Four Lanes Community Junior School

Four Lanes Community Junior School Hanmore Road, Chineham, Basingstoke, RG24 8PO

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Inadequate 4

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires special measures.  Pupils’ progress over time in mathematics is inadequate. The percentage of pupils making expected progress is below national averages.  Teachers do not use the information they have on the pupils to make sure activities in lessons are matched to their needs. As a result, not all groups of pupils have made sufficient progress from their different starting points, especially the more-able pupils, and disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.  Opportunities to use mathematics are not developed so pupils do not practise and develop their skills in meaningful or real-life situations.  Pupils are not always clear how their work is linked to an overall target that would help them improve their skills.  Information on pupils’ attainment and progress is not used efficiently nor is it effectively analysed to check on the progress made by different groups of pupils.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The governing body does not hold the school to account sufficiently for the progress pupils make. The governors have not always been provided with the information necessary to challenge and question the school robustly.

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The school has the following strengths

 The quality of teaching and learning in English has improved so pupils make better progress in this subject. Standards in English improved in 2013 although this still requires further improvement.  Pupils feel safe at school and are well looked after by the adults around them.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching in 11 lessons, one of which was jointly observed with the headteacher. Inspectors also undertook short visits to classrooms to observe the opportunities and experiences provided for pupils by the curriculum.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and another governor. A meeting was held with a representative of the local authority. The inspectors also met with members of the senior management team and year team leaders.  A wide range of documentation was reviewed, including planning, checks on teaching and learning and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  The inspectors listened to pupils read and scrutinised samples of pupils’ work in books.  Responses from 59 parents to the online questionnaire (Parent View) were considered, along with three letters and an email sent to the inspection team. A telephone conversation was held

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Information about this inspection

with a parent and the inspection team. The team took account of the views of staff through the reponses in 15 staff questionnaires .

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Inspection team

David Hogg, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lesley Voaden Additional Inspector Sue Hunnings Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Information about this school

 Four Lanes Community Junior School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  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 service children) is below the national average. There are no looked after children currently attending the school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is lower than the national average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below the national average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is lower than the national average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The school meets the current floor standards, which are the minimum standards for attainment

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Information about this school

and progress expected by the government.  The current headteacher has been in post since September 2012.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better by: - ensuring teachers use the information they hold on pupils to make sure learning activities are not too easy or too difficult for the different groups in their classes - planning more opportunities for pupils to develop their numeracy skills across the curriculum - ensuring that pupils have a clear understanding of what they need to do to improve their skills in mathematics - raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils of all abilities can achieve, especially the more able.  Ensure that all pupils consistently make at least good progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6 by: - developing and consolidating pupils’ basic calculation skills and their ability to apply them in solving mathematical problems - ensuring that more-able and disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are set challenging tasks that enable them to make faster progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management, including governance, by: - ensuring that school leaders use performance information they hold on pupils more efficiently to compare the progress that different groups of pupils make - developing new middle leaders so that they can effectively evaluate the quality of teaching and learning and the development of the curriculum - ensuring the governing body is rigorous in its evaluation of the school and particularly in its monitoring of the impact of actions on raising achievement of different groups of pupils.

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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 is inadequate

 The progress pupils make is too slow. Pupils’ rates of progress in English and mathematics in Key Stage 2 were significantly below national averages in 2011 and 2012. As a result, too many pupils over time have not attained as highly as they should. The unvalidated results that the school holds for 2013 show that the progress pupils made in mathematics remains inadequate based on their different starting points. In English the 2013 results do show the rates of progress in reading and writing improving to move in line with national expectations.  Pupils join the school with skills in literacy and numeracy that are well above national averages. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 overall remains high and well above national averages, but some pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Too many more-able pupils do not make the progress they should as teaching does not always ensure they are provided with sufficient

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

challenge in lessons. Consequently, pupils’ ability to apply their skills to real-life or problem- solving situations is underdeveloped. In end of Year 6 national tests, not as many attain the higher levels as should be the case.  The progress made by other groups of learners is also variable. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs do not make good progress from their starting points in some year groups.  In September 2012, the new headteacher brought to the school a more robust system to track and monitor the progress that individual pupils make during the year. The information shows that progress made by different year groups is not good.  Information from national assessments at the end of Key Stage 2 indicates that in 2012 the attainment of those Year 6 pupils eligible for pupil premium funding was above the national average for the group. Those eligible pupils were two terms behind the other pupils in English

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

but in mathematics were about half a term ahead. The unvalidated data the school has for 2013 suggest that pupils are a little behind in mathematics, but the gap had closed to a term in English.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The quality of teaching over time is inadequate as it does not ensure that all pupils make rapid enough progress. As a result, pupils underachieve at Four Lanes and do not attain as highly as they should.  Teachers do not always take into account what pupils know already and what they can do. The information they hold on pupils is not used effectively to plan learning activities that are at the right level of difficulty, not too easy or too hard for different groups of pupils. Consequently, lessons frequently lack challenge and are not matched to the needs of all pupils in the class.  The quality of teaching in mathematics is too variable. Weaknesses in the teaching of basic skills in mathematics have limited pupils’ achievement. The school now recognises these long-standing weaknesses and has had to provide additional support to ensure pupils make expected levels of progress. There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to test and practise their skills in other

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

subject areas.  Sequences of mathematics lessons do not always take into account what the pupils have learned previously. Pupils’ understanding is, therefore, not built upon, especially when tasks are not closely matched to the ability of different groups.  In lessons, pupils are given goals to work towards that let them know what they have to do, but they do not always give pupils guidance on what they need to work on to improve their skills. Marking provides pupils with helpful development points in literacy and teachers now build in time for them to address these comments.  The teaching and support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs in class and in small group work are not well coordinated or well managed. As a result, some of the intervention work is not as effective as it could be and does not always support the learning within the classroom. Due to difficulties in recruitment, the school has been unable to fill the

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

post of special educational needs coordinator since December 2012.  Interventions, through small group work, provided through pupil premium funding have been successful in helping those eligible pupils to close the gaps in their attainment in English and mathematics in most year groups.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are too variable. In lessons where teaching is weaker, pupils can be passive. On such occasions, they do not engage with, or take a sufficiently active part in, their own learning.  Pupils say they feel safe and well looked after in school. They say new systems are improving behaviour; one pupil commented, ‘Those who were bad last year have started to behave better.’ Although some parents expressed some concerns, social behaviour seen in class and around school was good. The procedures the school has to manage behaviour are well known to the pupils and are appropriate. Exclusions are very rare, but the school has used this component of the behaviour management system.  Incidents of unkindness are rare and investigated fully. Through activities such as anti-bullying week, pupils are given good guidance on how to manage situations. Pupils have a good understanding of how to use the internet safely.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 There is a wide range of activities linked to lessons. For example, Year 5 pupils visiting Gilbert White’s house in Selborne. After-school clubs, such as sporting and musical activities, help enrich the school curriculum and pupils’ experiences.  The relationships between pupils and with staff are good. Pupils get on well at break times and have the opportunity to act as play leaders in the infants’ school which is on the same campus.  Pupils’ attendance is high and punctuality is good.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The development points identified in the previous inspection have not been addressed effectively. Consequently, neither the quality of teaching nor the progress that pupils make have improved. Allied to weaknesses in governance, this means that the school is not demonstrating that it can improve further.  Leaders do not use performance information rigorously enough to check the progress of different groups, for example more-able pupils. Consequently, dips in performance are not identified early enough and remedial action is delayed for too long. Leaders do not evaluate the impact on pupils’ progress sufficiently robustly.  The school does not have a full time special educational needs coordinator. This has meant that the integration of support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs with classroom teaching has not been effectively managed. The school is committed to equality of

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The leadership and management are inadequate

opportunity and has relied upon temporary appointments to ensure provision for pupils who have special educational needs is developed.  The work of middle leaders is not yet fully established or shown to be effective. The middle leadership team has begun to review the quality of teaching in their year groups and to develop more coordinated plans for the curriculum.  The curriculum provides ample opportunities for the development of the social, moral, spiritual and cultural awareness of pupils. However, the curriculum requires further improvement to meet the needs of all groups of pupils.  The headteacher has identified key areas for improvement and has rightly focused on raising the quality of teaching and learning. Robust actions to eradicate weak teaching has resulted in high staff turnover. The school has faced difficulties in securing new high quality staff at all levels. This has been a concern for some parents. The headteacher has also introduced systems to

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The leadership and management are inadequate

check the progress pupils make, which were lacking, and is working to familiarise staff with the procedures so additional support can be provided to pupils if their progress slows. Improvements in pupils’ progress in English have already been seen, but the impact in other subjects is insufficient.  Processes to review the quality of teaching are now in place. There is now a system that links pupils’ outcomes to the salary progression and promotion of staff, previously there had been none. Staff training and development are now linked to the school improvement plan.  The school has reviewed its sport provision to ensure the additional resources that are available through the primary school sports funding will be used well. A balanced approach to increasing participation alongside staff development is planned. This has specific goals which are to be reviewed by the senior leaders and the governing body to ensure the extra resources are well

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The leadership and management are inadequate

spent.  The local authority has viewed the school as a high priority for a number of years and has provided a high level of support. The school has only been open to that assistance since the arrival of the new headteacher. Consequently, the effectiveness of the help offered has been limited.  Child protection and safeguarding arrangements are in place and the welfare of all of the pupils in the school is monitored carefully.  Newly qualified teachers should not be appointed.  The governance of the school: - The governing body, over time, has not held the school and senior leaders to account for the progress the pupils make. In the past the governors have not been given the appropriate information to review the outcomes of the pupils. The new headteacher now provides them with relevant information which they are beginning to use to check on the progress of groups of pupils. Through the training they have had, governors are now more aware of the

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The leadership and management are inadequate

information the school holds. For example, how well the school uses the additional funding from the pupil premium. The governors are now better placed to review the work of the school, but more needs to done. They still do not challenge the school’s leaders sufficiently rigorously. They are aware of the way performance management links to teachers’ pay and check the quality of teaching through reviewing reports from the headteacher and the local authority. The financial position of the school is managed carefully and the governors review child protection and safeguarding procedures closely.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

It is recommended that an external review of governance should be undertaken.

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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 116247 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 426449

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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 319 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Matthew Bailey Headteacher Corinne Martinez Date of previous school inspection 7–8 November 2011 Telephone number 01256 816326 Fax number 01256 816326 Email address adminoffice@fourlanes-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

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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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