Anton Junior School

Anton Junior School Barlows Lane, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 2HA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Attainment is above average by the end of Year 6 and pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics is outstanding given their starting points.  Pupils learn very effectively. High expectations, stimulating activities, effective questioning and excellent relationships are hallmarks of the outstanding teaching.  Reading provision is exceptional. Whole- school focused reading four times a week helps to develop pupils’ reading skills extremely well and a love of reading is fostered. Parents and volunteers play a vital role in enabling this provision to happen.  Excellent, well-trained, highly committed teaching assistants play a very effective role in supporting the learning of small groups and individuals.  Pupils with disabilities and special educational needs, and those supported by the pupil premium, have their needs met exceptionally well, enabling them to make outstanding

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

progress.  Strong, positive relationships and a very caring, supportive school community keep pupils extremely safe, and mean they behave in an exemplary manner and are highly motivated learners.  Excellent topics fully engage pupils in their learning and ensure they do extremely well, particularly in art and physical education, and in the outstanding range of after-school clubs that the school provides.  Parents are extremely happy with the school and this is reflected in their high levels of support for all school activities, especially the early-morning reading sessions.  Strong, inspirational leadership by the headteacher, fully supported by senior leaders and all staff in his quest to develop all pupils to their full potential, means that the school provides an outstanding education.  Highly effective governors give a strong level of challenge and support to the school and have played an important role in ensuring

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 23 lessons or part lessons, of which two were jointly observed with senior staff.  Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and three other governors, the headteacher and other senior staff. Additionally, a meeting was held with two local authority officers.  The inspectors took account of the 73 responses to the online Parent View survey and the responses to the 29 staff questionnaires.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own information on pupils’ current progress, planning and checks on the quality of teaching, records relating to behaviour and attendance, the sports premium action plan and documents relating to safeguarding.  The inspectors listened to pupils from Year 3 and Year 6 read.

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Inspection team

Janet Sinclair, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Westall Additional Inspector Stephanie Matthews Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Anton Junior is an 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 below average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils in local authority care or those known to be eligible for free school meals) is low.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Widen the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning across the curriculum.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Attainment is above typical expectations in reading, writing and mathematics for pupils currently in Year 6. A good proportion of these pupils are working at the higher Level 5 (the expected level for thirteen-year-olds), with several working at Level 6 (the level expected for fifteen-year- olds). Approximately half of the pupils are on course to make better than expected progress. Their progress is outstanding given their starting points.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are quickly identified and receive effective targeted support based on expert guidance from the highly effective special educational needs coordinator, including specific programmes that are very well tailored to their needs.  Pupils mainly make outstanding progress across the school. Any pupils falling behind are identified quickly and are given the necessary support to help them catch up. The school works

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

extremely hard to promote equal opportunities for all and does not tolerate any discrimination.  There are few pupils supported by the pupil premium, but their needs are specifically addressed through targeted support and their progress is carefully checked to make sure they achieve well. In 2013, eligible pupils attained better than the national average in the national tests, but below the school average by about half a term in writing and mathematics. Their progress was excellent. Current achievement across the school is better than the national average for their group.  There are excellent systems to support outstanding progress in reading. An exemplary feature is the whole-school reading groups that are held four times each week. All staff, and an army of adult and parent volunteers (all well trained by the school), take small groups of pupils for focused guided reading. This has not only hugely accelerated the pace of pupils’ progress but

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

has promoted a love of reading. Pupils spoken to said that they thoroughly enjoyed these sessions.  Pupils achieve exceptionally well in physical education, dance and sport due to the huge emphasis placed on this by the school. The outstanding subject leader plays a considerable role in making sure that pupils fully benefit from physical education across the school.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Outstanding teaching enables pupils to make exceptionally good progress. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ learning and make sure lessons are stimulating, engaging and demanding. These qualities, combined with excellent relationships at all levels, mean pupils are highly motivated to succeed.  Teachers work hard to encourage pupils’ writing through interesting and engaging tasks, such as the Year 6 ‘voice over’ work based on a short clip from The Piano. This resulted in some outstanding descriptions such as ‘mesmerising music from the piano’ and ‘the elderly man’s feeble, outstretched fingers kindly tap on the piano keys’.  In mathematics, excellent starting points such as the Year 4 ‘murder mystery’ activity involving calculation and problem solving engaged pupils fully as they explored, in pairs, the methods they might use to discover the murderer.  There is exceptional teaching of art. Pupils have sketch books which they use regularly to

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

develop their skills. They enjoyed ‘art week’, where they were able to display excellent observational drawings and paintings of flowers and textured drawings of teddy bears.  Highly effective teaching assistants make an invaluable contribution to the learning of small groups and individuals, particularly those with disabilities and special educational needs. For example, in Year 4, pupils were helped to understand multiplication through clear explanations and questioning.  Teachers make sure that work is sufficiently difficult for the most-able pupils. For example, in a Year 5 lesson, this group was expected to consider imagery and personification based on a recent visit to a Victorian school.  Although teachers make good use of information and communication technology through the use of the computer suite, there is less evidence of other forms of technology being used to enhance learning.  Pupils’ involvement in improving their work is extremely effective in making sure the pupils know

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve. Pupils are expected to ‘read, reflect and respond’ to teachers’ feedback, which they do willingly as they are keen to improve.  English teaching is used well to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, pupils discussed issues related to honest reporting in the press and the historical scandal of the Andover workhouses.  Homework is used well to support pupils’ spelling, reading and times tables as well as topic work, for example making Tudor houses.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is of a consistently high quality, with pupils showing very high levels of engagement and enthusiasm in their work.  Pupils know what is expected of their behaviour as they were involved in the school’s comprehensive behaviour policy and wrote their own golden rules and sanctions. They are very proud of the fact that good behaviour is rewarded through house points.  Attitudes to learning are exemplary. Pupils show a thirst for learning and a real joy in it.  Pupils have great pride in their school and respond extremely well to the excellent role models and very positive relationships that are a hallmark of the school.  Pupils say that there is no bullying of any kind in the school. As one pupil said, ‘We all get on really well together so we don’t have bullies.’ Issues such as discrimination and respect are dealt with in ‘messy’ days that help children to understand the needs of others.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 School councillors, sports leaders and ‘bookworms’ enjoy their responsibilities and are pleased that they support the work of the school and help each other.  Lunchtimes are well organised, sociable occasions. School meals and packed lunches provide a healthy lunch for pupils. This contributes well to pupils’ behaviour and well-being.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in their above average attendance.  The school’s work to keep the pupils safe and secure is outstanding. All groups of pupils feel exceptionally safe and well cared for and highly confident of adult support should they need it.  Pupils learn about staying safe through, for example, circle time, ‘bikeability’ and off-site safety away days. Assemblies are used to deal with issues such as road safety and stranger danger.  Parents who responded to the online Parent View survey were unanimous in their view that behaviour is very good and the school keeps their children safe. School staff also agree.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

Inspection evidence confirms these views.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher give inspirational leadership, with a clear and uncompromising focus on the school’s stated aim of developing the whole child through excellent provision. They have created a highly successful and motivated team who shares their vision for the school. There are many positive comments from staff in support of this, for example, ‘I am incredibly proud to be part of this school. The leadership team is brilliant, supportive and helpful.’  At the previous inspection, the school was a good school with outstanding features. It is now outstanding. This shows that the school has capacity for continuing improvement.  Senior leaders have worked extremely hard and very successfully to raise the quality of teaching to outstanding through a rigorous programme of lesson observations, coaching and teachers supporting one another. The ‘impact team’ has responsibility for making sure that all new

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The leadership and management are outstanding

initiatives are fully secure, progress is rigorously checked and staff are held to account to ensure continued improvement.  Some subject leaders, although fairly new to their roles, have made a very good start and have undertaken training, such as a five-day mathematics course, in order to increase their effectiveness.  The school’s way of setting individual and whole-school targets for all staff, appropriate to their level of responsibility, is rigorous. There is excellent training and support for staff and a clear and constant focus on providing appropriate and well-considered professional development to enable staff to reach their full potential.  The school has carefully considered how to use the extra primary school sport funding to enhance its already excellent provision. It is doing this through extending the range of sporting activities and providing a planning pack for newly qualified teachers. The subject leader will

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The leadership and management are outstanding

make sure its impact is maintained.  The curriculum is outstandingly successful in developing pupils’ reading, writing and mathematics skills. Physical education is an established strength. A huge range of visits, visitors and events enrich the provision. Additionally, the wide range of after-school clubs, all of which are led by staff, supports pupils’ physical and academic well-being very well.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted extremely well. There is a strong culture of personal responsibility. Pupils clearly know right from wrong, get on extremely well together and thoroughly enjoy the wide range of social and cultural activities on offer. Excellent assemblies, such as those celebrating achievement, clearly show the outstanding relationships between the headteacher, staff and pupils.  There are excellent links with parents and carers, who are very pleased with the education their

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The leadership and management are outstanding

children receive. Those who responded to the online Parent View were extremely positive about the school and what it provides.  Wider links, such as the school’s leadership of the ‘Schools Direct’ consortium (a work-based route into teaching) and specialist physical education support, show the school’s success in sharing its strengths with other professionals.  The local authority provides light touch support to this successful school.  The governance of the school:  Governors provide rigour, challenge and support to the school in equal measure and are clearly focused on the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of the school’s work. They fulfil their statutory duties conscientiously and know how effective teaching and learning is through their committees and learning walks in school. They make sure all safeguarding policies and procedures keep pupils and staff safe. They keep themselves well informed of the state of the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

school finances through regular updates which they carefully check, including the pupil premium and sports funding and how it is spent. They know how well pupils in the school are doing. The Vice-Chair makes sure that all governors undertake well-considered training so that they develop their knowledge and skills and are well informed of local and national initiatives. They are fully involved in setting targets for the management of the headteacher’s performance and have also been involved in the process that is in place for staff.

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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 115854 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 431410

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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 259 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Craig Owen Headteacher Tom Donohoe Date of previous school inspection 8 July 2009 Telephone number 01264 352845 Fax number 01264 338659 Email address 2004pjd@hants.gov.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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