Wildground Junior School

Wildground Junior School Armitage Avenue, Dibden Purlieu, Southampton SO45 4LG

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The executive headteacher and head of school, together with the governors, are united and committed in their drive and ambition to improve standards and leadership at all levels.  As a result of this determination and commitment, the school has improved since the last inspection.  Continuous monitoring and support have led to consistently good progress and outcomes across the school in reading, writing and mathematics.  Parents are very supportive of leaders and the school. They feel that the school caters well for the individual needs of pupils.  All groups of pupils learn well and make good progress from their starting points. By the end of Year 6, results are broadly average, or above, in all subjects.  Teaching is consistently good or better across the curriculum with teachers planning learning that engages and holds pupils’ interest.  Pupils are a credit to their school. Their behaviour is good and they are polite, confident and articulate

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This is a good school

individuals.  Bullying is rare. If it does occur, it is very well managed.  Safeguarding is very effective and pupils are well cared for by all staff. Pupils feel safe and happy at school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 A minority of pupils are not sufficiently challenged to make rapid progress to exceed expectations.  Some areas of the curriculum do not provide enough depth of knowledge for pupils to apply their learned skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Leaders should continue to improve the quality of teaching to outstanding through: ensuring that swift action is taken to identify misconceptions and provide incisive feedback ensuring that all pupils are provided with appropriate challenge ensuring that pupils have the opportunity to consolidate their learning.  Build on the improvements already made in the curriculum to secure substantial improvement across all subjects through: ensuring depth of knowledge, skills and application ensuring clear links across the entire curriculum to inspire pupils’ learning ensuring that there is consistent challenge for pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The executive headteacher and head of school have provided very clear leadership since the last inspection. With the support of staff and governors they have very effectively shared their vision of high expectations for all. This has led to improved standards across the school. Every leader is driven in their desire to raise standards even higher and wants to ensure that each pupil has the opportunity to be challenged and succeed. ‘We want the very best for our pupils and we permanently look for ways to provide this,’ was a message echoed across the school.  Leaders have successfully ensured that pupils have equal opportunities and that any discrimination is quickly eradicated.  Senior leaders focus their concentration on checking on the quality of education, ensuring that clear support through coaching and training is provided for all staff within the school. This consistent approach leads to good outcomes for both staff and pupils alike. Staff work together as a strong team and are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

committed to providing the best outcomes for pupils, sharing the vision of high expectations for all.  Regular and rigorous observations of teaching are carried out and the senior staff are proactive in looking at planning, work in books, direct observations of lessons and how this impacts on pupils’ progress. Staff value the support and training they receive and use these opportunities to improve their practice. This has had a significant impact on the quality of teaching since the last inspection.  Leaders have an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They have clear strategic plans in place to help improve the school. They are very focused on ensuring that appropriate support is in place for pupils and staff alike to continually drive improvement; for example, dedicated additional support for groups of pupils and specific training for staff.  Pupils’ progress is rigorously checked to ensure that pupils are on track to meet their targets. If any

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils are falling behind, appropriate support is put in place to ensure that they have every opportunity to catch up. They check that the most-able pupils are making the greater progress that they should be.  Subject leaders manage their areas carefully and are provided with clear expectations and time for checking on their subject. They give helpful guidance and support to staff. They are held to account by senior leaders and governors who ensure that the work is having an impact on raising standards. The mathematics and English leaders are highly effective and standards are rising across the school.  Leaders have implemented a new system for assessment to track pupils’ progress. This allows staff to accurately identify next steps and plan work appropriately for pupils. Leaders ensure that pupils’ work is carefully moderated for accuracy, both within school and their cluster of schools.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and some subjects are taught through topics. This approach has

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

inspired pupils and they talked about their topics with enthusiasm, wanting more of this approach. Where there are links between subjects there is evidence of rapid improvement in the quality of writing, for example linking history topics to English. A rich variety of trips and curriculum days add to pupils’ enjoyment and understanding of the topics that they are learning. For example, they talked with passion about the ‘ Second World War day’, the visit to an Iron Age house and a visiting author ‘who really got us so much into writing’. Pupils’ engagement in the curriculum is enhanced by a wide range of extra- curricular activities available after school, including physical sports and music.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. There is a strong focus on teaching the school’s core values of ‘respect, excellence, ambition, care and honesty’ (REACH) and the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

‘rights and responsibilities’ curriculum. These are particularly effective in developing and supporting the strong relationships with staff and each other. The pupils have a link with a school in Kenya and carry out fundraising activities to support the school: for example, a sponsored fun run and cake sale, raising a significant amount of money. They were able to talk with pride and compassion about their communication with the school and what they are learning from the experience of a different culture.  British values are taught effectively and all pupils are taught to value diversity and equality as well as ensuring respect for each other’s opinions and beliefs. Active participation in being a school councillor or ambassador develops a clear understanding of democracy. Pupils are able to articulate why there is a rule of law in the country and why this is important in school. This prepares them well for life in modern

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Britain.  The extra government funding for physical education is used effectively to boost staff skills and the quality of provision has been raised as a result. Additional extra-curricular opportunities support the physical education curriculum. The progress for pupils is sequential with teachers planning activities that are well matched to pupils’ needs.  Leaders have spent the pupil premium funding effectively with evidence of impact last year on outcomes and further evidence this year of additional intervention support and challenge in order to develop pupils to make more than expected progress. Progress of this group of pupils is checked rigorously and appropriate interventions and support put in place where needed.  The local authority provides good guidance to the school, and the senior leaders and governors value the help that has been provided to support the quality of teaching and learning. Regular visits and reports to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

the school have helped leaders validate their own judgements.  The performance management of staff is robust and staff have clear expectations and support provided for them.  The majority of parents who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and spoke to the inspectors were positive about the school. They particularly like the individual support, care and attention that it provides for pupils. A small minority of parents felt that the school does not ensure that pupils are well looked after or well behaved. The evidence seen during the visit, alongside thorough scrutiny of records, found that pupils are well behaved. On the rare occasions that there are incidents, pupils are dealt with fairly and appropriately. This was summed up by a group of parents who feel that ‘the school is nurturing, supportive and deals with incidents appropriately’.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective with well-ordered and organised systems. All staff have

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

appropriate safeguarding and radicalisation training. All staff are clear on procedures that they need to follow. Communication with parents is effective and any work with other agencies and parents ensures that the right of the child remains paramount. Any ‘looked after’ pupils have clear plans of support in place to ensure that their needs are met, and outcomes and progress are good.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school Governors provide timely and accurate support and challenge for leaders. They know the school well and feel part of the improvement process. They visit the school regularly, meeting with leaders as part of the strategic plan, for example meeting with mathematics and English leaders to see how these subjects link to the wider curriculum. The governors are united in their ambition for the school and have a clear understanding of where the school has come from and where it is going. They make no excuses and carry a strong view that all leaders serve the community. The governing body makes sure that leaders are accountable for pupils’ outcomes, including the use and impact of the pupil premium, sport premium and funding to support those who have special educational needs or disability. Governors ensure that performance management is rigorous and is having an impact on improving the quality of teaching and raising standards.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Governors ensure that they fulfil all their statutory duties.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers establish clear and focused routines in class and have high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour. Lessons are sequential and build on prior learning with targeted teaching based on the needs of pupils. This approach leads to pupils being grouped in a variety of ways according to their needs. This ensures that the teaching and activities are personalised, and evidence of progress is seen clearly in lessons.  Teachers ensure that pupils understand what they are expected to learn and the pupils are able to articulate the learning clearly. Questioning is used effectively to assess pupils’ learning and there are occasions where detailed verbal feedback is provided to inform pupils about how they can improve their work. These comments, with clear recording in pupils’ books, provide a strong reminder to pupils about the expectations and allow progress to be shown throughout the lesson. However, this practice is not

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

consistent across the school.  Teachers sometimes provide pupils with detailed comments at the end of a piece of work. This informs them how to improve their work. In some instances, this leads to pupils correcting and refining their work by responding to these comments.  There is a strong focus on developing pupils’ independent learning skills and the pupils are confident, articulate learners who are not afraid to make mistakes. This is because teachers use misunderstandings as an opportunity for further explanation and this helps pupils to progress well.  In some lessons where teachers are fully observing pupils in the classroom, there is an accuracy and swiftness in checking their learning that leads to pupils making rapid progress within the lesson.  There is clear modelling and scaffolding of learning across all lessons by teachers, both at a whole-class and individual level, which allows the pupils to see the expectations clearly. In a mixed Years 3 and 4

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

class, the highly effective modelling of sentences allowed the pupils to develop and extend their own sentences effectively within their writing.  Teaching assistants provide swift and timely interventions. For example, in a Year 5 mathematics lesson, the clear focused feedback and modelling allowed focused challenge and support which enabled pupils to understand how to write a six-digit number in words accurately.  Where challenge is prevalent it extends thinking. For example, in a Year 6 mathematics lesson, a group of children were solving a problem that had a deliberate mistake. This challenge allowed the pupils to apply their learning and grapple with the challenging mathematics, putting forward solutions and hypotheses. The teacher extended this learning further through probing questions and the buzz of learning was palpable in the classroom.  The school’s drive to improve the teaching of mathematics and English is paying dividends and pupils’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

work shows clear evidence of progress. Work is pitched at appropriate age-related expectations and this, along with consistent use of pupils’ targets, learning outcomes and success criteria, leads to clear evidence of progress. In Year 3 classes, there is clear evidence of challenge with pupils independently and appropriately choosing work at a ‘comfort, challenge, danger or explosive’ level. This level of challenge is not evident in all classes to allow the pupils to make more than expected progress.  Teaching is impacting strongly on pupils’ writing skills and they are using and applying their spelling, punctuation and grammar skills very effectively. The quality of writing is strong with clear links to the wider curriculum. For example, writing about an invasion of a Viking village, a pupil wrote, ‘[The bird] swooped and soared over the village, circling slowly, looking for prey.’  Teaching of reading, including the use of phonics (linking letters and sounds), uses a variety of strategies

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

and pupils were able to read with confidence, understanding, fluency and clarity. They were able to articulate choices, discuss the books and whether they would recommend them to their friends.  Most aspects of teaching, such as targeting learning based on pupils’ needs and having high expectations of them, have a good impact on the achievement of the most-able pupils. However, because variations in teaching still exist across the school, sometimes the most-able pupils are not sufficiently challenged.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Staff, pupils and the majority of parents are overwhelmingly positive about how well the adults in the school care for the pupils. One parent said, ‘I always feel my child is nurtured and they love it here; they always want to come to school.’  Pupils value their learning and want to do better. They are proud of their school and feel that everyone is treated equally.  Lunchtimes and playtimes are harmonious and inclusive, ensuring that all pupils feel they have a right to play together. Pupils very rarely have friendship issues at playtime. If they do, these are dealt with swiftly and conclusively.  Pupils are provided with opportunities to demonstrate the core values of the school. These are celebrated visually on a large tree in the school hall and by pupils having either lunch at a special table or attending a tea party with the executive headteacher or head of school. These opportunities are held in high

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Personal development and welfare

esteem by the pupils.  The aims and vision permeate the school and the core values are evident throughout the school such as, for example, the care and consideration shown to the pupils in Kenya as well as to each other.  The equalities policy is fulfilled through ‘rights, respect and responsibility’ and is evident across the school with pupils saying that ‘teachers work really hard to make sure that we all learn’.  Pupils are resilient learners and their attitudes lead to consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics as well as rapidly improved outcomes for all pupils.  Pupils feel safe in school and feel that they can go to anyone in the school with a problem because ‘the teachers all help us’. Pupils can also articulate how to stay safe online and are fully aware of cyber bullying and social media issues.  Clear themes for collective worship are implemented based on the values of the school. Pupils respond

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Personal development and welfare

well to the teachers leading the assembly and are provided with opportunities to share, sing together and reflect. The pupils behave very well during collective worship and are secure in the routines.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They get on well and have respect for each other as well as for the staff. Staff apply the behaviour policy consistently and so pupils understand the expectations for their behaviour.  Attitudes for learning are strong. Pupils work hard in class and concentrate well. They listen carefully to their teacher and other adults and work cooperatively together in groups. They show resilience and perseverance when work is hard and readily ask for help when needed. However, there are occasions when pupils say work is too easy for them; they then start to lose interest and focused engagement starts to fade.  Pupils are proud of their school and eager to share all the opportunities that the school provides, including learning, play areas and after-school activities.  Pupils understand school values and systems well. They respond to all staff respectfully and lessons are very rarely disrupted by poor behaviour.

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Behaviour

 Pupils get on well together and disagreements are rare. Staff and other pupils are available to provide support with resolving any issues.  Bullying is rare; if it occurs it is very well managed. Pupils were keen to tell the inspectors, ‘It is really rare but teachers handle it well. There were two bullying incidents last year but in both cases the pupils involved turned good.’  Pupils are kept safe, feel safe and know where to go to get help. They feel they can approach anyone in the school to speak to about any problem and they would get help.  The pupils can talk effectively about behaviour and they understand that behaviour has consequences, both good and bad. They can articulate clearly the rewards and sanctions across the school.  Pupils are a credit to their school, their behaviour is good and they are polite, confident and articulate individuals.  Pupils enjoy school and this is reflected in their improving attendance.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. They work hard in lessons and this results in attaining good progress to reach standards that are broadly average by the end of Year 6.  The school has successfully closed the attainment gap between disadvantaged and other pupils. Additional funding is used effectively to provide focused support for these pupils. The outcomes are a good improvement from 2014 when results were significantly below average for this group of pupils.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability have achieved significantly above national expectations in writing, reading and mathematics. This is a clear improvement since 2014 when they were below national expectations.  A significant majority of pupils made expected progress from Key Stage 1 through to Key Stage 2. However, there are not enough pupils making more than expected progress across all subjects.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Girls’ progress was significantly below the national average in mathematics in 2015. The school is aware of this and a variety of support is in place to increase the progress of all pupils with a particular emphasis on that of girls.  Current assessment information within the school indicates that all pupils are on track to make expected progress from their starting points with no evident difference between boys and girls.  While all pupils are on track to make expected progress, the work in lessons is not always as hard as it could be for all pupils. Consequently, not all pupils make the progress of which they are capable.  The most-able pupils all make good progress but the lack of challenge in some lessons results in too few of them making the greater progress that they are capable of. In English, the most-able pupils attend an intervention group to challenge their writing. This is leading to higher-quality outcomes for these pupils as

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Outcomes for pupils are good

they strive to apply skills and knowledge in order to exceed age-related expectations. The wider curriculum does not always challenge pupils at a deeper level to enable the most able to achieve at a faster rate.

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School details

Unique reference number 115883 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10002371 This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Junior School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 173 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Fiona Western Executive headteacher Amanda Mullett Telephone number 02380 844001 Website www.wildground.hants.sch.uk Email address adminoffice@wildground-jun.hants.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 15–16 October 2013

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Information about this school

 This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  There have been no changes to the leadership since the last inspection, other than the appointment of the interim executive headteacher to substantive executive headteacher.  Pupils are taught in mixed-age classes in Years 3 and 4. They are taught in single-year classes in Years 5 and 6 in Mathematics.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium fund is higher than the national average. (The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils who are eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority.) The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability supported by the school, or with an education, health and care plan, is well above average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below average.  The school exceeds the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors visited 23 lessons and were accompanied by the executive headteacher or head of school for all of these.  Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher and head of school, other leaders within the school, five governors, including the chair of the governing body, and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views through talking to pupils around the school and in lessons.  Pupils’ views were also gleaned from some pupils who escorted inspectors around the school to look at the curriculum, behaviour and safety.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed in lessons and around the school at the beginning of the day, during break and at lunchtime.  Pupils’ work was scrutinised across the school in a range of subjects to look at their current achievement. Inspectors listened to a sample of pupils read in Years 4 and 6.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documentation including that relating to health and safety,

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Information about this inspection

induction, safeguarding, equality, behaviour, attendance, school self-evaluation, school action planning, reports on the quality of teaching, curriculum information, pupil premium analysis, sports premium evidence and assessment information.  Inspectors took notes of displays around the school and the work in outdoor areas.  Inspectors spoke to a small number of parents during the inspection and took into account their responses to Parent View, as well as the school’s own parent questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Llyn Codling, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Jennifer Boyd Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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