Shakespeare Junior School

Shakespeare Junior School St Catherine’s Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO50 4JT

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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

 Leaders and governors have increased the quality of teaching, learning and assessment substantially since the previous inspection.  Better teaching ensures that pupils make rapid progress in their learning and in their personal development.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 improved substantially in 2015.  Disadvantaged pupils make the same good progress as their classmates and achieve well.  The most able pupils in the school make good progress. Above-average proportions of pupils attained the higher levels (level 5) in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 in 2015.  Subject leaders make an increasingly confident and successful contribution to the school’s work.  The school celebrates books and promotes reading very well. Pupils love to read. The school’s library is a hive of activity throughout the day.  Highly experienced and knowledgeable teachers and teaching assistants in ‘Class 8’ (the school’s

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This is a good school

specially resourced provision) ensure those pupils who attend make excellent progress.  Governors have strengthened their role in the school’s development since the previous inspection. They work effectively with senior leaders and other members of staff.  Pupils enjoy talking about their achievements and are proud of their school. They behave sensibly and considerately.  Robust safeguarding procedures and good relationships ensure pupils feel confident and secure.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching does not deepen and extend the most able pupils’ mathematical understanding sufficiently.  Pupils make slower progress in subjects other than English, mathematics and science.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Secure outstanding outcomes by making sure that: – teaching deepens and extends the most able pupils’ mathematical understanding sufficiently – pupils make rapid progress across all subjects in the curriculum.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leaders and governors have improved pupils’ progress since the previous inspection. They make sure teachers have high expectations of all pupils’ behaviour and learning.  Leaders have changed the way teachers plan lessons so that teachers with particular expertise make a stronger contribution to the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. For example, teachers regularly discuss and plan activities together so that they can share ideas.  Leaders have established a sensible, consistent system for checking and assessing pupils’ progress. This ensures teachers are clearer about pupils’ needs and accountable for pupils’ progress.  Leaders use a wide range of good-quality training and coaching opportunities to help teachers and teaching assistants to develop their practice.  Subject and middle leaders’ roles have developed well since the previous inspection. They have a clear, accurate view of the school’s work and of their responsibilities for securing further improvements in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

teaching, learning and assessment. This means the school has much stronger capacity to sustain the improving trend in its work than previously.  Strong leadership for ‘Class 8’ ensures those pupils who attend develop into confident, successful learners.  Leaders ensure pupils learn a broad range of subjects with many opportunities to explore interests through events and extra-curricular activities. For example, at the time of the inspection, Year 6 pupils enthusiastically participated in an end-of-year production of ‘The Lion King’ for their parents, while the school choir prepared for a concert to be performed alongside other schools in the area. Opportunities such as these enhance pupils’ experience of school and contribute well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Leaders have accurately identified the need to secure further improvements in the curriculum so that pupils make the same rapid progress in all subjects and to extend mathematics learning for the most able

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils.  Pupils respond positively and thoughtfully during assemblies. For example, during the inspection, pupils followed the music teacher’s enthusiastic lead, singing tunefully and with huge enjoyment. One pupil commented to her neighbour, ‘I love that song’, a sentiment clearly shared by many.  The school works positively and productively with infant schools in the locality. For example, teachers meet with colleagues in Year 2 to discuss pupils’ progress and needs prior to pupils joining Year 3. This helps them to plan learning so that pupils make a swift start when they join the school.  Leaders have developed the school’s library very well since the previous inspection, giving pupils more access to a wider choice of books and more opportunities to select texts independently. Leaders make sure pupils have access to high-quality and entertaining literature, including books linked to work in the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

classroom. This enables pupils to follow up particular interests and aspects of research, as well as reading for the sheer pleasure of books.  Leaders make good use of pupil premium funding so that disadvantaged pupils make the same good progress as their classmates and achieve well. They check pupils’ progress more frequently than before, so that teachers and leaders can see the difference extra help is making to pupils’ outcomes more quickly and make any changes needed. Targeted support for pupils ensures they acquire key literacy and numeracy skills, while activities such as play therapy and counselling sessions develop their personal and emotional well-being.  The school’s sports leader uses primary school physical education and sports premium well to support the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. For example, funds are used to train teachers and to give pupils opportunities to participate in sports events in the locality. Good links with local organisations, such

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

as the county cricket club, give teachers and pupils access to specialist sports coaching and a wider experience of sports.  Growing numbers of pupils participate in the school’s sports clubs. Pupils feel they are making good progress in developing skills.  The governance of the school – Governors have increased their contribution to the school’s strategic development since the previous inspection. For example, they liaise closely with the headteacher about planned developments in the school and actively contribute to improvement plans. – Governors visit the school more frequently than before to work with leaders and teachers. This helps them to keep an informed view of developments in the school and to ask leaders searching questions during governing body meetings. – Governors are knowledgeable about the school’s performance and about how this compares with the national picture. They share leaders’ high expectations of all pupils, regularly checking, for example,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

that disadvantaged pupils achieve their full potential and asking questions where this is not the case. – The governing body regularly checks that safeguarding procedures are current and followed by all staff. They review safeguarding policies at least annually, with additional updates to reflect newly published guidance.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Well-established safety routines and procedures provide a secure framework to support staff and pupils, including suitability checks when new members of staff are appointed. Leaders make sure that all members of staff are clear about their responsibilities for pupils’ safety and know procedures should a concern arise. Governors and all members of staff pay close attention to pupils’ safety on a daily basis and are confident about who to go to if they have a concern. Leaders engage well with parents. For example, they make sure they are available for parents to speak

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

with them at the start of the school day, while teachers go out into the playground with pupils at the end of the day. Parents who spoke with inspectors commented that this gives them a helpful point of contact when they have any queries or concerns.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Improvements in teaching and assessment have been instrumental in raising standards since the previous inspection. The quality of teaching is much more consistent across year groups, so that pupils make good progress and achieve well.  Teamwork in the school has strengthened since the previous inspection and staff morale is good. Teachers encourage each other, share ideas and plan lessons together. They regularly meet to talk about pupils’ learning.  Teachers have a better understanding of their responsibility for ensuring that pupils of all abilities achieve well than at the time of the previous inspection. Teachers are clearer about what they are teaching and why. However, teaching is not as effective in subjects other than English, mathematics and science.  Teachers are committed to doing the best for their pupils. They make good use of training and visits to other schools, as well as learning from each other, to review and improve their practice.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers have increasingly high expectations of all groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and the most able. They set suitably challenging tasks, particularly in reading and writing. Confident subject teaching in English ensures the most able do very well in this subject.  Skilful teaching in ‘Class 8’ ensures pupils’ very rapid progress. Teachers and teaching assistants plan learning according to pupils’ individual circumstances and needs. They effectively combine very high expectations of all pupils with warm, positive relationships. Teachers and teaching assistants organise the classroom and resources flexibly, making sure that pupils are equipped with the space and resources which help them to move on to the next step in their development. For example, they give pupils the space and equipment needed to work more independently of adult support when pupils are ready to do so.  Teaching assistants provide good-quality, knowledgeable support, including for those pupils who have

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, in a Year 3 reading session, teaching assistants encouraged pupils to use a dictionary to find different ways of describing characters in the book they were reading, giving them helpful tips as they worked.  Teachers use a consistent approach across the school to developing pupils’ reading skills. They give pupils frequent opportunities to read. A wide range of books in the library complement pupils’ regular reading in the classroom very well.  Confident mathematics teaching ensures most pupils have a good grounding in number. Teachers have given pupils more opportunities to tackle mathematical problems over the past term and this has strengthened pupils’ understanding and progress.  The teaching of mathematics is less successful, however, at deepening and extending the most able pupils’ understanding. For example, sometimes teachers set tasks which require pupils who have

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

successfully completed a calculation to complete a similar task with larger numbers, rather than more challenging activities which require pupils to think more deeply about how to use their knowledge of number.  Effective teaching across the curriculum, including science and music, ensures pupils achieve well in a broad range of subjects. For example, science teaching ensures pupils are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to complete investigations and pupils do so with increasing success. However, teaching in some subjects, such as history and geography, does not always challenge pupils sufficiently, so that pupils’ progress is not as rapid in these subjects.  All teachers follow the school’s policy for marking pupils’ work. Teachers make sure pupils know how well they are learning and help them to understand what they need to do to move to the next stage.  The school’s values are consistent with British values and central to its work. Pupils learn about life in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

modern Britain and about the importance of values, including mutual respect, individual liberty and democracy. They develop a good understanding of the difference they can make and about their own responsibility for helping others.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are proud of their school and their work.  Strong relationships across the school help pupils to feel secure. Pupils know what to do to keep safe, including when using the internet.  Most pupils have consistently positive attitudes to learning and want to do well. However, at times during lessons, some pupils find it more difficult to attend closely to their teachers.  Clear rules and high expectations of pupils’ behaviour help pupils to feel safe. They trust adults in school to look after them and know who to go to if they are worried.  Pupils develop a sense of responsibility for others, both within school and in the wider community. For example, harvest celebrations include donations to a local food bank, while events such as the recent Year 4 cake sale raise money to help people further afield.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Most pupils behave well. Pupils are polite and respectful towards adults and each other.  Leaders have recently introduced new procedures for managing pupils’ behaviour which are consistently followed across the school. While a few parents are less convinced about its success, many parents say it is working.  Pupils themselves say that behaviour has improved over the past year and school records support this view. However, sometimes a few pupils lose interest and chat during lessons when they should be listening or working. While this rarely disturbs those around them, it means they get less done and limits their own progress.  Above-average attendance rates illustrate pupils’ upbeat view of school and their enjoyment of learning. All groups attend regularly. Few pupils are persistently absent.  Breakfast club provides a safe, positive start to the school day for those pupils who attend and gives

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Behaviour

parents a useful opportunity to speak informally with members of staff.  Incidents of bullying are rare. Leaders and teachers follow up the few incidents which occur promptly and appropriately.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils make much better progress in their learning than at the time of the previous inspection. Pupils’ outcomes improved substantially in 2015 in reading, writing and mathematics.  Rising standards at the end of Year 6 illustrate improvements in teaching, learning and assessment since the previous inspection. The work in pupils’ books and the school’s information about pupils’ progress indicate improvements are well established and secure. The quality of learning continues to improve across the school.  Greater proportions of pupils attained the higher levels (level 5) in reading, writing and mathematics in 2015 than in previous years. Developments in teaching ensure the most able pupils make good progress across the school and achieve well, particularly in reading and writing. However, they make slower progress in mathematics because teaching does not deepen pupils’ mathematical understanding

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Outcomes for pupils are good

sufficiently. While pupils acquire a very secure knowledge of number, they have fewer opportunities to deepen their understanding by using this knowledge to explore and solve mathematical problems.  Pupils read proficiently. They thoroughly enjoy reading. Many choose to pick up a book during the lunch break or whenever they have a spare few minutes. Pupils of all abilities talk confidently about books with adults and with each other. For example, during the inspection, pupils reading quietly during a wet playtime shared their favourite books with each other, discussing why they liked books by particular authors. Pupils like the fact that teachers give them rewards for regularly reading and say this motivates them to read often.  The quality of pupils’ writing and their attainment at the end of Year 6 has improved substantially since the previous inspection. Pupils write effectively for a wide range of purposes and audiences. Increased

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Outcomes for pupils are good

opportunities to write longer pieces of written work over the past term have boosted pupils’ ability to sustain and develop ideas in writing and to use more complex punctuation and grammar.  Pupils make increasingly good progress in mathematics. They regularly complete mathematics activities which ensure they develop very secure knowledge of number. They learn how to complete calculations efficiently and accurately.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make rapid progress. Knowledgeable teaching ensures pupils use fundamental literacy and numeracy skills with increasing success as they move up through the year groups.  Highly effective teaching in ‘Class 8’ ensures pupils of all abilities thrive and make excellent progress. Pupils participate fully in the life of the school and quickly grow in confidence. They are very securely equipped with the personal and academic skills needed for the next stage of their education.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Disadvantaged pupils make the same good progress as their classmates. The gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and their peers nationally virtually closed in 2015.  Pupils make good gains in science, learning how to use scientific knowledge to complete experiments and investigations successfully. However, they make slower progress in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. For example, the work in their topic books, while attractively presented, does not always reflect sufficiently rapid progress in subjects such as history and geography.  Pupils work neatly and carefully in their books. They talk knowledgeably about their learning and about what they need to do next to improve.

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School details

Unique reference number 116072 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10012286

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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 Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 356 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Marilyn Bonney Headteacher Steve Cox Telephone number 02380 618905 Website www.shakespearejuniorschool.co.uk Email address headteacher@shakespeare-jun.hants.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 25–26 June 2016

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized junior school.  The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is higher than that found in most schools. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children looked after.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has a specially resourced provision, called ‘Class 8’, which is situated in the centre of the school. It provides specialist teaching for pupils with moderate learning difficulties. Nine pupils currently attend ‘Class 8’.  The school has a breakfast club which was included in this inspection.  The school meets the requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed learning in 23 lessons or part-lessons, including 13 observed jointly with a senior leader.  The inspection team held discussions with the headteacher, senior leaders, a local authority representative, teachers, members of staff, parents and pupils. A meeting also took place with the chair of the governing body and two other governors.  The inspection team took account of the 39 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. In addition, they considered the views expressed by parents who spoke with them informally during the school day. They also took account of the views expressed in 15 responses to the staff questionnaire and 27 responses to the pupil questionnaire.  The inspection team observed the school’s work and considered a range of documents, including the improvement plan, information about pupils’ progress and attendance, and safeguarding policies.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team looked at a sample of pupils’ work provided by the school, as well as looking at pupils’ work in lessons. They also listened to pupils in Year 3 and Year 6 reading.

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Inspection team

Julie Sackett, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Christopher Donovan Ofsted Inspector Martin Garratt 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

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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