Cove Junior School

Fernhill Road, Cove, Farnborough, GU14 9SA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils make rapid progress, and the achievement of all pupils currently in the school is consistently good.  Teaching is good. Well-planned and -organised lessons that are interesting and engaging ensure pupils learn well.  Excellent checks on pupils’ progress ensure that any pupils falling behind are quickly identified and given the help they need to catch up.  The school has made sure that all pupils are making rapid progress. Consequently, gaps between different groups are closing successfully.  Pupils behave well and the school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is very good. The school is a caring, supportive learning community with a strong focus on mutual respect, cooperation and good manners.  Effective leadership by the headteacher, senior leaders, managers and governors has secured rapid improvement since the school’s previous inspection.  Good use of visits, including residential visits, topics

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

such as ‘Wacky races’ and involvement of the local football club in pupils’ learning, increases their enjoyment and enriches the curriculum well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not have enough opportunities to improve their skills in investigating and solving problems in mathematics.  Teachers do not always question pupils in a way that helps to extend pupils’ learning.  Not all pupils receive the same high quality written feedback about their work or the time to act on teachers’ suggestions.  Senior and middle leaders have not fully eliminated inconsistencies in teaching because there is not enough sharing of best practice.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 25 lessons or part lessons, of which three were jointly observed with senior staff.  Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and four other governors, the headteacher and other senior staff. A telephone conversation was also held with a local authority officer.  The inspectors took account of the 49 responses to the online Parent View survey. They also had a meeting with parents and carers and spoke to several others when they brought their children to school. The inspectors took account of the 20 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, assessment, the new curriculum, records relating to behaviour and attendance, the sports premium action plan and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors listened to pupils read in Year 4 and Year 6.

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Inspection team

Janet Sinclair, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Cove Junior is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  There is a below-average proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups.The proportion of pupils who speak Engish as an additional language is also below average. A few of these pupils are at an early stage of learning English.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional funding for looked after pupils or those known to be eligible for free school meals) is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There is an on-site breakfast club.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and learning by:  ensuring greater consistency in written feedback to pupils and providing time for them to act upon their teachers’ guidance in order to improve their work  providing more opportunities for pupils to improve their skills in practical problem solving and investigations in mathematics  ensuring teachers’ questioning checks pupils’ understanding and extends their ideas  ensuring that senior and middle leaders share good teaching practice.

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The leadership and management are good

 Effective leadership by the headteacher and senior leaders, well supported by governors, has ensured that the school has improved rapidly since its previous inspection. There is a strong staff team who share leaders’ focus on ensuring rapid improvement.  Progress across the school is now good, including that of those pupils who receive additional funding, those with special educational needs and the more able. Effective teaching and a calm, supportive but challenging learning environment ensure pupils achieve well and enjoy their leaning.  Senior and middle leaders are enthusiastic about the difference they make and are determined to ensure continuing improvement. They have received training from the local authority to support them in their roles and have developed their subject areas well. They have used data to set high aspirations for achievement and have provided support for any pupils not doing well enough. However, much is still new

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The leadership and management are good

and leaders have not yet ensured consistency in sharing good practice to improve teaching further.  A good focus by senior leaders on developing staff as potential leaders ensures minimal disruption is caused by staff absence or promotion. The school also provides very good support for its newly qualified teachers.  Senior staff have an accurate view of the school and what still needs to be done to ensure the upward trend is maintained. The school development plan is based on agreed areas for improvement, is detailed and makes clear how success can be measured. Governors are involved in checking progress against key areas and all staff have achievement targets linked to the plan.  There are thorough checks on the quality of teaching and learning which include looking at work, detailed lesson observations, analysing data, pupil interviews and short visits. This ensures senior leaders have a clear view of the effectiveness of teaching and what needs to be done to improve it further.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school sets individual and whole-school targets for all staff appropriate to their level of responsibility. There are clear expectations that teachers’ work will meet the expected standard, and training is given where needed. There are suitable procedures to reward good performance and to tackle any underperformance. Staff spoken to felt very well supported and challenged by the process to do their best.  Activities are effectively planned and promote British values well through topics and discussions. There is a programme of training for subject leaders to ensure the new programmes of work (curriculum) can be fully implemented. Parents have been included well through homework projects. Pupils enjoy Friday workshops where, for example, they learn about photography or take part in art and cookery sessions. They enjoy school visits such as the visit to Hampton Court and residential visits to Little Canada where

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The leadership and management are good

they develop team-building skills. These enrich the curriculum well.  Thorough, half-termly checks on pupils’ learning mean that senior leaders and class teachers have a clear understanding of how well pupils are doing, and this has helped to bring about rapid improvement.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Staff make good use of assemblies, for example, to promote determination and a culture of kindness and respect. Pupils care for each other and show tolerance and respect. This helps to prepare them to take their place in modern Britain.  The school has robust policies and procedures to ensure the safeguarding and safety of all pupils and staff.  The school uses the extra sports funding effectively to ensure the well-being of all pupils. It has used sports coaches to teach pupils and provide professional development for the subject coordinator and

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The leadership and management are good

teachers. The school also employs a lunchtime sports leader and has purchased new equipment. All of these ensure that the improved sports provision can be sustained.  There are good links with parents and carers, who are very pleased with the education their children receive, the detailed end-of-year reports they get, the systems to address any bullying and the way staff treat their children as individuals.  The school works well with the infant schools, providing visits and sharing assessment information at the point of transfer.  The school receives effective, well-targeted support and guidance from the local authority. This has provided a clear focus for senior staff and has helped them to make rapid improvement.  The governance of the school:  Governance has improved well since the previous inspection. Governors fulfil their statutory duties well and provide good support and strategic direction to the school. They know how effective teaching and

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The leadership and management are good

learning are through regular reports from the headteacher, external reviews and their involvement in dealing with any weak teaching. Through their committees, they review the curriculum, check pupils’ progress carefully, talk to teachers and subject leaders and visit classes to check for themselves. Governors attend training, carry out an annual safeguarding audit, check the safety of the school site and make sure that all current safeguarding policies and procedures keep pupils and staff safe. They keep a close watch over the school finances, including the additional funding and how it is spent, and check their financial effectiveness against that of similar schools. They undertake appropriate training and have a clear action plan so that they develop their knowledge and skills. They are well informed about local and national initiatives. Through their pay committee, they are involved in setting targets for

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The leadership and management are good

the management of the headteacher’s performance and have also been involved in rewarding good performance and tackling any underachievement among staff.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils mainly behave well in lessons and around the school.  Pupils particularly enjoy break-times because of the new rock-climbing wall and regular sports coaching.  They know the school rules and are clear about the sanctions for poor behaviour. The school has clear policies and procedures to promote good behaviour.  In most lessons, pupils have good attitudes to their work, are keen to learn and complete their work well. This, coupled with the school’s strong emphasis on fostering good relationships, has a positive effect on their achievement.  Pupils are kind and caring towards each other and are keen to be nominated for the ‘Caring Cup’ presented half-termly to the pupil who has supported and helped others extremely well.  Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities such as being school councillors, prefects and volunteers. Pupils also spoke highly of the effectiveness of play-time buddies in supporting them and sorting out minor issues.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils collaborate well with each other on tasks, are keen to contribute their ideas and are enthusiastic learners who take pride in their work.  Evidence from case studies show that there is excellent support for vulnerable pupils and their families.  Occasionally, when lessons do not engage them, pupils sometimes fidget and lose interest and there is occasional misbehaviour at break-times.  Pupils have few concerns about bullying because they say it rarely happens. They are confident that should any incidents occur they would be sorted out quickly by staff. There are no recorded incidents of bullying.  Attendance is above average, reflecting pupils’ enjoyment of school.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils know right from wrong, respect the views of others and enjoy social and cultural events such as their annual Shakespeare performance.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school provides a safe environment for its pupils. Pupils learn about how to stay safe through, for example, cycling training and training for parents and their children on internet safety.  Pupils say that they feel very safe in school and take their own responsibility for staying safe very seriously. They are confident of adult help if they have any worries . They also very much appreciate the support they get from playground buddies if they need it.  The vast majority of parents who responded to the online Parent View survey, and all of those spoken to during the inspection, agree that behaviour is good and the school keeps their children safe. Staff and governors agree.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved strongly and is now enabling pupils across the school to make good progress.  Teachers manage and organise lessons well and engage pupils effectively in their learning. For example, in a Year 6 mathematics lesson, more able pupils thoroughly enjoyed solving multiplication problems using decimals and were highly successful.  Good relationships foster a positive approach to learning and respect and support for each other.  Teaching assistants make a good contribution to pupils’ learning, particularly those pupils with disabilities and special educational needs and those at an early stage of learning English. For example, individuals and groups of pupils are given support that is well targeted to their needs. Also, for those at an early stage of learning English, there are opportunities to talk in their own language as well as a focus on spoken English.  There is now a consistent approach to planning lessons that clearly sets out the expectations for the

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The quality of teaching is good

learning of pupils of different abilities to ensure work is pitched at the right level for them.  Work in books shows a good level of consistency in pupils’ response to learning through well-presented and completed work.  Teachers use guided reading sessions well to help pupils improve their reading and comprehension skills. They ensure the content is linked well to literacy lessons either through the topic or a focus for their writing.  Teachers generally make a great deal of effort to pitch work at the right level for pupils through day-to- day assessment and review of lessons. This was clearly seen in a Year 3 and 4 lesson where the teacher changed the groups pupils were in as a result of checking their response from the previous day.  Teachers do not always mark work regularly, let pupils check how well they have done when they are finished or give pupils time to act upon their guidance so that they can improve. As a result, pupils are not

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The quality of teaching is good

always clear about how well they have done and what they need to do to improve their work.  Teachers ensure pupils know what they are expected to learn at the start of the lesson, but they do not always question them in order to re-shape their work, or check how well they have understood. This sometimes limits their progress in lessons.  Teaching promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education well through their topics and involvement in local issues such as the demolition of a local building.  Homework is used well to reinforce reading, mathematics and topic work.

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is good

 In 2013, attainment was average at the end of Year 6 in reading and mathematics, and above average in writing. Pupils’ progress was slightly better than that found nationally in writing, and below in mathematics. The school’s unpublished 2014 data show a continuing upward trend in achievement, with a good improvement in mathematics.  The progress of all groups of pupils in the school is now good, given their starting points.  The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, which was a concern, is accelerating and is now good. Pupils are identified early and receive targeted support. Their progress is carefully and regularly checked to ensure they make good progress towards specific and whole-school targets.  Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds are supported well, especially the very few at an early stage of learning English. They make similar progress to other pupils in the school as a result of the effective

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is good

support they receive.  There are excellent systems to track pupils’ progress. This enables the school to identify pupils who are not doing well enough and to ensure these pupils receive the support they need to help them catch up. This is a strong factor in accelerating progress across the school. It also helps to ensure that gaps in the performance of different groups are closing and that the school is promoting equality of opportunity effectively and tackling discrimination.  Improved levels of challenge for the most able pupils has resulted in better progress and a small proportion of pupils achieving at the higher Level 6 (the expected level for 15-year-olds) in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils also benefit from being involved in competitions such as the mathematics challenge for the Southern region.  Pupils who are supported by additional funding do as well as their peers nationally in writing and

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is good

punctuation, spelling and grammar, but are behind by approximately a term in reading and mathematics. The school tracks their progress carefully to ensure that it is similar to that of pupils nationally. It is successfully narrowing the gap between them and other pupils in the school.  There are effective systems to support good progress in reading. These include carefully graded reading books, daily guided reading, older pupils reading to younger pupils and support with boys’ reading from a local football club. There is also ‘The Launch Pad’ reading area, Friday workshops and certificates for regular reading at home.  Writing has improved well as a result of changes to the way it is taught. A focus on topics that engage boys in writing as well as a specific unit of work for reluctant writers in Year 5, has ensured that the gaps between them and girls are successfully closing.  Pupils now achieve well in mathematics, with a good focus on the development of calculation skills.

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is good

However, they do not get enough opportunities to develop their skills in investigating patterns in number or to apply their mathematical knowledge in a range of everyday situations. This limits their overall progress.  Breakfast club provides a hearty breakfast and a range of activities for pupils that ensures a good start to the day.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 116140 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 449003

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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 293 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Caroline Pickup Headteacher Katy Young Date of previous school inspection 13−14 November 2012 Telephone number 01252 542941 Fax number 01252 516644 Email address headteacher@cove-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 and 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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