Mengham Junior School

Mengham Junior School Palmerston Road, Hayling Island, PO11 9ET

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Pupils are having to catch up on ground they have lost through slow progress in previous years.  Progress varies between different subjects. Mathematics and particularly writing require improvement.  Teaching requires improvement. Teachers do not always set work in lessons at exactly the right level of difficulty.  Pupils are not all used to acting on what teachers write when they mark work, for example the instructions they give or the questions they ask.  Pupils do not routinely use dictionaries to help their writing.  Leadership and management require improvement. Not all teachers who have positions of responsibility are playing a full part in checking on and improving the school.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils make good progress in reading.  The new headteacher has made an exceptionally good start, and is backed up well by the members of the governing body. She has given staff confidence and has their full support.  Teaching and learning are improving rapidly because of what the headteacher has done.  Pupils are already making faster progress in mathematics and writing.  Teachers make lessons interesting. Pupils enjoy school and are rarely absent.  Pupils behave well. They feel safe and are looked after well.  Parents and carers are highly positive about the school. source not found. 10–11 January 2013 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 13 lessons or parts of lessons, and saw mathematics and English taught by all class teachers who work on the days of the inspection. They also observed a guided reading session and some small group teaching that takes place outside the classroom.  They listened to some pupils reading. They also discussed pupils’ experiences of the school with them, both in a formal meeting and informally in conversation.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other teachers, including those who hold leadership and management responsibilities, other staff who support the work of the school, four members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. Staff also gave their views through 18 responses to a questionnaire.  Views of parents and carers were received through an email, a letter and a telephone call, through informal discussions at the end of the first day and through the 37 responses to the

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Information about this inspection

online questionnaire Parent View. These were taken into account before and during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Deborah Zachary, Lead inspector Additional inspector Rob Isaac Additional inspector source not found. 10–11 January 2013 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average primary school.  Most of the pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and receive support through ‘school action’ is broadly average.  The proportion who receive support at ‘school action plus’ or through a statement of special educational needs is also broadly average.  About 40% of pupils are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium, additional money given to schools by the government. This proportion is above average.  None of the pupils on the school’s roll is taught elsewhere.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The current headteacher took up her post in September 2012.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching in writing and mathematics by making sure:  teachers tell pupils who have reached different levels what they should be aiming for in the lesson  pupils who are at different levels are given work that is adjusted to what they need to learn next  ‘pink’ questions or queries in marking (things a pupil should do or improve on) are consistently acted on by pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 In addition, improve achievement and teaching specifically in writing by:  making sure the writing pupils do has a clear purpose that they understand  using the results of the assessments teachers carry out at the start of new writing topics to plan work for pupils at different stages  putting dictionaries out on pupils’ tables so that they are an integral part of the ‘toolbox’ pupils use.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all teachers who hold leadership and management responsibilities play a full part with the headteacher in checking on and improving what the school does. source not found. 10–11 January 2013 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement is not good because previous weaknesses mean pupils’ progress in mathematics and writing is not as rapid as in reading. Writing is the weakest area.  Some pupils who were in last year’s Year 6 did not do well enough, given their standards when they left Key Stage 1. Some pupils currently in the school also made progress that was too slow in previous years, but they are doing better now.  Pupils understand what they need to improve in writing, for example their spelling. However, they do not use dictionaries routinely in lessons. In some classrooms, they have to get up and fetch a dictionary from the side to check a word.  Pupils’ work in writing has improved considerably since last September. Handwriting is becoming much neater, and better joined. Longer pieces of writing are becoming better structured. Pupils are using better ways of starting the sentences they write and improving punctuation. They

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

make the best progress when they are writing with a purpose, such as a diary entry or to persuade others about the value of pets, rather than when they learn a writing skill in isolation.  Work in mathematics books has also improved considerably. Much work is rightly being done on understanding numbers, including the meaning of the digits in a number that represent units and tens and hundreds, and ideas about counting back and forwards in different-sized jumps.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported well. Like other pupils, they are in the process of catching up after a period of slower progress, and they make the same progress as other pupils. Pupils whose reading was weakest at the end of Key Stage 1 are receiving good help to catch up.  The school makes good use of pupil premium money, for example to give eligible pupils one-to- one help from an adult where needed, to enable them to take part in clubs and trips, and to

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

provide help in learning to handle emotions.  Such support helps to make sure that different groups of pupils have an equal chance to succeed. Between 2011 and 2012, the gap in performance between pupils eligible for the pupil premium and others narrowed, so for the 2012 Year 6, the gap in the points gained by the two groups of pupils in their tests was smaller than seen nationally. That year, eligible pupils made the same progress as other pupils in mathematics, and better progress in English.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not judged good because the good things that are happening now in lessons have not yet led to sustained good achievement. Some aspects of teaching still require improvement. At times in lessons, some of the work pupils are given is too hard or too easy. When this happens, pupils’ learning slows.  Teachers often give pupils a quick test before they start a topic, to see what they already know. This is a good idea, especially as they are not convinced that all the assessments made before September were accurate. However, the information they get from these ‘pre-assessments’ is not always used well to plan exactly what should now be taught, particularly in writing.  Teachers tell pupils about the ‘WALT’ for the lesson at the start. This means ‘We Are Learning To’ and it is used to make sure that pupils know what they are aiming for. In some lessons, this is a single target for all of the class. The system works much better when pupils know what level

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

they are on and have a WALT to aim at for each level to help them focus. Where teaching is at its best, they are encouraged to aim higher if they are successful with the first WALT.  Most teachers have greatly improved the way they mark books since last September. They now use a coding system of green highlights for things that are good or correct, and pink highlights for something that needs to be corrected, or for a challenge or question the teacher wants the pupil to do or answer.  In an outstanding Year 5 mathematics lesson, pupils benefited from fine-tuned activities and excellent use of marking. In the introductory activity, work was identified by level, for instance ‘Level 3 start here’, and pupils rose to the challenge. ‘Think pink’ time was used to give pupils the opportunity to revisit what they had not understood in the previous lesson or carry out a challenge, and the teacher appointed ‘experts’ who had done well in the previous lesson to help

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

individuals.  In many lessons, teachers use interesting resources or approaches to keep pupils engaged in learning and help them enjoy their work. In a mathematics lesson, ‘fruits and vegetables’ from a French market were labelled not just with their French names but also with reductions that the pupils had to calculate. Pupils were interested by the French words and the idea of reductions, and made rapid progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are courteous and behave well in lessons and in the playground. They make a good contribution to the school, for example through the school council and through acting as ‘buddies’ in the playground.  Those who find concentration and good behaviour more difficult receive effective help through a range of innovative work led by support staff, including a fun club at lunchtime and specialist support for pupils’ emotional development.  In class, pupils support each other very well. Many teachers use well-handled brief discussions with a partner as part of the learning process, or identify pupils to help others, which pupils do sensitively.  Pupils are starting to take more responsibility for their own learning. This helps them learn because they are less passive, and start to push themselves to achieve more. Some are starting to look at the things the teacher has highlighted in pink in their work without being prompted.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

Other books show that they do not always take enough notice of what the teacher has done in the marking.  All parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire feel their children are safe in school. Pupils too feel safe. They understand what bullying is and how it can be stopped, but say it is not a problem. They are confident that adults in the school will help them if they have a problem.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The headteacher is providing excellent leadership, but leadership and management are not yet good because not all the other key staff are playing a full part in raising the quality of teaching and learning. The school has identified this and is providing training.  Leaders and managers do ‘drop-in’ checks on lessons but do not all contribute to checking and improving teaching and learning by watching full lessons. They are not all yet playing a full part in planning for improvement. However, teachers are very positive about the impact the new headteacher has had on the school and are thoroughly committed to its improvement.  The headteacher combines rigorous checks on teaching quality with advice that raises teachers’ confidence in their own abilities. She makes sure that teachers get the right training and support, and identifies how teachers can learn from each other, but is uncompromising in her

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The leadership and management require improvement

requirement that teaching quality improves. This has led to a dramatic rise in quality of teaching, and inspectors saw much that was good.  Planning for improvement is effective. For example, the headteacher quickly identified that teachers’ lack of confidence in assessing standards meant that pupils’ progress could not be accurately measured. This was limiting the way the priorities for improvement could be identified. Teachers have received training and worked with others from outside the school. They are now confident that they are making accurate assessments.  The pupils benefit from a wide range of visits and clubs, which contribute well to their enjoyment of school and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The systems for promoting good reading are effective. Guided reading (where the teacher and/or assistant work with small groups while others read independently) is handled well and makes a good

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The leadership and management require improvement

contribution to pupils’ progress.  The local authority has given the school help through a leadership and learning partner, and through advice and training from subject inspectors. It has now identified the school, appropriately, as needing only medium-level support.  The governance of the school:  Governance is effective. Governors have their own action plan and arrange appropriate training for themselves. Records of governing body meetings show they challenge and have challenged the school about the quality of teaching. They check and are confident that the performance management carried out since the headteacher’s arrival has ensured that decisions about teachers’ pay are closely related to the impact teaching is having on pupils’ progress. Governors understand data about the school’s performance and records from the last year also show that they have been very concerned about pupils’ slower progress

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The leadership and management require improvement

compared to pupils nationally. They describe taking a particular focus on the need to improve progress during their appointment of the new headteacher. Governors understand the budget and monitor the impact of money that is spent, such as pupil premium funding. source not found. 10–11 January 2013 7 of 9

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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. source not found. 10–11 January 2013 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 116052 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 401554

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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 169 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sue Lewis Headteacher Wendy Bolton Date of previous school inspection 10–11 June 2010 Telephone number 02392 462162 Fax number 02392 466012 Email address adminoffice@mengham-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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