Cove Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Cove Junior School Fernhill Road, Cove, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 9SA

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Outcome

Cove Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is an appetite for learning and success at Cove Junior School. Everyone aims high. Pupils know that they are expected to participate and do their best. They strive to meet those expectations. Parents are very positive about the school, which they describe as caring, accommodating and a happy place for their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are an active part of the school community. Their voice counts here. Their opinions are sought and valued. This helps pupils to feel included and safe. Pupils are confident that any worries will be addressed. Staff regularly meet with groups of pupils to talk about learning in different subjects. This helps the school understand what is working well and how knowledge is building for pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They take pride in their work. Pupils are keen to correct any errors and to talk about their learning and knowledge. They work well together solving problems and challenges.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the opportunities that abound to be part of the wider life of the school. They discharge their responsibilities diligently, as house captains, sports leaders and book monitors. The school council were inspired by a trip to parliament, which helped to develop their understanding of democracy.

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

The school has developed an aspirational curriculum to help deliver its ambition for pupils. The curriculum builds knowledge in a well-ordered sequence from Year 3 to Year 6. Careful consideration has been given to the essential knowledge pupils need. This is regularly revisited so that pupils have a secure grasp of important concepts on which to build greater understanding. 17 and 18 April 2024

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In mathematics, the importance of knowing and understanding times tables has been given renewed emphasis. The school responded quickly to a dip in published outcomes for the multiplication check in 2023. Pupils are very keen to ‘earn their wings’ by demonstrating how well they know all their tables.

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Reading is at the heart of the curriculum and school life. When pupils arrive at school in the morning, they are often involved in a reading activity. At the end of the day, they are enthralled by the stories read to them by staff. Any pupils who need to catch up with learning to read are prioritised and given the help they need. This includes continuing to learn phonics. The school has worked closely with a local infant school to help ensure the phonics approach is consistent and that staff are well trained to be experts in early reading. Carefully selected books match what pupils are learning so that they can apply their knowledge.

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The school also helps pupils to continue to read widely once they have mastered the basics. Pupils and staff have worked together to outline the system of ‘Cove Readers’. This requires pupils to, for example, read a book that was written before they were born, or a joke book. This helps enthuse pupils about continuing to read.

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Staff check pupils’ learning carefully in English and mathematics. This helps them to match teaching well to what pupils already know and can do. Ways of checking knowledge across the rest of the curriculum are developing. This means that occasionally learning across the wider curriculum is not so well matched. Staff have strong knowledge of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND have their needs identified and supported well across the curriculum.

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The school has ensured that a clear system is in place to manage and develop positive behaviour. Pupils are motivated by the certificates and house points they can earn. They value additional awards, such as the ‘Caring Cup’. Pupils attend school well. The school acts swiftly to understand and address any issues or instances of pupils not attending as well as they should.

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The well-structured personal development curriculum and extensive wider programme help to teach pupils about themselves and the wider world. Pupils are well informed about a wide range of cultures and beliefs. They are inclusive and positive about the views and lives of others.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some of the foundation subjects have been more recently revised. In these subjects, the curriculum does not always sufficiently help pupils consistently build on what they already know and can do. This means that not all pupils are learning the curriculum yet 17 and 18 April 2024

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as well as intended in these subjects. The school should continue to support teachers in matching and assessing learning more closely as the curriculum embeds.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2014.

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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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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 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). 17 and 18 April 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, class structure has been reorganised. Pupils are now taught in year group classes rather than mixed-age classes.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education 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 this evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with school leaders. The inspector also met with the representatives of the governing body and had a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke 17 and 18 April 2024

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to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to pupils read.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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 inspector reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff surveys.  The inspector talked to staff to gather their views about the school, including their workload and well-being. The inspector met with several groups of pupils, as well as speaking to pupils during lessons and playtime.

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Inspection team

Deborah Gordon, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 April 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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