Fordingbridge Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Fordingbridge Junior School Pennys Lane, Fordingbridge, Hampshire SP6 1HJ

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Outcome

Fordingbridge Junior School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a section 5 inspection now.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is fully committed to giving pupils a first-class education. Staff go out of their way to make sure that pupils have opportunities to thrive and succeed. Pupils know that staff care about them as individuals and want the very best for them. This is particularly true for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud of their school. They show a great love for reading. The library, right at the heart of the school, illustrates this. It is inviting and well organised. It is often filled with pupils reading quietly or browsing through books. Pupils are keen to discuss the books they read.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are extremely kind and considerate. They told me there is ‘no room’ for bullying in their school. Their behaviour was put to the test by an unexpected fire alarm during the inspection. Pupils lined up in silence on the playground. They comforted the few of their friends who were upset by the experience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers speak highly of the school. They told me that children are ‘given every opportunity to excel’, both academically and in their personal development.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The executive headteacher leads this school with great determination. She shares leadership responsibilities widely. Staff and governors play their parts effectively to make sure that Fordingbridge goes from strength to strength.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils learn well in all subjects. Teachers make sure that pupils use their previous learning to help them know more, do more and, therefore, learn more. Teachers carefully check and ensure that pupils learn the important ideas in the topics taught. Pupils talk enthusiastically about how they built their ‘bank of knowledge’ throughout their time at 26–27 November 2019

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the school. As a result, pupils achieve well in all subjects. Leaders know they can fine- tune planning in a few subjects, such as geography, history and art.

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Not all pupils can read well when they join the school. Staff make sure that pupils learn phonics well and become fluent readers. Teachers ensure that pupils read widely and with the right level of comprehension. They encourage pupils to discover hidden meaning in words and phrases. As a result, pupils value words and use them with great care and thought in their own writing. For example, I observed a Year 6 pupil debate whether to use ‘even though’ or ‘despite’ in a piece of writing. The pupil wanted to find just the right word to suit her purpose. Consequently, pupils’ writing is of a very high standard.

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Teachers are skilled at planning activities that interest and engage all pupils. Teachers use assessment information effectively. This is reflected in the well-planned support that pupils with SEND receive. Staff leave no stone unturned in meeting their needs. Leaders make sure that there is no cap on what pupils can achieve.

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Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning. They take great pride in their work. Their books showcase their learning journey throughout the year. Books paint a strong picture of their rich learning experiences across the curriculum.

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Leaders want pupils to be prepared, not only for secondary school, but for adult life. Pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities to develop as people. Pupils learn about different beliefs and faiths. They understand that people should ‘share their similarities and celebrate their differences’. They enjoy taking responsibility and jobs in the school. Pupils love taking part in the many cultural and sporting events and clubs on offer.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors make sure that there is a strong culture of vigilance. All staff receive detailed and regular training. Senior leaders leave nothing to chance. They rigorously follow up all safeguarding concerns raised by staff. Leaders work well with other professionals to make sure that pupils get the right help and support.

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Safeguarding

Governors play a valuable role in checking that pupils are safe in school. They make sure that staff who work at school are eligible to do so.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school. They know how to keep safe with using the internet and when using mobile devices. 26–27 November 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Senior leaders are further refining planning in geography, history and art. Leaders should continue to build on these improvements and thus continue to strengthen the curriculum.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 28–29 April 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 26–27 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111366 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Mrs Melanie Gill

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School details

Headteacher Mrs Kim Robertson (executive headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28–29 April 2016

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Information about this school

 Fordingbridge Junior School federated with Fordingbridge Infant School in October 2018.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the executive headteacher and head of school regularly throughout the inspection. I also met with the federation’s special educational needs coordinator. Meetings were held with five governors, including the chair and vice-chair of governors. I spoke to a representative of the local authority on the telephone. I met with several parents on the playground at the end of the school day.  I did deep dives in reading, mathematics and science. These deep dives consisted of linked activities to gather evidence about how well pupils are helped to gain knowledge and skills. I had a discussion with the headteacher and meetings with the leaders of each of these subjects. I visited lessons in all years. I spoke to pupils and teachers from these lessons and looked at pupils’ work. The work scrutiny was carried out with subject leaders.  I also had two further meetings with pupils. One was with pupils from Years 3 and 4.

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Information about this inspection

The second was with pupils from Years 5 and 6. I used these meetings to find out about how much they had learned and remembered during their time at the school. We 26–27 November 2019

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talked mainly about their work in history, geography, art and computing. They also helped me to understand what it is like to attend the school and how well the school supports their wider personal development.  I spoke to pupils and staff throughout the inspection to reach an understanding of the school’s safeguarding arrangements. This was in addition to a meeting with the headteacher to discuss how the school keeps pupils safe. Safeguarding was also discussed at the meeting with governors. I looked at various documents relating to safeguarding, including a case study of a vulnerable pupil.  I considered 61 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey, 32 responses to the staff survey and 51 responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Bruce Waelend, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 26–27 November 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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