Calmore Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Calmore Junior School Calmore Drive, Calmore, Southampton, Hampshire SO40 2ZZ

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Outcome

Calmore Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this friendly, welcoming school. Leaders know pupils and their families well. Leaders say the school is ‘a place at the heart of the community’. Pupils echo this. They feel safe at school. As one pupil said: ‘It’s such a friendly and welcoming community. Everyone cares and you get helped if you are sad or hurt.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils to learn a wide range of subjects well. Leaders want all pupils to discover their talents and to excel. The development of the whole child is kept at the heart of leaders’ work. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are supported to do their best. As a result, all pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are calm, focused and engaged in lessons. When taking part in discussions, pupils listen and respond to each other well. They are polite and well- mannered to each other and to adults. Pupils are taught to show high levels of consideration towards their peers and towards other people. Bullying is not tolerated. On the rare occasions that bullying happens, pupils are confident that adults will deal with it quickly.

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

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. They have identified the knowledge that pupils need to learn. Teachers know what to teach in all subjects. They present knowledge clearly, using subject-specific language. Pupils in all year groups are supported effectively to learn the curriculum.

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

Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading. They want to inspire pupils to love reading. Teachers use carefully chosen, high-quality texts to teach comprehension and extend pupils’ vocabulary. Leaders have introduced a phonics programme to support pupils at the early stages of learning to read. Pupils following this programme read books which are 2 and 3 February 2022

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closely matched to the sounds they know. This allows them to learn to read fluently and catch up quickly.

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Overall, pupils achieve well in all subjects. The tasks teachers set help pupils to learn new content well. Pupils’ achievements in mathematics and art are particularly strong. In these subjects, teachers’ strong subject knowledge means they can routinely check pupils’ understanding and plan activities to strengthen and deepen this during lessons. However, in some subjects, for example design and technology and music, teachers’ subject knowledge is less well developed. This means that teachers do not always know how to deepen pupils’ understanding across the whole curriculum.

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Leaders have a robust system in place to identify and meet the needs of pupils who need additional help. Teachers are supported well to adapt tasks in all subjects to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Parents value the advice and support they receive from the family support worker. As a result, pupils with additional needs are supported well to develop their skills across the curriculum.

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The school’s work to support pupils’ wider development is a real strength. Pupils experience a wealth of carefully planned opportunities that enhance the curriculum and build pupils’ life skills. Leaders seek to inspire pupils. They introduce pupils to inspirational role models. For example, an explorer, who has cycled around the world, and a Paralympian have both visited the school and talked to pupils. Pupils learn about life and culture in other countries. For example, they learn about life in France by writing to pupils in their linked school in Paris. They experience many trips, including a visit to a local nature reserve and to museums in Southampton and London. Pupils also have the chance to spend a week camping in the New Forest and regularly take part in competitive sporting events, such as a cross-country competition.

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Leaders and governors work well together to improve the school. Staff and parents say that senior leaders are approachable and communicate well. Staff value the support they receive from leaders to manage their workload. Staff say: ‘Our pupils are the centre of everything we do at this school but so is the importance of staff well-being. Our leaders do everything that they can to ensure that children and staff are in a good place.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding. There are clear systems in place to identify pupils who are at risk of harm. Leaders tackle all concerns about pupils as soon as they are identified. Leaders make sure that children and families in need of additional support access this quickly when they need it. Record-keeping is thorough and systematic. Procedures for checking and training staff are strong.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. They have a clear, age-appropriate knowledge of how to keep themselves safe online and know where to go for help if they need to. 2 and 3 February 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers’ subject knowledge is less developed in some foundation subjects compared with others. This means teachers do not consistently challenge pupils in a way that enables them to achieve highly. Leaders should continue to deepen teachers’ subject knowledge in all subjects so that all pupils are able to achieve exceptionally well across 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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as 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 in November 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 2 and 3 February 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 November 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller-than-average junior school.  There have been no relevant changes since the previous inspection.  This school currently does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and four members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. The inspector also met with an officer from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 2 and 3 February 2022

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 The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspector reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising safeguarding records, interviewing staff, and through discussions with pupils.  The inspector considered the views of parents shared through Ofsted Parent View. The inspector gathered the views of pupils and staff through surveys, interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.  The inspector reviewed a range of the school’s documentation, including self-evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings and behaviour incident logs.

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Inspection team

Sue Keeling, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 2 and 3 February 2022

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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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