Guillemont Junior School

Guillemont Junior School Sandy Lane, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 9ES

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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 Requires improvement 3

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that has serious weaknesses.  Pupils do not make sufficient progress, in comparison with children nationally, by the end of Year 6.  Standards in mathematics are below national expectations based on pupils’ ages.  Opportunities for pupils to practise their literacy and numeracy skills across different subjects vary too much from class to class.  The attainment and progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are below that of similar pupils nationally.  Noise levels are sometimes high in the crowded open-plan areas which have not yet been refurbished. This does not promote fully effective learning.  The marking of pupils’ work does not always make clear what they need to do to improve.  Pupils’ written work, although improved, is sometimes untidy and poorly presented.  While behaviour has improved, pupils’ attitudes to learning are still not good enough.

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The school has the following strengths

 Senior leaders have implemented many initiatives which have begun to improve pupils’ achievement.  Pupils eligible for additional government funding are also making better progress than in the past, so that gaps in learning between different groups across the school are reducing.  Skilled teaching in the specialist speech and language unit helps pupils to make good progress in literacy and numeracy.  Systems for setting teachers targets on how they can improve have become more effective, leading to improvements in teaching.  Senior leadership has become more stable in the last year, and governors are now increasingly effective. As a result, the school’s capacity for improvement has increased significantly.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 21 lessons, nine of which were jointly observed with senior leaders.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors, the school’s senior leaders and heads of subject, and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 22 responses to the staff questionnaire and the 65 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of school documents, including records of the school’s checks on the quality of teaching, the school improvement plan and records relating to behaviour, attendance, safeguarding and the tracking of pupils’ progress. They also looked closely at pupils’ written work for the current school year, and listened to pupils reading.

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Inspection team

George Logan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Fiona Robinson Additional Inspector David Beddard 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 significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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Information about this school

 Guillemont is a larger-than-average-sized junior school.  The vast majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is broadly average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  The school caters for pupils with special educational needs in a specialist resource base designed to accommodate 20 pupils with speech and language disorders. There are currently 21 pupils on roll, taught in two main groups. All of these pupils have statements of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those looked after by the local authority and those with a parent in the armed services) is broadly average.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school offers daily breakfast and after-school clubs. These are managed and inspected separately.  The school hosts a private pre-school. This is managed and inspected separately.  The school has experienced significant change in leadership over the last three years. The current headteacher took up his post in April 2012. The deputy headteacher joined the school in January 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that pupils’ progress is at least good by ensuring that:  teachers have high expectations of what all pupils can achieve, including the most-able  marking is more consistently effective in driving rapid improvement through giving pupils clear guidance as to what they need to do to improve  teachers share best practice across the school to ensure that all are equally effective in driving forward learning  disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are provided with the help and support they need to achieve as well as their peers.  Improve achievement, particularly in mathematics by:  ensuring that teachers have high expectations of the quality and presentation of pupils’ written work  providing pupils with more opportunities to practise their skills in writing and mathematics through their work in other subjects.  Improve the leadership and management of the school by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 increasing the effectiveness and impact of middle leaders, in raising standards in the areas for which they have responsibility  setting higher expectations for what pupils can achieve across the school

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Since the last inspection, pupils’ progress has been inadequate. Pupils enter the school with knowledge and skills which are slightly above average. Attainment by the end of Year 6, while broadly average in reading and writing, is below average in mathematics. No pupils attempted the more-challenging Level 6 tests in 2013; however several are well placed to do so in 2014.  The progress of pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs is inadequate. These pupils attained less well and have made less rapid progress than similar pupils nationally.  School leaders have implemented a range of actions to promote better progress. These include restructuring classes into single year groups, better management of pupils’ behaviour and the reorganisation of additional teaching for pupils with specific learning needs. These improvements are making a positive impact but are too recent to compensate for pupils’ weak past progress.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 The staff are now monitoring pupils’ progress more rigorously, and adjusting their teaching where pupils have fallen behind. Teachers have higher expectations although this is not consistent in all classes and overall, insufficient priority is given across the school to the production of high-quality written work.  Current Year 6 pupils have made better progress in reading and writing, and standards are broadly average. However, pupils are further behind in mathematics.  Pupils in the specialist resource base make good progress from their starting points. Skilled specialist teaching takes account of pupils’ individual learning needs. Staff ensure these pupils extend their skills in literacy and numeracy, giving priority to developing speech and language.  In 2013, Year 6 pupils supported by additional funding lagged behind their classmates in English and mathematics by the equivalent of around one year. However, better use of available funds is

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

enabling supported pupils to make faster progress and they are catching other pupils up quickly.  School leaders gave more time to the development of pupils’ reading in the last year. Dedicated reading sessions, better resources and work to tackle pupils’ weak knowledge of phonics (the linking of sounds and letters) have contributed to better progress in reading.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Teaching has not provided pupils, including the most able, with sufficient challenge. Lessons do not build sufficiently upon pupils’ existing learning.  Teachers’ expectations of the quality of pupils’ written presentation are variable, with some teachers too ready to accept inferior work.  While a number of recent improvements have been made, some of the open-plan teaching areas are crowded and noise from adjacent rooms can be intrusive and impede pupils’ learning.  Leaders have begun tackling weak teaching. During the inspection, some effective practice was observed. For example, in a successful Year 6 numeracy lesson, pupils were successfully challenged to read a range of scales, relating to weight, length and capacity. The tasks were fine tuned to pupils’ varied needs, and because pupils were well motivated, they showed initiative and challenged each other. However, too little teaching is of this good quality.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 There have been significant changes in teaching and support staff. Additional teachers have sensibly been assigned to the specialist resource base and to teach those pupils supported by additional funding. The most effective teachers are deployed across the school to show good practice in each year group. Staff have had greater access to professional development training.  The school has improved systems for checking pupils’ progress. There is evidence of effective marking and improved assessment practice. However, there are inconsistencies between classes. Good practice in the marking of writing is less evident for example in history, geography and science. Staff do not always follow up weaknesses rigorously enough to ensure improvement.  With more rigorous tracking of progress, regular meetings in which teachers are held accountable for pupils’ progress, and more effectively-targeted support, the school is ensuring

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

that pupils supported by pupil premium funding are making better progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ behaviour requires improvement. Pupils’ attitudes towards learning have not been good enough to enable them to make good progress, particularly among the most-able pupils. They are improving but are not yet good enough in all lessons.  Behaviour had deteriorated during the period of unstable leadership. More recently, school leaders have taken decisive action, introducing very effective procedures for managing behaviour. These are now implemented consistently. Pupils now behave sensibly around the school site, and incidents of poor behaviour are rare. Record keeping is exceptionally thorough. With improved teaching, pupils’ attitudes to learning are getting better. Pupils in the specialist resource base demonstrate consistently good attitudes to learning.  Pupils are courteous and treat others with respect. Exclusions are now rare. Parents who gave their views have mostly positive views about behaviour now.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils contribute to the school community by eagerly undertaking responsibilities, such as in caring for the school’s collection of birds and small animals.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Consequently, pupils feel safe and say that they are confident that adults will resolve any difficulties. Bullying is rare. Pupils understand that bullying may take many forms and say that breaches are tackled rigorously by the school.  Staff ensure that pupils are regularly reminded about risks posed by easy access to the internet.  Attendance is above average, with much reduced persistent absence over recent years. Leaders have ensured that systems for monitoring attendance and challenging frequent absences are now much more robust. Pupils typically arrive at school punctually.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Changes and uncertainties in senior leadership, compounded by weaknesses in teaching and other staffing issues, have adversely affected pupils’ progress. Recent initiatives to address weaknesses in behaviour and in teaching are leading to improvement.  The curriculum is focused on improving pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. However, not enough attention is given developing literacy and numeracy skills across all subjects.  Although not sufficiently effective in the past, as a result of support and training from senior leaders and the local authority, middle leaders are now better at carrying out their roles.  Leaders’ monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning have improved. Weak teaching is now challenged, the most effective teachers have been dispersed across the school so that they can support less confident colleagues, and senior leaders hold staff increasingly accountable.  Senior leaders are skilled in analysing data. They track the progress of groups and individuals

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The leadership and management require improvement

thoroughly, identifying gaps in their knowledge and understanding. They have introduced various strategies, including single-year classes, and have radically reorganised the provision of additional teaching to close gaps in pupils’ learning. These initiatives are having a positive impact and demonstrate that the school has the capacity to improve.  The school’s view of itself is realistic. Senior leaders’ evaluation of teaching is accurate. Improved performance management is bringing an increasingly close link between teachers’ performance and pay progression Leaders, including governors, now gather extensive evidence of the impact of teachers’ work, so that only the really effective qualify for higher pay levels.  School leaders monitor the impact of additional funding closely. They have reviewed the use of available money to ensure that it has maximum impact on pupils’ learning, constantly evaluating

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The leadership and management require improvement

the effectiveness of all additional support. This is contributing to more rapid learning.  Use of the primary sports funding is appropriately planned. The school intends to improve the quality of sports coaching and pupils’ health through the development of staff coaching skills, with new clubs and activities for pupils.  The local authority had minimal access to the school prior to 2012. Current senior leaders now value their regular and effective monitoring, support and training.  Provision to promote pupils’ social and moral development is good. Community links have been established and partnerships are actively developed. Links with parents are generally positive.  The governance of the school:  Governors are well aware of the significant impact of recent disruptions in leadership, and their adverse effect upon school improvement. However, the impact of governance has improved alongside the emergence of a stable leadership team. Governors are committed to

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The leadership and management require improvement

their role in the school and access training to improve their skills and understanding. They have a realistic view of the school’s vulnerabilities, based on their secure understanding of data. They recognise that the pace of improvement must accelerate. They compare the school’s performance with national data and know that further improvement is needed. They are confident in challenging school leaders in relation to pupils’ performance. Governors are committed to ensuring equality of opportunity, tackling discrimination and promoting good relationships. They have a secure understanding of the quality of teaching. They are working hard to ensure that pay and promotion are more closely linked to effectiveness. Governors carefully evaluate the impact of decisions about the use of pupil premium funding to close gaps in pupils’ achievement and they ensure, along with senior leaders, that safeguarding arrangements meet requirements. All other statutory duties are met.

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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 116157 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 441023

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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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 352 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Clive Norris Headteacher Denis Foster Date of previous school inspection 26 January 2011 Telephone number 01252 666846 Fax number 01252 666848 Email address adminoffice@guillemont-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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