Crofton Hammond Junior School

Inspection of Crofton Hammond Junior School Mancroft Avenue, Stubbington, Fareham, Hampshire PO14 2DE

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

This 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 Requires improvement

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. 18 and 19 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has recently been through a period of significant turbulence. Parents are positive that recent developments have provided much-needed stability to help get things back on track. Most pupils enjoy coming to school and are keen to learn. However, there are variations in the quality of education that pupils receive. Pupils do not always develop a secure understanding of the knowledge they need to learn in all the subjects that they study.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well. However, in some lessons pupils lose focus and find it difficult to sustain concentration. This is often because they find the work they are set too hard or too easy. Pupils enjoy the different activities the school provides at playtimes. Pupils usually play really well with each other outside. Occasionally, however, some pupils say or do hurtful or unkind things. Pupils are not always confident staff will deal with this effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils make good use of the wider opportunities on offer, such as singing in the choir or participating in sports. The school supports pupils from service families and those who are young carers well. Pupils take on responsibilities in school with pride, such as being ‘peer mentors’, ‘reading ambassadors’ or head pupils.

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better?

The standards pupils have achieved in reading, writing and mathematics has declined more recently, after typically achieving high outcomes in the past. The standards pupils currently reach in wider subjects are also not high enough. Staff and governors have ambitions for what all pupils can achieve, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They want to see a return to the quality of provision that they know pupils deserve. While the school has rightly taken action to make improvements, for example through revising the curriculum, these ambitions are not yet fully realised in practice.

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better?

The implementation of the revised curriculum is inconsistent. Teachers are more skilled at delivering some subjects than others. Pupils do not develop secure knowledge when the curriculum is not implemented effectively enough or monitored carefully to ensure pupils' learning is strong. Sometimes, units of work are changed or missed out, such as in art. The reading curriculum is not as clearly sequenced as it should be. The texts teachers choose to use in class are not challenging enough. Pupils who are struggling to learn to read receive inconsistent support to help their early reading skills. There are strengths in some subjects, however. For example, there is an effective approach to the teaching of mathematics and geography across the school. In these subjects, teachers typically think carefully about the order in which they teach new knowledge in these subjects.

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better?

Sometimes the adaptations made by teachers to support pupils with SEND are not matched to their needs precisely enough. As a result, pupils do not make as much progress as they should. The school is rightly focused on improving its strategies to 18 and 19 June 2024

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support pupils with SEND, however. While staff now have higher expectations of these pupils, they need further support and training to translate these into practice consistently effectively.

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Some pupils find it hard to concentrate on their learning at times. This leads them to lose focus in lessons and become disengaged because the tasks set do not build on what they already know. When this happens, pupils chat to friends or daydream. Some pupils distract others from their work. The school has simplified the behaviour management process so it is more effective, however. Most pupils are polite and well mannered.

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Pupils’ preparation for life in modern Britain is not as effective as it should be. Pupils’ learning in personal, social and health education (PSHE) is limited. Some pupils do not appreciate diversity in modern Britain. They do not show an understanding of the importance of the protected characteristics. This means some pupils say unkind and derogatory comments. Although the school is implementing a new PSHE programme this year, it is yet to have enough impact.

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The governing body understands what the school needs to do to improve. It has worked with the local authority to increase the school’s capacity to undertake this work. Governors fulfil their statutory and safeguarding duties effectively. They monitor levels of pupils’ attendance and support staff in the task of reducing unauthorised absence. Parents can see the recent changes the school has made. They appreciate the staff’s dedication to their children during the turbulent times.

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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, including reading, teachers do not teach some of the essential knowledge set out in the curriculum. As a result, pupils have gaps in their learning. The school should ensure that teachers have the training that they need to deliver the full curriculum as intended and monitor the impact of implementation carefully so it is as effective as possible.  Some pupils with SEND, including those with the most complex needs, do not receive a sufficiently well-designed and adapted curriculum. These pupils do not develop their knowledge as well as they should. The school must ensure that all pupils with SEND benefit from an ambitious curriculum that is well matched to their needs.  The school has not checked that important elements of the PSHE curriculum are understood by pupils. Some pupils do not have an age-appropriate understanding of protected characteristics. They are not as well prepared for life in modern

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Britain as they should be. The school should ensure that PSHE is taught 18 and 19 June 2024

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consistently well so that all pupils develop an appropriate understanding and appreciation of diversity in society.  Too many pupils are not engaged in their learning during lessons. This means these pupils are not learning the curriculum as effectively as they should. Staff need to implement the curriculum and apply the new behaviour policy and recommended strategies consistently effectively so that all pupils can engage with their learning and achieve more.

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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.

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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). 18 and 19 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Lorraine Phillips (interim headteacher)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 September 2012, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 In recent years, the school has had turbulent leadership. The previous substantive headteacher left the school in June 2023. The current interim headteacher has been in place for the full academic year.  The deputy headteacher, who also had the responsibility of being the school’s special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo), left the school in February 2024. The SENDCo at the link infant school has been acting as SENDCo for the remainder of the academic year.  The governing board has appointed a new headteacher, deputy headteacher and SENDCo to all begin their posts in September 2024.  The current chair of governors was elected in September 2022.  The school does not currently use any external alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 18 and 19 June 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school has 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors 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.  Inspectors met with the interim headteacher and other leaders within the school. The lead inspector also met with members of the governing board, including the chair, and two educational representatives of the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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 reviewed a range of the school’s documentation including self- evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings and behaviour incident logs.  The inspectors considered the views of parents shared through Ofsted Parent View and inspectors also spoke with parents on the first day of the inspection.  The views of staff were gathered through interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection, as well as the staff survey.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views throughout the inspection, including through the classroom visits, group discussions, the pupil survey as well as at playtimes and lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Chris Parker, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Ginny Rhodes Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 June 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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