Mill Rythe Junior School

Inspection of Mill Rythe Junior School Havant Road, Hayling Island, Hampshire PO11 0PA

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

The school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 12 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 21 and 22 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be a part of their inclusive and happy school community. They take part in their learning with delight and love coming to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers a breadth of wider opportunities that pupils are keen to share with visitors. They adore looking after the animals on their school farm and growing vegetables in their garden. Pupils value their leadership roles, such as ‘trick box’ and ‘play’ ambassadors, who support younger pupils to settle in to learning. The school council actively contributes to school improvement, such as choosing the outdoor trim trail and sports games equipment. Social times around the school are joyful because pupils look after each other and their environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A strong culture of respect and support permeates through the school. Pupils behave well and work hard. They say that one of the best things about their school is how kind staff are. They appreciate that staff present learning in engaging ways that keep them motivated. Staff take opportunities to widen pupils’ experiences through various trips and visits. The school celebrates and recognises pupils’ different achievements and successes.

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better?

The curriculum is broad and highly ambitious for all, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All pupils, especially those who need the most support, receive considered help to access the curriculum. Staff adapt tasks carefully to pupils’ personalised targets, so they achieve as well as their peers.

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better?

The school has recently started to make some well-considered changes to the curriculum. This means that the intended learning is now sequenced carefully and sets out the small steps of knowledge and skills that pupils should learn in all subjects. In mathematics, there are helpful opportunities for pupils to recall and use their knowledge to solve problems and apply their learning.

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better?

However, in some subjects, the teaching of the planned curriculum is not as consistent as it could be. This is because these subjects are at an earlier stage of development. Consequently, teachers are not consistently using activities that enable pupils to learn as well as they could. The subject leadership in these subjects is also at an earlier stage of development. The school is starting to provide opportunities to help subject leaders make more confident checks that pupils are learning as effectively as intended.

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better?

Reading is prioritised across the school. Pupils’ progress and ability to read are checked regularly and systematically. There is a love for reading across the school, which filters through all staff and pupils. This is achieved through regular reading time in class and personalised ‘must reads’ for each year group. Pupils immerse themselves in high-quality books. They talk fondly about their favourite authors and genres of books. Phonics teaching is in place to help those who find reading more 21 and 22 November 2023

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difficult. Staff have had the required training they need to help these pupils. Pupils’ reading skills are strengthened further through ‘closed reading’ tasks and ‘themed reading’. Engaging texts are carefully identified to support pupils’ wider understanding of the curriculum.

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The school is focused on ensuring that pupils’ attendance is high. Successful strategies enable pupils and families to receive support where needed. As a result, pupils’ attendance continues to be excellent.

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Staff promote pupils’ personal development effectively. Pupils have an age- appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. They know about British values and the importance of acceptance and respect for all. Pupils learn about eating well and being healthy through their work and time spent in the school garden. They also learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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All members of the school work well together to continue to improve the education provision for all pupils. The school is determined that all staff have access to high- quality training. Staff appreciate the time they are given to spend on work that benefits pupils’ learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not always design tasks that enable pupils to build knowledge systematically. As a result, pupils do not always learn as well as they could. The school should continue to develop teachers’ expertise through ongoing professional development to help them implement the curriculum effectively across all subjects.  Some subject leaders are new to their role and are not yet as confident in checking how well pupils are learning in a small number of subjects. This means that some subject leaders are not always clear about how successfully pupils are learning the planned curriculum. The school should continue to develop the knowledge and expertise of leaders as the school’s curriculum is implemented.

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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. 21 and 22 November 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 21 and 22 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 June 2011, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has seen several changes in leadership and staffing since its last inspection.  The school currently uses one unregistered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During this inspection, inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers and pupils. 21 and 22 November 2023

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 The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. She also had a telephone call with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, religious education and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, talked to pupils, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to some pupils read to adults. Other aspects of the school’s curriculum were also considered.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspection team took account of a range of other information, including the

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school’s development plans, school policies and minutes of governing body meetings.  Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and the free-text comments that were submitted. They also took account of the responses to the confidential staff survey and gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Numera Anwar, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tracy Good Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 November 2023

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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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