Sun Hill Junior School

Inspection of Sun Hill Junior School Sun Lane, Alresford, Hampshire SO24 9NB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 3 and 4 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are unwavering in wanting the very best for all children at this school. They set high expectations for pupils’ education. Everyone works together to enable pupils to thrive and feel that they belong to Sun Hill. Pupils’ well-being is of utmost importance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is happiness around this school. Pupils are eager to learn and find out new knowledge. They play well with each other outside on the playground. Pupils enjoy socialising and eating with their classmates. Pupils told the inspectors that they feel very safe. They say that adults are caring and watch over them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave very well. They know the right thing to do. For example, they greet visitors politely and hold doors open for them. Occasionally, a small number of pupils become distracted in lessons. Sometimes, older pupils can appear overly confident. They do not always think about the impact that words can have on others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils willingly take on many roles and responsibilities to prepare them to be dependable citizens. Every pupil has a ‘buddy’ so they do not feel alone. Pupils look forward to buddy time where they can talk and read books together.

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better?

Leaders have created a curriculum that sets out the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn. Learning is organised clearly through themed projects. Staff make sure that the school’s chosen ‘key drivers’ of confidence, initiative and diversity are successfully embedded. Leaders have checked that each project and its accompanying subjects fully meets the ambition of the national curriculum. They are aware that the order of knowledge in some projects needs refining.

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better?

Teachers set about enthusing pupils in their learning. They impart key information clearly so that pupils know more than they did before. Staff provide regular opportunities for pupils to learn and use a widening vocabulary to explain ideas. In lessons, teachers assess pupils’ understanding well. If something has not been learned securely, then teachers will make additional time to help pupils practise further.

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better?

When pupils join the school in Year 3, leaders swiftly identify any child who may not read as well as they should. Staff plan the timetable carefully to prioritise additional time to teach pupils to read. As a result, most pupils learn to read confidently. Older pupils read widely and enjoy a range of children’s literature. Across the school, pupils are well motivated to listen to their teachers read stories.

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better?

Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well in class. The school has an inclusive culture. Staff are encouraging and provide appropriate help where needed. However, some of the interventions that happen 3 and 4 November 2021

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outside of lessons are not always well planned or chosen. Rather than helping pupils catch up, sometimes they hinder their learning because they are too easy, or they are not closely linked to the teaching of the curriculum.

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Older pupils relish the experience of taking part in joint theatrical productions with the nearby secondary school in the trust. Recent shows include ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Leaders are always thinking of ways to enrich pupils’ development through engaging in community events and learning about the lives of other children in the world. Staff ensure that no child should miss out on trips and visits because of financial reasons.

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Trustees are knowledgeable. Their vision is clear and they are focused on the right things to improve the quality of education. Trustees are rigorous in overseeing how the use of the pupil premium and catch-up funding is spent. Committees are well run to ask the right probing questions, particularly in how well pupils are attaining in English and mathematics. However, in other subjects, trustees are unsure how to find out if pupils are learning what is planned across the whole curriculum.

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Staff are very happy to work at this school. They feel exceptionally well supported by leaders and the trust. Everyone’s well-being is put first.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

A strong culture of safeguarding pervades. Adults are crystal clear about the message that ‘it could happen here’. No concern is too small. All conversations are rigorously followed up to ensure children are kept safe. Leaders have established well-understood systems so staff are confident how to raise a concern.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained in knowing what is happening in the local area and to stay alert. Safeguarding is discussed at all meetings and leaders present a monthly safeguarding scenario which staff unpick and discuss what actions they would take. Trustees are strong in their understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, pupils, including those with SEND, take part in interventions outside of lessons which are not always well chosen. This means that pupils are missing out on high-quality teaching and are not catching up quickly. Leaders need to make sure that additional support is well planned and closely connected to the taught curriculum.  Trustees are not fully aware how well pupils are learning in some of the foundation subjects. As a result, they do not assure themselves whether pupils are knowing more and remembering more. Trustees need to ensure they have the 3 and 4 November 2021

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knowledge and information they need to challenge leaders and check for themselves that pupils are learning well in all subjects.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 3 and 4 November 2021

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened as a new academy in September 2017. It is part of The Perins MAT. The headteacher started at the same time. The special educational needs and disabilities coordinator is currently seconded to the role of deputy headteacher as well. An assistant headteacher works across the two schools of the trust.  The school is not currently using any alternative provision.  The board of trustees are also acting in the role of a local advisory board (LAB). The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the trust’s plans to expand the governance structure so that trustees can delegate some of their responsibilities to an LAB.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation. 3 and 4 November 2021

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 The lead inspector met with the senior leadership team and the executive headteacher of the trust, the chair of trustees and a member of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and geography. This involved discussion with leaders about these subjects and the curriculum plans, visits to lessons, scrutiny of pupils’ work, and discussions with pupils, teachers and teaching assistants from the lessons visited about the subjects.  The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspection team spoke with staff and pupils. They met with the designated safeguarding lead to examine records and actions. This included reviewing checks on the safer recruitment of staff. Inspectors sampled case files to explore how the school identifies and supports pupils at risk of harm.  Inspectors spoke to pupils from different year groups about their learning and

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experiences at school.  The views of staff, including 16 responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey, were considered.  Inspectors talked to parents at the start of the day. The 73 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the same number of written responses, were taken into account.  The inspection team looked at a range of documentation provided by the school. This included the school’s self-evaluation, the school improvement plan, school policies, curriculum documents, SEND records, behaviour records, published information about pupils’ performance and minutes of the board of trustees.  Inspectors looked at information published on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

James Broadbridge, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lee Selby Her Majesty’s Inspector 3 and 4 November 2021

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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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