Hamworthy Park Junior School

Hamworthy Park Junior School Ashmore Crescent, Hamworthy, Poole, Dorset BH15 4DG

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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

 In a relatively short space of time, the executive headteacher, supported by the head of school and senior leadership team, has rigorously tackled the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection.  School leaders’ united and unswerving commitment to improving pupils’ achievement is quickly raising standards, particularly in English and mathematics.  Good teaching is now having a significant impact on pupils’ achievement across the school, with the vast majority of current pupils making much quicker progress than previously.  Pupils eligible for pupil premium funding typically outperform their peers. This is due, in part, to the effective support they receive which targets their individual needs.  Pupils with special educational needs or disability do well because they receive timely and effective support.  The inclusive ethos and integration of core values are key factors in the school’s success. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are consistently

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This is a good school

good. Improved teaching and an engaging curriculum make pupils want to learn.  Pupils’ safety, personal development and well- being are managed exceptionally well by dedicated staff. Parents and pupils are overwhelmingly positive about this aspect of the school’s work.  The governing body is committed to ensuring the best education for the pupils. Governors hold the school to account for the quality of its work.  Pupils’ attendance remains above the national average. Careful attention is paid to ensure that pupils attend school regularly.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 As recognised by the school, there is still more work to be done to embed the improvements it has made since the last inspection.  Teachers are not yet demanding the same high standard of presentation in pupils’ books from class to class.  Teachers’ questioning does not consistently challenge pupils or deepen their understanding, particularly for the most able pupils.  Teaching, learning and assessment are less well developed in subjects other than English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to develop and embed the recent improvements to the quality of teaching, learning and pupils’ achievement by ensuring that: teachers’ questioning probes pupils’ understanding and extends their thinking, especially for the most able pupils the standard of presentation in all pupils’ books matches the very best in the school the same high-quality assessment seen in English and mathematics is realised in other subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The new executive headteacher, with the support of the federation, has had a significant and positive impact throughout the school. He works closely with the new head of school and other senior leaders as a highly effective team. Collectively, they have led the recent improvements with determination and vigour.  The executive headteacher ensures that all leaders play a major role in school improvement. For example, the deputy head of school has raised the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement in mathematics by modelling good practice. Similarly, the special educational needs leader is transforming the way pupils who have special educational needs or disability are supported. Excellent case studies demonstrate the impact of targeted support so that these pupils are beginning to achieve the same rates of progress as other pupils.  Plans for improvement are focused and provide clear actions with ambitious targets. Middle leaders

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

routinely contribute to this process, based on the high-quality professional development they have received. This has helped them to hone and develop their leadership skills so that they have a good understanding of strengths and weaknesses in their areas of responsibility.  School leaders have skilfully created a strong team ethic. Morale is high and there is a strong sense of unity among school staff, who described recent improvements as ‘rewarding’ and ‘inspirational’. All staff who responded to the questionnaire agreed that the school has improved since it was last inspected.  School leaders, supported by external consultants, are working quickly to create a programme of training for all staff. This is contributing significantly to the improvements evident in the quality of teaching since the last inspection. As one teacher commented, ‘we visit other schools, they visit us and we are challenged to continuously reflect and improve our practice’.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 School leaders are determined to sustain the pace of improvement, especially in building on the gains that have been made in teaching, learning and assessment. This is shown in the regular and systematic checks that they make on work in pupils’ books to ensure that their progress is continuing to accelerate, including that of disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs or disability.  Pupil premium funding is spent wisely, following a review since the previous inspection. School leaders and a link governor check pupils’ progress carefully, including the progress of those from service families. Typically, pupils eligible for the funding achieve well and sometimes better than their peers.  Excellent use is made of the physical education and sport premium. The enthusiastic and committed sport leaders have created a comprehensive plan to improve pupils’ participation in school sport. New

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

opportunities, such as free-running and fencing, complement an already impressive number of extra- curricular clubs. Leaders have recently started to check whether any groups of pupils are under- represented in these activities, so that they can organise new clubs to suit their particular interests.  Changes to the school’s curriculum are engaging pupils and proving central to their improved attitudes and behaviour. Teachers are increasingly modifying activities to better match pupils’ needs. For example, topics are chosen to engage both boys and girls and good use is made of the local area for special visits, such as the beach and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.  School values such as resilience and tolerance, as well as the curriculum, contribute strongly to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school’s caring and nurturing ethos aligns closely with fundamental British values.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leaders recognise that the same high quality of assessment of pupils’ progress and attainment found in English and mathematics is not established in other subjects. They have plans in place to make this happen so that they can track pupils’ progress more effectively.  Many parents appreciate the recent improvements to the leadership of the school. One parent commented, ‘the improvements have been remarkable; the change in my daughter’s attitude to learning has grown and we have seen her thrive since this change’. A small minority of parents are not convinced that the homework arrangements offer sufficient challenge for all pupils. Inspectors noted that the school has responded to this concern and homework is now appropriate.  Local authority officers know the school well. They commissioned the high-quality external support which has guided the school successfully through a period of significant change.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school – Governors know the school well and share the same level of determination and commitment of leaders to secure the very best outcomes for all pupils. They have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and so are able both to support and challenge school leaders. – Governors are fully included in the evaluation of teaching, so have a good insight into its impact on pupils’ progress. They manage the performance of staff effectively. – Governors have played a successful role in managing the transition to federation status. School finances have been wisely managed. This includes ensuring that the pupil premium funding is spent well and is making a sustainable difference to the achievement of eligible pupils. – Governors are aware that areas of the school’s website are not fully compliant with statutory requirements, such as the publication of curriculum documentation. They have clear plans in place to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

rectify this.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and remain a high priority within the school. Governors understand their role in fulfilling statutory duties with regard to safeguarding. They routinely check that leaders implement the school’s policies effectively.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching is now typically good because leaders and teachers have worked together to develop a set of clear learning expectations for pupils. Aspirations for all are high. Evidence in pupils’ books reflects teachers’ increasingly high expectations of what pupils can achieve, particularly in comparison to pupils’ work from the previous year.  Significant improvements in teaching, learning and assessment are the result of a comprehensive training programme, frequent scrutiny of pupils’ work by leaders and the sharing of good practice.  Teachers know their subjects well. They plan activities for the whole class, groups and individuals, which are engaging and increasingly well matched to pupils’ needs. Well-formed relationships with pupils lead to good learning in lessons.  Ongoing assessments in lessons and better use of assessment information on pupils’ progress are contributing significantly to the improvements in the quality of learning, particularly in reading, writing

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

and mathematics. One pupil said, ‘the teachers push you to learn more and it’s good’. Pupils respond well to the helpful verbal and written feedback they receive, which helps them improve the overall quality of their work.  Staff now assess pupils’ progress in English and mathematics regularly and accurately, which is also contributing to their rising attainment.  Well-trained and effectively deployed teaching assistants work with a clear purpose. They are skilled at reinforcing the school’s positive learning behaviour policy as well as providing effective support for pupils who have special educational needs or disability.  Disadvantaged pupils receive effective support, for example, particularly in Year 3, to improve their knowledge of phonics (the link between letters and the sounds they make). The school’s assessments, which have been carefully standardised, highlight accelerated progress for the vast majority of these

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

pupils.  There are noticeable improvements to the teaching of mathematics. The school has been successful in using an approach to mastery of mathematics that enables pupils to apply reasoning and problem-solving skills that deepen their learning. For example, pupils in Year 5 were guided to solve mathematical problems through effective questioning that prompted them to ‘prove it’ and ‘tell me why’.  However, teachers’ questioning is not yet consistent in challenging pupils, especially the most able. There are also variations in teachers’ expectations for the standards of presentation of pupils’ work.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils feel safe. They know that school staff have their best interests at heart. One pupil said, ‘I feel safe in this school because there are trained peer mediators and playground buddies who can help you if you have problems’.  Pupils know how to live healthily and stay safe. For example, almost all pupils successfully learn to swim by the time they leave Year 6.  There are many opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding of leadership and responsibility, such as tuck shop duty and rabbit feeding. Pupils appreciate the trust placed in them by school staff. Pupils commented that, ‘I have an opinion that is listened to’ and ‘people respect what I have to say’.  Typically, pupils are encouraged to think for themselves, for example about sensible choices or if they are stuck with their learning. Many pupils adopt the school’s values of independence and resilience in order to

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Personal development and welfare

solve problems. An older pupil told an inspector, ‘if plan A fails, I try plan B’.  Pupils’ understanding of British values are promoted and taught through assemblies, visits and clubs. Close work with outside agencies, such as the local police, have contributed to pupils’ awareness of mutual respect and tolerance.  Highly effective systems are in place for pupils who need extra help with emotional support. Pupils were complimentary about a group for service and bereaved pupils, ‘where the pastoral carers support us and help us with our worries’.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils settle into learning quickly. Most adults have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve in lessons. As the activities in lessons are engaging, teachers rarely have to spend time sorting out behaviour problems.  The school’s behaviour policy is consistently applied. Pupils report that there is occasional low-level disruptive behaviour, ‘like people talking and not listening’, but staff sort it out quickly and effectively. They say that the school does not have bullying of any sort.  Most pupils are friendly, courteous and respectful to each other and adults.  Pupils’ attendance remains above the national average. This is due partly to the work of the school to promote early-start activities, such as the breakfast club and ‘morning run club’, as well as the pastoral team’s strong commitment to improving pupils’ attendance and well-being.  A very small minority of parents who responded to the parent questionnaire believe the school does not

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Behaviour

manage pupils’ behaviour well. Inspection evidence and the school’s records do not support this view.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Senior leaders’ relentless focus on progress underpins the school’s recent and rapid success. There is strong evidence of a shift in culture and expectations at the school. This is shown, for example, in displays including ‘Celebrating good progress’, ‘Work I am really proud of’ and ‘Something extraordinary’. Although pupils’ achievement over time has been weak, including that of pupils at the end of Year 6 in 2015, their attainment is now rising because their progress is rapid and is being sustained.  Presently, the majority of pupils across the school are making good progress in English and mathematics. Pupils’ work seen in lessons and in their books demonstrates significant progress since the start of the academic year. This is particularly the case in Year 6, where assessment information suggests that the proportion of pupils on track to make and exceed the expected progress is broadly in line with the

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Outcomes for pupils are good

national average.  Assessments show that the achievement of disadvantaged pupils is often better than that of their peers. Current progress for this group of pupils across the school is typically good, although in some cohorts the small numbers make analysis difficult.  Pupils’ achievement in mathematics has improved rapidly, with the current cohort of pupils making significantly better progress than those in the past. Boys and girls do equally well, as seen in a Year 5 lesson, where pupils worked confidently and collaboratively to solve a challenging problem. Pupils’ attainment is now similar to the national average and much better than at the time of the previous inspection.  Pupils’ writing also shows that they are now making good progress. Pupils write in a variety of styles and use the skills they learn in grammar lessons. For example, in a Year 6 class, pupils skilfully used higher- level language and punctuation to ensure that their writing was detailed and varied.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The teaching of phonics is effective and supports pupils’ good development of reading skills. The vast majority of pupils are fluent and confident readers who enjoy books.  In recent years, the most able pupils have not achieved as well as should be expected. Although inspectors saw evidence of some improvement, the level of challenge for these pupils is sometimes too low, particularly the use of questioning to extend their thinking.  Following a major restructuring at the beginning of the year, pupils who have special educational needs or disability are now well supported and are making much-improved rates of progress. The same is true for disadvantaged pupils.  School leaders have identified the need to develop further the school’s system for assessing pupils’ work in subjects other than reading, writing and mathematics. Consequently, the school cannot confidently say how well pupils achieve across the full curriculum. Even so, some examples were seen of pupils making

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Outcomes for pupils are good

rapid progress, such as in science, where practical and investigative work is improving pupils’ scientific skills.

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School details

Unique reference number 113704 Local authority Poole Inspection number 10012357

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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

Type of school Junior School category Maintained Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 374 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Billy Meldrum Executive headteacher Damian Hewitt Telephone number 01202 677870 Website www.hamworthyparkjuniorschool.co.uk Email address office@hpj.poole.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 19–20 June 2014

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Information about this school

 Hamworthy Park Junior School and Twin Sails Infant School became a federation in September 2015.  Hamworthy Park Junior School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  There have been significant recent changes to the staffing and leadership of the school.  A new executive headteacher and head of school took up post in September 2015. Prior to this, the school was without a substantive headteacher for eight months. During this time, the school was informally supported by the headteacher of Twin Sails Infant School. He is now the executive headteacher.  The school works in close partnership with Hamwic Trust, a multi-academy trust comprising primary and secondary schools in Southampton and Portsmouth.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  An increasing number of service children attend the school.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is higher than that found nationally. The pupil

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Information about this school

premium is additional funding for disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children looked after by the local authority and children from service families.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is above the national average.  In 2015, the school did not meet the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for Year 6 pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 14 lessons or parts of lessons, three of which were observed jointly with the deputy head of school.  Discussions took place with the senior leadership team (executive headteacher, head of school, deputy head of school and special needs leader), teachers, support staff, pupils, members of the governing body and representatives of the local authority and Hamwic Trust.  Inspectors scrutinised a number of documents, including minutes from governors’ meetings, school improvement plans, assessment information on pupils’ progress and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Work in pupils’ books in all year groups was examined with school leaders. Inspectors listened to what pupils had to say about their learning and listened to pupils read.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes, lunchtimes and around the school. They spoke informally with pupils during these times.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took account of the views of parents through discussions at the beginning of the day and through 44 responses to Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire).  Questionnaire responses from 45 members of staff were also analysed.

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Inspection team

Dale Burr, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Fiona Allen Ofsted Inspector Deborah Wring 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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