Padnell Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Padnell Junior School Padnell Road, Cowplain, Waterlooville, Hampshire PO8 8EA

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Outcome

Padnell Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s vision that pupils should always be ‘reaching for the stars’ is evident in everything they do. This is reflected in the views of parents who spoke of the school’s role in ‘helping pupils to thrive’ and the ‘massive impact’ the school has had. Pupils respond positively to the school’s expectations and usually achieve well across the curriculum. The school’s emphasis on positivity and belief begins at the start of the day with upbeat music and staff presence to encourage pupils into school. Pupils love this warm enthusiasm and told inspectors that it encourages them to attend and makes them feel cared for. As a result, pupils’ attendance is above the national average.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour across the school is impeccable. Playtimes and classrooms are engaging, and staff are rigorous in their expectations. This is reflected in pupils’ superb manners and conscientious behaviour towards each other and adults. Pupils feel safe and are confident to talk to staff about any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ experience of school is enriched with a wide range of opportunities. These include ‘hello yellow’ mental health days and ‘movement and health week’. These form part of the school’s focus on mental and physical health. Pupils are enthusiastic about these themes and also extremely knowledgeable.

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

The curriculum’s ambition is well defined and understood by all staff. It matches the national curriculum in both breadth and depth. The school has identified most of the key knowledge for pupils to learn and sequenced the order in which it will be taught. The curriculum is closely tailored to meet the needs of all pupils. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are swiftly identified, and the support provided is effective. Consequently, pupils with SEND achieve as well as their peers.

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

Staff are passionate about engaging pupils in learning. They are skilled and have secure subject knowledge. Staff design tasks that are usually focused on the most important 21 and 22 May 2024

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content. They check pupils’ understanding carefully, but pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to revisit key learning. As a result, although pupils generally learn well, their recall sometimes lacks precision over time.

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Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. The school makes reading a priority. The teaching of reading is precise and closely matches the needs of pupils. Phonics is taught consistently well. Pupils read books that are closely matched to the sounds they have learned. If pupils need additional help with reading, staff provide a swift and effective response. The school’s library is the jewel in the crown of the positive reading culture. Staff and pupils make considerable use of it, and it is a much-loved space for all. As a result, pupils develop into fluent and accurate readers who love to read avidly in their own time.

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Pupils have highly positive attitudes to school. This is reflected in the school’s above- average attendance. Pupils who are disadvantaged, including those with SEND, also attend well. The school’s positive approach to working with the community is instrumental in maintaining high attendance. Parents told us, ‘It’s easy to get the children here when they love it so much.’ Pupils behave well in classrooms and demonstrate highly positive manners and focus. As a result, the calm and orderly environment helps pupils to feel safe.

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The curriculum for teaching citizenship is comprehensive. The school teaches concepts such as money management with purpose and clarity. For example, in Year 4, pupils learn about payslips. In Year 5 and 6, they learn about investment and profit margins. This prepares pupils for the next stages of education and beyond. The school makes use of well-chosen opportunities and diverse book choices to enrich pupils’ experiences. Staff develop pupils’ understanding about personal safety and help them to recognise healthy relationships. Pupils are supported to build resilience and maturity. As a result, pupils leave the school as well-rounded modern citizens.

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Leaders at all levels maintain a culture of compassionate challenge. Staff recognise the school’s effort to positively support their workload and welfare. The school’s work to support less-experienced leaders is carefully considered and supported by governors. Consequently, the school is effectively led and has a clear plan for sustainable future improvement.

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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, the key knowledge has not been defined with sufficient detail. This means that pupils do not consistently recall the key learning with enough clarity over time. The school must identify the most important content it intends pupils to learn, 21 and 22 May 2024

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give pupils the opportunity to revisit key content and then check they build on this learning over time.

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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 Padnell Junior School to be good in June 2015.

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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 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 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Timothy Stevenson

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 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.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team. The inspectors also met with members of the local governing body and representatives from the local authority and the diocese.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 21 and 22 May 2024

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 The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons. The inspectors also spoke to pupils in lessons and during playtime and lunchtime.  The inspectors considered a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluations of the school, the school improvement plan and minutes of governors’ meetings.  The inspectors gathered evidence to explore the impact of pupils’ behaviour, the school’s wider curriculum offer and how leaders support staff with their workload.  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 inspectors spoke to parents and considered their responses to Ofsted Parent View.  The inspectors took account of the views of staff through conversations and the

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responses to the online staff survey.  Pupils were met with throughout the inspection to gather their views about the school.

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Inspection team

Toby Martlew, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 May 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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