Droxford Junior School

Droxford Junior School

Reporting inspector : Philip J H O’Neill

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Droxford Junior School

Dates of inspection : 22 nd -24 th November 1999

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Droxford Junior School

Inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school.

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Droxford Junior School

Under the Education (Schools) Act 1992 and the Education Act 1993, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Droxford Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address : Union Lane Droxford Southampton Hampshire SO32 3QP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors : Mr David Thomas

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection : March 1996 Droxford Junior School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Philip J H O’Neill Registered Inspector Science Physical Education Religious Education Attainment and progress Quality of teaching Leadership and management Efficiency of the school Special educational needs Curriculum and assessment. Lesley Keyworth Lay Inspector Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development Attendance Provision for pupils’ support and welfare Partnership with parents and the community. David Major Mathematics Information communications technology Art Geography Staffing, accommodation and resources Equal opportunities.

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Iain Stainton-James English Design and technology History Music Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

PkR Educational Consultants Ltd. 6, Sherman Road Bromley Kent BR1 3JH Tel: 0181 289 1923/4/5 Fax: 0181 289 1919

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints which are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Droxford Junior School - 5

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

• . There is a very good ethos for learning. Pupils are encouraged to achieve high standards. • . The school fosters good behaviour, encourages good relationships and enables pupils to make good progress overall. • . The teaching is never less than satisfactory and there is a high proportion of good and very good teaching. • . The teachers make very good use of assessment to plan work for pupils. • . There is very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are given many opportunities to reflect on, and consider, issues of significance to them. • . There is a very good range of extra-curricular activities, including sport and games. • . The leadership and management of the school are very good. • . Financial planning and control are very good.

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WHERE THE SCHOOL HAS WEAKNESSES

The school has no significant weaknesses.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

The school has responded very well to the findings of the last inspection. The main issues raised were that the documentation to support the curriculum provided for pupils and the assessment of pupils’ work was inadequate; that there were weaknesses in teaching; and that developments were not clearly targeted on the raising of standards of attainment. Priorities for long and medium-term developments were not worked out clearly. Planning has now improved considerably and teachers use assessment well. The overall quality of teaching is now good and the school sets and meets challenging targets for the raising of standards of attainment. The school improvement plan is clear and well defined, sets feasible targets for development, is based on an analysis of the school’s needs and is clearly costed. The school in now very well placed to continue the current pace of improvement.

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11-year-olds in 1999 based on the National Curriculum tests:

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Key

Very high A* well above average A above average B English A C Mathematics A* B Science A C

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Key

Overall attainment in the school is above average for 11-year-olds. The inspection of lessons and of pupils’ work shows that 11-year-olds reach above average standards in English, mathematics and science. There has been considerable improvement in these subjects in the 1999 tests and assessments. Attainment in information communications technology is at the level expected for 11-year-olds. The standards attained in religious education are above those expected for the pupils’ ages. Standards in literacy and numeracy are above average. In comparison with similar schools, attainment in the 1999 tests is average in English, mathematics and science.

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Key

Owing to the differences between schools nationally in what is provided under the new curriculum framework, Droxford Junior School - 7 reliable comparisons cannot be made with what is achieved in other schools in the other subjects of the curriculum. In art, pupils use first-hand observations well in the development of their skills. In design and technology, pupils come to understand different materials and components and apply this knowledge in building geared machines. In geography, 11-year-olds understand the impact of human habitation on different environments. In history, pupils acquire a good understanding of the ways children were exploited in the work place in Victorian times. Pupils listen and respond well to music. In physical education, pupils plan, perform and evaluate sequences in gymnastics with increasing sophistication. The great majority of pupils, on leaving the school, swim 25 metres unaided, with a

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Key

significant proportion of pupils exceeding this standard.

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Teaching in: 7 – 11 years

English Good Mathematics Good Science Good Information technology Satisfactory Religious education Good Other subjects Good

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Teaching in: 7 – 11 years

Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. 'Satisfactory' means that strengths outweigh any weaknesses.

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Teaching in: 7 – 11 years

The overall quality of teaching is good. Of the lessons seen all were at least satisfactory, 46 per cent good, 27 per cent very good and 4 per cent outstanding. The overall quality of teaching is very good in physical education, good in art and history and satisfactory in design and technology and music. There was insufficient evidence to judge the quality of teaching in history. The most striking feature of good teaching is the quality of the teachers’ preparation and planning for lessons. The staff are particularly effective in ensuring that all pupils in the mixed-age classes are challenged to the full extent of their competence. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good, both in lessons and in the groups where they are withdrawn from lessons for special help. Droxford Junior School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Behaviour in lessons and on the playground is good. Pupils are lively, friendly and courteous. Attendance Good. The rate of attendance is above average. Punctuality is sometimes affected by the late running of the school coach. Ethos* The school provides a purposeful and stimulating environment where pupils thrive. Pupils are enthusiastic and interested in their work. All members of staff are committed to high standards. Relationships are good. Leadership and management In the absence of the headteacher, the school is being very well led by an acting headteacher, who is very ably supported by the deputy headteacher. There is now very good documentation to support the work of the school. The monitoring and support provided for teaching are very effective. Curriculum There is a rich and relevant curriculum that is well planned to ensure that pupils’ learning develops progressively through the years. There is very

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Aspect Comment

good access to the curriculum for all pupils. There is a very good range of extra-curricular activities, including sport and games. Assessment is very well used to support curricular planning. Pupils with special educational needs The pupils with special educational needs receive good support, particularly when they are withdrawn from lessons for special help. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision is very good overall. Pupils are provided with many opportunities to reflect on issues of significance to them. Staffing, resources and accommodation There are enough qualified and experienced teachers. There are good arrangements for professional development of staff. The accommodation is satisfactory; the library is a strength of the provision. Resources are good. Value for money Good

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Aspect Comment

* Ethos is the climate for learning: attitudes to work, relationships and the commitment to high standards.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

I. the behaviour of the pupils; II. the values, attitudes and relationships the school promotes; III. the wide range of extra-curricular activities; IV. the academic guidance provided for pupils; V. their children are happy at school. VI. the quality and quantity of information

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

VII. the quantity and quality of the work

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

VIII. the work provided for pupils in the

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

IX. the frequent changes of teacher in the Year

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

The inspection findings confirm the parents’ generally positive view of the school. Pupils are happy and well behaved, keen and interested in their lessons and they receive good academic guidance. Attitudes and relationships in the school are positive. There is a very good range of extra-curricular activities. The inspection finds that there are weaknesses in the information provided for parents. The amount of work that pupils are expected to do at home is appropriate. The work provided for the mixed-age classes is planned well. However, the temporary sharing of the teaching in Year 4 and 5 affects the attitudes of some pupils, they find it difficult to adapt to different styles of teaching. Droxford Junior School - 9

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

However, in order to continue to improve the quality of provision, the governors and the school should consider the following for inclusion in their response to the inspection in order to address minor weaknesses.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

a) Establish an effective procedure by which the school follows up absence. (see para 47)

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

b) Ensure that all staff are fully informed about matters relating to child protection and the identification of children at risk. (see para 48)

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

c) Extend opportunities to develop partnerships between parents and the school and involvement in their children's learning. (see para 53)

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

d) Ensure that the school prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents includes all the information required by statute. (see para 60) Droxford Junior School - 10

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Characteristics of the school

1. Droxford Junior School in situated in the village of Droxford in the Meon valley in Hampshire. The buildings date from 1929 and have been progressively remodelled and improved. Fields, trees and open countryside border the school.

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Characteristics of the school

2. The school receives its pupils from the villages in the Meon valley that form a scattered rural community with a high proportion of high-status housing. There is a wide range of housing in most of the villages, which includes owner-occupied and rented houses and tied rural cottages. Some children come from isolated farms and cottages. The wards from which the children are drawn are of high socio-economic status. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals, at 5.3 per cent, is below the average for primary schools nationally.

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Characteristics of the school

3. There are 113 pupils on roll organised into four mixed-year classes. This is smaller than other schools of the same type. However, numbers of pupils have risen rapidly in the last two years and are set to rise again. The average class size is 28.2. Pupils enter the school with levels of attainment that are average. The percentage of pupils deemed to have special educational needs, at 22 per cent, is in line with the national average. One pupil has a statement of special educational need, which is below the national average. There are no pupils from non- white ethnic groups.

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The school’s prospectus contains the following vision statement:

At Droxford school we shall create a vibrant and challenging learning environment where each individual is valued in their own right and as a member of the school community.

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The school’s prospectus contains the following vision statement:

Our school will continue to be in great demand by both parents of prospective pupils and by the most professional of teaching staff because of our commitment to the highest standards in everything that we do.

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The school’s prospectus contains the following vision statement:

We place equal weight on academic, social and spiritual development in order to equip our children for success in a rapidly changing world.

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The school’s prospectus contains the following vision statement:

Staff, governors, parents, pupils and the community at large will come together to build a school of which we can all be proud.

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The school’s prospectus contains the following vision statement:

Our vision is underpinned by a clear set of values to which we are committed:

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The school’s prospectus contains the following vision statement:

Every pupil and member of staff has a valued contribution to make and a personal potential to fulfil.

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The school’s prospectus contains the following vision statement:

Each member of the school community has a right to learn in an environment built upon mutual respect and self-discipline.

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The school’s prospectus contains the following vision statement:

Spiritual and social development occur within the context of Christian values which leads to respect for other beliefs and cultures.

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The school’s prospectus contains the following vision statement:

We communicate openly, honestly and positively

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The school’s prospectus contains the following vision statement:

We encourage the participation of the wider community in contributing to the future of our children.

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The school’s prospectus contains the following vision statement:

We are building a school where pupils, staff, parents and governors find excitement, motivation and fulfilment and where each of us learns something new each day.

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The school’s prospectus contains the following vision statement:

The main focus of current work is on the further development of literacy and numeracy . Droxford Junior School - 11 4. Key Indicators

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for latest reporting year: 1999 12 9 21

National Curriculum Test Results English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 10 10 11 at NC Level 4 or Girls 8 9 8 above Total 18 19 19 Percentage at NC School 86 (65) 90 (65) 90 (65) Level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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for latest reporting year: 1999 12 9 21

Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 9 10 11 at NC Level 4 or Girls 8 9 8 above Total 17 19 19 Percentage at NC School 81 (76) 90 (71) 90 (71) Level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72)

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Attendance

Percentage of half days (sessions) % missed through absence for the Authorised School 4.1 latest complete reporting year absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 0.5 absence National comparative data 0.5

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Exclusions

Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) during the previous year: Number

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Quality of teaching

Percentage of teaching observed which is : % Very good or better 31 Satisfactory or better 100 Less than satisfactory 0

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Quality of teaching

Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year Droxford Junior School - 12

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Attainment and progress

5. In the 1998 National Curriculum tests in English and science, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected Level 4 was well above the national average, whilst in mathematics a very high proportion of pupils reached the expected standard. Standards of attainment at the higher Level 5 were above average in English and mathematics and well above average in science. Overall, average performance in the national tests in these subjects is well above the national average in English, mathematics and science. When the average levels achieved are compared with those of similar schools, attainment in English, mathematics and science is above average. In the assessments conducted by the teachers, the pattern of attainment was similar to that in the tests. The overall attainment of the pupils in the tests and assessments, in 1999, represents a very significant improvement on attainment over the previous years. Results in the national tests over the three years, 1996-

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Attainment and progress

1998, based on an analysis of the average levels reached by the pupils, show that attainment in English was close to the national average; in mathematics and science it was above the average figure.

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Attainment and progress

6. Overall, boys and girls aged 11 reach comparable standards. The school has set challenging targets for improvement in English, mathematics and science and exceeded them in the most recent tests. The overall good quality of teaching has been driving standards upwards. Inspection evidence confirms an upward trend in attainment levels.

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Attainment and progress

7. Overall attainment in the school is above average. The inspection of lessons and of pupils’ work shows that 11 year-olds reach above average standards in English, mathematics and science. Attainment in information technology and religious education is average. Standards in literacy and numeracy are above average.

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Attainment and progress

8. In English, standards in speaking and listening exceed expectations for 11 year-olds. Pupils listen actively and engage in lively debate in lessons. They present reasoned arguments, for instance, when they compare the lives of Victorian children with their own. Most pupils by the age of 11 years use standard English well. Standards in reading are above average. Pupils show a real interest in books and other texts, such as newspapers, magazines, and information technology based texts. They read a wide range of good literature and many are skilled in retrieving and using information communications technology based information. The quality of 11 year-old pupils’ writing is above average. Most pupils write in a vivid, personal style to suit the purpose and the intended reader. Pupils' writing is used well across the curriculum. Attainment in spelling is above average. Handwriting is generally legible and joined, with consistent letter shapes.

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Attainment and progress

9. In mathematics, 11 year-olds’ skills are above the level expected in all areas of the subject. Their skills in mental recall of number facts are very good. They use fractions and simple percentages confidently. They calculate measurements accurately to two decimal places. They demonstrate a good level of accuracy in drawing common two-dimensional shapes, in calculating measurements and in drawing and measuring angles. They show a good understanding of symmetry and apply this knowledge to their study of mirror images in science, where they also apply measuring skills. Numeracy is applied well across the curriculum in many other subjects.

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Attainment and progress

10. In science, by the time they are aged 11, pupils’ attainment is above average. Most pupils are confident in their knowledge of the major parts of the body and in their investigations they explore the basis of insect life. They predict, describe and record the results of investigations accurately. They understand the heart’s chief function as part of the respiratory system and know that physical exercise changes the rate of heartbeat. They understand the relationship between diet and health.

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Attainment and progress

11. In information communications technology, pupils’ attainment by the age of 11 meets national expectations. They load, save and print their work, use spell checkers and change fonts. Some of the higher-attaining pupils can sort spreadsheets. Most access the Internet to research topics. Droxford Junior School - 13 12. In religious education, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the basic tenets and practices of Christianity meet the expectations of the local authority’s agreed syllabus for the provision of religious education, as does their understanding of other patterns of belief.

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Attainment and progress

13. Owing to the differences between schools in what is nationally provided under the new curriculum framework, reliable comparisons cannot be made with what is achieved in other schools in the other subjects of the curriculum. In art, pupils record well from first hand observations and experiment effectively with different media. In design and technology, pupils apply their knowledge of different materials and components appropriately to build geared machines. In geography, by the time they are 11-years-old, most pupils describe and evaluate different environments and understand the impact of human habitation. They explore ways to improve their own environment. In history, they acquire a good understanding of Victorian times and, in particular, the ways children were exploited in the work place. They compare and contrast different periods of history, including the recent past in Britain. In music, pupils listen and respond well, using appropriate

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Attainment and progress

musical vocabulary. In physical education the pupils plan, perform and evaluate sequences in gymnastics with increasing sophistication. The great majority of pupils, on leaving the school, swim 25 metres unaided, with a significant proportion of pupils exceeding this standard. 13. 14. From average attainment on entry, pupils make good progress overall throughout the school in the development of what they know, understand and can do. This is true of pupils at all levels of attainment, including the pupils with special educational needs.

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Attainment and progress

14. Pupils at all levels of attainment make good progress in speaking and listening, reading and writing. They progress well in their oral work to an awareness of how to defend points of view through reasoned discussion and move quickly to the reading of good literature. Writing develops quickly as pupils tackle more and more demanding tasks, culminating in the production of some poetry that is sensitive to the sound and rhythm of words. Handwriting develops quickly through regular practice and consolidation across the years. Spelling is good, as is the awareness of the conventions of standard English. Progress in mathematics is good. Pupils arrive in Year 3 with just above average levels of numeracy and build on their knowledge and skills as they move through the years. They become more adept at mental calculation as they move through Years 4 and 5 and reach a good level of speed and accuracy in mental computation by the time they are 11. Progress in

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Attainment and progress

science is good in all aspects. Pupils build steadily from average attainment on entry to the school and, as they move through the years, show an increasing capacity for engaging in experimental work, making predictions and recording the results accurately. Progress is satisfactory in information communications technology, but across a limited range of applications. In religious education, pupils make good progress in the development of the knowledge and understanding required in the agreed syllabus for the provision of religious education.

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Attainment and progress

15. In the other subjects, pupils make good progress in art in experimenting with different media . In design and technology, pupils make steady advances in the investigation of materials and in the evaluation of various design possibilities, culminating in the building of geared machines. In geography, most pupils move quickly from a basic understanding of places to an increasing awareness of the influence of climate and human settlement on different environments, including the local village. In history, pupils demonstrate good progress in the understanding with which they write historical accounts, evident, for example, in their work on the Victorians. Progress is good in physical education as pupils develop increasing sophistication in developing the quality of their movement patterns in gymnastics. In games, too, there is very good progress in the development of tactical awareness and accuracy in passing and receiving in netball and football . In music,

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Attainment and progress

pupils steadily consolidate and extend their skills in singing in unison and in composing simple tunes on the electronic keyboard. Boys and girls generally establish and sustain equivalent rates of progress in all their work.

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Attainment and progress

16. Pupils with special educational needs, including those who have a statement of special educational need, make good progress in relation to the targets identified for them in their individual education plans. The plans identify clear and attainable targets for learning and make a good contribution to progress. This was particularly evident in a Year 3/4 group withdrawn for support in literacy. The pupils were provided with activities that engaged their enthusiasm. They were clearly motivated by experiencing success in relation to the specific and attainable small steps they took in their learning. Progress is most marked in literacy, but occurs Droxford Junior School - 14 across a range of subjects, particularly where the teachers plan well in relation to the pupils’ individual targets. Higher-attaining pupils make good progress in most aspects of their work. A key to the significant gains they make in knowledge, understanding and skills lies in the teachers’ regular provision of tasks and

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Attainment and progress

activities that challenge them to the full extent of their competence . 17.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

17. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good throughout the school. They are willing to listen and answer teachers' questions. They co-operate very well especially when working in groups. They respond appropriately to challenges and are motivated to succeed in their work. For example, pupils showed particularly good attitudes to learning when studying music: they listened to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, interpreting it through drawing artistic patterns. The pupils found this activity challenging and stimulating and engaged with great enthusiasm in the production of imaginative work. Boys and girls work harmoniously, whether as a whole class or in groups and persevere to complete tasks within the time limits set. Pupils often show initiative in selecting and using relevant resources.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

18. Behaviour in and around the school is good. The fairly recent behaviour policy is consistently and effectively implemented. On the rare occasions when behaviour is less than satisfactory in lessons, this is due to the length or slow pace of lessons. Pupils know the school rules and respond well to the school's method of reinforcing good behaviour. They value the stickers given for good behaviour that demonstrate to the rest of the school some form of achievement. Behaviour in the playground is very good. There have been no exclusions. Parents are pleased with pupils' standard of behaviour and conduct. The school is an orderly community and since the last inspection the behaviour of its pupils has improved considerably.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

19. Pupils relate well together, forming constructive relationships with one another. They show respect for other people's feelings, values and beliefs. They are courteous, respectful to all staff and visitors and trustworthy, having respect for property. They respond well when given responsibilities and their willingness to exercise responsibility increases as they progress through the school. For example, pupils return registers, monitor the library and organise chairs and equipment for assemblies. Older pupils act as monitors for behaviour when walking to, and while on, the school coach. Pupils feel they are listened to in the school council when they make realistic and sensible suggestions.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

20. Pupils respond well to the good quality of teaching and to the rich curriculum provided for them. They engage in a wide range of extra-curricular activity, including competitive sport and games. They respond to invitations to reflect and pray during the daily assembly. They take seriously their understanding of the difference between right and wrong and often act from principle and not just from the constraint of rules. The provision for their social development leads the pupils to take responsibility for their peers. There were many examples of pupils identifying those who felt excluded from play and encouraging them to become involved in the activities. Pupils show respect for cultures other than their own and appreciate the reasons behind certain cultural differences in beliefs and practices. This is particularly evident in their work in religious education.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

21. The attendance level is well above the national average. The unauthorised absences in the school are well below the national average. Pupils are punctual and there is a prompt and effective start to the school day. However, if pupils are late, this is usually owing to the coach having to be manoeuvred through narrow country lanes and driven with extra care in adverse weather conditions.

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Teaching

22. The quality of teaching is good. All lessons seen were at least satisfactory. This represents a considerable improvement on what was noted in the previous inspection, when there was a significant proportion of unsatisfactory teaching. Over three-quarters of lessons are good and a third very good, with a small measure of outstanding teaching. The highest proportion of very good teaching occurs in Year 6. The quality of Droxford Junior School - 15 teaching is very good in physical education, good in English, mathematics, science, religious education, art, history and music and satisfactory in design and technology. There was insufficient evidence to judge the quality of teaching in information technology or geography. Droxford Junior School - 16 23. The most striking strengths of much of the teaching are thorough and detailed preparation, good use of the pupils’ contributions, the quality of the teachers’ questioning, the good pace of lessons and in the good variety

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Teaching

of strategies deployed for the management of the pupils. This shows itself particularly in the skilled planning for the mixed-age classes, by which the full range of attainment is challenged. Though teaching is satisfactory in the mixed Year 4/5 class, the arrangements by which two teachers share the teaching and teach on different days leads to some difficulties. Pupils have difficulty in adapting to different styles of teaching. This was a concern of some parents. However, the school is doing what it can in the circumstances.

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Teaching

24. Teachers have a good knowledge of what they teach in most subjects. In English, the skilful use of questioning, particularly in their work in the literacy hour, is a strength. They are skilled, too, in developing pupils’ speaking and listening and channelling them into a wide range of writing. This was clearly evident in teachers’ work with word games in a Year 3/4 lesson, when the stimulating activities engaged the enthusiasm and keen involvement of the pupils. This led to significant advances in the development of language. High expectations support good progress in many lessons, particularly in English, where the pupils are regularly provided with a progressively challenging set of language activities.

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Teaching

25. The commitment to high standards also marks much of the teaching of gymnastics and games. Here there is some very good teaching, characterised by clear and consistent expectations in behaviour, safety procedures and general routines. The pupils are encouraged to persevere in practising and refining skills. In a gymnastics lesson in Year 4, for instance, the pupils were sustained in a very focused way on their work through the steady increase in the demands of the task. They quickly consolidated their skills in sequencing movements and built on what they had practised and refined on the floor by applying and extending these skills as they moved across apparatus. The teacher had complete command of this very large class, whilst supporting very creative independent work. She moved skilfully around the hall, providing clear direction and encouragement to all the pupils. The pupils made very good progress in all aspects of their work.

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Teaching

26. Teachers plan well for lessons in most subjects. For instance, well-planned, challenging practice in mental mathematics leads to growing accuracy in calculations. A good range of methods of managing activities and pupils’ involvement in lessons marks teaching in most subjects. Pupils are generally managed well when their enthusiasm is engaged through stimulating activities. Lessons generally move at a brisk pace, with a good balance of explanations and interesting activities. Some weaknesses in teaching occur when pupils are settled too slowly to their work at the start of lessons or the teacher tolerates an unnecessarily high level of noise in group work. Teaching is weakened, also, when time limits are not set for the completion of tasks, introductions to lessons are too long, pupils’ answers to questions are not used well, or when pupils are allowed too much freedom to move about the classroom during lessons.

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Teaching

27. The teachers use day-to-day assessment well, but do not always use the information they gather to set clear targets for learning for individual pupils. The practice of providing homework follows a regular pattern, and what is set is used effectively to support pupils’ learning. Work in history, for example, is supported by independent enquiry conducted by the pupils out of school hours. The same is true of science when, for example, pupils logged their food intake over a week. Very good use is made of the spacious library to support the learning of all pupils, particularly those with special educational needs.

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Teaching

28. Pupils with special educational needs, including those for whom a statement of special educational needs exists, are taught well both in lessons and where they are withdrawn from lessons for special help. In the groups where they are withdrawn from mainstream lessons, there is a very supportive ethos for learning. The teachers are particularly adept at helping these pupils to appreciate their strengths and to see their difficulties as a challenge rather than as an impediment to learning. The pupils are provided with very clearly structured programmes of work related to their individual education plans. They make rapid strides in the development of confidence and competence in their work, particularly in literacy, where the teachers are very skilled at building up their knowledge of the sounds that letters make and establishing accuracy in writing. Higher- attaining pupils are generally supported in their work by well-targeted feedback that points them in the

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Teaching

direction of further challenging activities. Good planning also supports the teaching of the higher-attaining pupils. Droxford Junior School - 17 29. The curriculum and assessment

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Teaching

29. The curriculum provides a good educational experience for all the pupils and effectively supports the central aim of the school to create a vibrant and challenging learning environment where each individual is valued. What is provided is relevant to the needs of the pupils. All the requirements of the National Curriculum, and those relating to the provision of religious education, are met. The pupils are provided with a broad and exciting curriculum and each subject is allocated an appropriate amount of time. Health education, sex education and awareness of drugs are incorporated sensitively into the overall curricular plan. There is a strong commitment to equality of opportunity for all pupils. This shows itself in the good quality of what is provided for the pupils with special educational needs. There are adequate facilities for those with disabilities, though there are no pupils in the school with physical disabilities.

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Teaching

30. The teachers have devised a comprehensive whole-school curricular plan, based on a four-year cycle, which ensures that the programmes of study set out in the National Curriculum are covered. The detailed medium- term and short-term planning ensures that pupils in the mixed years are challenged to the full extent of their competence. The purposeful links made between different subjects are a strength of the curriculum. This was particularly evident in science in a Year 4/5 lesson where productive links were made between the study of reflected light and the concept of symmetry in mathematics. What was particularly impressive was that the pupils began to see the connections for themselves as they explored the reflection of images in mirrors.

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Teaching

31. The overall quality of planning for the curriculum is good. Medium and short-term plans provide an effective structure from which teachers plan the specific skills, knowledge and understanding they are going to teach on a weekly and daily basis. Plans also identify opportunities for assessment and this ensures that there are good procedures for evaluating the progress made by pupils in what they know, understand and do. The teachers are supported by good schemes of work that are regularly monitored, reviewed and updated. Planning across the curriculum ensures that pupils’ horizons are extended beyond their own culture. This is evident particularly in history, geography and religious education.

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Teaching

32. The planning for the development of literacy and numeracy is good. This has been as a result of very effective team-work and the commitment to high standards that pervades the work of the school. The structure of the literacy and numeracy lessons is used effectively but not followed slavishly. The teachers are very effective at seizing unexpected opportunities and exploiting them to the advantage of the pupils’ learning.

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Teaching

33. The school has had due regard to the Code of Practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs and makes good provision for the pupils who require special support in their work. Pupils with special educational needs are effectively supported in lessons or through withdrawal from lessons for special help. The work that these pupils experience is closely related to that pursued by the other pupils. This emphasis on equality of provision is a strong feature of the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs. Individual education plans are well constructed and are used effectively to track the progress of the pupils.

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Teaching

34. The school enhances the curriculum by encouraging a number of regular visitors to the school to talk to pupils. The pupils have also experienced some exciting visitors from a local farm, including a cockerel and a heifer. These experiences raise pupils’ awareness of the local culture and way of life. The canon from the local church makes regular visits and supports the school’s provision for the spiritual and moral development of the pupils. There are well-planned visits to the local church and to locations for the study of the geography and history of the locality. Most pupils participate in extra-curricular competitive sport and all the teachers support games and these activities. Teams have the opportunity to play against other schools in the area and do so with some success, considering this is a small school. The older pupils have the opportunity to participate in a residential experience. This develops their personal and social skills as well as their

p.17

Teaching

geographical ones. A very good range of extra-curricular activities, in which all pupils participate, makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ education.

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Teaching

35. The required assessment of pupils when they join the school is being successfully implemented and systems for recording pupils’ academic and personal development are very good. Procedures for assessing pupils as they move through the school are very good and the results of assessments are used very well to plan for further Droxford Junior School - 18 work. Assessment is also used effectively to place pupils in appropriate groupings in lessons. One of the great strengths of the school is the way that the objectives of the lessons are made clear and this makes it possible at the end of lessons to determine whether the pupils have acquired the knowledge and skills intended. Regular assessments are made of pupils’ reading ages to help target extra support. In addition to the National Curriculum tests in Year 6, the school also makes good use of optional testing in Years 3, 4 and 5. The information obtained from these tests enables the school to target weak areas as well as identifying those

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Teaching

pupils who would benefit from additional literacy support.

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Teaching

36. In response to the previous inspection, the school has made good progress in ensuring a better balance in the curriculum by improving the provision of geography, music and religious education. The school has also taken effective steps to ensure that the programmes of study in each subject are appropriately followed. There are appropriate schemes of work in place for all subjects. The weakness in the school’s policy for assessment has been successfully addressed; there are now very good systems in place for the assessment of pupils.

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Teaching

37. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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Teaching

37. As at the last inspection, the school has a strong commitment to the provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. As a result, this provision is very good and a strength of the school.

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Teaching

38. Pupils’ spiritual development, together with their moral and social development, is well promoted through assemblies. These meet statutory requirements and are of good quality. Themes for assemblies are effectively set for a period of time. A good range of stories and biblical references is used to illustrate the different themes. For example, during the inspection, the theme of ‘Friendship’ was illustrated by recounting the story of David and Jonathan in a whole-school assembly. The pupils were spellbound through excellent narration. The assembly theme was later skilfully followed up in individual class assemblies. Some assemblies link effectively with topics in religious education. The celebration of the feasts of Christmas and Easter are rich sources of inspiration for the pupils. Visiting speakers sometimes support Christian themes. Assemblies provide a good focus for reflecting on issues such as care for the environment and support for charities.

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Teaching

Assemblies seen during the inspection included a good blend of prayer, moments for reflection, and singing. Pupils sit quietly for prayer and join in enthusiastically in singing hymns. A good atmosphere is created by the playing of music on entry to and exit from the hall, which promotes pupils’ appreciation of beauty and spirituality. Spiritual development for some pupils is supported through various curricular areas. A good example was seen in the poems that pupils were writing about the sea, emphasising its power and beauty.

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Teaching

39. The school has a very good social development policy and the emphasis on promoting good behaviour and encouraging a sense of right and wrong is well reflected in pupils’ very good behaviour and personal development. There is nearly always a positive approach in classrooms and good behaviour is reinforced in classes and around the school. There are many opportunities provided to emphasise good social skills. Through a wide range of activities, such as personal and social education and group work, known as ‘Circle Time’, pupils are encouraged to develop appropriate social behaviour. The residential visits to Tile Barn and Argoed Llwyd provide Year 5 and Year 6 with great opportunities to develop their characters. Pupils are given many opportunities to co-operate, to develop independence and to take responsibility. For example, pupils frequently work together in lessons, give encouragement to one another, take turns and applaud each other’s

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Teaching

success. Pupils also work together to raise money for a wide range of charities.

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Teaching

40. The school makes good provision to support the cultural development of its pupils. The curriculum is enriched by a range of educational visits to places such as Old Winchester Hill, the South Downs Walk and museums relevant to the topics being studied. At lunch times and after school there are opportunities for sports, including cross-country, football and netball. Additionally, there is a choir and a recorder club. Pupils hear a good range of different types of music both in assemblies and in music lessons. They have many fruitful opportunities to look at and discuss the work of different artists such as Klimt, Picasso, Van Gogh and the sculptor Henry Moore. Pupils are made aware of the cultural diversity of society. For example, in religious education, they learn something of different religions and cultures. In music, they listen to music from different countries. In English, there are references to stories and folk tales from other countries. The library

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Teaching

contains books about other cultures and religions. Pupils are provided with many good opportunities to experience live theatre . One of the school’s aims is promoting, encouraging and fostering pupils’ spiritual, Droxford Junior School - 19 moral, social and cultural development, and through its very good provision the school achieves this aim. The school has responded well to the issues raised in the previous inspection when it was noted that there was insufficient time given to promoting spirituality through all aspects of the curriculum and limited attention to the development of multicultural awareness.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

41. The school's provision for pupils’ personal support, guidance and welfare is good. This accords with the findings of the previous inspection and with the parents’ strong appreciation of this aspect of the school’s provision. The monitoring of educational development is very good. Clear improvements have been made in developing literacy and numeracy skills and the monitoring and assessment of pupils' academic progress are effective. Targets and strategies directed towards the improvement of pupils' progress across the curriculum are clear.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

42. The identification and provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils with special educational needs are well integrated in all classes, there is well-targeted classroom support and rigorous monitoring of their attainment and progress. Whilst valuable teaching and classroom support is given, the school has just an adequate number of staff to provide sufficient support in lessons. Provision for higher- attaining pupils is good and they are supported effectively in reaching the full extent of their capability.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

43. Pupils are given a clear sense of how well they are attaining and are given clear guidance on how to improve. Different levels of attainment in mixed-year classes are clearly identified in planning and in classroom practice.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

44. The school's provision for pupils’ general well being is good. In this calm, caring and orderly community, adults know the pupils well and care for them. Pupils feel safe and secure as the school provides good levels of pastoral care. The school is successful in promoting health and safety. Electrical, fire and asbestos checks have been made. Appropriate arrangements are in place for administration of first aid and medication.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

45. The school has effective measures to promote good behaviour and succeeds. There are appropriate sanctions for unacceptable behaviour. All staff, including lunch-time and playground assistants are suitably involved in monitoring behaviour. Bullying is not a problem at this time. The school is vigilant and, should bullying occur, staff, pupils and parents know what to do.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

46. The recording and monitoring of attendance are very good. Registers are marked in accordance with guidelines and the school meets its statutory requirements. There is a clear procedure for monitoring absence. However, should a pupil fail to arrive at school with no explanation, there is no follow-up procedure to ensure pupils’ safety. There are very good arrangements for crossing patrols and mustering of pupils for joining their homeward-bound coach at the end of the day.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

47. The school has a clear child protection policy, but arrangements for child protection do not include ensuring that all staff are fully informed about matters relating to the identification of children at risk. The designated teacher has relevant training and teachers are aware of the policy, but other school staff are not familiar with the policy and are not aware of the need for vigilance in this respect. The school provides appropriate personal, social and health education through ‘circle time’. It addresses the wider issues that affect pupils, such as the dangers of inappropriate substances.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

48. Partnership with parents and the community

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

48. The school continues the good partnership with parents and the community noted in the previous inspection. It has an open door policy and parents feel welcome. Parents feel they are listened to and the school is receptive to their suggestions. Many parents help in the school and all help is gratefully received. The quality of support has a positive impact on standards overall. The school has a Home-School Agreement.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

49. The school association provides excellent funds and makes a very good contribution to the school and the community, through social and educational activities. Pupils collect items for recycling and fundraise for Droxford Junior School - 20 children whose experiences are less favourable than their own. Several parents and governors have business links. There are also good links with local industries and farms. The children have recently been involved in educational television programmes.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

50. The quality of information provided to parents about their children’s academic progress is satisfactory. Pupils’ individual annual reports give clear details of what they know, understand and can do, and how they can improve. Parents value the meeting organised to review their children’s progress.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

51. Homework is provided in accordance with the school's policy and is sufficient to reinforce pupils' learning. Parents have mixed views about homework both in relation to its quality and quantity. The inspection evidence does not justify their concerns. Homework is provided on a regular basis and makes a positive contribution to the pupils’ learning. Parents have had clear information about the National Literacy Project and a meeting for the National Numeracy Project is planned, but opportunities to develop partnerships between parents and the school to allow parents to assist in their children's learning have not been fully developed.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

52. Information to parents is satisfactory. Letters are generally clear and helpful. Parents support the school, but there is a significant minority of parents who feel communications could be better. Governors agree that this is an area that can be improved and have decided in future to communicate directly with parents on particular issues such as staffing and the growth of the school.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

53. The school makes good use of the local community, much of which revolves around the local church, and it takes every opportunity to enrich the curriculum and pupils' personal and social development. For example, visits to museums, theatres and Southampton Football Club have had good impact on pupils' attainment and progress.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

54. The school has close and effective links with other primary schools through the local network of small rural schools and has established good educational links with secondary schools. Parents and pupils are encouraged to attend secondary schools' open evenings. The school collaborates well in the organisation of an induction day for the older pupils in the secondary school of their choice. 55.

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Leadership and management

55. The leadership and management of the school are very good and have been effective in providing a clear direction to its work. The report on the previous inspection identified weaknesses in the monitoring of teaching and in development planning. These weaknesses have now been addressed effectively. Planning is much improved and the quality of teaching is now much better as a result of effective monitoring. Sadly, the headteacher was on long-term sick leave at the time of the inspection. In her absence, the school is being managed by an experienced headteacher, who spends four days each week in the school. This arrangement is working very well. The acting headteacher has been very effective in harnessing the energies of the teachers and sustaining the good work already set in motion by the headteacher and built on by the deputy headteacher. The governors work effectively with the school and have now formed themselves into a team with a good

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Leadership and management

range of complementary skills. Governors take an active part in formulating the school improvement plan and in establishing the school’s priorities. They have not yet become sufficiently involved in monitoring the curriculum to ensure, for example, that the strategies for literacy and numeracy are appropriately in place and working effectively. They are provided with clear information and are well placed to exercise their responsibility to hold the school to account for the educational standards achieved and the quality of education provided.

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Leadership and management

56. The staff work as a team and, though there are strong informal systems of exchange, care is taken to hold regular meetings. All the staff have the opportunity to make a contribution to discussions on key decisions. Teachers receive good guidance on how to maintain high standards in their teaching. Support and monitoring of the curriculum are very good. Co-ordinators have been assigned for all subjects and play an important role in the development of subjects and in the monitoring of standards of attainment. The greatest emphasis is currently placed on securing the development of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. The acting headteacher Droxford Junior School - 21 has done much, in a short time, to refine the teachers’ planning and this has led to increasing sophistication in the way individual lessons are prepared. The management of subjects is mainly good. English and physical education are very well led. The leadership and management of mathematics, science, religious education,

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Leadership and management

geography, history and music are good. Information technology, art and design and technology are satisfactorily led.

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Leadership and management

57. The school improvement plan is clearly focused on raising standards of attainment. Realistic targets are set for immediate, short-term and long-term development. The current plan is skilfully constructed and is rooted in a clear analysis of the school’s immediate and more long-term needs. Overall planning encompasses a period of three years, which gives an effective strategic view of developments. There is an appropriate emphasis on the further development of literacy and numeracy and a clear concern for the higher-attaining pupils. The governing body is fully involved in the process of planning and is beginning to take an active part in monitoring and evaluating progress towards the targets set for development.

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Leadership and management

58. The school’s ethos for learning is very good. There is a culture of high expectations for behaviour, relationships and standards of attainment. The school provides a happy and secure environment where all pupils thrive. The work of the school clearly reflects its aims. A striking feature of its work is the ease with which its aims are implemented as a result of the clarity of leadership and the commitment and dedication of the staff. The results of national tests and those of the tests taken by the youngest pupils are used well to judge the effectiveness of the school.

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Leadership and management

59. The school sets and meets clear targets that emphasise improving standards of attainment, particularly in literacy and numeracy. All statutory requirements are met, apart from those relating to the contents of the prospectus and the annual report of governors to parents. The school has responded very well to the findings of the last inspection. The main issues raised were: that the documentation to support the curriculum provided for pupils and the assessment of pupils’ work was inadequate; that there were weaknesses in teaching; and that developments were not clearly targeted on the raising of standards of attainment. Priorities for long and medium-term developments were not worked out clearly. Planning has now improved considerably and teachers use assessment well. The overall quality of teaching is now good and the school sets and meets challenging targets for the raising of standards of attainment. The school improvement plan is clear and well

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Leadership and management

defined, sets feasible targets for development, is based on an analysis of the school’s needs and is clearly costed. The school in now very well placed to continue the current pace of improvement.

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Leadership and management

60. Staffing, accommodation and resources

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Leadership and management

60. The school has a hard-working, caring and committed staff, who are suitably qualified and experienced. Although few of the teachers have served at the school for many years, there is a very strong sense of teamwork and good relationships have been built up. The school has coped exceptionally well while sustaining two long-term absences during the last year. However, pupils in the Year 4/5 class have had some difficulty in accommodating the many changes of teacher they have experienced but the progress they make in their work has not been affected significantly. There is a good balance between experienced and less experienced staff, and all have agreed job descriptions. Teachers take responsibility for the co-ordination of at least one subject area and their expertise suitably matches the demands of the curriculum. The pupil-teacher ratio is just over 21:1, which is low, and the average class size of 28 is average.

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Leadership and management

61. The staffing is enhanced by an adequate number of experienced classroom assistants. They are timetabled to support teachers in each class at some stage of each week. They also spend some additional time supporting small groups in literacy lessons. The classroom assistants attend courses on a regular basis, including training sessions held in and out of school, and provide good support in different areas of the curriculum.

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Leadership and management

62. There are good procedures for the induction of new teachers. These teachers work closely with mentors and have regular opportunities to share planning and to observe classes taught by experienced colleagues. They have agreed targets as part of their career entry profiles. The acting headteacher has updated all job descriptions with staff, which outlined subject responsibilities and some targets for curriculum development. The school always tries to meet requests from teachers wishing to attend professional development courses out of school. Good use has been made of courses run by the county and by the local linked schools. A sound Droxford Junior School - 22 programme of school-based training is also in place. During the last year, training days have focused on important priorities such as adopting the new national strategies in literacy and numeracy. Subject co- ordinators monitor colleagues’ planning in their subjects, and some have been given opportunities to work

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Leadership and management

alongside them in classes, thus gaining a clear overview of teaching and learning in their subject.

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Leadership and management

63. Indoor accommodation is clean and well managed. The main hall does not provide an adequate space for physical education, particularly when this involves gymnastics and the use of large apparatus. Two temporary classrooms are in use, situated some distance from the main building. They provide adequate teaching spaces for the older classes. The school has a superb library facility, which is well organised and equipped. It provides an excellent space for groups, or whole classes, to learn library skills, watch relevant videos, hold discussions or research topics. Displays are used effectively to create a stimulating learning environment in many classrooms. For example, one of the temporary classrooms has several attractive displays, each with a focus supporting learning in a different subject, which incorporate a lot of high-quality work produced by the pupils.

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Leadership and management

64. The school site includes a sizeable hard play area and a field, offering good facilities for physical education and other activities. The field is used well for games, some out-of-school sports activities and sports afternoons. The school has benefited from additional grants to enable refurbishment projects to take place. Further improvements to the buildings are planned, which include the provision of an additional classroom.

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Leadership and management

65. The range and quality of teaching resources in most subjects are good, representing a considerable improvement since the last inspection. The library has a good selection of fiction and non-fiction books. Additional sets of group readers, audiotapes and big books for shared reading sessions support the teaching of English effectively. A good range of equipment and resources is available for practical work in science and mathematics. The school has continued to improve its provision for hardware and software resources in information technology, and has one computer linked to a modem for Internet use. Good use is made of the library and museum loan services available, for example, to provide artefacts and pictures to learn about different faiths in religious education.

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Leadership and management

66. Educational developments are supported through very good financial planning. The priorities set for development in the school improvement plan are costed in detail and included in the budget plan. The governing body receives clear and regular financial statements from the school administrator. These are analysed closely to ensure educational targets are being achieved and that expenditure is in line with plans. Any specific grants available to the school, such as those available for staff development, are used appropriately. An appropriate proportion of the budget is set aside to supplement other funds available for provision for pupils with special educational needs and this funding is used to the advantage of these pupils. The budget is carefully matched to income to maintain a very small reserve.

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Leadership and management

67. All staff are employed well and good use is made of support staff, resulting in a valuable contribution to the overall attainment and progress of all pupils. The accommodation is used fully to promote pupils’ learning and display their work, though displays are variable in quality. The resources available to the school are used well to promote pupils’ learning and progress. Day-to-day administration procedures are very efficient. They are managed very well by the administrative assistant who provides very good support to the headteacher and, currently, to the acting headteacher. Daily routines are clearly established and maintained. Teachers are well informed about standard procedures, particularly those related to the health and safety of the pupils. Financial control is very good. There have been very significant improvements on what was noted in the previous auditor’s report, when there were numerous minor procedural irregularities; these have all

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Leadership and management

68. Pupils enter the school with average levels of attainment and from a wide variety of social backgrounds. Pupils make good progress in literacy and numeracy and in all subjects. They behave well and have good attitudes to their work. What the school provides for the pupils’ education is good, particularly the good quality of teaching, leading to consistently good standards of attainment. The cost of educating each pupil is close to the national average. Given all these factors, the school provides good value for money. Droxford Junior School - 23 Droxford Junior School - 24

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English

69. Attainment in English is now above national expectations, which is an improvement from the last inspection where standards were found to be sound. Over the three years from 1996 to 1998, the standards attained were close to the national average, although attainment in 1998 was weaker than in other years. In the 1999 National Curriculum tests, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected levels was well above the national average, and there was an above average proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels. This recent surge in the pupils’ attainment exceeded the school’s own targets and is due to the good quality of the teaching. Future targets for attainment in English are suitably challenging and are set at a figure that is well above the national average.

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English

70. The attainment of 11-year-olds in speaking and listening is good. At all times pupils listen attentively and ask pertinent questions. They get frequent opportunities to express their own views and to listen and respond to the views of others. Pupils are confident in their discussions, adapting their style appropriately. The way the older pupils took on the role of Victorian schoolchildren in their English lesson was particularly impressive. Their conversations during the role play displayed good knowledge and understanding of Victorian life and confidence in speaking to an audience.

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English

71. Attainment in reading continues to be above expectations for 11-year-olds. Teachers place strong emphasis on reading; as a result, good standards have been maintained. There has been a significant improvement since the previous inspection in the extent to which pupils read for information. Pupils read with confidence, accuracy and expression, bringing the text to life as they read. They express opinions about their books, discuss fiction and non-fiction preferences and gather information from a range of sources.

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English

72. Attainment in writing is above the expected level for 11 year-olds. The effective adoption and implementation of the National Literacy Strategy has introduced pupils to writing for many different purposes. Opportunities to develop writing are used well. For example, following the trip to Argoed Llwyd, pupils wrote about their experiences in many different genres including news reports, poems, recipes, posters and play scripts. A good example of descriptive writing was seen in an autobiographical account of life in Hawaii, in which good use was made of alliteration. The pupils distinguish between fact and opinion in their writing. Pupils’ grammatical skills are developing well and they show good understanding of punctuation, usually using the full range of punctuation correctly. Overall standards of handwriting are good by the age of 11 years and pupils’ writing is joined, clear and fluent while their spelling is normally correct in words of regular pattern.

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English

Presentation is good and work is clearly dated. Good use is made of opportunities for pupils to develop their personal writing further, particularly in history. The quality of pupils’ writing, including handwriting, has improved since the last inspection.

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English

73. From just above average attainment on entry, pupils make good progress in all aspects of English as they move through the years. In Year 3, pupils build up their writing skills and learn to use double consonants to improve the quality of their texts. Their writing shows increasing accuracy and consistency in letter formation. As they move through Year 4, handwriting is further developed and pupils become familiar with more complex sentence structures. Confidence in speaking and listening is developed further through well-defined discussion and debate. Pupils make good progress through Years 5 and 6 as they consolidate their reading skills, accurately understanding increasingly complex texts. Handwriting, spelling and paragraphing improve rapidly over time. Imaginative written work improves in structure and the choice of vocabulary becomes more adventurous as pupils enter Year 6. In Year 6, the higher-attaining pupils’ writing increases in complexity: the

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English

style becoming more assured, for example, when writing about famous Victorians. The writing of lower- attaining pupils improves at a good rate, but they still encounter difficulties with spelling and punctuation. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress as a result of well-planned special help. In a Year 3/4 lesson, for example, a small group was withdrawn from the literacy hour for special support; as a result of skilled work on letter shapes and initial sounds, these pupils made good progress in the development of their reading and writing. Droxford Junior School - 25 74. Pupils’ response in English is good and they approach their work with enthusiasm, especially when the tasks are interesting and challenging. Their enthusiasm for the English lesson in which they all, including the teacher, had to dress up in Victorian clothes, was particularly marked. This experience had a very positive

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English

effect on all those who took part. Most pupils enjoy the literacy hour, although a few become restless towards the end of the whole-class sessions. Pupils are keen to do well and work hard to develop their reading, writing and communication. When required, they work well in groups, sharing ideas and discussing their work. When working in pairs, for example, in a lesson on creating jokes using homophones, collaboration was good. They are willing to listen to suggestions and act on advice on how to improve their initial performance in reading.

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English

75. The quality of teaching is good and has improved since the previous inspection owing to the introduction of the literacy hour, with the consequent clearer focus on the objectives of lessons. The teachers’ good knowledge of the subject has enabled pupils to acquire the appropriate skills and improve their writing. They ask questions skilfully and manage pupils effectively. They have a lively teaching style that encourages and interests the pupils. For example, the playing of word games, devised by the teacher, certainly helped the pupils in a Year 3 and 4 lesson with their spelling of two syllable words with double consonants. Teachers make good use of pupils’ questions and errors to develop teaching points and both challenge and motivate pupils. The good teaching is characterised by very high expectation of pupils’ behaviour and concentration. Most ensure that English is used effectively in all areas of the curriculum, for example, in writing an historical account.

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English

Teachers’ planning is a strength. Learning objectives are identified in lesson plans, written up on a board and are sufficiently clear to allow accurate assessment to be made. Suitable use is made of computers for word processing and research on the Internet.

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English

76. The school has made a good start with the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy and the teaching of literacy is effective throughout the school. The literacy hour has been well introduced to pupils. The independent working part of the literacy hour is at present the least effective, as some pupils are unable to finish the tasks set. However, the variety of work set ensures that the whole range of pupils’ attainment is catered for. The whole-class discussions at the end of the lessons consolidate learning and improve pupils’ understanding. Teachers pace lessons very effectively so that all aspects of the planned work are covered.

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English

77. Drama is used well to reinforce and enrich other subjects. It is used in a variety of ways, from whole lessons centred on drama to short input to reinforce an item of information. Drama is particularly used in history. There are also other opportunities for drama activities in the school, such as school plays. Visits from theatre groups and visits to the theatre also support this aspect of the curriculum and pupils’ cultural development.

p.25

English

78. The English curriculum meets statutory requirements and promotes high standards of literacy. The policy for all aspects of English and the overall scheme of work is based clearly on the National Literacy Strategy. Teachers provide enriching experiences outside the literacy hour to develop the use of English. In most subjects teachers use extended writing for different purposes. Good procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment are used well to plan for further provision and guide the setting of individual targets for improvement.

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English

79. The role of the co-ordinator in monitoring the subject is very well developed and she has provided very good support for teachers and support staff, particularly with the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy. Resources for English are good, and many new books have been provided for the literacy hour. There is a good range of fiction and non-fiction books available. There is a very pleasant and the welcoming library, which is well used by pupils and staff. The library is also well used by the hard-working support staff as a base for those pupils who require additional literacy support. Good use is also made of the library to develop the pupils’ independent learning and research skills: this was clearly evident in the history lessons seen in Year 5/6 and in Year 4/5. The provision of English has improved considerably since the previous inspection. Better teaching and management and the introduction of the literacy hour have led to improved standards of

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English

attainment. Droxford Junior School - 26 80. Mathematics

p.25

English

80. The results of 11-year-olds in the 1999 national assessments were very high in relation to the national average and above average when compared to similar schools. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels was above average, nationally and average for similar schools. Attainment in the assessments conducted by the teachers reveals a similar pattern. Results over a three-year period to 1998 show that pupils’ performance in mathematics was above the national average, and that there was no significant difference in attainment between boys and girls. The inspection evidence reflects the results in the most recent national assessments, and shows that standards of attainment at the age of 11 are above the national expectation.

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English

81. In lessons and in work seen, most of the older pupil show a very good mathematical understanding in number. Their mental recall of number facts is very good and supports work in other areas of mathematics. Most pupils carry out calculations with numbers to 10,000 and express numbers to the nearest 100 and 1,000 accurately and with confidence. Most pupils successfully use decimals to three places, double them and express them accurately as fractions. Pupils show good understanding when exploring number patterns and sequences and order decimals quickly and accurately. They show good knowledge of shape and space, calculating the areas and perimeters of simple and compound shapes, and a good understanding of symmetry. Pupils develop a sound range of strategies for problem solving and effectively apply different methods when making calculations.

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English

82. Pupils make good progress in all aspects of their work. They extend their skills in mental recall in Years 3 and 4. They show an increasing confidence in carrying out calculations and in using decimals accurately. Their knowledge of space and shape is extended through some effective practical work. Progress accelerates towards the end of the school, because the teaching is more challenging. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support in lessons, are given appropriately challenging tasks and also make good progress. Higher- attaining pupils also make good progress through good planning for their needs.

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English

83. Appropriate emphasis is placed on teaching mathematical skills in other subjects. Pupils are taught to measure and record accurately in science lessons. They also make good use of different types of charts and graphs to analyse data collected in geography and science lessons, using information technology to present their findings. Teachers emphasise and reinforce mathematical terms in lessons and display vocabulary lists related to the subject on the classroom walls. They encourage pupils to talk about mathematics during lessons and to compare or share different methods with their group or the whole class.

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English

84. Pupils’ attitudes to mathematics are good. They show interest and enthusiasm, listen carefully to explanations, are keen to participate in question-and-answer sessions and offer their ideas and methods confidently. When working independently, pupils work quietly, selecting appropriate equipment or resources with a minimum of fuss. When required to work together, they do so in a supportive and co-operative manner. In all the lessons observed, pupils were well behaved and sustained concentration well.

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English

85. The quality of teaching is good overall, with teaching ranging from very good to satisfactory in the lessons observed. Where teaching is very good, expectations are high and lessons are lively, with a good balance of time spent in whole-class work, practical activities and written tasks. For example, in one lesson a challenging mental mathematics session involved pupils using, then explaining, different strategies to calculate a sequence of numbers. The pupils were then given their learning objectives, before working on different ways of calculating the perimeters of shapes. They were able to extend a formula, calculate the perimeter of a more complex shape and then explain it to the class. In another lesson, pupils made only satisfactory progress because they were not challenged to extend new knowledge sufficiently. Following a brisk mental mathematics session, converting centimetres to metres, the pupils were taught a method of subtraction involving counting

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English

on in hundreds, tens and units using a number line. The whole-class demonstration of the new method was protracted and permitted very little time for pupils to consolidate and extend their learning, using different examples. Teachers have successfully adapted a common planning format and the structure of lessons is generally good. Teachers provide clear explanations to the class before they commence focused tasks. For example, in one lesson the teacher used pupils to set out addition sums on the board, using the method of partitioning numbers to exemplify the correct use of setting out and place value. Some good displays extend pupils’ learning, with mathematical signs, terms, tables and number patterns displayed prominently in Droxford Junior School - 27 classrooms. The use of computers is developing, but they could be used more consistently in lessons. The provision for homework is good.

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English

86. The school has satisfactorily addressed the weaknesses identified in the last inspection report. There is a good scheme of work for mathematics, based on the new National Numeracy Strategy. There are thorough assessment procedures in place, including a series of formal tests at the end of each half term. Teachers’ plans take into account the needs of pupils of different prior attainment. The basic provision of resources in each classroom has been improved. A subject action plan clearly identifies future developments, which include developing further strategies for pupils to use and apply mathematical skills in problem-solving activities. The acting co-ordinator has observed lessons and given teachers feedback on their use of mental mathematics. At the time of the last inspection, standards were in line with national expectations. The school has made good use of training initiatives to support mathematics and raise standards. The subject is well led and managed.

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English

87. Analysis of the national 1999 tests for 11-year-olds shows that the proportion of pupils reaching the expected level or above was well above average. The proportion reaching the higher levels was also well above the national average. When compared to attainment in similar schools, the proportion reaching Level 4 was average, whilst that reaching the higher levels was well above average . Results in the tests for the three - year period from 1996 to 1998 show that attainment for boys was above the national average, whilst that for girls was close to the average. Boys’ attainment has been steadily improving, whilst that of girls has remained stable. Based on the average of the levels reached in the tests in 1999, attainment in relation to all schools was well above average and above average for similar schools. The assessments conducted by the teachers, in 1999, reveal a similar pattern of attainment to that found in the tests. This significant improvement in overall

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standards of attainment is born out by the inspection findings.

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88. On the evidence of lessons, discussions with pupils and work seen, pupils’ levels of attainment are above national expectations. By the age of 11 years, pupils know the major parts of the body, including the major bones and joints. They understand the heart’s chief function as part of the respiratory system. They know how a poor diet affects health and what to do to stay healthy. They understand electrical circuitry and its application to familiar domestic devices. They have a good understanding of how light is reflected. Pupils at this age recognise the need for fair tests to ensure reliable conclusions from experiments. They demonstrate an increasing knowledge and understanding of life processes and living things. They use scientific terms appropriately in predicting the outcome of experiments and in recording findings. They know that light travels and explain how shadows are formed.

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English

89. The progress made by pupils, including those with special educational needs, is good and is consistent as they move through the school. When pupils enter the school their attainment is average. As they move through Year 3, they steadily develop their understanding of the nature of scientific ideas and of how they are generated through observation and experiment. This is evident, for instance, when they investigate the requirements for a healthy diet by keeping a tally of the foods they eat over a week. They learn to predict results and to root their conclusions in the evidence they gather. They increase their knowledge at a good rate in Year 4, when they extend their study of the relationship between diet and healthy living. In this work they come to a growing awareness of the practical applications of science and how the results of scientific investigations affect our daily lives. In Year 5, when the pupils explore the physics of light, they show an increasing sophistication in

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their use of the appropriate scientific terminology as they investigate the characteristics of mirror images. They learn to observe more acutely and acquire a keener eye for significant detail in their observations. For example, some of the higher-attaining pupils saw the relationship between what they discovered in their work on reflection and the investigation of reflective symmetry in mathematics. As they enter Year 6, they further extend their knowledge and improve their skills in using mathematical and graphic skills to represent and interpret the results of observations.

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English

90. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. They show real interest and curiosity in their investigations and are very eager to observe and record their findings accurately and neatly. They are sensible during experimental work and usually listen attentively and work well together. They are responsible when working with equipment and materials. They enjoy using computers to research, for example, the skeletal structure of the body. In Year 6, Droxford Junior School - 28 they use information technology to record the results of their investigation of insects. The standard of written presentation is good. Pupils can be trusted to carry out a range of tasks, including helping to look after the plants and flowers.

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English

91. The teaching of science is good. Teachers’ medium and long-term planning is good. A strength of teaching is the clarity with which the teachers communicate the point of the lesson to the pupils. Teachers generally match the content of lessons well to pupils’ levels of attainment. When asking questions, for instance, they challenge the higher-attaining pupils with more probing questions during the investigations about mirror images. They devote appropriate time on developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding about how to carry out a fair test, and in letting pupils investigate and experiment. Teachers insist on good standards of writing and encourage pupils to present their work well. They usually give pupils plenty of time to explain their views, as when investigating the different effects of light and mirrors. They encourage independence in investigations and allow pupils’ ideas to develop on the basis of what they observe. Teachers have good relationships with pupils

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English

and this supports the good behaviour in all lessons. Teachers mark pupils’ work accurately.

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English

92. The previous inspection found standards in science to be satisfactory, with weaknesses in pupils’ skills in carrying out investigations and experiments. There were weaknesses in teachers’ knowledge of science and their work was not supported by a scheme of work. The inspection also found that assessment was unsatisfactory. Resources were judged to be inadequate. A significant number of improvements have been made since the last inspection. Standards of attainment have improved considerably. The quality of teaching has improved and pupils’ knowledge of the full range of the science curriculum is above average. Assessments are used effectively to evaluate pupils’ progress. The subject is in a good position from which it can move forward and is well led, though the co-ordinator is currently on long-term leave. Resources for teaching science are good.

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English

93. Attainment in information technology is in line with national expectations at the age of 11. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 learn to develop their word processing skills, using keyboard punctuation. Most pupils save their files to the hard drive for later retrieval. They plot simple data into the computer to analyse it. For example, the results of local traffic surveys and pulse rates from experiments were accurately converted into block graphs by pupils, who saved these results in their own files. They use a basic mathematics program to practise subtraction skills at different levels. In Years 5 and 6, pupils extend their word processing skills. They modify text on the screen by using different fonts and incorporating graphics or pictures. Older pupils create pie charts from their insect studies in science. They use a control box to build a procedure to switch a lamp on and off, and they create set sequences of their own. Pupils are given opportunities to use CD-ROMS and the

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English

Internet to research information about artists, composers, and figures from history for their project work. For example, Year 6 pupils, as part of their Victorian studies, used the Internet to gather information about child chimney sweeps, including testimonies from actual workers.

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English

94. Progress is satisfactory throughout the school. Much of the teaching of information technology is done through cross-curricular links. Consequently, progress in the use of information technology is regularly and effectively reinforced across subject areas. Pupils develop their word processing skills steadily throughout the school and Year 6 pupils use the mouse and keyboard confidently. More complex control and monitoring skills are acquired by older pupils, who learn to control mechanisms linked to computers as part of their design technology projects. Younger pupils receive adult support when using the Internet to research different topics. Older pupils access the Internet independently to support their learning in class. They make research links in art, geography, history, literature, music and science. For example, Year 6 pupils learned a good deal about the Brecon Beacons from different web sites, prior to going on their residential visit. There is no difference

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English

between the progress of boys or girls, since teachers ensure that there is equal access to computers and available software. Pupils who have special educational needs are given suitable help when using computers and therefore make satisfactory progress. Higher-attaining pupils are effectively supported in the more sophisticated uses of information technology and they make steady gains in the development of their skills.

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English

95. Pupils’ response to using information technology is good. When sharing computers, pupils co-operate well and discuss how to achieve the desired results. Pupils take good care of equipment, listen attentively when being Droxford Junior School - 29 instructed in the use of computers and are generally enthusiastic when given the opportunity to use them. Increasingly, they develop good independent study skills using CD-ROMS and the Internet for research. Pupils who have computers at home use them regularly to research facts for homework. Droxford Junior School - 30 96. Very little direct teaching of information technology was seen during the inspection, so there is insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement about the quality of teaching. All teachers ensure that there are regular opportunities to use computers in other subjects and plan for all pupils to have regular access to machines. Teachers generally demonstrate a task or series of skills to the whole class together, then ensure that each

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pupil has the chance to repeat the task and consolidate the skills during the following week. Teachers have sound knowledge and skills and they plan effectively using nationally produced materials that ensure good coverage of the National Curriculum. They make good use of helpers, when available, in lessons to support learning. For example, in a geography lesson, a parent helped younger pupils to further their own research on waste bins in the village, by enabling them to access relevant information on the Winchester City Council website. Available computers and word processing machines are well used and are not left idle in classrooms. Teachers are aware of available software, which they use to develop a range of skills.

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English

97. Since the last inspection, the school has developed its own scheme of work for information technology. It has also begun to develop assessment procedures, with pupils saving all their work in individual files and teachers recording and assessing pupils’ understanding and skills on set tasks. Resources have improved. There are now two computers in each classroom and a better range of software, which continues to be developed. Standards have been maintained in the subject, and the newly appointed co-ordinator is implementing a realistic action plan to raise standards further in the next year. The subject is satisfactorily led.

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Religious education

98. The standards reached by the great majority of pupils aged 11 are at the level expected by the local education authority’s agreed syllabus for the provision of religious education. Pupils have a satisfactory level of knowledge of Christianity, its main beliefs and rituals. They have a secure knowledge of the relationship between Christian and Jewish festivals, traditions and rites of passage. A few have a good knowledge of stories of creation and myths of origin in different cultures. Many show a capacity for reflection on their feelings about matters of deep significance in their lives. Their involvement with the local church and community leads them to a good understanding of the place of religious practices in the lives of believers. Pupils are good, too, at using the language of feeling in describing their responses to world events. They have a satisfactory level of insight into world religions, most being confident in their understanding of the

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differences between, for example, Christian and Islamic patterns of belief and practice.

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Religious education

99. Pupils make good progress across the school in the development of religious knowledge and in applying what they learn to their lives. In Year 3, they progress steadily in the development of their awareness of Christian beliefs and ceremonies and in their capacity to describe them. Their knowledge of the Bible develops at a satisfactory rate, as does their understanding of other world religions. In Year 4 there is some good progress in the development of the understanding of Christian beliefs and the related principles that inform moral choice, particularly as these relate to friendship. This arises through the skilled telling of Bible stories. There is a growing awareness, at this stage, of the reasons why certain things are important or precious in people’s lives. In Year 5 pupils make good progress in the development of moral and religious awareness and this is further developed in Year 6. Those pupils with special educational needs and higher-attaining pupils make good

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progress in religious knowledge and understanding and in the appreciation of the point and purpose of religious beliefs in their lives.

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Religious education

100. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good and they behave well in lessons. Most pupils are interested in all matters related to religious and moral beliefs and practices. They are willing to discuss their own beliefs and compare them with those of other cultures. They share ideas when the opportunity arises. They listen to one another and are keen to provide justification for their views. Pupils show interest in, and respect for, religious beliefs and practices other than their own. They are eager to share and justify their own beliefs. The visit to the local church stimulated their curiosity and many produced some good writing as a result of that visit. They prepared a Jewish sabbath meal with great decorum.

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Religious education

101. The overall quality of teaching is good, with some very good teaching. A strength of the best lessons is the teachers’ skill in telling stories from the Bible, engaging the pupils’ interests in these stories and leading the pupils to see the relationship between the stories and the principles that guide their lives. This was also a Droxford Junior School - 31 feature of assemblies, where, for example, the skilled telling of the story of Joseph generated rapt attention. Assemblies enhance the teaching of religious education. Assessment is used satisfactorily to support learning and in planning for future provision.

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Religious education

102. The curriculum meets the requirements of the county’s agreed syllabus. Following the previous inspection, the school responded to the judgement that arrangements were insufficient to provide an adequate programme of religious education. At that time religious education was subsumed into a broader topic and it was difficult to identify its particular contribution. The good leadership of the subject has led to significant improvements in the planning of religious education. All matters raised in the report on the previous inspection have been addressed appropriately.

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Art

103. Very few lessons were observed during the inspection, and judgements take into account interviews with pupils and teachers and the scrutiny of work. Pupils are taught painting skills, making satisfactory progress when learning to mix colours from the start of Key Stage 2. They are encouraged to consider different colour patterns and contrasts when, for example, as a result of their work on the Old Testament Joseph, they design their own dream coats. Pupils in Year 3 and 4 sketch views through the windows of old houses in the village, paying good attention to detail when learning to consider proportion and scale. They study the work of Henry Moore, sketching from photographic images of his sculptures in pencil, then making similar three-dimensional models of their own designs in clay. In one lesson, pupils made good progress learning, then practising, joining techniques with pieces of clay and using a good range of tools to produce smooth surfaces to their models.

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Art

They were encouraged to look closely at the detail of the finished models, talk about them to each other and consider why they chose certain favourites. Year 4 and 5 pupils learn to print, using string print blocks. They also study and use the patterns of Paul Klee when drawing with pastels. Year 5 and 6 pupils make designs and collages in the style of Gustav Klimt, writing descriptions of their patterns. Overall, pupils are taught a good range of skills and techniques, are exposed to many different artists and styles and make good progress throughout the school. Boys and girls achieve equivalent standards of attainment and develop their skills at similar rates. Pupils with special educational needs are well integrated and involved during lessons, and also make good progress.

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Art

104. Pupils’ attitudes in art lessons are good. They enjoy lessons, listen very well to teachers’ introductions, use visual aids sensibly and try hard to achieve good standards. They take a pride in their work and enjoy the success of other pupils. They offer positive criticism and assessment of their own work. Teaching is good overall throughout the school. Teachers encourage pupils to research the work of chosen artists, using books, the Internet and a good range of reproductions. They encourage pupils to use specific vocabulary when they work and in discussing the displays. They teach specific skills and make good use of a full range of teaching materials. Good use is also made of local artists. For example, one local artist is designing a stained glass window for the Millennium celebrations, using ideas from pupils’ designs in the school. Another artist has lent two-dimensional sketches of three-dimensional work to the school, to help younger pupils in their topic on

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Art

105. Since the last inspection, the school has drawn up a satisfactory scheme of work, using nationally agreed guidelines. Resources and equipment are good, and teachers’ planning ensures that pupils experience a good range of media. Completed work is displayed prominently in classrooms and around the school. Improvements have been made since the last inspection, when some weaknesses in planning, teaching and assessment led to inconsistent standards. 106.

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Design and technology

106. The subject is organised on a topic basis and a project is studied for a term. It was only possible to see one lesson. Teacher’s planning shows that all pupils completed a range of projects. Discussions with staff and pupils indicate that pupils are making satisfactory progress. Droxford Junior School - 32 107. By the age of 11, pupils show sound skills in measuring, cutting and shaping in a range of materials. Through the projects, pupils learn to evaluate their work as it develops. They show a satisfactory understanding of what is required to ensure that designs will be successful. Pupils make good use of knowledge acquired in other subjects, such as science, and apply this to the projects on which they are working. Pupils all understand about following the correct procedures, engaging in research, planning and design and making and evaluating. Care is taken over the initial planning of a project. The work on display

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Design and technology

provides evidence of a satisfactory knowledge of working with gears. Good links are made with other subjects, for example, history, where chariots are made to complement the work on Romans.

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Design and technology

108. Pupils respond satisfactorily to the subject and are articulate and enthusiastic about their work. They describe the materials that they use and the techniques explored in the making process. They generally show commitment and perseverance in their work. They understand how to use tools safely, work well together when required and follow instructions. There is an appropriate range of resources and raw materials, which are easily accessible. With the increase of resources, the restructuring of the policy and the increased knowledge and understanding of the teachers, the subject has improved since the previous inspection.

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Design and technology

109. Very little teaching was seen during the inspection; judgements are mainly based on interviews with teachers and pupils and the scrutiny of work. In Years 3 and 4, pupils use a study of the village of Droxford to learn more about location, land use, services, transport and environmental matters. In one lesson, pupils worked in small groups on different local issues, examining and interpreting their findings from the previous week’s field study. They analysed the results of a traffic survey along the A32, using a data-handling computer program, to consider whether there is a need for a pelican crossing. Another group, who had conducted a survey on litterbins in the village, wrote a report to Winchester City Council with their views on the adequacy of the provision. Other groups produced some good work compiling a tourist leaflet for the village, suggesting realistic improvements for the local playing park and playing field. The pupils made good progress, because

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Design and technology

they were given good opportunities to ask relevant questions, consider a range of relevant issues and to present their own findings in a clear and meaningful manner. The class also used the perceptions of their pen friends, who had visited Droxford from an inner-city school in Southampton, to help them in their local study.

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Design and technology

110. Map skills are taught sequentially during Key Stage 2. Pupils draw well-defined aerial views of objects and their classroom, before learning to study and interpret local maps. Their knowledge of the British Isles and use of atlas skills develop progressively throughout the key stage. Older pupils visited Southampton to conduct a study on land use and location and reach good standards in their work. They used the relocation of the football stadium to interview different people, finding out the views of shopkeepers, residents and other interested parties to consider advantages and disadvantages of the proposed plan. This led to a good understanding of the way changes to the environment affect people’s lives. Year 6 pupils used their knowledge of river features, gained on a local trip to the Meon Valley, to make clear comparisons when they visited the Brecon Beacons on their school visit. Overall, pupils make good progress in acquiring and using geographical knowledge and

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Design and technology

skills. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support in lessons, and also make good progress.

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Design and technology

111. Pupils enjoy local studies and visits further afield. They enjoy using maps and learning about places in different countries. They work together well in groups, are given good opportunities to conduct their own research and engage in some independent studies. Teachers use an enquiry-based approach consistently well, to make studies stimulating and relevant to the needs of the pupils. Since the last inspection, new national guidelines have been adopted to help to create a balanced curriculum. This includes the integration of skills with a broad range of themes. Good links are made with art, history, literacy, numeracy and information technology. Standards have improved since the last inspection. The subject is well led and managed.

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Design and technology

112. The overall attainment of 11 year-olds is above that found in most schools. Pupils make good progress throughout the key stage. This is an improvement on the previous inspection findings. As pupils mature, they develop good skills of observation and interpretation as well as a sound factual knowledge and come to understand the question of evidence and its reliability. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a good factual Droxford Junior School - 33 knowledge of the periods they have studied and increasingly understand how to use a variety of historical evidence and sources of information to develop this. Droxford Junior School - 34 113. In Year 3, pupils begin to develop a good sense of chronology and see the connections between the periods they have studied in the history curriculum and put them in order. In their study of the history of Droxford, they begin to learn about different methods of historical enquiry and to distinguish between primary and

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Design and technology

secondary evidence. By the end of Year 6, pupils pose questions about the periods they have studied as well as answer them. The simulated Victorian day in class demonstrated that pupils have a clear understanding of the differences between then and now. Most empathise easily with the children of the period. Pupils draw together their knowledge about famous Victorians and events to make hypotheses about what it was like to live at that time.

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Design and technology

114. The history curriculum has good links well with the geographical study of Droxford and work in English on Victorians. Pupils make satisfactory use of information technology to record the results of their research and word process other examples of their work. The subject makes a very good contribution to the literacy strategy by presenting opportunities for extended writing; higher-attaining pupils, in particular, make good use of this to produce some very sophisticated pieces of work on Charles Darwin and Oscar Wilde.

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Design and technology

115. Pupils’ response to history is very good. They settle quickly in their lessons, are clearly interested and keen to discuss their ideas, often producing perceptive ideas about the period that they are studying. They persevere with tasks and take care with presentation of writing and illustrations. When pupils work together in groups, they do so very well and show respect for the views and efforts of others. In lessons, pupils behave very well. They are given many opportunities for independent research and the development of interpretative skills, while making good use of the library and the Internet.

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Design and technology

116. The quality of teaching is good and, when the teaching is at its best, the teacher has very good subject knowledge and high expectations of the pupils. These are linked to extremely careful, systematic and imaginative planning to produce lessons of great interest and varied pace which keep pupils very busy and highly interested.

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Design and technology

117. The policy and scheme of work together provide a good basis for teachers to plan for the progressive development of pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding which is reflected in their improvement since the previous inspection. Resources, including artefacts, are good and well used. The subject is well led and managed.

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Design and technology

118. Only one music lesson was seen during the period of the inspection. Other evidence is drawn from extra- curricular activities and conversations with pupils and teachers.

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Design and technology

119. Throughout the school, pupils’ attainment in music is similar to that found in most schools. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and the higher attainers, make satisfactory progress in all aspects of their work. This accords with the findings of the previous inspection. Pupils develop their knowledge of music from different times and cultures and use music as a source of inspiration in other lessons such as art and dance. Pupils’ listening skills are developing well and in the lesson on Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony pupils showed good understanding of timbre, texture, dynamics and tempo. Through their good language skills they were able to describe their feelings on listening to the music.

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Design and technology

120. Attitudes to learning are good. Pupils show an interest in music and are always keen to show what they can do. The enthusiasm for music is apparent, as nearly half of the pupils in the school learn an instrument and a quarter of the school sing in the choir. Pupils sing with enjoyment and expression. They have good control and pay attention to pitch, tempo and volume. In choir practice, pupils learn new songs, some of which are quite challenging and they perform these well. These opportunities make a good contribution to pupils’ social and cultural development.

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Design and technology

121. The lesson and the extra-curricular activities observed showed good teacher knowledge and understanding that enabled pupils to obtain maximum benefit from the music session. The continual use of the appropriate vocabulary ensures that pupils become familiar with musical terms. The policy, which has recently been Droxford Junior School - 35 adopted, concentrates on listening and composing, and listening and appraising, and is based on the county’s music policy. The provision for music is well led and managed. With an adequate range of instruments, all pupils get good opportunities to experiment with composition and performing.

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Design and technology

122. The overall standard attained by 11-year-olds is above average in gymnastics and average in games for pupils at this stage. The great majority of pupils in Year 6 are on target to swim unaided, competently and safely for at least 25 metres before they leave the school; a significant minority already achieves this target. Pupils respond imaginatively to the range of challenges offered in gymnastics. They are skilled at practising, improving and refining their sequences. They reach high standards in performing and in planning in gymnastics. They are also confident and articulate in the evaluation of their work. In games they demonstrate a sound level of skill in controlling, dribbling and passing and have a good knowledge of the rules and basic tactics of netball and football. They adjust their pace, invade, pivot and defend well in netball. They sustain energetic activity over a good period of time and demonstrate a good knowledge of what happens to their

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Design and technology

bodies during exercise. They prepare for, and recover from, vigorous activity through appropriate ‘warm-up’ and ‘cool-down’ exercises. There has been a good level of attainment in extra-curricular competitive games and sport for a school of this size.

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Design and technology

123. Overall, the progress the pupils make in the development of skills in planning, performing and evaluating their performances and those of their peers is good. The progress pupils make in Year 3 in the development of gymnastics is very good: they establish a growing awareness of their bodies in space, forming and sustaining various balances at different levels. In games, they progress at a good rate in, for example, the improvement of their tactical awareness. Progress is mainly good through Year 4, as the pupils steadily improve, for example, the quality of their balances in gymnastics. Good progress is sustained by the pupils through Year 5 and into Year 6 in all aspects of their work. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in the full range of provision through good support in lessons. Higher-attaining pupils also make good progress in the development of skills and in their capacity for refining their performances through evaluation and practice.

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Design and technology

They are encouraged to reach for the full extent of their competence.

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Design and technology

124. Pupils’ attitudes to physical education are very good. They enjoy the good range of activities they experience and participate with enthusiasm. The pupils engage in activities with great enthusiasm and work really hard at practising and refining their sequences in gymnastics. They demonstrate a clear awareness of the principles of safety, particularly when they are preparing apparatus for gymnastics lessons or when engaged in vigorous activity on the outdoor, hard surface. They are particularly good in attending to safety in the small hall in which many of their activities take place. Pupils collaborate well when planning their sequences in gymnastics. They are willing to provide simple evaluations of their performances and those of their peers when given the opportunity. Their skills in independent learning are evident in their work in gymnastics, where they work in a very focused way on their movement sequences on the floor and across the apparatus. Behaviour is good and

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Design and technology

pupils relate well to one another when they are involved in developing their work together. They abide by the rules of the games they play and show a good level of sportsmanship, winning and losing with equal grace.

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Design and technology

125. The overall quality of teaching is very good. There were no significant weaknesses in any of the lessons seen. The teachers have worked hard to improve their skills in this area of teaching. They now have a good knowledge of what they teach and are very skilled at engaging the pupils in activities that are appropriate to their levels of prior attainment. Some very effective teaching of gymnastics in Year 3, for instance, provided a sequence of activities that became progressively more demanding and challenged pupils at all levels of attainment. The teacher moved about the class very effectively and supported those who were experiencing difficulties, whilst at the same time urging on the higher-attaining pupils to the full extent of their competence. In netball, maintaining a good match between the sequence of practices and the structure of the game strengthened teaching. This was particularly evident in a Year 5/6 lesson, where the pace of the activities was

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Design and technology

excellent. Sharply-defined practices led clearly to well-organised small game practices. Planning is generally very good: joint planning ensures that all classes in the same year cover the same content. Teachers use a very good range of methods and strategies for managing pupils: the organisation of the apparatus in the teaching of gymnastics, for instance, is managed well, with due regard to matters of safety. All lessons have a good pace and use resources well. Assessment of pupils’ work in lessons through clearly targeted feedback is a feature of Droxford Junior School - 36 most lessons. Occasionally, feedback to pupils tends to be of a general nature and does not provide a clear indication of how to improve performance. The teachers do well to manage the large classes so effectively in the confined indoor space. The use of the paired arrangements by which pupils partner one another in their learning is used to good effect in overcoming the difficulties created by the small hall.

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Design and technology

126. A good range of extra-curricular provision enriches the curriculum. The leadership and management of the area are very good. The monitoring of teaching and learning is effective. Assessment is used satisfactorily to inform curriculum planning. A satisfactory range of resources is used well. There is very limited indoor accommodation. Outdoor accommodation is very good.

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Design and technology

127. The inspection of this school included a focused view of swimming, which is reported below.

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Design and technology

128. Swimming is taught only to Years 3 and 4 in six 30-minute lessons. Pupils achieve good standards in swimming and make good progress in the development of skills and confidence in the water. Eighty-six per cent of pupils leaving the school in 1999 reached the expected standard in swimming. This represents an improvement on the previous year, when 83 per cent reached that standard. A significant minority of these pupils exceeded the expected standard. From the swimming teacher’s records, it is expected that the current Year 6 pupils will repeat these standards. A few pupils will not swim confidently without aids at the age of 11. Appropriate assessment is made of pupils’ levels of skill. Good records are kept about the competence levels of the pupils; these are also kept in the school. These records are passed on to the pupils’ secondary schools.

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Design and technology

129. No swimming was observed during the inspection. The overall quality of provision is good. Swimmers and non-swimmers are provided with an appropriate range of swimming and other water-based activities. A qualified swimming teacher teaches pupils. Swimming lessons are taken at a nearby junior school; this requires transport by coach. Two teachers and four parents support the visit to the pool. These arrangements are expensive, but work well. 130. Droxford Junior School - 37 130. PART C: INSPECTION DATA

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SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

130. The team consisted of four inspectors, who spent a combined total of ten inspection days in the school. During the inspection, 26 lessons, covering all year groups and all teachers, were observed. The total time spent in classes, discussion with pupils and the evaluation of their work was 41 hours. Nineteen other observations, covering registration, display work, pupils’ written work and playground activity were undertaken. The helpful documentation provided by the school was analysed before and during the inspection. There were 40 questionnaire responses from parents, many of which included written comments; these were analysed and used to inform the inspection of relevant aspects of the school.

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SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

131. All available written work of a sample of nine pupils from each year group, representing the full range of attainment, was inspected. There was further inspection of work completed by pupils deemed to have special educational needs. Around 20 meetings were held with members of staff to explore aspects of management and administration and to provide feedback on the inspection findings. The Registered Inspector and the Lay Inspector met representatives of the governing body before and during the inspection to explore their level of involvement in the life of the school. The Registered Inspector held a meeting, attended by 43 parents, prior to the inspection. Droxford Junior School - 38 132. DATA AND INDICATORS

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SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

Number of pupils on roll (full-time equivalent) Number of pupils with statements of SEN Number of pupils on school's register of SEN Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals Y3- Y6 113 1 25 6

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Qualified teachers (Y3 – Y6)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent) 5 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.32

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Education support staff (Y3 – Y6)

Total number of education support staff 2 Total aggregate hours worked each week 36

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Financial data

£ Total Income 192555 Total Expenditure 185273 Expenditure per pupil 1684.30 Balance brought forward from previous year 6286 Balance carried forward to next year 13568 Droxford Junior School - 39

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PARENTAL SURVEY

Number of questionnaires sent out: 113 Number of questionnaires returned: 40

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PARENTAL SURVEY

Responses (percentage of answers in each category) :

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PARENTAL SURVEY

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 35 45 15 5 0 I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 35 55 5 5 0 The school handles complaints from parents well 13 40 28 3 0 The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 5 40 25 20 5 The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)'s progress 15 45 15 18 3 The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 13 65 10 5 0

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PARENTAL SURVEY

The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 35 58 5 0 0 I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 18 55 5 15 3 The school's values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 35 48 13 0 0 The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 33 58 5 0 0 My child(ren) like(s) school 43 50 3 5 0

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