Ranvilles Junior School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Ranvilles Junior School Oldbury Way, Fareham, Hampshire PO14 3BN

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 October 2024

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Outcome

Ranvilles Junior School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The words of the parent who shared that ‘my children have grown both academically and as people’ capture perfectly what Ranvilles is all about. Everything is centred on pupils ‘learning today for the challenges of tomorrow’. Well-thought-through subject pathways underpin and build their learning as they move up through the school. Over time, pupils gain important knowledge and skills across the full curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A multi-faceted approach develops pupils into mature, confident and responsible young citizens. They live up to the commitment to ‘behave considerately, communicate respectfully and work hard’. Recently appointed pupil leaders take their roles and contributions to school life seriously. The deliberate interweaving of the ‘STARS’ values and ‘EPIC’ learning habits nurtures the attitudes and attributes that pupils need to succeed academically and in the wider world. Half-termly ‘big debates’ encourage them to be reflective and open-minded as they consider some ambitious philosophical topics about their place in the world.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ‘half bee’ logo is a simple, yet powerful daily reminder to pupils to strive to be the best they can be now and in the future. The part they see keeps in their minds the school motto of ‘be you….explore…excel’. The half that is hidden is, as one explained, ‘The next chapter of our lives.’

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

The school’s relentless focus on ‘it could be even better’ sits at the heart of pupils’ academic and personal accomplishments. Leaders are forensic in their analysis of what works well and clear about what could be refined further. They are discerning in drawing on research and strong practice elsewhere. Any changes are well considered. 22 and 23 October 2024

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Collaborative working with staff means new approaches are trialled first, adapted as needed and only adopted if they are proven to be in the pupils’ best interests.

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This single-mindedness has enhanced the curriculum and teaching since the last inspection. Prudent adaptation of published schemes plots pupils’ learning through each subject carefully. Teachers have the information they need at their fingertips to build on what pupils already know. Teaching is, therefore, mostly confident and knowledgeable. Occasionally, the activities staff choose distract from what pupils should be learning. Teaching and learning approaches commonly applied by staff mean that pupils know what is expected of them. ‘Practise, prove, perfect’ is second nature to pupils and pushes them to strive to improve, although expectations of how well they present their work are not consistently high. The focus on developing pupils’ oracy skills is honing teachers’ questioning at the same time. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding are checked and deepened as they are challenged to explain their answers. This practice is not, though,

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Pupils learn and achieve well overall. Year 6 national test results are typically above average. Provisional lower outcomes in 2024 were an anomaly. That said, the school is well aware that cohorts are changing and that provision needs adapting accordingly. Some pupils joining the school are not yet fluent readers. A phonics scheme is used to revisit the basics, but training for staff is either very recent or has not yet happened. As a result, the teaching of early reading is not consistently as strong as it needs to be. There are more pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) than in the past. Comprehensive guidance ensures that additional needs are pinpointed precisely. Recommended strategies to tailor learning for pupils with SEND are used well in the classroom and outside expertise is sought and acted on where needed. The school is focused on working in partnership with parents to assure them that the school can meet

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their child’s needs and to support them with strategies to use at home.

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The same meticulous thinking underpins the strong provision for pupils’ wider development. The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and attitudes demonstrated through the targets staff set for pupils. These establish a high bar, which rises as pupils move up through the school. They learn to respect and care for themselves and others and to celebrate the naval links and service families that the school is so proud of. Deliberate planning to expand pupils’ experiences broadens their horizons beyond the immediate locality. Pupils are accepting of difference and advocates for equality.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The teaching of phonics is not consistently strong. The small number of pupils at the early stages of reading are not supported well enough to quickly become fluent and 22 and 23 October 2024

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confident readers. The school should ensure that plans to learn from best key stage 1 practice and to develop staff expertise are implemented.  Sometimes, teachers’ questioning or the tasks they design are not sufficiently focused on the intended learning. In these instances, pupils do not gain or deepen their knowledge as well as they might. The school should make sure that teaching is consistently of the highest quality.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness 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 22 and 23 October 2024

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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). 22 and 23 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 April 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new deputy headteacher joined the school in January 2024, following the previous postholder’s promotion to a headship.  At any one time, up to a quarter of pupils are from service families.  An increase in the number of pupils with SEND since the last inspection means that the proportion of pupils requiring school support or an education, care and health plan is higher than found nationally.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and special educational 22 and 23 October 2024

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needs and disabilities coordinator. The inspector also had discussions with the chair of the governing body and other governors and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector focused inspection activity on the following groups of subjects: early English and mathematics and art, history, physical education and science. For each group of subjects, she visited a sample of lessons where possible, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at sample of pupils’ work. The inspector also met with the teachers leading these subjects.  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.  Staff, parent and pupil views were gathered using Ofsted’s surveys and by meeting

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with pupils and staff during the inspection. The inspector also talked to pupils around school and outside at lunchtime and with staff as they went about their work.

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Inspection team

Alison Bradley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 October 2024

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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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