Sholing Junior School

Sholing Junior School Middle Road, Souhampton, SO19 8PT

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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 Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Attainment is above average at the end of Year 6. Most pupils make good progress in writing and mathematics, given their starting points. They make very good progress in reading.  Good teaching ensures pupils enjoy their learning and make good progress. Teachers plan lessons well and make good use of resources that engage pupils’ interest and promote strong involvement in their work. Support staff make a very good contribution to pupils’ effective learning.  Strong, compassionate leadership promotes pupils’ academic and pastoral development. It ensures that pupils achieve well and benefit from excellent additional learning activities such as a visit to Normandy or whole-school performances, such as ‘The Lion King’.  Pupils behave well and have good attitudes to school. They are kind, thoughtful and caring and support each other well.  Robust tracking of pupils’ progress ensures those not doing well enough are quickly

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

identified and given effective support to ensure they catch up.  Excellent relationships across the school ensure pupils feel safe, behave well and are confident of adult support should they need it. They particularly value the support they get from specialist teaching assistants who help them if they have any worries or concerns.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Although pupils mainly do well in the content of their writing due to effective teaching, some weaknesses in spelling and handwriting remain and sometimes they make slow overall progress.  Teaching does not always challenge all pupils to deepen their understanding or encourage independent learning and this means that in a few lessons pupils do not do as well as they might.  Leaders are not always rigorous enough in using data to fully hold staff to account for the progress that pupils in their class make.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 20 lessons or part lessons of which two were joint observations with members of the senior leadership team.  Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors, a local authority officer, the leadership team and other senior staff.  Inspectors took account of the 21 responses to the online Parent View survey. They also spoke to a few parents and carers when they brought their children to school.  They observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, planning and checks on the quality of teaching, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.  The inspectors listened to pupils reading in Years 4 and 6.

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Inspection team

Janet Sinclair, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Carolyn Steer Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Sholing is an average-sized primary school.  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 average.  The majority of pupils are White British.  The number of pupils eligible for additional funding through the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils in local authority care, from armed forces families, or known to be eligible for free school meals) is above average.  The school meets the current government floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has a breakfast and after-school club managed by the governing body.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure teaching always challenges pupils and provides more opportunities for independent learning.  Improve pupils’ writing overall through a greater focus on spelling and handwriting.  Ensure leaders are more rigorous in their use of data in holding staff fully accountable for the learning and progress that the pupils make in their classes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well in English and mathematics. They achieve very well in reading with the large majority of pupils currently in Year 6 on course to attain the higher Level 5. Pupils’ progress is tracked carefully and this ensures that any slowing of progress within different groups is dealt with quickly. This helps to promote equality of opportunity for all pupils and assists in discouraging any discrimination.  The school has worked hard to improve writing by providing good opportunities to write across subjects. With support from the local authority and regular written assessments, there have been marked improvements although spelling and handwriting are still not consistently good enough. Boys now engage much more wholeheartedly in their writing.  Good practical mathematics activities, as seen in the Year 3 classes, as well as daily mental mathematics sessions ensure pupils’ involvement in their learning and enable good progress in

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The achievement of pupils is good

mental calculations.  A huge drive to improve reading has made sure that pupils read confidently and well. The school challenges its more able pupils well through a lunchtime able readers’ group that extends their skills and knowledge.  There is good attention to music and pupils achieve well. Effective music tuition ensures, for example, that pupils in Year 3 either learn the violin or tenor horn. Pupils thoroughly enjoy these lessons, learn to read music and concentrate well. Pupils also love singing and this was seen in assembly where they sang beautifully.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive good one-to-one and small- group support and this leads to good progress. For example, small-group work on sounds and letters helps to improve their writing.  The performance of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium in English and mathematics shows their progress is at least as good as that of other pupils. Their average point score in

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The achievement of pupils is good

national tests shows that their attainment is above the national average for their group. The gap in performance is narrowing between these pupils and other pupils in the school for both English and mathematics. The school uses the pupil premium funding well to provide support for a range of measures to boost pupils’ confidence and encourage higher expectations of them as well as higher performance in English and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good and occasionally outstanding teaching ensures that pupils achieve well. It is characterised by good questioning, an effective match of work to pupils’ earlier learning, and interesting content so that most pupils work hard, concentrate well and say that learning is fun.  Good use of subject specific vocabulary ensures that pupils learn to use it themselves. For example, in literacy lessons teachers discuss the use of a range of grammar and vocabulary that they expect pupils to include in their work.  Teachers make good use of resources such as the interactive whiteboard. Excellent practice was also seen in a letter of complaint from Mr Bear about the behaviour of Goldilocks. Drama helps pupils act as screen writers for a camera crew as part of their work in English so that they take seriously the drafting and redrafting of their written work.  Teaching assistants provide effective support for small groups of pupils, particularly disabled

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils and those with special educational needs and those for whom the pupil premium applies. This enables them to learn well. Additionally, where needed, the emotional support that teaching assistants give pupils. helps them with behaviour and friendship issues.  Teachers mark pupils’ work well and set next steps for pupils so that they are clear about what they need to do to improve. Pupils also have targets for their learning that helps them to know what they need to do to get better.  Pupils get good opportunities to work together, enabling them to cooperate on activities and support each other. This was seen in a Year 3 lesson when pupils worked together well to find the capacity of different containers.  Occasionally, teachers do not challenge pupils enough through work or questioning or give them the opportunities to develop their own ideas and this slows their learning, so pupils do not maximise their learning in these lessons.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make good use of homework when getting pupils to carry out research for their topics or in developing their reading skills.  Effective teaching by the local football coach gives pupils good opportunities for physical exercise that engages them well. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are fully encouraged to join in as much as they are able and this promotes their personal development and physical skills well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have good attitudes to their learning and behave well in lessons and around the school. Very occasionally, in less successful lessons, they lose interest and become restless. They know the expectations for their behaviour and are clear as to sanctions for deviating from the agreed school practices.  There are no recorded incidents of bullying or racism. Pupils say that there is very little bullying but when it does occur teachers sort it out quickly. They feel well supported because there are staff that they can go to if there are any friendship issues to be resolved. They also appreciate the opportunities to use the ‘worry box’ to tell staff privately about any concerns they have.  The small number of pupils with identified behavioural problems are well supported by staff so that any there is minimal disruption to the life of the school.  Pupils enjoy the opportunities to work together. They enjoy discussing their work and are

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

considerate of each other, and polite and well mannered towards adults.  The vast majority of parents and carers spoken to and those who completed the online Parent View survey felt that their children were safe in school and that behaviour was good.  Attendance is average and the school and its governing body monitor it regularly in order to ensure pupils attend regularly.  Senior staff ensure that the school site and learning environment are safe for the pupils. Pupils say that they feel very safe in school and like the fact there are first aiders in the playground, if needed. They are also confident of adult support should they need it. Pupils learn about staying safe through cycling proficiency training and assemblies about safe use of the internet, including how to deal with cyber bullying. Policies and procedures for behaviour and safeguarding are fully in place.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders and governors have a clear vision for ensuring continuing improvement. They have maintained the school’s good provision since its previous inspection. There is a good team spirit in the school and all staff are fully committed to providing quality education for the pupils in their care. This indicates that there is the capacity for further improvement.  The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and all staff contribute to the school improvement plan that sets the key areas for further development. Senior leaders and governors carefully monitor progress towards the targets set to ensure they are on track. However, they do not always make enough use of data to set precise progress targets.  Senior and subject leaders monitor teaching and learning carefully, including looking at work in pupils’ books and so have a clear view of its quality and what needs to be done to improve it further. Staff get regular feedback both individually and where appropriate as a whole staff. Any

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The leadership and management are good

staffing issues are dealt with quickly to ensure good teaching is maintained.  The school has a detailed process in place for setting individual and whole-school targets for all staff and checking that these are met. However, senior leaders and those responsible for subjects and aspects are still not linking this fully to the data on pupils’ progress and so are not always holding staff completely accountable for the progress that their pupils make.  The broad and balanced curriculum engages pupils’ interests and is enriched extremely well through an extensive range of visits and after-school clubs. Pupils in Year 6 were excited about their trip to the Globe Theatre in London and pupils in Year 4 were pleased that they had won a recent football tournament.  The school receives light-touch support from the local authority. However, it buys in additional support to help improve writing and this is increasingly successful.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils know right from wrong, work well together in class and on projects, and are respectful of each other’s views.  Parents and carers are mainly happy with the school and what it provides. They receive helpful information through regular newsletters and detailed reports on their children’s progress.  The governance of the school: Governors fulfil their statutory duties well and ensure that safeguarding is given their full attention so that pupils and staff are kept safe. They have a good knowledge of the quality of teaching both through reports from the headteacher and regular visits to classes. They manage and check the school’s finances carefully, including the use of pupil premium funding and how it is spent. The detailed system now in place for monitoring pupils’ progress, is giving them a much clearer view of

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The leadership and management are good

how well pupils in the school are doing. Governors attend appropriate training so that they develop their knowledge and skills. This ensures that they are clear about what is happening both locally and nationally. They are involved in setting performance management targets for the headteacher and are aware of a similar process for staff. As a result, they have a good knowledge of how the performance of staff links to increases in salary and they promote further staff accountability within this. They have a good overview of the school’s finances.

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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 116107 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 403289

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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 237 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jane Butler Headteacher Marc Parnell Date of previous school inspection 18 June 2008 Telephone number 02380 447448 Fax number 02380 421340 Email address head@sholing-jun.southampton.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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