Hart Plain Junior School

School report Hart Plain Junior School Hart Plain Avenue, Waterlooville, PO8 8SA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Inadequate 4

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires special measures.  Leaders, managers and governors have not addressed shortcomings identified during the previous inspection.  Too many pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, make inadequate progress in mathematics. This has been a trend over several years. As a result, attainment in mathematics is below average at the end of Year 6.  Teaching is inadequate, particularly in mathematics. Teachers spend too much time going over previous learning and do not give pupils more challenging work to extend their learning further. The expectations of some teachers are not high enough.  Worse still, when the work does not meet the pupils’ individual needs they misbehave and this slows down their progress.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, enjoy the variety of activities in lessons.  The curriculum provides a range of interesting experiences and strong links have been made with different countries. Pupils benefit from membership of the Children’s University and also take part in running a bank in school.  Most pupils enjoy school. They demonstrate good levels of respect and are kind and considerate to others.  Attendance is good and there are very few exclusions.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 19 lessons, of which two were joint observations with senior leaders. They observed groups of pupils working with teaching assistants. Inspectors also made short visits to observe the teaching of phonics (linking letters and the sounds they make).  Inspectors took account of 16 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). Inspectors also noted the results of the school’s questionnaire for parents and carers completed in summer 2011.  Meetings took place with staff, pupils and the chair of the governing body. There were discussions with a local authority representative as well as its advisor for mathematics.  School documentation was examined, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress. Records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding were also scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Liz Bowes, Lead inspector Additional inspector Christopher Crouch Additional inspector Susan Hunnings Additional inspector

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Information about this school

 Hart Plain Junior School is larger than the average sized junior school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through School Action is higher than the national average, as is the proportion supported by School Action Plus, or with a statement of special educational needs. Their needs relate mainly to behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support under the Pupil Premium (additional government funding) is higher than the national average.  The school’s senior leadership team has undergone significant short-term staffing turbulence. There have also been considerable changes in staffing lower down the school over the past year.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those learning English as an additional language is below the national average.  There is an adjacent infant school and pupils from both schools use the on-site breakfast club

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Information about this school

which is managed by the governing body.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure the quality of teaching is consistently good or better to accelerate progress, especially in mathematics by:  judging more accurately when to move pupils on to the next stage of their learning so that all make good progress  ensuring that teachers check pupils’ learning in order to take action sooner if they are not making enough progress  providing more ambitious learning targets for pupils to help them understand the next steps towards reaching higher levels, particularly in mathematics  making sure that marking helps pupils to understand how they can improve their work  providing more opportunities for pupils to use their numeracy skills in other subjects.  Strengthen the capacity of leaders, managers and the governing body to sustain improvement by ensuring that they:  promote consistency and clear progression across all year groups in mathematics  rigorously track pupils’ progress, including that of pupils with disabilities and special

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

educational needs, and intervene quickly if any are falling behind  ensure that the impact of short-term changes to staffing are minimised  provide the governing body with more training in understanding pupils’ performance so governors can offer more effective support and hold senior leaders to account about the impact of the school’s work.

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Inspection judgements

The achievement of pupils is inadequate  Children start school with skills typical for their age. In previous years, however, children entered with weaker skills and this affected their rate of progress over time.  Since the previous inspection, unsatisfactory progress in mathematics has resulted in low attainment, particularly for pupils currently in Years 5 and 6. Although the school is working to improve the progress of pupils in other year groups, pupils spend too much time catching up on learning they have missed when they reach Year 6.  There are gaps in pupils’ knowledge and in their application of number skills. Progress in mathematics is often slow because too much time is spent going over the same work and not extending pupils’ knowledge and understanding.  More able pupils receive too little challenge in lessons and spend too much time repeating what they already know, which slows their progress. In some lessons they find questions too easy,

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Inspection judgements

while in others they finish tasks quickly because too little is expected of them.  Although there is some variation between year groups, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make inadequate progress in mathematics because of a lack of clearly directed support, which leads to teaching that does not meet their individual needs. The school does not promote equal opportunities effectively for these pupils. In addition, the achievement of pupils known to be eligible for the Pupil Premium is inadequate. They make slow progress and because of this the gap between their attainment and that of all pupils across the country is not closing.  In English, progress in reading is becoming more consistent and the majority of pupils are now reaching the levels expected for their age by the end of Year 6. Reading is promoted well through a wide range of interesting books in the school library and in classrooms. Most pupils

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Inspection judgements

say they enjoy reading.  Most pupils are now making at least the expected progress in writing. This is due to the school providing more interesting work as part of a new curriculum, with the result that pupils can now write for a range of different audiences .  Although some parents and carers expressed satisfaction with their children’s progress the majority who responded to the questionnaire were less positive about the school’s work. Inspection findings show that pupils are capable of making better progress than they currently do.

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Inspection judgements

The quality of teaching is inadequate  Teaching and learning over time are inadequate because pupils, especially in Years 5 and 6, cannot apply mathematical skills as well as they should. In other year groups, although improving, teaching is not yet strong enough to close the gap in attainment with the national average in mathematics because of pupils’ inadequate progress.  A lack of ambitious learning targets, coupled with a low level of challenge, results in lessons that are too focused on filling gaps in knowledge that should have been acquired previously rather than moving pupils on in their learning.  The leadership team and staff have refined the assessment systems to help teachers measure how much progress pupils make. However, teachers are not checking often, especially in mathematics, the extent to which pupils are on course to reach their targets. Inspectors observed several lessons where there was insufficient use of records of pupils’ achievement

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Inspection judgements

levels to provide work with enough challenge. Over time this weakness adversely affects achievement because teachers do not build well on what pupils’ already know and can do.  Pupils are unaware of the levels they are working at or how to move on to the next level. Consequently, they are unsure of what they need to do to improve. The school acknowledges that the use of targets for pupils in mathematics and English is not fully established.  The quality of marking is variable, so that not all pupils are made aware of how to move on in their learning or how to improve the quality of their work. There is some good marking, with clear direction from the teacher regarding the next steps in learning and opportunities for pupils to comment on their work.  In a few lessons, pupils’ learning is not moved on rapidly enough to ensure that interest is fully maintained. This leads to some low-level misbehaviour, which affects the pace of learning. For

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Inspection judgements

example, in a history lesson in Year 4, too much time was taken up by the teacher reminding pupils of how to behave.  As a result of weak teaching over time, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are also making inadequate progress in mathematics, although the quality of some of the intervention work undertaken by teaching assistants is good.  There are some strengths in the teaching. Lesson plans usually include a variety of activities to help sustain pupils’ engagement. Relationships and routines, when combined with challenging teaching, ensure that lessons proceed smoothly. Pupils cooperate well with their teachers and with each other. In some English lessons, teachers support good progress by helping to develop pupils’ confidence in working independently. In these better lessons, pupils are encouraged to speak clearly and to organise themselves and others when working on

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Inspection judgements

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement  Typically, behaviour is adequate and this is the view of the parents and carers who completed the Parent View questionnaire. The school focuses on developing children’s social skills and behaviour from the moment they arrive.  There are barriers to pupils’ learning but the school is proactive in supporting pupils to overcome known difficulties. For example, the breakfast club has encouraged better attendance and has led to pupils who find learning more challenging settling quickly into the school day.  The positive impact of the nurture group is evident throughout the school. This is particularly noticeable in lessons where potentially vulnerable pupils have improved their skills in working together.  Behaviour is often good in lessons and clear expectations contribute to a calm, well-ordered and safe environment. However, there are occasions when some pupils display more

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Inspection judgements

challenging behaviour, which has a negative impact on learning. For example, in a Year 5 science lesson, disruptive behaviour significantly affected the progress of pupils. Occasionally, pupils lose concentration when the work is not well matched to their needs or the pace of learning is too slow.  Pupils know about the different types of bullying, such as what is meant by cyber or racist bullying. Although some parents and carers expressed concerns, pupils confirm that incidents of bullying are rare. They are confident that should they have any worries a member of staff will help them.  Attendance is above average and has improved over recent years. This is a result of the school’s strong focus on the need for pupils to attend school on time and every day .

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Inspection judgements

The leadership and management are inadequate

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Inspection judgements

 Senior leaders have not addressed the weaknesses identified in mathematics at the previous inspection. Despite extensive external support, for example, from the local authority over a number of years, pupils’ progress in mathematics is too slow and the capacity for further improvement is limited.  The leaders of some subjects, including mathematics, have taken on additional duties which have reduced the time available for them to lead and manage teaching, learning and the curriculum. This has had an adverse impact on the consistency of practice and the progression of learning across all year groups.  The senior leadership team has undergone significant changes in a short time. There have also been considerable changes of teaching staff in the lower years of the school and this has affected the pace of change.  The school’s self-evaluation identifies the most important areas for improvement and regular

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Inspection judgements

meetings are held with teachers to discuss pupils’ progress. However, school leaders’ use of performance management linked to their observations of teachers’ work in the classroom have insufficient impact on raising achievement in mathematics.  The curriculum is suitable for the needs of pupils; it is the delivery of the curriculum that is the key weakness in the quality of provision. A recent initiative in English has been to make books more interesting to boys as well as girls. Although pupils have the opportunity to write extensively in many subjects, there are too few opportunities to develop mathematical skills in other subject lessons.  The school does not use most of the additional funding received from the Pupil Premium directly to improve pupils’ literacy skills. Rather, it is has been used to fund a family support officer and to subsidise residential trips for some pupils. While this has had a demonstrable

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Inspection judgements

impact on the attendance of these pupils it has not closed the gap in their achievement compared with that of other pupils.  Pupils are provided with some enjoyable and memorable experiences, including, for example, the Children’s University and the ‘high street bank’, which is based at the school and encourages pupils to develop a responsible attitude to finance and savings. In particular, there are opportunities for Year 6 pupils to run the bank and develop their leadership skills.  A range of opportunities promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. This includes a cultural and educational link with a Ugandan school through the Queen Elizabeth National Park . Pupils benefit from a large number of clubs. Through the curriculum and the school’s codes of conduct, pupils know that discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.  The school ensures that there is appropriate support for pupils whose circumstances make

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Inspection judgements

them potentially vulnerable.  The school provides a welcoming ethos that encourages all groups of pupils to work together well and ensures equal access to resources and support.  The governance of the school  Governors do not have sufficient understanding of the pupils’ performance to hold the school fully to account for the effectiveness of its provision.  The governing body has not ensured that rigorous performance management and judicious use of the Pupil Premium have led to improved provision and outcomes.  The governing body does ensure that safeguarding arrangements meet requirements and policies and procedures are periodically reviewed and updated.

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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 116244 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 401583

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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 281 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mike Lodge Headteacher Nicola Tettmar Date of previous school inspection 19 October 2009 Telephone number 02392 263200 Fax number 02392 269235 Email address adminoffice@hartplain-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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