Liphook Church of England Controlled Junior School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Michele Frost Executive Headteacher Liphook Church of England Controlled Junior School Avenue Close Liphook Hampshire GU30 7QE

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Short inspection of Liphook Church of England Controlled Junior School

Following my visit to the school on 17 October 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in November 2014.

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Short inspection of Liphook Church of England Controlled Junior School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I am of the opinion that the school has demonstrated strong practice and marked improvement in specific areas. This may indicate that the school has improved significantly overall. Therefore, I am recommending that the school’s next inspection be a section 5 inspection.

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Short inspection of Liphook Church of England Controlled Junior School

You, ably assisted by the head of school, lead the school with commitment and compassion. Your determination that every pupil succeeds ‘no matter what it takes’ is reflected in the caring ethos seen throughout the school, and in pupils’ high achievement. Teachers and teaching assistants are appreciative of the training they receive which helps them to excel in their roles. They work hard to meet pupils’ needs and are overwhelmingly proud of the school. Parents and carers are full of praise for your leadership and for the school as a whole. One parent summed up the responses of many by writing: ‘The executive headteacher provides impressive, effective leadership. She maintains professionalism at all times, while being much loved by the children and respected by the parents. We cannot praise this school enough.’ Another said: ‘The executive head is such a passionate leader and her enthusiasm radiates through all the teachers. She and the teachers are always

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Short inspection of Liphook Church of England Controlled Junior School

Pupils are friendly, welcoming and polite. They work hard and with enthusiasm. Pupils appreciate the interesting activities that teachers plan for their learning across the whole curriculum. Throughout their lessons, pupils listen sensibly to each other, and help each other when exploring new and challenging ideas. Teachers’ effective planning and insightful questions enable pupils to think carefully about their learning and to challenge themselves to achieve.

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Short inspection of Liphook Church of England Controlled Junior School

The curriculum is very well designed. Several parents and pupils described it as inspiring. Subject leaders have a strong understanding of their subject areas. They help teachers to plan learning that ensures that pupils gain strong subject-specific knowledge and skills across a range of subjects. During my visit, pupils throughout the school were celebrating flight in all its different forms. In computing, pupils eagerly programmed drones to take off and land, while in science, pupils excitedly made predictions about the likely trajectory of paper aeroplanes. I also saw pupils learning to a high standard in music, geography, English and mathematics. Pupils’ books show that they write in detail and depth across the entire curriculum.

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Short inspection of Liphook Church of England Controlled Junior School

You think carefully about developing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding so that they are well prepared for life in modern Britain. The ‘federation promise’ ensures that all pupils experience a range of high-quality cultural events and visits by the time they leave the school. Pupils were eager to tell me about recent trips to the ballet, theatre and Outward Bound centres. Every pupil learns a musical instrument for at least one term during their time in the school, and a high proportion continue this for longer. Significantly, you make sure that pupils have a strong sense of the importance of maintaining good mental health. For example, ‘well-being champions’ told me about their recent training for their roles. They are keen to share their new knowledge with their classmates about how the media manipulates body image and to tell them, ‘It’s okay to be who you are.’

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Short inspection of Liphook Church of England Controlled Junior School

Leaders and governors have responded well to the areas for improvement from the previous Ofsted report. You have worked very effectively in improving the quality of your assessment and tracking systems so that teachers have a good knowledge of how well pupils are doing and how to maximise each pupil’s progress. The work you have undertaken to sharpen the use of pupil premium funding has also been highly effective. As a result of the work you have done to improve these aspects of the school, pupils’ attainment has risen and is consistently strong throughout the whole school. Pupils attain above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. They make especially strong progress in reading and mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils’ progress and attainment are consistently strong, and above those of others nationally.

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Short inspection of Liphook Church of England Controlled Junior School

Despite pupils’ strong success, you are not complacent. Leaders and governors have an accurate view of the strengths of the school and areas for further development. You are rightly focused on tweaking what you already do well to make sure that pupils make even better progress and excel still further. For example, you are fine- tuning the tracking and monitoring systems middle leaders use to check pupils’ progress across the breadth of the whole curriculum. Safeguarding is effective.

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Short inspection of Liphook Church of England Controlled Junior School

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. You make all the required checks on the suitability of adults to work with children. Staff are well trained in child protection, including in the latest government requirements, and are alert to any possible safeguarding issues. Staff speak confidently about child protection procedures, and your records show that you take seriously any concerns that are raised. You take immense care to help pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable. Your unwavering determination to make sure that outside agencies take any concerns seriously and act promptly is impressive.

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Short inspection of Liphook Church of England Controlled Junior School

The curriculum includes a strong focus on pupils’ safety, including when online. For example, the pupils I spoke to all understood the importance of not giving away personal information to anyone online, and knew to tell an adult if anything they see online made them feel uncomfortable.

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Short inspection of Liphook Church of England Controlled Junior School

Pupils say that they feel safe in school. Pupils told me that everyone gets on very well with each other. They say that, on the rare occasions that friends fall out with each other, it never lasts long. They know that adults look out for them and that there is someone they can talk to if they have any worries. Parents agree that pupils are well cared for and safe.

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Inspection findings

 During this inspection, I looked particularly closely at: how effectively teachers make sure that disadvantaged pupils make good progress; how effectively leaders make sure that pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities are supported to achieve; how well pupils learn across the whole curriculum; and how effectively teachers ensure that the most able pupils achieve.  Disadvantaged pupils make rapid progress because of the precisely targeted support that they receive. Teachers’ careful assessment ensures that any gaps in pupils’ understanding are spotted quickly, and action is taken quickly to help them improve. All adults in school work together very effectively to ensure that disadvantaged pupils attain highly. You liaise with parents highly effectively to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the support you offer pupils, including by providing access to activities and experiences which raise the aspirations of

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Inspection findings

disadvantaged pupils. As a result of your joined-up approach, disadvantaged pupils’ attainment is consistently in line with, or above, the attainment of other pupils nationally. Increasingly, disadvantaged pupils exceed national expectations for attainment.  Since the last inspection, you have prioritised making sure that pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained in providing support for this group of pupils. Careful and improved tracking allows leaders to adjust provision for individual pupils to maximise the progress they make. Teachers know pupils’ different needs well. As a result of the improvements you have made, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their different starting points. Leaders are, rightly, now tweaking how they track the overall effectiveness of provision for this group of pupils.  Pupils learn very well across the whole curriculum, including in English and

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Inspection findings

mathematics. Since the last inspection, you have thought very carefully about how the curriculum is planned to build effectively pupils’ skills and knowledge in a broad range of subjects. You provide valuable training in all the different subject areas so that teachers have strong subject-specific knowledge and a sharp understanding of how to implement the whole curriculum highly effectively. Teaching provides exciting activities which enthuse pupils in their learning. Teachers’ careful questioning challenges pupils in their thinking. Pupils’ books show that you expect, and get, the same high standards of pupils’ writing in every piece of work they do. Subject leaders’ plans to fine-tune their monitoring of the quality of learning in subjects other than English and mathematics are well under way.  Most-able pupils achieve highly. Teachers plan challenging learning opportunities for all pupils. They expect high standards of work from pupils in all subjects.

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Inspection findings

Pupils work hard, enthusiastically and successfully to meet the demands placed on them. Pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is well above the national averages. Pupils’ progress throughout the school is strong, especially in reading, but also across the wider curriculum subjects.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 they fine-tune the monitoring programme for subjects other than English and mathematics so that subject leaders have an even better understanding of the progress pupils make across the whole curriculum.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Portsmouth (Church of England), the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Hampshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I met with you, your head of school and governors. I also met with groups of other leaders and staff. I spoke with a representative from the local authority on the telephone. With leaders, I observed learning in several classes across the school and scrutinised a range of pupils’ work. I spoke to pupils during breaktime and in lessons, and considered 67 pupil survey responses. I considered the views of 105 parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, as well as speaking to parents at the start of the day. I took account of the 12 survey responses submitted by staff. I analysed a variety of school documentation, including self- evaluation and school improvement planning, performance information and notes of monitoring visits. I reviewed your safeguarding checks, policies and procedures.

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