Southbourne Junior School

Southbourne Junior School New Road, Southbourne, Emsworth, PO10 8JX

p.1

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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The inspired leadership of the headteacher has brought about rapid improvement to the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.  Overall, pupils’ progress is good, but there are examples of outstanding achievement in certain subjects and in some classes.  Teaching is good. At times, outstanding learning takes place as a consequence of new approaches to learning which have been successfully introduced.  Attendance has significantly improved and is now above average. This also reflects how much the pupils enjoy their learning.  The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding. They have extremely positive attitudes to learning and respond exceptionally well to the opportunity to self-evaluate their own learning. They are polite, respectful and show a high degree of resilience when working in lessons.  Leadership and management, including the proactive governing body, are good. Senior

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

leaders are adept at ensuring that the evidence gained from their checking of the school’s work is accurate. This results in very appropriate development priorities being identified, as well as valuable guidance being given to teachers about how they can improve their practice.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Some elements of teaching could be further developed. In particular, not all teachers mark the pupils’ mathematics books to the same standard as their English books. Also, opportunities are missed to allow pupils to occasionally stop and reflect during lessons on how much they understand.  Not all leaders produce action plans for their subjects which adequately show how they address the whole-school development priorities. Measurable success criteria against which progress can be judged are not yet the norm. Subject leaders have yet to fully integrate information and communication technology into the daily learning of the pupils.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed learning and teaching in 14 lessons, including visits to two guided reading sessions.  In addition visits were made to three sessions providing support to those at risk of falling behind, one other lesson and two assemblies.  A sample of pupils from Years 3 and 4 were heard reading.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at progress and information about pupils’ attainment, the school’s development plan, curriculum plans, governing body documentation, and policies and procedures. Those relating to health and safety and safeguarding of pupils were also scrutinised.  Discussions were held with senior and other leaders, teachers, the Chair of the Governing Body, pupils, parents, carers and a representative from the local authority.  The 34 parental responses to Ofsted’s online Parent View survey, along with one letter, were also considered.  Questionnaires completed by 17 members of the school staff were also considered.

p.2

Inspection team

Michael Pye, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Penny Spencer Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This is an average sized junior school.  Pupils come from a predominantly White British background.  The proportion of pupils from a Traveller background, including Irish, Romany or Gypsy heritages, is well above average.  There are well below the expected numbers of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils eligible for free school meals, looked after children and pupils from service families. There are no looked after children on record.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. There is an average proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs. The main needs of these pupils relate to moderate learning difficulties.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher are relatively new – both took up post in September

p.3

Information about this school

2012.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Sustain and build upon the improvements to pupils’ attainment and progress through ensuring that all teachers: – when marking pupils’ mathematics books give the levels of guidance and challenge that are seen in the best of the English marking – give pupils time in lessons to reflect and think about what they are learning and understand.  Broaden the skills and raise the effectiveness of subject leaders, especially in subjects other than English and mathematics, through:  leaders identifying where information and communication technology can be fully and naturally included in the daily learning of pupils  their action plans clearly showing how their subject area can and will support the priorities identified in the whole-school development plan  leaders identifying measurable criteria in their action plans which allow them to more accurately judge progress against their development priorities.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement is good. Through lesson observations, scrutinising current work and analysing information on achievement it is evident that pupils’ progress is above the national expectation.  For example, older pupils when writing show rapid progress in the depth and accuracy of their vocabulary; one pupil set the scene surrounding the sinking of the Mary Rose by writing about ‘deep blue water glimmering in the scorching hot sunshine’. A low-attaining pupil showed very good progress in the accurate use of vocabulary, and in the development of a neat writing style.  In certain areas of the school there is evidence of excellent rates of progress. Older pupils in their writing and mathematics in 2013 made around double the expected rate of progress. In addition, in 2013 high-ability pupils, at the end of Year 6, in all core subject areas made progress well above the expected levels. Similarly, disabled pupils and those with special educational

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

needs in that cohort, especially those at school action plus, made well above the expected levels of progress in reading and mathematics, and above expected levels in writing. This reflects the positive effect of the work of the teaching assistants.  Boys have traditionally not done as well as girls in writing. Much has been done to motivate boys through introducing topics and books that interest them more. The gap is closing; progress measures show there is no significant gender difference in mathematics and English.  Those pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium progressed at above expected levels in mathematics and at average levels in English; writing being their stronger subject.  Pupils’ entry levels have varied between broadly average and above average levels. Attainment levels at the end of Year 6 have been average in recent years. However in 2013 the un-validated results show attainment levels are improving; mathematics appears to above average, while

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

English is average overall, with reading above average.  The pupils from a Gypsy Roma and Irish Traveller background are progressing in line with their peers. The work carried out by the school to improve home-school links and attendance rates has brought significant gains.  The overwhelming majority of parents and carers who completed the online Ofsted Parent View survey and the school’s survey believe their child makes good progress in their learning.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Senior leaders provide good guidance to help teachers improve their practice. The profile of teaching is that more outstanding teaching is being witnessed. The vast majority of parents and carers completing the survey believe their child receives good teaching.  During the inspection outstanding learning was observed. In a mathematics lesson the teacher modelled exceptionally well the new approach to the ‘learning journey’ which is having such a positive effect on progress and pupils’ enjoyment. The pupils in this lesson had already had their initial knowledge checked (baseline test) and this had been used to very accurately place pupils in groups which accessed ‘green, orange or red’ work. These colours represented differently challenging work. Pupils tackled the work set for them, accessed other work when finished while the teacher very effectively checked their understanding and set up the next task.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 The lesson challenged pupils to work in decimals and fractions, and the teacher used very secure subject knowledge to build on pupils’ answers and further question their understanding.  Pupils experienced a similar approach in English lessons. Baseline tests take place and work is accurately set to match the needs of the individual pupil.  Teachers deploy teaching assistants well. In a good lesson for younger pupils the assistant worked with one pupil during the whole-class session and then gave her attention to a small group of pupils who were developing narrative sentences. As a result these pupils were focused on the task effectively and made the same good progress as their peers.  In the additional support group work, teaching assistants have good relationships with the pupils who are consequently effectively prepared to contribute their views. The assistants used questioning well to further challenge pupils’ understanding.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 A lesson for older pupils used Beowulf as a text by which to explore legends and myths. This undoubtedly contributed well to pupils’ cultural development. The teacher encouraged pupils to contribute their views during good talk-partner sessions. A check list guided pupils about where they were with regard to the original debate and to find evidence for their viewpoint.  Pace in lessons is good. On occasions, the pupils require more reflection time to decide what they understand and to think about their contributions prior to, for example, group discussions.  Marking is supportive and regularly carried out. In English there is a particularly good focus on identifying what pupils know and understand, and what the next steps and challenge might be in their learning. While this occurs in mathematics it is not as well embedded.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils behave exceptionally well in and out of lessons. They say that behaviour has improved ‘even more than before’. All say they feel safe and that incidents are well handled by the school.  Pupils have a very secure understanding about what is meant by bullying. They talk very knowledgeably about cyber bullying. This knowledge results from the talks they receive on internet safety.  They have a very clear understanding of what constitutes risk. They talk of having fire drills, road safety and cycling proficiency sessions.  What is exceptionally strong in the school, and contributes to the outstanding judgement, is the way the pupils respond to learning. They demonstrate exceptionally positive attitudes to work. This is the result of the relatively new ‘learning journey’ approach in lessons.  The baseline gives pupils a clear focus on what they need to do to improve over the lessons that are devoted to the current theme. The pupils respond in a very positive way, particularly to the

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

emphasis that is placed upon them to decide on whether they know the work and are ready to move on to more challenging work.  Their enjoyment of school is also seen in their keen attendance at sports and other clubs, such as dance, football and netball. Well over half of pupils on roll attend a club.  Pupils show good social and moral development. They behave very well whether in class, in the playground or in different social environments such as assemblies. In the playground they readily share resources, cooperate well during games, and mix socially.  Teachers adopt a very consistent approach to pupil management. Pupils know the very high expectations and say they enjoy and understand the rewards system. The consistent practice by teachers of praising pupils contributes to the establishment of very positive relationships and extremely calm and purposeful working environments.  The very large majority of parents and carers completing the survey believe pupils are well

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

behaved. The overwhelming majority believe their child is safe and happy at school.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher moved quickly to ensure that all have a clear understanding of where the school is heading. School aims were revisited and the school development plan widely distributed; adults clearly know the focus on improvement and the school’s direction.  Last year the focus was on the very appropriate introduction of new teaching methodologies, and improving pupils’ progress. This has been successful. The current focus continues to be on improving teaching and progress rates, but is also about developing the curriculum.  There are some outstanding aspects to leadership and management. For example, the different methods used to check on the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils are extremely robust. The use of external moderators helps to ensure that judgements are very accurate.  This ‘triangulation’ of evidence is a strength of the school. Such rigorous checking systems result in accurate evaluation and the identification of very relevant development priorities.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The approach also contributes to the effectiveness of the management of teachers’ performance. Targets set for staff are carefully tracked and have brought about improvements to aspects of teaching and progress rates. This is very well linked to professional development with staff having received training in areas such as phonics (letters and the sounds they make).  Pupil progress meetings have raised awareness and accountability among adults. They also allow for the effective tracking of progress of pupil groups such as those eligible for the pupil premium. The funding for this pupil group has been spent mainly on training personnel to work closely with individual pupils in reading and writing. The above expected levels of progress for these pupils in writing demonstrate the positive effect of this expenditure.  The work of checking the school’s effectiveness is shared by subject leaders. The English and

p.6

The leadership and management are good

mathematics leaders have contributed well to school development. Both have led staff training in areas such as guided reading techniques and the use of practical approaches to teaching numeracy. These have undoubtedly contributed to raising pupils’ outcomes.  In subject action plans there are insufficient links with the whole-school development plan and success criteria do not currently make judgements about movement to the priorities easy. This hinders the effect subject leaders are having on raising achievement in their areas.  The curriculum has been well developed to ensure pupils’ engagement and enjoyment. Literacy is especially well supported in other subjects. For example, in history, pupils were asked to decide which words best matched the titles ‘settle’ and ‘invade’ when studying the Saxon and Viking invasions.  Pupils’ muticultural development is being well developed through links with a French school.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The allocated government funding for physical education has been mainly spent on employing the services of a specialist sports coach. The result has been an increase in teachers’ knowledge and skills. Moreover, the wider choice of sports has brought gains in pupils’ health and well- being.  The school recognises that information and communication technology is in need of further development. New hardware has been identified as a priority along with curriculum reforms such as a focus on programming skills to more closely match pupils’ needs and the new teaching approach.  Very good links with parents and carers exist. The very large majority of responders agreed that they get valuable information sent home.  Other partnerships benefit pupils well. The local cluster of schools benefits gifted and talented pupils through various courses and all pupils benefit from the competitive sports programme.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided very appropriate support for the headteacher and for subject leaders.  The governance of the school:  Governors use a wide range of strategies to check on the work of the school. This enables them to have an accurate knowledge of the strengths and areas for school development.  Governors are consequently able to raise questions of the school, for example, over the progress of pupils.  Regular feedback from senior leaders, together with observations, ensures that governors have a good understanding of where the best teaching exists. They fully support the headteacher in emphasising that teachers’ promotion is linked to high-quality teaching.  They have a secure knowledge of which pupils qualify for the pupil premium, although their understanding of the impact on pupils’ outcomes is not as detailed as it might be.  Governors are proactive in areas such as child protection, safe recruitment and health and

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 125878 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 426631

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 212 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sue Cieszynska Headteacher Luke Hanna Date of previous school inspection 24 September 2008 Telephone number 01243 375878 Fax number 01243 370572 Email address office@southbournej.w-sussex.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