Bordon Junior School

Bordon Junior School Budds Lane, Bordon, Hampshire GU35 0JB

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Over the last three years pupils have not made enough progress and too few pupils have reached expected standards at the end of key stage 2.  The school is now improving, but outcomes are not yet high enough, particularly in writing and mathematics.  Senior leaders and governors are well aware that further improvement is necessary and are determined to make this happen. However, their evaluation of the school’s current effectiveness is too high.  Most of the governors are new to the role and do not yet have the experience and expertise to hold school leaders to account robustly.  The school’s performance information gives an over-optimistic view of pupils’ progress. This is because teachers’ assessment of pupils’ work is inaccurate.  New strategies to improve the teaching of mathematics and writing have not had time to develop. Although teaching is improving, it is variable and not enough is securely good.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teachers do not provide enough challenge for the most able pupils. Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to apply their knowledge and deepen their understanding.  The focus on improving outcomes in English and mathematics has limited pupils’ opportunities to develop skills in other subjects, including science.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school is improving. The recently appointed senior leaders have clear aspirations to improve the school further and they have the capacity to help bring this about.  Pupil’s progress is accelerating as better teaching takes effect.  Leaders and staff provide high levels of care for pupils and their families. Parents are rightly very pleased with the way the school nurtures and cares for their children.  Pupils enjoy school, have positive attitudes to learning and attend well. They are polite, friendly and respectful to each other and adults.  Pupils benefit from a wide range of extra- curricular activities.  The local authority plays a key role in supporting leaders, governors and teachers in improving the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning in reading, writing and mathematics, in order to increase outcomes for pupils by ensuring that: – teachers have an accurate understanding of what pupils already know and can do and adapt tasks to meet their needs – the tasks teachers plan offer sufficient challenge so that the most able pupils achieve the higher levels.  Improve the effectiveness of leaders and managers by: – improving governors’ capacity to offer strong and precise challenge to leaders – ensuring that leaders robustly evaluate their work, using a wide range of accurate evidence and taking into account the progress of all groups of pupils – developing the curriculum to improve pupils’ achievement in a range of subjects – ensuring that the school is fully compliant with the information it is required to have on its website. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

to assess how this aspect of leadership may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken to assess how this may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Since the previous inspection, a number of staff changes have hampered leaders’ efforts to maintain standards and bring about improvements. This instability contributed to the decline in standards at the school and, until recently, the school did not have subject leaders in place who were able to drive improvement in English and mathematics.  Leaders, including governors, show pride in the improvements that are underway. They are excited by the recent changes and the positive response by pupils. This has contributed to inflated judgements of the quality of the school’s work. Although monitoring of teaching and reporting of attainment data take place regularly, there is not enough robust evaluation of how well pupils are learning and the impact of actions taken on the quality of teaching. School leaders acknowledge that the school’s assessment system is still at an early stage of development and that some assessments

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

made of pupils’ learning do not accurately represent the work in pupils’ books. This in turn has resulted in an over-optimistic view of pupils’ rates of progress. This was evident in the end of key stage 2 results in 2016 in which far fewer pupils than the school had predicted reached the expected standard in mathematics.  All school leaders have a demonstrable commitment to improving provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Careful assessment of pupils’ learning needs has led to a much higher proportion of pupils identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities compared with national levels. A wide range of additional support and guidance is provided for these pupils. However, leaders do not routinely evaluate the impact of this support on pupils’ outcomes. This means that school leaders are not clear about which actions are having the greatest impact.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 In the past, leaders have been slow to tackle underachievement and weaknesses in pupils’ progress, particularly writing. Although leaders have correctly identified writing and mathematics for improvement in their plans, these plans have not been sufficiently focused on improving the progress pupils are making. Subject leaders are now taking effective action. Their leadership has had a positive effect in a short time, but it is too soon to evaluate its full impact on pupils’ outcomes.  Leaders ensure that pupils who are disadvantaged receive appropriate additional support. This has included targeted support in class and opportunities for pupils to participate in a wide range of additional activities. In the past, these pupils have not made enough progress, however, their rate of progress is now improving in line with other pupils in the school.  Pupils are given many opportunities to learn new skills through the school’s ‘futures’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

provision. This has included opportunities for pupils to learn to play a musical instrument and experience rock climbing. However, a focus on improving outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics has limited the time and emphasis placed on other subjects, including science. As a result, pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop other important skills nor apply what they are learning in English and mathematics across a wider range of subjects.  The school makes good use of the additional sports premium funding to provide a programme of additional sporting opportunities for all pupils. Pupils have benefited from increased participation in sports events, such as girls’ running, and have many opportunities to take part in physical activities during and after school. The school employs sports coaches who have enhanced the teaching of physical education and provided specialist coaching. However, the school has not yet fully evaluated the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

impact of the additional funding on participation rates, or put in place plans to ensure that this provision can be sustained.  The school provides appropriate opportunities that support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are given many opportunities to work collaboratively, and teamwork and leadership are promoted through the school’s work for charities and their ‘young governors’. However, pupils’ understanding of other faiths and cultures is rather limited.  Pupils enjoy the many opportunities they have to learn outside the school day through the school’s wide-ranging extra-curricular activities. The school also organises two residential visits for pupils in Years 4 and 6 as well as a number of day visits to support pupils’ learning, which inject extra excitement and interest into learning.  Leaders have successfully harnessed the commitment of staff and pupils, who support

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

leaders and are proud to belong to the school. There is a positive, happy atmosphere and the school is well placed to make improvement. Parents overwhelmingly support school leaders and they are particularly positive about the way the school cares for their children.  The local authority supports leaders well. They have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and advisers offer appropriate support and challenge. Their actions have contributed to the improvements underway.

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Governance of the school

 Governors are committed to the improvement of the school. The governing body is made up of many governors who are new to this role, including the chair of governors. They have limited experience and expertise. They are keen to learn and are participating in training. However, they are not well placed to ask leaders challenging questions about how well the school is doing, and they rely too heavily on the headteacher’s self-evaluation.  Pupil premium funding is used to provide a range of additional enrichment and support designed to help disadvantaged pupils make better progress. However, the information is not set against any explicit targets so governors do not know whether disadvantaged pupils are making as much progress as they could, or the school expects of them.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders respond quickly to any concerns they have and work effectively with other agencies to keep pupils safe. The school’s family support adviser and other support staff provide valuable, effective help and guidance for pupils and their families. This aspect of the school’s work is a strength.  Safeguarding records are up to date and referrals are followed up promptly and well- documented.  Staff have received appropriate training for their roles and responsibilities and know what to do if they have a concern. Staff know pupils very well and are alert to any changes in pupils which may indicate a concern.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 There are too many variations in the quality of teaching between classes to secure pupils’ good achievement. Although teaching is improving, with more stability in staffing and stronger leadership, not all teachers have consistently high expectations of all pupils, particularly the most able.  Teachers are not consistently stretching pupils due to some weaknesses in their own subject knowledge, particularly in mathematics. This is being addressed through coaching by the subject leader and effective support from advisers from the local authority.  In mathematics, there are insufficient opportunities to engage in richer tasks to deepen pupils’ understanding. Teaching is focused on basic tasks, and pupils are not regularly required to apply their knowledge or grapple with challenging problems. Where teaching is more effective, pupils use practical and visual resources in mathematics to help them understand concepts.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 In both English and mathematics, assessment is inaccurate and over-generous, particularly for the most able pupils. Work in books does not match the assessment levels on the school’s tracking system consistently.  Pupils who join the school without meeting the required standard in the phonics screening check are not provided with suitable support or appropriate reading materials to improve their reading. As a result, their reading is not progressing well enough.  Pupils’ writing is improving steadily. Leaders have introduced a structure to each topic called the ‘learning journey’, and pupils describe the steps they are taking along the journey confidently. However, written assessment tasks rely on work which has been supported by adults and not written independently by pupils.  Relationships are strong. Pupils work cooperatively with each other to solve problems. The atmosphere in classrooms is purposeful and lively. Teaching assistants and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

teachers generally ask probing questions to help pupils work out the answers for themselves, offering appropriate support when required.  A range of visual resources are used to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. There is extensive planning to meet their learning needs, but no systematic evaluation of the impact of the support and interventions.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  The school is a very caring environment and everyone at Bordon Junior is valued. Leaders and staff promote the well-being of every pupil and this is at the centre of the school’s work. Care and kindness are modelled by the headteacher and all the staff.  Staff strongly promote pupils’ personal, social and emotional development. Pupils are given many opportunities to work and play together, and to join together in shared celebrations and activities such as the school’s production and fundraising events.  Pupils feel safe and they know who to talk to if they have a concern or a problem. The school provides a rich programme of additional help to nurture pupils’ emotional well- being, and to help those pupils who find it difficult to manage their feelings.  The school makes sure pupils know how to keep safe when using the internet. It

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Personal development and welfare

organises an annual safer internet day including workshops for parents and families to promote online safety.  Pupils enjoy the healthy, tasty meals on offer and understand that it is important to make healthy food choices and exercise. The extensive programme of physical activities that the school provides makes a good contribution to pupils’ fitness and well- being.  Pupils are encouraged to take an increasing responsibility for aspects of school life. Two pupils from each class are elected each year to become ‘young governors’. This enables pupils to take a role in decision-making and to learn about how democracy works. Pupils learn that you may not always be able to decide what you would like, as in a democracy a decision is made together!  Bullying at the school is rare and when it does happen pupils are confident that staff deal with this quickly and resolve matters. Parents, pupils and staff are right to speak

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Personal development and welfare

positively about the level of care that the school provides.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning, they enjoy coming to school and they attend well. Pupils enjoy playing with their friends at breaktime and make good use of the extensive, well-resourced outside facilities.  Pupils get on well with their teachers and there is a happy, relaxed and purposeful atmosphere in classes. Pupils are courteous and respond quickly to adult requests. They work well in groups, listen well and are respectful of one another.  Attendance is higher than national levels. Staff work very effectively with families to support them getting their children to school regularly and on time.  Around the school, pupils behave well and are keen to show visitors their work and talk about their achievements.  Pupils are keen to achieve well and they try their best in lessons, even when they are finding new learning difficult. However, in some lessons, pupils do not seek help

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Behaviour

quickly enough when they are stuck and this means they do not make as much progress as they could.  The quality of presentation in pupils’ books is variable and they do not consistently take pride in the presentation of their work. Younger pupils who are new to the school are not as focused as those pupils who have been at the school longer.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Over the last three years, pupils have not made enough progress by the end of key stage 2. In 2014 and 2015, overall progress was significantly below the national average. In 2016, progress was stronger in reading and writing than mathematics, which was significantly low. During this period there was considerable turbulence in pupil numbers and a higher number of pupils joined the school than is typical nationally, including into Year 6. In 2016, a small number of these pupils did not take the end-of-year assessments, which lowered overall outcomes.  Pupils are now making better progress in both writing and mathematics, although there are variations between classes. In some cases, basic skills, such as punctuation, are not being developed sufficiently. Pupils in Year 6 are making rapid progress in writing and mathematics due to strong teaching, and work in their books shows that standards are in line with national expectations.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Progress in other subjects, such as science, is weaker. Work in books shows that expectations and standards are too low across the wider curriculum. In science, pupils are not required to use their knowledge and understanding to explain scientific ideas accurately.  Year 3 pupils who joined the school behind with their reading do not catch up well enough. Other, more capable, readers enjoy reading and make progress in line with national expectations. Pupils particularly enjoy the much-improved library.  Recent improvements in the teaching of mathematics are benefiting pupils. During lessons, many pupils were confidently using a range of resources to help them work out the answers to questions. However, the most able pupils are not making enough progress, as they are not challenged to deepen their learning.  Disadvantaged pupils are progressing at the same rate as their classmates. However, this rate of progress does not enable them to catch up from their lower starting points.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 There are examples of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities making good progress in class and as a result of extra small-group work. This is because a range of extra provision and resources are provided to meet their carefully identified learning needs. However, not all of these pupils are making as much progress as they could.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address admin@bordon-junior.hants.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24–25 January 2012

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Information about this school

 The school meets the Department for Education’s definition of a coasting school based on key stage 2 academic performance results in 2014, 2015 and 2016.  The school met the floor standards in 2016, which are the minimum requirements for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Bordon is a smaller than average-sized junior school, with two classes in each year group.  The majority of pupils come from white British backgrounds. Other pupils come from a range of backgrounds representing minority ethnic groups. A small number of pupils speak English as an additional language.  A higher than average number of pupils join or leave the school at different times, however, stability has increased recently.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding is just above other schools nationally.  The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the

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Information about this school

impact of additional funding on raising attainment for disadvantaged pupils, or full information about the curriculum on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors carried out seven lesson observations, some of which were undertaken jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. Inspectors also made a number of shorter visits to classes and looked at a wide range of pupils’ work in books across the school. The lead inspector also visited most of the classes with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors also met with staff, governors and representatives from the local authority. The lead inspector spoke to the chair of governors on the telephone. Fifteen staff completed the staff questionnaire and these responses were taken into account.  Pupils’ views were gathered through meetings with different groups of pupils and through informal conversations at playtime. Inspectors also viewed 24 online responses in the pupil survey.  Inspectors took into account parents’ views through the 26 responses to Ofsted’s

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Information about this inspection

online survey, Parent View, and through informal conversations at the beginning of the school day.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of the school’s documentation including the school’s information on pupils’ progress, the school improvement plan, the school’s own evaluations, minutes of governors’ meetings and safeguarding documentation.

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Inspection team

Theresa Phillips, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Barbara Carr 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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 .

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Inspection team

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

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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