Springwood Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Springwood Junior School Springwood Avenue, Waterlooville, Hampshire PO7 8ED

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Outcome

Springwood Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Springwood Junior is an inclusive school where everyone is welcome. Pupils are kind and considerate and treat others how they wish to be treated. They are keen to help each other in lessons and during playtime. Pupils understand how to stay safe and know they can share their worries with a trusted adult. Staff act quickly to resolve any bullying or incidents of unkindness. As a result, pupils are safe and happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values show in all aspects of school life. All adults have high expectations of pupils. Pupils try their best in all they do and are proud of their learning. They enjoy opportunities to be responsible in class and around the school. The school council has increased recycling across the school, encourages kindness and raises road safety awareness.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The ‘Springwood journey’ provides pupils with a comprehensive programme of visits, clubs and enrichment activities. This includes a range of curriculum-related trips, including visiting the Winchester Science Museum and other field trips in the local area. All pupils have the chance to participate in a range of outdoor adventurous residential visits.

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

Leaders prioritise reading. Throughout the school, pupils get to know and love many high- quality texts. Pupils are keen to share the stories they have heard in class and many continue to read books by the same author. Leaders have recently introduced a well- planned phonics programme to support pupils who join the school at the early stages of learning to read. They ensure these pupils have reading books that closely match the sounds they have been learning. As a result, pupils learning to read are now getting the help and support they need to become confident readers.

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

The curriculum is well planned and sequenced in most subject areas. For example, in mathematics, pupils in Year 3 learn about equivalent fractions and can apply their knowledge of multiplication facts to identify patterns. By Year 5, pupils are confidently 12 and 13 July 2022

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applying this knowledge to convert fractions. However, curriculum thinking for other subjects needs some refinement. Leaders have not yet identified the precise knowledge pupils need to learn. In these subjects, teachers do not always plan activities that build on pupils’ prior knowledge. Leaders know this and have plans in place.

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Pupils typically progress well across the curriculum. This is because teachers present information clearly. They set work that enables pupils to learn and understand new subject content. Adults promote the use of correct vocabulary and encourage pupils to apply this in their learning. Staff identify pupils with additional needs. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Teachers ensure pupils get the help they need. Pre-teaching and small-group support in class help these pupils access the full curriculum.

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Teachers routinely check how well pupils are learning and give ‘in the moment’ feedback. This is highly effective and pupils say it helps them know what they need to do next. Outside of English and mathematics, however, teachers do not assess pupils’ prior learning before introducing new learning. As a consequence, pupils do not always link new knowledge with what they already know.

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Leaders develop pupils’ character well. The caring and nurturing ethos of the school contributes to this development. Staff work with skill and compassion to help pupils manage their own behaviour. Consequently, disruptions to learning are rare. Pupils know how to stay safe, including online. Pupil ‘equalities and rights advocates’ support their friends to understand the importance of equality. Pupils understand and accept that others may have different views and beliefs.

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Staff say that leaders are approachable and provide welcome advice and guidance. They make sure that workload is manageable. Teachers say this helps them to improve their teaching.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors, ensure there is a strong culture of safeguarding. Using weekly e-bulletins, leaders ensure that pupils have the necessary information to stay safe, such as who are trusted adults during the summer holidays. As a result, pupils have the information they need to stay safe.

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Safeguarding

Staff are highly vigilant in looking out for signs that a pupil may need help. They know how to inform leaders of their concerns. Leaders ensure robust systems are in place to identify and support pupils at risk of harm. Staff build strong relationships with families. This means they understand family circumstances and provide support. 12 and 13 July 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not finished their planned work to review the curriculum in a few subjects. Staff, therefore, do not always know the key knowledge pupils need to learn. Pupils do not build on what they already know in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that the small steps that must be taught and in what order are clearly identified in all subjects.  In the foundation subjects, teachers do not routinely check what pupils understand and remember from prior learning before introducing new content. This means that pupils do not learn as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that these checks are in place and used effectively.

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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 February 2017.

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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. 12 and 13 July 2022

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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. 12 and 13 July 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227205 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.springwoodjuniorschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Springwood Infant and Junior School Federation.  There are breakfast and after-school clubs onsite run by an external provider, which were not included as part of this inspection.  The school does not currently 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 and other senior leaders. She also met with members of the governing body and had a telephone call with representatives of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. 12 and 13 July 2022

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 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.  During the inspection, the inspector met with a range of pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to them informally during social times.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector scrutinised a wide range of information, including a selection of the school’s records. She spoke to staff and pupils about safeguarding and looked at how pupils learn to keep themselves safe. The inspector spoke to the safeguarding leader about the recording and reporting of safeguarding incidents.  The inspector reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. The inspector also took account of staff and pupils’ responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Laura James, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 12 and 13 July 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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