds and is committed to promoting tolerance of others.  Most pupils behave well in lessons, around the school and at the breakfast club.. The playground and dining hall are calm and welcoming places. Many of the pupils spoken to during the inspection say they like coming to school and feel happy and safe. As one parent said, ‘I have to drag my son away from school.’  The good quality personal and social education programme helps to support pupils’ understanding of how they keep themselves and their friends safe. Older pupils are keenly

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

aware, for example, of the potential risks in the use of social media. Most recognise what bullying is and the different forms it takes and know that it is not tolerated in school.  Pupils who are in the unit because they have behavioural, social or emotional difficulties increasingly manage their behaviour well as they move up through the school. They generally adhere to the school’s well-founded code of behaviour and, although there are occasional lapses, they do not disturb the enjoyment and learning of others.  Raising levels of attendance has been a key focus in the past three years. The very successful strategies employed mean that attendance is now high. Pupils enjoy school and their learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher’s leadership and management are excellent. His relentless focus on raising standards and intolerance of what may be deemed as excuses for underperformance are at the heart of school improvement.  The headteacher is ably supported by a keen and well-trained senior leadership team. They demonstrate high quality teaching skills and support the training of all staff well.  The school has developed effective ways to check provision and pupils’ progress. School self- evaluation is accurate. Rigorous systems are in place to check on the quality of teaching and learning and to make sure that improvements are made where needed. Joint lesson observations with teachers and leaders are used well to improve teaching and spread good practice. . Resulting targets are set and the training needs of both teaching and support staff are clearly identified.  The school has benefitted from successful support from the local authority, especially in

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The leadership and management are good

improving the quality of teaching and learning in English and mathematics.  The school receives significant additional funding. These funds are used exceptionally well and are focused on entitled pupils who may have barriers to their learning. Support provided includes one-to-one teaching, additional small group teaching, revision support and also the purchase of specialist advice from external partners, such as educational psychologist days.  The school’s curriculum is planned well and topics and themes are carefully chosen to build on pupils’ interests and ideas. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has a high priority and, through developing pupils’ awareness of others, successfully underpins much of the work of the school. Even so, the curriculum for a modern foreign language requires improvement. The teaching of French is patchy across the school and is the result of a lack of

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The leadership and management are good

confidence and subject knowledge in the teaching staff. This results in pupils’ knowledge and understanding being low.  The governance of the school:  is good because the governing body has successfully strengthened its effectiveness since the last inspection by ensuring that arrangements for checking progress and provision are effective and based on members of the governing body regularly visiting the school. These visits complement the good quality information that is provided by staff  governors, working with school leaders, make sure that any additional funding, such as pupil premium, is used well to make a telling difference to how well pupils achieve  the governing body asks challenging questions of school leaders about how well the school is performing and has good links with the local community  child protection and safeguarding arrangements are robust and meet regulatory requirements in full. The school takes its responsibility to ensure pupils’ safety very seriously.

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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 is

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Grade Judgement Description

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 115911 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 405610

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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 186 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Martin Bester Headteacher Jim Hartley Date of previous school inspection 13–14 July 2011 Telephone number 02392 475606 Fax number 02392 475606 Email address jim.hartley@trosnant-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, please

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School details

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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