Langstone Junior School

Langstone Junior School Lakeside Avenue, Portsmouth, PO3 6EZ

p.1

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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics during their time in the school due to good, sometimes outstanding, teaching.  Teachers plan interesting lessons, match work well to pupils’ needs and use marking and feedback effectively. This ensures that pupils learn well and make good progress.  Teaching assistants provide very good support for the learning of small groups and individuals.  Excellent leadership by the headteacher is ensuring that this is a rapidly improving school where all pupils learn successfully.  The school is a strong, caring community where pupils work together well. They behave well and are kind and caring towards each other.  Keeping a detailed eye on pupils’ progress ensures that the school clearly knows how well pupils are doing, identifies those falling behind and quickly puts plans into place to ensure they catch up.  The school makes good use of exciting topics

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

that engage pupils and this is reflected in the vibrant displays of their work throughout the school.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always ensure that their questions deepen pupils’ understanding or that the pace of lessons supports rapid learning.  Targets set for teachers are not always sufficiently linked to their experience or level of responsibility to ensure that all play a full role in school improvement.  Pupils have a limited awareness of the breadth of social, cultural and religious diversity in Britain.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 20 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 four other governors, a local authority officer, the leadership team and other senior staff.  Inspectors took account of the 26 responses to the online Parent View survey. They also spoke to several 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 information 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.

p.2

Inspection team

Janet Sinclair, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Richard Boswell Additional Inspector Fiona Robinson Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Langstone is an above average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is 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 school meets the current government floor standards, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The number of pupils eligible for additional funding through the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils in local authority care, from armed services families, or known to be eligible for free school meals) is average.  A new deputy headteacher was appointed in January 2013.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching to further raise achievement by ensuring:  that questioning always challenges pupils and seeks to deepen their understanding  a good range of activities in lessons helps pupils to learn as rapidly as they can.  Ensure that targets for teachers’ performance are more closely linked to their experience and level of responsibility so all play an appropriate role in school development.  Increase pupils’ awareness of Britain’s cultural diversity in order to improve their understanding of cultures other than their own.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment in English and mathematics for pupils currently in Year 6 is at the national average. Their progress is good. Almost all of the pupils in Year 6 have already made the expected progress and over half of them have reached the expected level for 13 year olds in their reading. This is a good improvement since the previous inspection when attainment was below average and progress only satisfactory. It reflects the school’s relentless focus on improving pupils’ achievement, which now compares favourably with that found nationally.  Progress across the rest of the school is almost always good. Effective monitoring and individualised help for those not doing well enough ensure they progress quickly. This is helping to close the gaps in the performance of different groups, promotes equality of opportunity and discourages discrimination. It also helps pupils prepare for the next phase in their education.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress due to specific programmes tailored to their needs and well-focused support from teachers and teaching assistants.  Pupils who attract the pupil premium because they are eligible for free school meals have shown variable performance in the national tests in English and mathematics. Last summer their results showed them to be a term behind in reading and writing and two terms behind in mathematics compared with other pupils in the school. However, pupils in the current Year 6 who attract the pupil premium have made good progress in all three subjects and are on track to narrow, although not completely close, this gap.  Pupils who attract the pupil premium because they have a parent in the armed services or are in the care of the local authority, show the same pattern of attainment as those known to be eligible for free school meals. The current Year 6 pupils who attract the pupil premium are in line

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

to narrow the gap as a result of more carefully focused provision and use of the additional funding.  Writing, which was identified as an area for improvement at the previous inspection, has improved greatly due to an increased focus on spelling and punctuation, effective teaching of writing skills and increased opportunities for writing in other subjects.  Good provision in reading, including daily well-planned guided reading sessions, reading challenges, and an online book club, has improved pupils’ rates of progress and increased their enjoyment of reading.  Good opportunities for problem solving in mathematics enable pupils to use their mental skills effectively and increase the speed at which they carry out their calculations. This was clearly seen in a Year 5 lesson when pupils were calculating fractions and percentages of numbers effectively.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good and sometimes outstanding. This enables pupils to learn well.  Much of the current teaching is characterised by effective planning, interesting lesson content, good match of work to pupils’ earlier learning, excellent relationships and challenging questioning.  Teachers are highly consistent in marking and expect pupils to respond in order to reinforce learning and in setting their next steps. This ensures pupils are clear about how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve their work.  Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. They are very well briefed by class teachers, which enables them to support and extend the learning of small groups and individuals effectively.  Teachers ensure that pupils understand the purpose of each lesson and what they will learn, which helps them to learn effectively.  Good use of resources, including regular use of individual whiteboards, enables pupils to practise

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

what they have learned in both mathematics and English.  Teachers make good use of words used in specific subjects, such as ‘partitioning’ and ‘denominator’ in mathematics, and ensure that pupils understand and learn to use them correctly in their work.  Very occasionally teaching is less effective due to a lack of pace, or questioning that does not deepen pupils’ understanding, so consequently they do not do as well as they might.  Pupils get good opportunities to work together, particularly as ‘talk partners’, enabling them to discuss their work and support each other.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, and those for whom the pupil premium funding applies, get focused support. For example, there is daily small group teaching of literacy and short bursts of teaching to promote accuracy. There is also good support from a learning mentor for pupils with identified emotional and behavioural issues.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Imaginative use of homework supplements pupils learning very well. Parents and carers enjoy being involved and support their children well, particularly with research work and reading.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour is good, both in lessons and around the school. Pupils have been involved in formulating the school rules and so are very clear about what is expected. Only very occasionally, in less successful lessons, do they lose interest and become fidgety.  Pupils have very positive attitudes to school and are courteous and respectful towards each other and all adults. They are consistently helpful and supportive of each other.  Pupils are very clear about what bullying is as a result of whole-school initiatives such as anti- bullying week and relevant talks in assembly. They understand different types of bullying, saying that there is very little and that when it does occur it is dealt with swiftly and effectively by staff. Older pupils say it is mainly name-calling by younger pupils, bad names they do not understand, and Year 6 pupils talk to them about this so that they stop. There have been some racist

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

incidents; the school’s records show that these have been dealt with effectively.  Pupils with identified behaviour problems get support in class so that the disruption to the learning of others is minimal. Case studies show that the school supports these pupils very well and is very inclusive.  Attendance is above average and pupils enjoy coming to school. This is encouraged through the award of class certificates for good attendance.  The school ensures that the environment is safe for pupils and pupils are confident of adult support should they need it. Pupils have e-safety and cyber-safety training as well as talks by police officers that help to develop safety awareness.  The vast majority of parents and carers who responded to the online Parent View survey and those spoken to during the inspection agree that the school keeps their children safe and behaviour is good. Staff agree and inspection evidence confirms these views are accurate.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders have a clear sense of direction and a strong commitment to improvement. Key issues from the previous inspection report have been addressed effectively and pupils across the school are making good progress. This demonstrates that the school has the capacity for further improvement.  Leaders of subjects and aspects have clear action plans and monitor the work of staff, ensuring they are both supported and held accountable for the work of pupils in their class.  The school’s self-evaluation is accurate. A clear and detailed improvement plan that is regularly reviewed and up-dated guides the school’s work and fully supports its improving picture.  The process of setting and reviewing individual and whole-school targets for all staff is fully in place. However, measures of success are not sufficiently tailored to the skills or experience of staff, so occasionally full accountability for performance is lost.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 Wide-ranging monitoring of teaching and learning, including lesson observations, lesson planning, checks on pupils’ work and the quality of the learning environment, has ensured a high level of consistency and increasingly effective teaching.  The local authority has provided effective support for the school on its journey to becoming a good school.  The themed approach to the curriculum ensures exciting topics, such as recycling in Year 3 and Harry Potter in Year 6. This engages pupils’ interests well and ensures their good progress, particularly in English and mathematics. A wide range of activities enhance the curriculum very well, for example the school choir, football and dance clubs and school productions such as ‘The Lion King’.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils enjoy opportunities for moral debates such as the evacuation of children from London in the Second

p.6

The leadership and management are good

World War. They work very well together and display high levels of loyalty and teamwork in their sporting activities. However, their understanding of Britain as a culturally diverse society is not strong and this limits their ability to fully empathise with the beliefs and traditions of other cultures.  There are very good links with parents and carers who are very supportive of the school and enjoy being involved in their children’s learning through the interesting homework and reading challenges they get. They say that staff are friendly and approachable, and communication is very good.  The governance of the school: − Governors fulfil their statutory duties well. They have a good knowledge of the quality of teaching and learning because they are kept well informed by the headteacher and come in to school regularly to see how well teachers are performing. They have a good idea of how well pupils are doing due to regular updates from the headteacher, which they check carefully.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

Governors carry out regular safety checks and ensure that appropriate safeguarding procedures are in place so that pupils and staff are kept safe. They carefully monitor the school’s finances, including the pupil premium funding and how it is spent. The training governor makes sure that all governors undertake appropriate training to ensure that they develop their knowledge and skills so that they are informed of local and national initiatives. They are involved in setting performance management targets for the headteacher. They also know that there is a similar process for staff, including procedures for dealing with any underperformance, and that their performance links to increases in salary.

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 116213 Local authority Portsmouth Inspection number 405628

p.8

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.8

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 297 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jeremy Brushwood Headteacher Lisa Dunning Date of previous school inspection 28−29 June 2011 Telephone number 02392 824138 Fax number 02392 780018 Email address ldunning@langstone-jun.portsmouth.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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.9