Lymington Junior School

Lymington Junior School Avenue Road, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 9GP

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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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The new headteacher, assisted by his experienced deputy and the governing body, has moved quickly to establish a vision of the school moving to outstanding as quickly as possible.  The school has many outstanding features already. The behaviour and safety of pupils are excellent.  Most pupils make good progress from their individual starting points and attainment at the end of Year 6 is well above average.  Some aspects of leadership and management are already very strong. The literacy leader, for example, has moved quickly and very successfully to ensuring high quality teaching of levels of grammar, spelling and punctuation.  Teaching is good. There are examples of outstanding teaching, especially for the older pupils.  Pupils enjoy their learning, take a pride in their work and want to achieve.  Parents praised the school for its caring approach to the welfare of the pupils. In particular, they (rightly) commended the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

provision and outcomes for pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs.  The school has a very wide range of strategies in place to check the effect of its work. The focus is very much on how any changes improve the outcomes for pupils.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not all groups of pupils achieve equally.  In mathematics not all pupils, especially those of higher ability, gain all the skills and knowledge that will enable them to achieve at the highest levels.  Leadership responsibilities are not always shared sufficiently to allow all leaders to play a full part in school development. This applies especially to the management of other subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed learning and teaching in 13 lessons. In addition, inspectors conducted two series of observations which involved short visits to other lessons and sessions designed to give additional support for pupils finding an aspect of their learning difficult.  Pupils from Years 3 and 4 were heard reading.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at: information about pupils’ progress and attainment; the school’s development plan; subject action plans; governing body documentation; pupils’ work; policies and procedures including those relating to health and safety and safeguarding of pupils.  The 66 parental responses to Ofsted’s online Parent View survey, along with a letter from a parent or carer, were also considered. Staff questionnaires were considered and pupils’ opinions were sought, especially about their learning over time.  Discussions were held with senior and other leaders, teachers, the Chair of the Governing Body,

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Information about this inspection

seven other governors, pupils, parents and a representative from the local authority.

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Inspection team

Michael Pye, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Margaret Faull Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized junior school.  Most pupils come from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional government funding for those pupils eligible for free school meals, looked after children and pupils from service families, is below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average. The main needs of these pupils relate to behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.  The current headteacher joined the school in January 2014.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club which is accessed by pupils, members of the local community and the nearby infant school.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Close the gaps in attainment and progress which exist between some pupil groups and their classmates, in some subjects and in some year groups, by:  broadening the mathematics curriculum so that pupils, especially the more able, have an even wider range of skills and knowledge that will prepare them well for the next stage of their education  ensuring all teachers have high expectations of pupils’ work in all subjects.  Expand the responsibilities of subject leaders and ensure that the leadership of all subjects is as effective as that in English.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Overall, achievement is good. It is an improving picture over time. In 2013, at the end of Year 6, attainment was well above average in reading, writing, mathematics, and for English grammar, punctuation and spelling.  School information shows that pupils make consistently good progress, from their individual starting points, over the four years.  There are examples of outstanding outcomes for pupils. For example, in 2013, the attainment of middle-ability pupils was well above average.  Currently pupils are, based on school information, on track to achieve similarly high levels of attainment and progress.  However, the reason why achievement is not yet better than good lies in the different rates of attainment and progress of some pupil groups. The school has more to do here to ensure equality of opportunity.  High-ability pupils are on track to do very well in reading and writing at the higher levels.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who benefit from the pupil premium funding are often supported in small groups within the class. However, as with their classmates, their achievement varies across the school.  In Year 6, at the end of 2013, these pupils were two terms behind their classmates in mathematics and writing, and attained in line with their peers in reading.  At the start of Year 3 the school had identified a dip in pupils’ progress and it is currently working on strategies to ensure that these younger pupils achieve well from the start of the year, rather than having to catch up.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make overall progress in line with their peers. This is a consequence of some good in-class support by well-trained teaching assistants and highly-targeted additional support conducted outside of the classroom.  The very large majority of parents and carers who completed the online Ofsted Parent View

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The achievement of pupils is good

survey believe their child makes good progress in their learning. This, in the view of the inspectors, is an accurate perception.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school works successfully to ensure that teachers benefit from good guidance as to how they can improve their practice. Consequently, teaching and learning over time are good. Currently, it is often better, especially for older pupils.  Some outstanding practice is seen in the books and in lessons. In literacy especially, but increasingly so in mathematics, the pupils’ learning is extended and reinforced very well by detailed, helpful marking which makes very clear to pupils how they can improve their work.  This has led to the very good development of the pupils’ standards in handwriting and in their use of connectives, adjectives and adverbs.  The quality of marking in subjects other than English and mathematics is not as consistently helpful to pupils.  The high quality of relationships in the classroom results in pupils being willing to take risks and to learn from their mistakes. They enjoy their learning and say they ‘learn a lot’.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils learn well and are extremely motivated by the wide range of activities presented to them in lessons.  This was seen, for example, in an art lesson based around the history topic of the Ancient Greeks. Pupils chose from a number of pictures about different types of Greek vases, then went on to design a decoration before finally making a tile print of their design.  Occasionally, high-ability pupils are not set difficult enough work to help them make greater progress.  Pupils work hard and remain on task during lessons. They respond exceptionally well and test their learning when evaluating how well they have done.  Their learning is well advanced because the teachers generally present work that is neither too hard nor too easy.  Pupils are encouraged to think hard because teachers use good focused questioning that probes the deeper understanding of their learning.  The school has worked extremely well to develop the pupils’ understanding of what makes a

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The quality of teaching is good

good learner. Some of these messages are regularly reinforced through the ‘LJ Way’ values – resilience, cooperating and showing respect during lessons.  Pupils apply these values in lessons and they undoubtedly contribute to the high levels of learning in lessons.  Pupils’ pride in their work is seen in the presentation of their work in the books seen.  On occasions, pupils require more thinking time to process information more effectively.  Most parents and carers believe their child is taught well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. The outstanding systems and policies that the school has in place demonstrate that pupil safety is paramount.  Record keeping regarding safety aspects is detailed and rigorously maintained. Risk assessments are detailed, give comprehensive guidance and are approved by governors.  The checking on people for their suitability to work with children meets requirements. Training for safeguarding and child protection is up to date and rigorous.  In the breakfast and after-school club, training certificates, including for first aid, are on public display.  Pupils say they feel very safe. They have a clear understanding about what constitutes bullying. They are resolute in their belief that it does not occur in the school. They say that on occasions pupils ‘fall out’ but the adults quickly help to sort the issues out.  The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. The ‘LJ Way’ promotes hard work, taking responsibility

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

and perseverance; this has an excellent effect on pupils’ attitudes to learning.  There are many examples of the impact of the ‘LJ Way’; in lessons, pupils show high degrees of respect – listening quietly and with interest to the views of others. This is also evident in the dinner hall and in assemblies.  They stay on task and, for example, pupils in Year 6 were eager to explore the ‘green (harder) challenge’ in a mathematics lesson. One pupil eagerly asked, ‘What does it look like?’, whilst another boy commented, ‘Let’s have a go!’  They bring this enthusiasm and commitment to their posts of responsibility. Eco-warriors enthusiastically explained their work, sports leaders spoke out in assembly of what activity was to take place in the playground, whilst house monitors and prefects carry out their duties diligently and responsibly.  They show high levels of pride in their work, respond to marking and can speak about what they

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

have learnt and what they found difficult. They are enthusiastic about their learning.  Behaviour logs show the high quality of behaviour over time. There have been no exclusions in recent years.  The school has effective procedures to pursue absenteeism. Consequently, attendance is above average.  Pupils say that their learning is not adversely affected by behaviour issues.  All parents completing the online survey believe their children are safe and that they enjoy school. The vast majority believe behaviour is good at the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The ambitious vision for school improvement is shared widely by the staff. Discussions with them and the staff questionnaire responses confirm this.  The work of the school to improve teaching and learning has been successful; the high attainment and progress levels in 2013 at the end of Year 6 demonstrate this.  It is unsurprising that the quality of guidance for teachers is good. The checking of the quality of teaching is rigorous and different strategies are used to ensure that an accurate picture is gained.  Leaders and managers at all levels carry out work scrutiny, talk to pupils about their learning, consult progress data, drop into lessons and carry out lesson observations. From these various sources of evidence a judgement of teaching is identified.  On occasions the recording of the findings of observations and analysis of work could be more focused on the progress of pupil groups.  From such evidence the school carries out an accurate self-evaluation and identifies appropriate

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The leadership and management are good

issues for development.  Strengths in leadership can be seen across the school.  When an issue was discovered in literacy the coordinator quickly arranged training for staff, with a focus on how to effectively teach grammar; the evidence of the impact is seen in the high achievement levels of 2013.  The leadership in mathematics has been recently appointed but already is having an impact in terms of the raising of the focus on calculation work.  However, the leadership of other subjects is not yet as strong. For example, achievement levels are not collated across the school and work scrutiny shows that support for literacy and numeracy in these subjects is not maximised.  The inclusion manager is praised by parents and carers for being approachable and acting quickly and effectively to deal with any concerns about vulnerable pupils. This has included ‘shadowing’ a pupil who has special educational needs to observe his/her experiences and to

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The leadership and management are good

ensure the safety of the pupil.  Setting targets is being well used to drive improvement and teachers are under no illusion about how pay and promotion are dependent upon the quality of pupil outcomes in their lessons.  Professional development opportunities are also well linked to teachers’ targets.  The school is preparing well for the introduction of the new curriculum. Training has taken place and, in Year 5, a pilot information and communication technology curriculum is being delivered.  The mathematics curriculum meets the needs of most pupils. However, high-ability pupils are not receiving sufficient practice in developing their skills and knowledge in areas such as algebra.  The after-school club and the breakfast club are well managed. The breakfast club has contributed very well to settling pupils in the morning.  The primary school sports funding has been spent to enable pupils to experience a wider range

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The leadership and management are good

of sports and to support staff in improving the quality of provision. A recent review of the very positive effect of the expenditure has been carried out and reported to governors and senior leaders.  Partnerships benefit pupils well. In areas such as sport pupils are participating with other schools and links with the nearby infant school are developing with pupils visiting to share their reading.  Regular parent evenings help to ensure a raised awareness of pupils’ progress. However, some parents said they would like more information sent home about what their child is to learn in the future. This would allow them to access books and websites and thereby support their children’s learning.  Support from the local authority has been provided when needed, mainly aimed at moderating the school’s judgements of its work.  The very large majority of parents and carers believe the school is well led and would

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The leadership and management are good

recommend the school.  The governance of the school:  Governors are effectively checking on the work of the school. The work of the sub-committees is rigorous and allows the main governing body meetings to concentrate on strategic planning.  The link governor visits complement verbal and written reports from the school and allow the governors to build a detailed evidence bank about the school’s performance and the quality of teaching and learning.  Such knowledge also enables governors to raise questions of the school. Minutes of meetings confirm that governors have raised questions about achievement levels, pupils with special educational needs, health and safety issues, as well as queries surrounding value for money.  Governors understand about the management of teachers’ performance and how it must be used to improve the quality of teaching if pay rises are to be awarded.  They use such knowledge to set challenging objectives for the school which help drive

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The leadership and management are good

improvement at this whole-school level. They regularly review progress against the set priorities for development.  Governors know who qualifies for the pupil premium and are aware of where in the school the pupils benefit from the best teaching. A governor is scheduled to observe a pupil who benefits from the pupil premium for a day to share their experiences.  Statutory responsibilities are met, with regular discussions about health and safety and child protection issues.

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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 116051 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 431409

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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 247 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Roger Lightfoot Headteacher Dan Lambert Date of previous school inspection 25–26 February 2009 Telephone number 01590 674383 Fax number 01590 679028 Email address office@lymington-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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