Fair Oak Junior School

Fair Oak Junior School Botley Road, Fair Oak, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 7AN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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

 The progress pupils make from their different starting points is not good and some groups of learners do not achieve as highly as they should.  The quality of teaching over time has been too inconsistent and this has not ensured all pupils make good progress.  Teachers do not always use the information they have to plan learning activities which are at the right level for different groups of pupils. As a result, some pupils are not supported well and others are not stretched to achieve all they can.  The leadership team has not been able to sufficiently improve the quality of teaching and learning through effective checks on lessons and analysis of pupil progress information.  The governing body does not yet have the skills to analyse pupil information effectively. As a result, governors are not able to review the progress made by groups of pupils, including those in receipt of additional funding from the pupil premium grant, and so ensure

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

that gaps in achievement compared with other pupils are closing.

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The school has the following strengths

 There is a shared aim amongst all leaders within the school to improve the quality of teaching and outcomes for the pupils.  The behaviour and attitudes to learning of the pupils are good. They are a credit to the school.  The opportunities provided by the curriculum allow the pupils to develop wider skills that successfully contribute to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 20 lessons, two of which were jointly observed with the headteacher. Inspectors also observed a school assembly. During most of the inspection Year 6 were involved in mock exams for national assessment tests, and on the first day Year 3 pupils were not taught by their class teachers who were on preparation and assessment activities.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body and senior and middle leaders and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and scrutinised samples of pupils’ work books whilst in lessons.  Inspectors examined a wide range of documents, including the school’s information on pupils’ recent progress, planning and monitoring documentation, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding arrangements.  Inspectors also took account of 59 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), one

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Information about this inspection

email from a parent and one letter from a parent. In addition, inspectors spoke to parents and carers when they dropped their children off at school. They also took account of the views of staff through the 24 staff questionnaires completed.

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Inspection team

David Hogg, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Louise Eaton Additional Inspector Christopher Crouch Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Fair Oak Junior School is larger than the average-sized primary school. It is situated on a campus providing education and care for children and young people aged from birth to 16.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium (additional funding for looked after children, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and pupils with a parent in the armed services) is much lower than the national average. Currently there are no pupils from forces families on roll.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is just below the national average.  The proportion of pupils who are supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well below the national average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is much lower than average, as is the number of pupils whose first language is not English.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the current floor standards, which are the minimum standards for attainment and progress expected by the government.  The headteacher is leaving the school in July 2013. His replacement who is a National Leader in Education will take on a role as interim headteacher from May 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to ensure all pupils make at least good progress by:  ensuring teachers use assessment information more effectively to plan learning activities at the right level for all pupils, especially the lower ability pupils  providing pupils with targets that are linked more closely to the learning tasks they are currently working on, so the pupils clearly know what they are expected to learn in a lesson or series of lessons  making sure pupils are given opportunities to respond to their teachers’ written feedback quickly to correct errors or misconceptions so they know how to improve their work.  Improve leadership and management by:  ensuring that leaders at all levels use assessment information effectively to accelerate improvements in pupil progress and raise standards ensuring the governing body has the skills to review assessment information alongside the school’s own analysis of the progress made by groups of pupils and to ensure that additional

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

pupil premium funding is being effectively spent.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement as the progress different groups of pupils is inconsistent. Pupils’ attainment on entry is significantly above national expectations. The overall attainment by pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 is, however, only little higher than average. Pupils, therefore, do not make good progress over time compared with their starting points.  Progress made by disabled pupils or those with special educational needs is generally in line with other pupils. Targeted support work in small groups or one-to-one sessions is more effective in ensuring pupils learn well than in lessons where learning activities are not always at the right level for all pupils.  There is a small number of pupils from ethnic minority groups who generally make good progress and, overall, achieve more highly than national averages.  The progress pupils make is tracked carefully and checked in pupil progress meetings between

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

year leaders and class teachers. Those pupils who are falling behind are identified so support can be deployed at an early stage. Some less able pupils do not make the progress other pupils do.  Pupils read with expression and fluency. They enjoy reading and read at home for pleasure. They read regularly at school; however, not all pupils have effective strategies to blend letter sounds to build up unfamiliar words. Pupils use reading records to enable teachers and other adults to monitor what they are reading, but do not have specific targets to work towards.  The attainment of those pupils eligible for additional funding from the pupil premium grant in Key Stage 2 assessment tests shows a gap in English and in mathematics of about three terms when compared to other pupils. The school is working to close this gap with additional support from teaching assistants in lessons and small group work or one-to-one sessions out of class.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

The school is beginning to check the effectiveness of the additional support work, but it is still at too early a stage to identify any significant impact on the progress of this group of pupils.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching requires improvement as the rate of progress pupils make is not good and for some groups it has been inconsistent over time. The quality of teaching during the time set aside for teachers to prepare lessons and assess pupils’ work is less effective than when the class teacher is teaching, and as a result the progress made by pupils is inconsistent.  Teachers do not use the assessment information that they have to effectively ensure activities are closely matched to the abilities of the pupils. Consequently, in lessons, lower ability pupils find it difficult to successfully work independently in some lessons and must rely on teaching assistants to guide and encourage them to complete tasks. This support is generally effective, but some pupils are over reliant on the adults around them. A lack of challenge for higher ability pupils means they are not stretched sufficiently to accelerate their progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils are set targets to help them improve their work. These, however, are quite general and are not linked to the tasks the pupils are working on; therefore, pupils do not always have clear and specific guidance on how to improve their learning.  The marking in pupils’ books provides them with guidance on how to improve their work. Pupils are very familiar with the meaning of the codes that teachers put on their work. They are not though given enough opportunities to make the corrections to their work quickly. As a result, the marking is less effective at ensuring pupils remember how to improve their work for the next time.  When teaching is good, pupils find their lessons engaging and work with great endeavour. Lessons have pace and pupils know what to do. Pupils enjoy opportunities to work independently on collaborative activities. For example, when investigating how to develop a toy based around the wing of a sycamore seed, pupils showed great tenacity and enthusiasm for the

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

task. The teachers do bring in a range of resources, such as a selection of wild plants to compare the anatomy of plants, to enliven pupils’ learning.  Some pupils who may need additional support are taught effectively by teaching assistants in small-group activities that are well matched to the needs of the pupils. Good modelling of the tasks by teaching assistants, combined with well-chosen written tasks and computer resources, enables learners to make good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils at Fair Oak feel safe at school and well looked after by the adults around them. They have a good understanding of personal safety and the school ensures they are aware of particular issues, for example being careful when using the internet. Pupils say behaviour is good around school and that there are few incidents of unkindness between pupils. Parents, carers and staff echo the views of the pupils.  Pupils consistently demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and engage well with the activities in class. Pupils demonstrate good skills during group tasks and can discuss ideas with enthusiasm. Disruption in lessons is uncommon, but when it does occur is well managed by the teachers and does not impact on the learning of the class as a whole.  Attendance is in line with national averages. The school works in partnership with the other schools on the campus to ensure a consistent approach to promoting attendance and reducing

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

absence.  Pupils are active within school, taking on responsibilities such as the school council, or in extracurricular activities such as the choir which sings superbly, and in the art clubs which produce work of high quality.  The ethos of the school is very positive and the pupils enjoy their time there. They say that they would recommend the school to others.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school leaders share a determination to improve the outcomes for the pupils and have recognised that progress for some groups of pupils has not been good. The action plan drawn up identifies the key issues relating to pupil achievement and the quality of teaching that require improvement; however, the plan does not provide a sharp enough focus to drive this quickly. The school has systems in place to track and monitor how well pupils are doing. The effective use of pupil progress information is still being developed, by all school leaders at all levels, and is not yet being used as a tool to measure and assess the how well the school is moving against whole-school and subject targets.  Issues within the senior leadership team have also slowed the rate of school improvement. The local authority is working closely with the headteacher and senior leadership team. It has brought in another headteacher who is a National Leader in Education (NLE) to help identify

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The leadership and management requires improvement

priorities for improvement. With this additional support, the school now has a much stronger capacity to improve.  The school has been unable to appoint a deputy headteacher due to budgetary constraints and has looked to utilise the skills and experience of year team leaders to take on the role together, for what is now an extended period of time. Through pupil progress meetings, there is an increasingly rigorous review of the outcomes for learners. This has raised the accountability of teachers for the outcomes of pupils.  The school’s performance management procedures are robust and ensure salary progression linked to outcomes. Training opportunities are linked to the school development plan and are focused on improving pupil achievement.  The curriculum is well organised and provides effective opportunities for learning to be engaging and takes into account the interests of the pupils. The school aims to enhance the curriculum

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The leadership and management requires improvement

with visits and planned activities, such as the Rome Day, and with visitors making learning exciting, for example the astronomy experience with the Star Dome. Overall, the curriculum provides clear opportunities that contribute well to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Parent and carers have a very positive view of the school and feel their children are well looked after and learn well. A small number did express concerns about the rate of progress their children make, but they were very much in the minority.  Safeguarding procedures are in place and ensure pupils are well looked after and cared for in school without fear of discrimination.  The governance of the school:  The governors are aware of the strengths of the school and the aspects that require further development. They are actively involved with the school, visiting lessons and reviewing aspects of the school’s work. They are developing the skills to review pupil progress data and

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The leadership and management requires improvement

currently rely on the analysis provided by the school. Governors are aware of the work the school does to support pupils with disabilities or special educational needs and those pupils in receipt of additional funding from the pupil premium grant. However, they are yet to review the impact that the additional resources have on the progress the pupils make. Without this overview the governing body is not able to effectively support the senior leaders in raising achievement through focused challenge on the progress specific groups of pupils are making. The governors have begun to take steps to address this through the good use of training opportunities, for example data analysis provided by the local authority. Safeguarding arrangements and financial management arrangements are in place and the governing body monitors the performance management of the headteacher and has a good understanding of the linkage of teachers’ pay and promotion to the outcome for pupils.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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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 115997 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 412496

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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 526 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Cox Headteacher Patrick Macey Date of previous school inspection 24–25 June 2009 Telephone number 02380 693195 Email address adminoffice@fairoak-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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