Padnell Junior School

Padnell Junior School Padnell Road, Waterlooville, PO8 8EA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 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

 All groups of pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics throughout the school.  The proportion achieving the standard expected by the time they leave has increased significantly over the last two years. Almost half are also now achieving at the higher levels in reading and mathematics according to assessments in current Year 6.  Leaders and managers, including the governing body, have made sure that teaching has improved since the previous inspection. Teachers develop pupils’ writing skills with precision and pupils’ achievement has improved as a result.  Leader and managers use information about pupils’ progress effectively to make sure no one falls behind. Consequently, achievement is continuing to improve.  Teachers make sure that lessons are interesting and that pupils build the skills they need to succeed in all subjects.  Pupils’ behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. They say that bullying is very rare, and if

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

any minor falling out occurs it is dealt with well by staff.  Pupils’ know that they are safe at school and that there is always someone to talk to if they have any concerns.  Parents support the work of the school and say that their children are happy, safe and doing well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 A few pupils do not fully develop their knowledge of letters and sounds well enough to accelerate their progress in reading and spelling as soon as they join the school.  Teaching does not always help the most able pupils to use a wide range of skills in more complex activities.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 23 lessons or parts of lessons, and six were observed jointly with the headteacher. In addition, short visits were made to classrooms and an inspector listened to a number of Year 3 pupils reading. The inspectors reviewed samples of pupils’ work in books to check their progress.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, middle leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and five other members, and two groups of pupils. Informal discussions with held with parents. The inspector held a telephone conversation with a member of the local authority.  The inspectors took account of the 30 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. They also analysed the 24 responses to the staff questionnaire.  The inspectors looked at school documents, including information relating to checks on pupils’ progress, plans for school improvement, records of the monitoring of teaching and learning, records relating to

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Information about this inspection

pupils’ behaviour and attendance, the minutes of governing body meetings and safeguarding documents.

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Inspection team

Janet Dinsmore, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average sized school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding is average. This is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or in the care of the local authority.  Almost all pupils are of White British origin.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is average.  In 2014 the school met the current government floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  ‘Planet Padnell’ childcare is provided on the school site from 7.40 am before school and until 6.00 pm after school. This is managed by the governing body.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate progress in reading and spelling for pupils who join the school by improving their knowledge of letters and sounds (phonics).  Make sure that all teachers provide activities for the most able pupils that enable them to:  use a wide range of thinking and understanding skills for investigation and problem-solving activities in mathematics  apply creative skills to their writing.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers have successfully addressed all the areas for improvement identified by the previous inspection and monitoring visit. They have demonstrated the capacity to continue to improve teaching, pupils’ achievement and the work of the school and are ambitious to do so.  The ethos of the school, captured in its vision statement, ‘Reach for the Stars’, successfully promotes good teaching and behaviour. There is excellent teamwork throughout the school and adults are good role models for the pupils. Equality of opportunity is promoted well and there is no discrimination.  Leaders manage teachers’ performance well and use data about pupils’ progress effectively to hold teachers to account for this. Pay is linked closely to teachers’ performance in the classroom and their contribution to the leadership of the school.  Leaders have a comprehensive system for tracking pupils’ attainment and progress. Teachers and leaders

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The leadership and management are good

use this effectively to check that all groups of pupils make good progress.  Middle leadership is well developed. Leaders share the responsibilities for checking the quality of teaching, and pupils’ progress in their subjects. This has resulted in rapid and sustained developments in writing. Middle leaders have also made sure that each subject fulfils the requirements of the National Curriculum as well as being stimulating and enjoyable.  Pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is promoted well through all subjects, particularly art and religious education. Assemblies, for example, reflect a full range of religious festivals and national anniversaries that prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain in addition to the subjects they study.  Gaps are closing rapidly between disadvantaged pupils and their peers because pupil premium is spent effectively. Pupils have received the precise help that they need to develop their skills in reading, writing

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The leadership and management are good

and mathematics.  The school makes effective use of sports funding to widen the opportunities for pupils to participate in a range of sports, such as dodgeball, street dance and tennis. Teachers receive additional training for delivering high quality physical education lessons that improve pupils’ skills.  The local authority provided some support following the previous inspection. It is now confident in the leadership of the school to sustain improvement.  Parents are well informed of their children’s progress and appreciate the quality of the teaching. They say that any problems are resolved quickly.  Statutory requirements for safeguarding are met. Senior leaders are diligent, keeping accurate records of any incidents to ensure pupils are safe. The arrangements for keeping pupils safe are effective.  The governance of the school:  Governors are trained well and have made sure that they have a good range of skills from business,

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The leadership and management are good

human resource management, and education to fully hold the school to account. They check the work of the school regularly for themselves, working closely with staff and pupils to do this. They receive accurate reports from the headteacher and ask challenging questions in meetings.  Governors know that pupil premium funding is spent effectively and check this rigorously with the pupils as well as school leaders. Governors know about the data on the school’s performance and how well the school compares to others nationally. They make sure that the headteacher’s performance is managed effectively to ensure continued improvement in teaching and achievement. Governors make sure that there is no underperformance and that teachers are rewarded appropriately.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils apply themselves well to learning in lessons and follow instructions promptly. Pupils say that everyone behaves well.  Pupils say, and the school records show, that bullying is rare. They are fully aware of all forms of bullying and confident that the school deals with any occurrences very effectively.  Pupils take pride in their work and its presentation and enjoy lessons. They work well in pairs and groups and their social and moral development is good. They get on well together and are polite and courteous.  The school is characterised by high quality relationships throughout. Values of tolerance and respect are promoted effectively and are reflected in the way everyone treats each other. Pupils understand democracy and the rule of law through school council elections and the fair way that any minor falling out is dealt with by staff.  The school supports pupils who have difficulty in managing their behaviour well. As a result, there are

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Behaviour

very few instances when the learning of others is interrupted.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  The site is secure and all necessary employment checks and regular checks of procedures are carried out rigorously. Risk assessment is effective.  Pupils know how to stay safe on the internet, on roads and when using equipment in the playground.  Older pupils have responsibilities for equipment and as ‘buddies’ at playtime. They carry these out well, supporting access to first aid, for example, and making sure everyone has someone to play with.  Pupils are safe and well cared for at ‘Planet Padnell’, including those who attend from the infant school. Pupils enjoy their time there and play well together. Good quality hot food is available for them later in the afternoon. A good range of resources and games is used to extend pupils’ interests, including opportunities for craft and music, for example.  Safety is not yet outstanding because some governors have yet to attend the latest update training on

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils say that teachers make lessons interesting. For example, Year 6 pupils spoke of all the interesting work they had done about the Second World War, especially learning about children who were evacuated from their homes. ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ generated enthusiastic model-making and discussion of characters’ feelings for Year 3 pupils.  Teachers plan activities well across the range of subjects to make sure that pupils’ skills, particularly for writing, build as they move up through the school. Staff have good knowledge of grammar and technical vocabulary and pupils use this when explaining what they have written.  Marking and feedback are detailed and pupils know exactly what they have achieved and what they need to do to improve. They have good opportunities to correct their work.  Teachers have high expectations of what pupils will achieve in lessons. Each day pupils practise and

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The quality of teaching is good

develop their skills for reading, writing and mathematics effectively.  Teaching assistants are trained well and deployed effectively to support learning in lessons. They provide good support for pupils who need additional help. This helps pupils to catch up quickly.  Teachers assess pupils’ work frequently and accurately. They identify quickly any slight slowing of progress and organise additional support to help pupils catch up with English and mathematics. Occasionally, this help is not specific enough to address the gaps in pupils’ knowledge of letters and sounds that they need for more complex spelling and reading.  The teaching of mathematics is good. Teachers ensure that pupils are given sufficient challenge. As they progress through the school, pupils use their knowledge of number and calculation skills well to solve problems.  Occasionally, the most able pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to apply the full range of thinking

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The quality of teaching is good

and understanding skills for more complex problem-solving and investigation activities in mathematics or creative writing in English.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils enter the school with average levels of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers’ assessments of current Year 6 pupils show that almost all are achieving at the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics. This is a significant improvement in attainment since 2014.  Most pupils are now making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Attainment in writing has improved significantly over the last two years to now match that in reading and mathematics. This is particularly evident for disadvantaged pupils where gaps in attainment within each year group are now reduced to less than one term.  Pupils learn to communicate well. They are articulate and well prepared for the next stage in their education.  Pupils read widely and often and can talk knowledgeably about a range of authors and why they like them.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because they receive the

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The achievement of pupils is good

specific support that they need. Work is adjusted effectively so that they can do their best and they receive help to make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The most able pupils make good progress and are achieving at the higher Levels 5 and 6 in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. They are ambitious to improve their work and explain clearly how teachers have helped them to achieve this. In other year groups the most able pupils achieve well in all subjects.  In the 2014 Year 6 national tests and assessments, the gap in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and others in the school was three terms in reading, two terms in writing and four terms in mathematics. The gap between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally was two terms in reading, three terms in writing and three terms in mathematics. All disadvantaged pupils have made expected progress and

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The achievement of pupils is good

over half have made rapid progress, so closing the gap in attainment in Year 6 and all other year groups.  In Year 3, a few pupils make slower progress than others in reading and writing because they do not have secure knowledge of letters and sounds and more complex spelling patterns when they join the school.

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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 115964 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 462426

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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 217 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andy Thoms Headteacher Sandra Lawlor Date of previous school inspection 9−10 July 2013 Telephone number 02392 252752 Fax number 02392 232084 Email address office@padnell-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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