Bosmere Junior School

Bosmere Junior School South Street, Havant, PO9 1DA Inspection dates 10–11 January 2013

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress and achieve well in all subjects. They enjoy coming to school and their attendance is above the national average.  The quality of teaching continues to improve. This has resulted in the improving standards achieved in English and mathematics, which are above the national average.  Teachers plan exciting lessons to meet the needs of all pupils, including those who are disabled or have special educational needs. Teaching assistants support pupils’ learning very well.  This is a very happy school where everyone really does matter. Pupils talk about their school with passion and pride and parents are keen to get involved and support the school well.  Pupils’ attitudes towards their work are exemplary and they are punctual to lessons. Their behaviour in lessons and around the school is outstanding. There are strong relationships between teachers and pupils that reflect their high expectations.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher provides the school with clear and purposeful leadership. Governors and staff share her vision to sustain further improvements in outcomes for pupils. This has resulted in a school with a commitment to all achieving their best.  Governors provide good support and challenge to leaders at the school. They closely monitor the quality of teaching to secure improvements in pupils’ achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Pupils’ opportunities to think and learn by themselves are sometimes limited by having to spend too much time listening to teachers talking.  Teachers do not always reshape tasks for pupils in lessons in the light of their responses to teachers’ questions or other ways of checking progress.  Teachers do not always provide pupils with clear comments through marking about the next steps to take. Pupils are not given regular opportunities to respond to feedback and show improvements.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out with half a day’s notice and took place over two days.  The inspectors observed 13 teachers and visited 21 lessons, including some guided reading sessions to inspect the standards in reading. The headteacher and deputy headteacher both joined the inspectors for a number of observations. The inspectors also observed a number of small group activities led by teaching assistants.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, staff, pupils, governors and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including the school improvement plans, priorities for development, achievement data and documents relating to safeguarding children.  The inspectors took account of the 44 responses to the on-line Parent View survey and the 27 responses to the staff questionnaire during the inspection.

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Inspection team

John Cavill, Lead Inspector Additional Inspector Heidi Boreham Additional Inspector Peter Thrussell Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized three form entry junior school.  Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds. Very few have English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly below average.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and for children in the care of the local authority, is slightly below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school at times other than those which are normally expected is lower than average.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to outstanding overall to raise pupils’ achievement by:  making sure that pupils do not spend too much time listening to teachers talking and are given regular opportunities to think and learn by themselves  ensuring teachers respond in lessons to their observations of how well individual pupils are doing, to reshape tasks and improve pupils’ learning further  providing pupils with clear advice on how to improve their work and with regular opportunities for them to respond to these comments.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When pupils start at the school in Year 3, their attainment is generally average in English and mathematics. However, their standards in writing are below those in reading.  They make good progress across the school, reflecting the good teaching that they receive, and attain standards that are above the national average at the end of Year 6. They are very well prepared to move into, and be successful at, secondary school.  The whole school has had a focus on raising standards in writing, and consequently the gap in achievement between reading and writing, due to the pupils’ lower starting points in writing, is rapidly closing.  The proportion of pupils currently at the school who make and exceed their expected progress is similar to the national averages and is improving.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are given good support, which is suited to their specific needs, by teachers and teaching assistants. This is also the case for pupils for

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The achievement of pupils is good

whom English is an additional language. They all make at least good progress, with many making outstanding progress, from their individual starting points. Teachers are keen to include these pupils fully in lessons, demonstrating that the school strongly promotes equality of opportunity.  Pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium make good progress. The attainment of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals is above the average for similar pupils nationally, with an average point score for the group of 27 in the 2012 national tests at Key Stage 2. This figure is lower than the average point score of 29 for all the school’s Year 6 pupils in 2012. However, school data indicate that the progress made by all the pupils is good and that the lower attainment of pupils eligible for free school meals reflects their lower starting points.  Pupil premium funding is used to support pupils’ achievement well. Supporting additional small

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The achievement of pupils is good

group and individual teaching for pupils who are finding basic literacy and numeracy skills challenging is ensuring that the achievement of all pupils is at least good.  Pupils are confident readers and can read a variety of texts fluently. Regular guided reading sessions are allowing teachers to target individuals who need extra support and ensure that standards in reading are above average by the end of Year 6.  Mathematics is taught well and consequently pupils are able to apply basic skills with ease. In a Year 4 numeracy lesson, pupils were challenged to solve problems about perimeters using regular and irregular shapes. They were able to use their knowledge about shapes to identify the missing lengths and go on to solve the problems quickly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils make good progress in all subjects because of the consistently good, and often outstanding, teaching they receive.  All parents who responded to the Parent View questionnaire said that the quality of teaching was good and most thought that their children made good progress. Pupils say that teaching is good and that ‘teachers teach us the right stuff at the right level’.  In the best lessons, pupils make at least good, and often outstanding, progress because teachers expect pupils to think and learn for themselves. This was seen in a Year 6 literacy lesson on ‘Macbeth’, where pupils were independently finding synonyms for words in the text, using a thesaurus. However, this is not always the case and occasionally teachers are limiting progress by talking too much.  Teachers plan lessons well, using their subject knowledge effectively. This ensures that the tasks are well matched to the abilities of all pupils, including those with a disability or special

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The quality of teaching is good

educational needs.  Teachers monitor pupils’ progress with effective questioning and observation. For example, in a Year 4 literacy lesson, pupils were working on their own to describe a setting for a fantasy story. The teacher skilfully monitored individual progress and encouraged pupils to move on or corrected misunderstandings where necessary. However, in some lessons, teachers are not always responding quickly enough to reshape the tasks for pupils who are finding the work difficult or too easy. Consequently, the progress of some pupils slows slightly.  Teachers mark pupils work regularly and accurately. However, not all teachers provide pupils with good quality comments to guide them on the next steps they need to take. Pupils reported that they enjoy reading their teachers’ comments. They understand the feedback that they are given on how to improve their work, but are not always given regular opportunities to reflect

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The quality of teaching is good

upon the comments and make the necessary improvements.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils arrive at school ready to learn and keen to start working. In lessons, they contribute fully and are highly respectful. Their behaviour in lessons and around the school is exemplary.  Pupils are keen to come to school and are very punctual. Attendance is above average. The Home-School Link Worker is working successfully with parents to bring about improvement in the attendance of the few pupils for whom it is not as good as it should be.  The school’s systems to manage behaviour are very well understood by both staff and pupils. However, the procedures are hardly ever required, as pupils are very able and willing to manage their own behaviour, understanding the difference between right and wrong and demonstrating their strong moral code. Most parents said that the behaviour is well managed.  All pupils who spoke to inspectors feel safe and very secure. All parents who contributed to the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

inspection recognised that the pupils are kept very safe. Pupils report that they are confident that teachers and other adults at the school will deal quickly and effectively with any problems that they may have.  When pupils play or socialise together, they think of each other and keep each other safe. Pupils are fully aware of what constitutes bullying but said that bullying of any kind, including physical, emotional and cyber bullying, would be dealt with quickly and effectively. Most parents agreed, noting that the school deals with bullying well.  Pupils are very keen to take a full part in all activities within the school. Visits are enjoyed and extra-curricular clubs are well attended. They are very proud of their school and say that they will be sorry to leave when they move onto secondary school. One pupil said, ‘This is a nice, safe place to be where everyone’s friendly and you are treated with respect.’

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher leads this school with a clear vision for a sustainable future. Along with other leaders and governors, there is a shared determination to make the school even better and improve the outcomes for the pupils.  All members of staff feel valued and leaders work hard to ensure that their high expectations are communicated well and acted upon.  Leaders and governors understand that high quality teaching is necessary to secure high levels of achievement. They monitor and challenge the performance of teachers well to ensure there is a good match between how well teachers are paid and how well pupils achieve. Consequently, all inadequate teaching has been eradicated and provision is now at least good, with much that is outstanding.  Teachers’ professional development needs are highlighted through performance management, which is carefully used to ensure that individual and school improvement needs are met and that

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The leadership and management are good

there is a positive impact on the outcomes for pupils.  Leaders use the recently developed assessment tracking system to identify how well pupils are doing. This provides them with regular information to set challenging targets and monitor the performance of individuals and groups, including those with a disability or special educational needs or those who are eligible for support by the pupil premium. Leaders identify any underperformance rapidly and targeted support is monitored well.  The curriculum is regularly reviewed to check it is suitable for the pupils. A wide range of visits and additional events, such as the trip to Fishbourne to study the Romans, the visit to London and the Year 6 residential visit to the Isle of Wight, enhance the pupils’ experience further. While these visits are used to stimulate learning, they also improve pupils’ social skills and promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, as they experience the wider community.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders, including governors, robustly manage all statutory requirements relating to safeguarding.  The local authority now provides light-touch support to this good school.  The governance of the school:  The governing body understands the school and how well the pupils, are doing in relation to all pupils nationally. The governors as a group are self-reflective and ensure that they are up to date with current developments. They effectively identify areas to improve, using school self-evaluation well and monitoring improvement planning to judge its impact on pupils’ achievement. This fully supports the headteacher and her drive for continual improvement. Governors have challenged teachers to improve their teaching and have helped to secure effective teaching throughout the school. Teachers’ performance is regularly reviewed to ensure that their salary progression reflects the quality of their teaching and their leadership responsibilities. Governors monitor funding to the school

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The leadership and management are good

effectively and the headteacher is required to justify how the pupil premium funding is spent and how it affects the outcomes for pupils. The achievement of pupils in receipt of the pupil premium is checked termly at the pupil progress meetings with the class teachers. These meetings focus on the impact that the additional support provided specifically for this group has had and the findings are reported back to governors.

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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 115919 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 403280

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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 353 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Helen Faulkner Headteacher Catherine Opie Date of previous school inspection 14 November 2007 Telephone number 02392 482988 Fax number 02392 499379 Email address headteacher@bosmere.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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