Ringwood Junior School

Ringwood Junior School Ringwood, Hightown Road, Ringwood BH24 1NH

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Since the last inspection, leaders have relentlessly driven improvement. Their accurate knowledge of the school, and the highly positive ethos they have created, is helping to promote further improvement.  The headteacher responded to the previous inspection with determination and has a clear vision that promotes the achievement of every pupil within a caring community.  Governance is excellent. Governors use their wide- ranging skills to the best advantage of the school. They monitor the school closely and provide very effective challenge and support for school leaders.  Senior and middle leaders are leading skilfully their areas of responsibility so that pupils are receiving an engaging and exciting curriculum.  The special educational needs coordinator ensures that an effective programme of support helps pupils overcome any barriers to learning.  Teachers use their high levels of specialist expertise to provide activities that engage and

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This is a good school

motivate pupils.  Pupils make rapid progress from their starting points and attain levels well above national expectations.  Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils are well supported and, as a result, they now achieve as well as other pupils at the school.  Because relationships between pupils and staff are so strong, pupils are not afraid to have a go and make mistakes.  Behaviour in lessons and around school is exceptional. Pupils really enjoy school and this is reflected in their excellent attendance and very positive attitudes to learning.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is highly successful and is a strong feature of the school. The school’s ‘TERRIFIC’ values pervade school life.  Pupils feel safe and very well cared for in this harmonious and secure environment.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of teaching is not consistently outstanding across the school.  The work set by teachers is not consistently well matched to pupils’ starting points.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching to ensure that all pupils make consistently good progress from their different starting points by ensuring that teaching provides consistently high levels of challenge and support appropriate to pupils’ needs and abilities.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 The headteacher, working in close partnership with the deputy and assistant headteachers, provides excellent leadership and management. She has a clear vision that promotes the high achievement of every pupil. Governance is also very effective. Since the previous inspection, middle leadership has improved considerably and all aspects of leadership and management are now consistently highly effective.  Self-evaluation and improvement planning are strong. Governors and staff at every level are clear about the strengths of the school and those areas that could still be better. Because of this, the school has focused on the right areas for improvement.  Leaders continually and rigorously check on all aspects of the school’s work. Any weaknesses that come to light are quickly identified and all staff are made aware of them. Action to bring about improvement is taken urgently and effectively. For example, the previous inspection report found that not enough pupils

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

were making accelerated progress in writing. A year later, the proportion of pupils making more than expected progress in writing improved markedly, especially of the most-able pupils. A great deal of highly effective action has been well led and the quality of teaching of writing and the standards achieved are much improved.  Leaders apply creative responses to tackling weaknesses. This is exemplified by leaders’ determined and relentless drive to use additional funding well to improve the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. Improved parental engagement, adult ‘chatting partners’ over lunch to help develop pupils’ confidence and social skills, greater participation in clubs and sports and prioritising their learning needs in lessons have contributed to increasing the progress of disadvantaged pupils.  Leaders’ thorough monitoring of the impact of teaching and learning identifies areas for improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

quickly. Well-targeted training is then used to improve teachers’ practice. For example, in the autumn term, the subject leader for mathematics spotted that feedback in some pupils’ books was not consistently stretching them in accordance with the school’s marking policy. She immediately provided bespoke coaching to rapidly improve teachers’ practice.  Leaders keep a close check on the learning of each pupil in the school. Year leaders ensure that additional and effective support is planned to help those falling behind to catch up.  The curriculum is varied and interesting. Subject leaders have revised the curriculum to meet new national requirements and have managed this change to raise teachers’ expectations of what pupils in each age group can achieve. School leaders enrich pupils’ experiences of other cultures and faiths through a wide programme of visits and visitors to the school. There is an extensive range of extra-

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

curricular clubs.  ‘TERRIFIC’ values pervade the school. Pupils who met inspectors could enthusiastically describe examples of teamwork, excellence, respect, responsibility, integrity, fairness, involvement and commitment. A Year 3 pupil explained how he had showed integrity ‘by doing the right thing when no one’s watching, by putting rubbish in the bin.’ A Year 6 pupil was developing commitment by ‘sticking with a sports club after school’. Pupils felt involved in lessons through the different ways teachers choose pupils to answer questions. Older pupils take their responsibilities as prefects and playground leaders very seriously.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. Pupils keep reflective logs to record their responses to events in and outside school. The school values and celebrates the efforts of all pupils, illustrated by the ‘Achievement tree’. Pupils’ understanding of the fundamental British values of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

democracy, tolerance and respect are strong because these values are reinforced through the curriculum and throughout every aspect of school life.  The subject leader for physical education (PE) has improved considerably the use of additional sports funding to increase pupils’ participation in sporting and physical activity. Better teaching and specialist coaching have led to higher standards of performance. More sporting events take place and an increasing proportion of girls and disadvantaged pupils are joining in. Leaders evaluate the impact of additional funding thoroughly. Pupils confirmed that PE lessons are being used to develop their understanding of healthy lifestyles.  A very large majority of parents are positive about the school.  The school enjoys a productive relationship with the local authority. The local authority provides light- touch support by carrying out an annual review because it has confidence the school shows the capacity

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

to lead further improvement. The school has commissioned support from local authority subject advisers to support useful improvements in the teaching of English and mathematics.  The school has taken a lead within a local cluster of schools to implement the Hampshire Model of Assessment.  The governance of the school – Following the previous inspection, governors reorganised their structure and created a quality assurance group, which comprises the chairs of the four committees under the leadership of the chair of governors. This group has sharpened the governors’ monitoring and evaluation of the school’s effectiveness. – The governing body makes a highly effective contribution to the overall leadership of the school. Governors are aware of the school’s strengths and also areas which could be improved. They are ambitious and use their detailed knowledge of pupils’ progress to challenge school leaders rigorously.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

– Governors’ wide-ranging expertise is used effectively to check and support different aspects of the school’s work. They are highly motivated and participate in training and development to enhance their skills and ensure that their development matches the school’s priorities. – Governors ensure that the school is held to account for the effective use of funding, including the sports and pupil premium funding, as well as staff performance management. – Governors visit the school frequently to meet pupils and staff and see for themselves how staff are implementing changes.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are trained to an appropriate level and maintain high levels of vigilance with regard to the welfare of pupils. The vast majority of parents who contributed to the online Parent View questionnaire or who spoke to inspectors said that they feel their children are safe in school. Senior leaders are persistent in ensuring that referrals to agencies are followed through.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

Pupils speak with confidence about the approaches they have learned to keep themselves safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is improving and this has helped to drive up pupils’ achievement. Clear routines and strong relationships between staff and pupils build high levels of trust and confidence so that pupils are absorbed in their learning. Pupils in all year groups work very well together as ‘learning partners’ to solve problems and are happy to challenge each other’s thinking and offer advice.  Teachers have strong subject knowledge, high expectations and expect pupils to do their best. Teachers set tasks which are designed to engage and motivate pupils. For example, a Year 3 teacher used images of the Dorset coastline to stimulate animated discussion about what could have happened to cause such erosion. Where teaching leads to good or better achievement, skilful questioning encourages pupils to develop deep understanding.  However, teachers do not consistently set work at an appropriate level for pupils. Sometimes, the most-

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

able pupils have to complete work at lower levels before going on to more challenging tasks and so do not make as much progress as they are capable of. At other times, pupils are presented with challenging tasks which they are not yet equipped to tackle, or moved on too quickly, before they have a secure knowledge and understanding of the basics.  Pupils throughout the school show a very clear understanding of where they need to focus their efforts to improve because teachers provide clear guidance for learning. Regular, detailed feedback is used by pupils to improve their work. There is a culture of ambition, in which pupils are not afraid of failure. Teachers encourage pupils to try new approaches and to record unsuccessful attempts in their books, to help them learn from their mistakes.  Teaching assistants make a very effective contribution to supporting pupils’ progress. Their questioning techniques skilfully support and challenge pupils’ thinking and learning. They encourage pupils to work

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

out answers for themselves.  Learning passports provide detailed information about individual pupil’s starting points and strategies to help pupils who have special educational needs or disability to learn well. Disadvantaged pupils and others vulnerable to underachievement, such as children who are looked after, also have learning passports. Teachers use this information when planning lessons to help increase these pupils’ progress well.  Mathematics teaching is highly effective, leading to high attainment and good progress for all groups. There is a strong emphasis across all year groups on ensuring that pupils gain a secure understanding of mathematical concepts and become adept at solving problems. Older pupils are increasingly able to explain their reasoning. Where pupils are falling behind, the mathematics subject leader runs effective tailored intervention programmes, following diagnosis of their mathematical learning needs.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The teaching of writing has significantly improved. Pupils are exposed to a rich variety of high-quality texts which stimulate pupils to write with courage, enthusiasm and to a high standard. Year 6 pupils were excitedly exploring the use of formal and informal language in the same letter. Teaching encourages pupils to review their work independently and seek to improve it. Pupils happily seek the opinion of their learning partners about their work, in an atmosphere of trust and collaboration.  The teaching of reading is well focused, with proportional support to enable the less-confident to catch up. All the pupils who read to the inspector could use a range of strategies to read and understand words they did not know. Pupils use dictionaries with confidence.  Pupils receive regular homework to support their learning effectively in reading, spelling, mathematics and topic work. Pupils reported that homework completion is checked weekly. Splendid displays of pupils’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

homework throughout the school show how such work is valued.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupil’s personal development and welfare is outstanding. As a result, pupils are happy, confident, very well-mannered and considerate to others.  The highly positive culture for learning across the school contributes to pupils’ self-assurance. Teachers’ work to encourage pupils’ resilience in learning is very effective and pupils show high levels of independence in tackling their work. Pupils are prepared to work hard to achieve their goals, and show commitment to helping their classmates learn well.  Pupils can explain confidently how to keep themselves healthy through exercise and positive eating habits. Participation rates at sports clubs after school are high.  Pupils, especially the older ones, enjoy taking responsibility for helping others and for helping make their school better.  Pupils and parents say that the school is a safe place, bullying is very rare and they know who they can

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Personal development and welfare

talk to if they have any concerns.  There is a strong sense of community, based on clear values. Assemblies illustrate this well, as the whole school bonds together.  Leaders relentlessly and effectively follow up any concerns about pupils’ welfare with other agencies to ensure that appropriate action is taken. Learning mentors work closely with vulnerable pupils to support them through difficulties when they occur.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Relationships are excellent and pupils are fully engaged in lessons and enjoy their learning activities. All adults have the highest expectations of behaviour.  Both in lessons and when moving around the school, pupils are calm and sensible. Pupils are polite, courteous and friendly towards each other, staff and visitors. They are proud of their school and look after it well. The presentation of their work is of a very high standard. There is an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect.  Attendance is above the national average. The school carefully monitors the attendance of all groups of pupils and promptly follows up absence. As a result, attendance is improving.  Parents, staff and pupils all agree that behaviour is managed well at the school. There are very few incidents of poor behaviour.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils enter Year 3 mainly from one infant school, but a minority join from a range of different infant schools. Overall, their attainment on joining the school is higher than that of pupils of the same age nationally. Teachers check carefully pupils’ levels of knowledge and understanding during the autumn term. This year, many pupils were behind with their use of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make). The Year 3 leader and year team used their expertise to help these pupils rapidly improve their use of phonics to sound out words.  National test results for Year 6 pupils in 2015 were well above average in reading, writing, mathematics and English grammar, punctuation and spelling. Although disadvantaged pupils did not attain as highly, their progress was better than pupils in the school and other pupils nationally.  In September, the school introduced a new method for assessing pupils’ performance and tracking their

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Outcomes for pupils are good

progress. The school’s current information shows that most pupils in all year groups are on track to meet age-related expectations. School data also shows how many pupils are currently achieving well above national expectations. However, assessment recording does not provide detailed information about the performance of pupils who are above national expectations. School leaders have responded well by adjusting the assessment system to allow teachers to check that all pupils are on track to meet appropriately challenging targets. This process is at an early stage.  Through the transition to a new assessment system, teachers have been checking pupils’ progress against a range of learning objectives and skills. Work in books shows that most pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs, are making good progress and that teachers’ assessments are reliable.  The most-able pupils are making good progress, and the proportion achieving the very highest levels is

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Outcomes for pupils are good

increasing. However, the performance of some able and middle-ability pupils is sometimes limited by insufficient challenge and opportunities.  The group of pupils in the school who are currently performing less well than others are boys in Year 5. Leaders and teachers have responded in a number of ways, including changing the books used to appeal to their interests better and providing mentors from a local secondary school. However, it is too soon to evaluate the impact of these actions.  Pupils’ writing is of a high standard. For example, in a Year 5 lesson, pupils were absorbed in describing the first scene from the film ‘The Piano’. Having constructed a few graphic opening sentences, they regularly and independently re-read their text to check and improve it, before continuing to write.  Pupils from different starting points make at least good progress in reading. They read with increasing accuracy, fluency and expression.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 In mathematics, Year 3, pupils were observed confidently drawing bar charts. In all year groups, pupils’ use of accurate mathematical language is a strong feature.

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School details

Unique reference number 115943 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10012245

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Thursfield Headteacher Sally-Ann Evans Telephone number 01425473554 Website www.ringwood-junior.hants.sch.uk Email address admin.office@ringwood-junior.hants.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 20–21 March 2014

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Information about this school

 Ringwood Junior School is a large junior school.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and looked after children) is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is below the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 16 lessons, across all classes, three jointly with school leaders.  Meetings were held with pupils, the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, senior and middle leaders and five governors, including the chair of the governing body.  The lead inspector met with two representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a range of pupils’ work, heard pupils read, observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school at break and lunchtime and talked informally with staff, pupils and parents.  Inspectors considered the views of parents, taking into account the 82 responses on Ofsted’s online parent questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors also considered the 46 free text question responses submitted by parents and an email. Responses to the 22 online questionnaires completed by staff and by pupils were also taken into account.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents including those to do with safeguarding, behaviour and

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Information about this inspection

attendance, pupil progress, minutes of meetings of the governing body, records of visits by the local authority, the school’s evaluation of its own performance and the school’s development plans.

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Inspection team

Theresa Phillips, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Jennifer Boyd Ofsted Inspector Non Davies 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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