Bosmere Junior School

BOSMERE JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24 th to 26 th November 2003

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BOSMERE JUNIOR SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Bosmere Junior School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Junior School category: Community Age range of pupils: 7 to 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll; 356 School address: South Street Havant Postcode: PO9 1DA Telephone number: 023 9248 2988 Fax number: 023 9249 9379 Appropriate authority: Governing Body, Bosmere Junior School Name of chair of governors: Dr R Dunn Date of previous inspection: September 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Bosmere Junior School is bigger than most schools of the same type and has 167 boys and 189 girls in 12 classes. The school serves a mixed area of private and local authority housing. Fifty- one pupils have special educational needs (SEN) and two pupils have statements of SEN. This is below average. The largest group of these pupils has dyslexia. There are 2.5 per cent of pupils whose mother tongue is not English but none is at an early stage of learning to speak the language. This is slightly above average. During the last school year, eight pupils joined and 14 left at other than the normal times of entry and leaving. This rate of turnover is below average. Pupils enter the school at broadly average levels of attainment. The school is taking part in the Leadership Development Strategy in Primary Schools.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

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.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, 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. Bosmere Junior School - 3

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

22745 Rosalind Johns Lead inspector History, music, personal, social and health education, English as an additional language. 9977 Fran Luke Lay inspector 15271 Brian Farley Team inspector English, information and communication technology, religious education, special educational needs. 15917 Bob Cross Team inspector Science, geography, physical education. 11769 Jim Bishop Team inspector Mathematics, art and design, design and technology.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.oftsed.gov.uk). Bosmere Junior School - 4

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 7

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 7

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Bosmere Junior School is a good school with very good features in its work. From the time they enter the school, consistently good teaching and good systems for tracking progress ensure that all groups of pupils achieve well. In mathematics and science, they achieve very well. Very good leadership and management provide strong drive and direction for the work of the school. The school gives good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• In Year 6, pupils reach well above average standards in mathematics and science and above average standards in art and design, music, dance and gymnastics. • The very good leadership and management ensure that there is clear vision, high aspirations and a constant focus on pupils’ achievement. • The very positive work ethos of the school means that pupils of all abilities take learning seriously and want to succeed. • Pupils’ attendance, attitudes, behaviour and relationships are all very good and are firmly rooted in the high quality of the school's provision for their moral and social development. • The high status given to the creative and performing arts and the school's very good provision for activities outside the classroom help to give pupils a well-rounded education. • The school's very good systems for ensuring pupils’ care, welfare and safety create a happy and stable environment where learning can flourish.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The curriculum is unsatisfactory as statutory requirements in religious education (RE) and swimming are not met. • Pupils’ writing skills are not developed well enough and too many undemanding worksheets limit their scope and imagination as writers. • Many subject managers have a lot of expertise and experience but their roles are not well developed.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

There has been a good improvement since the school was last inspected in 1998. Teaching and learning are consistently good and good assessment procedures now enable teachers to base their planning on a thorough knowledge of pupils’ needs and capabilities. Statutory requirements have been met in reporting aspects of the school's work to parents but key issues regarding religious education and governance have been addressed but not successfully completed. High standards in key aspects of the school's work have been maintained or improved since the last inspection. Parents continue to regard the school highly.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English B A D D mathematics A A A A science A A* A A* Key: A* - In top five per cent of schools in the country; A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average. Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is good. During the inspection, standards were well above average in mathematics and science, above average in art and design, music, dance and gymnastics, average in English, Bosmere Junior School - 6 information and communication technology (ICT) and history and below average in RE and swimming. There was insufficient evidence to make judgements in design and technology (DT), personal, social and health education (PSHE) and geography.

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Pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

are very good. Their attitudes to learning, behaviour and relationships are very good so that in classrooms there is an atmosphere of enjoyment and hard work. Attendance is very good and pupils are always ready for a prompt start to lessons.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are good. There are no weak links in teaching in this school and this is why pupils achieve well, and in some subjects very well, as they move through the school. Lessons are usually well-organised with a good balance between carefully structured activities, sharp direct teaching and precise questioning. Teachers also have high expectations of pupils’ response and pace of work. The few weaknesses in teaching include some over direction which limits pupils’ independence to choose and take risks in their learning. Very good activities outside the classroom provide pupils with a rich variety of interesting and challenging experiences. Very good levels of care result in a happy, orderly community. Very good links with the community and good links with other schools mean that the school can use outside resources and expertise to help pupils. The RE curriculum is unsatisfactory

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

as pupils do not learn enough about religion and lack understanding of its influence upon their own lives and upon others. Pupils have too few opportunities to learn to swim.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good . The strong and incisive leadership of the headteacher means that there is a constant drive to improve or maintain high standards in all aspects of the school's work. There is good leadership and management of provision for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and more able and gifted and talented pupils. The skills of subject managers are not being used enough to enable them to play a key role in developing their areas of responsibility. Governors are committed to the school. They have not ensured that all statutory requirements have been met.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are very happy with the school. They appreciate the fact that the school combines academic rigour with plenty of opportunities for creativity and fun. Pupils also enjoy coming to school and many commented how much they liked their teachers. Younger pupils especially said that there was nothing they wanted to change.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Raise standards in RE. • Create more opportunities for pupils to use their writing skills. • Use the expertise and experience of subject managers more effectively to allow them to play a key role in developing their subjects and, where necessary, to raise standards.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Governors to ensure that all statutory requirements relating to RE and swimming are met. Bosmere Junior School - 7

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Overall, achievement is good. This includes pupils with SEN, the more able, gifted and talented pupils and those from minority ethnic groups. Standards in mathematics and science are well above average. They are average in English and ICT and below average in RE.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• All groups of pupils achieve well as they move through the school. • Pupils achieve very well in mathematics and science. • Above average standards in art, music, dance and gymnastics are the result of the school's strong focus on the creative arts. • Standards in RE are below average and the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus are not being met. • Pupils are not given enough opportunities for writing to enable them to reach higher standards. • Standards in the presentation of pupils’ work are not high enough in some classes.

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Commentary

1. Standards in the end of Year 6 national tests in 2003 were below average in English and well above average in mathematics and science. Compared with similar schools whose pupils obtained comparable results at the end of Year 2, standards were below average in English, well above average in mathematics and in the top five per cent in the country in science. Standards show an upward trend similar to the national trend with dips in all three subjects in 2001 and 2003. The dip in the English results was particularly marked in 2003. Both these year groups had higher numbers of pupils with SEN. The school did not meet its target for English in the 2003 national tests but exceeded them in mathematics and science.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 26.1 (28.8) 27 (27) Mathematics 28.9 (29.8) 27 (26.7) Science 31.0 (32.4) 28.8 (28.3) There were 90 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. The findings of the inspection are that standards are well above average in mathematics and science, above average in art, music, dance and gymnastics, average in all aspects of English, history and ICT and below average in RE. There was not enough evidence gathered to make valid judgements about DT, PSHE, and geography. Overall achievement is good because pupils receive consistently good teaching from the time they enter the school and teachers use assessment well to plan work that meets individual learning needs. Achievement is very good in mathematics and science because of the high quality of teaching and subject management and because pupils are prepared well for the national tests. It is good in art, music, drama and aspects of PE because of teachers’ subject expertise and the high profile given to these subjects in the school. Achievement is satisfactory in all other subjects where judgements could be made except RE where it is

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Commentary

3. During the inspection, standards in English were judged to be higher than the latest national tests as there are fewer pupils with SEN in the current Year 6. Even so, standards in English have Bosmere Junior School - 8 generally been lower in the national tests than those in science and mathematics. However, in the previous inspection in 1998, standards in English were well above average and teaching and learning were very good. Teaching in English is now judged to be satisfactory. Pupils are not given enough opportunities, either within English or across the curriculum, to build up their skills and stamina as writers. They are given too many worksheets, often requiring predictable or one-word answers and, occasionally, with unnecessary colouring in. These provide superficial coverage of topics, limit pupils’ independence and do little to develop their writing skills. Standards of presentation are also

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Commentary

too variable and the organisation and neatness of pupils’ work are not given a high enough priority in some classes.

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Commentary

4. Standards are the same as in the last inspection in mathematics, science, ICT, history, music and aspects of PE. They are higher in art and design where teaching and learning are now good and there is no sign of the lack of expertise among teachers noted previously. Standards have fallen in RE because, as in the previous inspection, not enough time is allocated to the subject. This means that it is not taught in enough depth or breadth to meet the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. The subject manager has many other responsibilities so that he does not have enough time or opportunity to monitor adequately standards and teaching and learning in RE. It was also reported at the previous inspection that less able pupils did not always achieve as well as other groups of pupils. This is no longer the case. Data also show that, over time, boys outperform girls in English, mathematics and science. The school has monitored this trend and has not reached any

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Commentary

significant findings. During the inspection, no differences were noted in the achievement of boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because they have positive attitudes to learning and support is well planned and taught by all adults. The school's commitment to equality of opportunity ensures that all groups of pupils achieve well.

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Commentary

5. Numeracy skills are developed well across the curriculum. ICT is also used satisfactorily and a good range of new technology is being increasingly used to develop pupils’ skills. The development of literacy skills in other subjects is unsatisfactory. Some teachers rely too heavily on prescriptive worksheets which provide little challenge and do not encourage good recording skills or the careful presentation of work.

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Commentary

6. Discussions with pupils and their views in the questionnaire showed that they felt that they had to work hard at all times. Parents also felt that their children were making as much progress as possible.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. Their attendance is very good. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ attendance is well above the national average. Unauthorised absence is broadly in line with the national average. • The ethos for work is strong and positive and there is an air of enjoyment in lessons. • Pupils meet the school's high expectations of conduct and behave very well in lessons and around the school. • Relationships between pupils, and between pupils and adults, are very good and there is a very high degree of racial harmony. • Although spiritual provision is satisfactory, opportunities for development are limited. • The provision for pupils’ moral and social development is very good. • Pupils’ understanding of cultural diversity is not as good as some other aspects of personal development.

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Commentary

Bosmere Junior School - 9 7. Pupils show a high level of interest in their lessons and concentrate very well on their work. Behaviour is very good at all times, in lessons, around the school and on the playground. Pupils are well aware of the school and class rules and fully understand the difference between right and wrong. At the pre-inspection parents’ meeting, parents confirmed that children were happy and well cared for in school and that behaviour was very good. Parents were also happy that any bullying was dealt with very quickly and effectively. There are high levels of racial harmony throughout the school. In their questionnaires, fewer than one per cent of pupils said that they did not like being at the school. Nearly all said that they had to work hard and that other pupils behaved well and were friendly.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 347 0 0 White – any other White background 4 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 1 0 0 Black or Black British – African 2 0 0 Chinese 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Exclusions

8. Pupils have good opportunities for taking on additional responsibility such as class and school monitors as well as standing for election as team captains. On occasions, pupils also have the opportunity to answer the telephone in the school office. Pupils respond very well to these opportunities. However, in lessons, pupils are sometimes over directed by teachers in their work and become too passive.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 4.2 School data : 0.2 National data: 5.4 National data: 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. 9. Attendance is well above the national median and is, therefore, very good. Unauthorised absence is below the national median. Staff monitor attendance appropriately and receive good support from the education welfare service. Pupils are very eager to come to school and to arrive on time. There have been no exclusions at the school for a number of years.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

10. Pupils have some understanding of spiritual values through the daily whole school and class acts of worship. However, the wider aspects of spirituality in subjects such as English, science and art do not make a significant contribution to pupils’ development, because they are not systematically planned into the curriculum. There has been some improvement in the provision for pupils’ spiritual development since the previous inspection when it was judged to be unsatisfactory. Pupils’ moral and social development is very good because of the strong leadership provided by the headteacher. He and his staff have created a strong ethos of hard work, courtesy, respect, cooperation and tolerance based upon very good relationships between all members of the school community. Pupils’ understanding of the wider aspects of their own culture and the diversity found in Britain are satisfactory but are not fully developed in some subjects, for example, art and music. Religious

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Bosmere Junior School - 10 education also contributes to their understanding of cultural diversity, but since provision is unsatisfactory, this is limited.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good. The strongest features are the equality of access and opportunity for all pupils, activities outside the classroom including sport and the arts, the levels of care for pupils’ welfare, links with the community and the contribution of links with parents to pupils’ learning. Areas requiring improvement include the balance of the curriculum and pupils’ awareness of cultural diversity.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Assessment is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching across the school is consistently good. • The expertise of some teachers enables them to teach subjects in great depth. • High expectations of teachers give pupils of all abilities a chance to shine. • Skilful questioning enables pupils to make best use of their previous learning. • A brisk pace to lessons means that pupils cover a lot of ground. • Good relationships in the classroom create a happy environment for learning. • Teaching for pupils with SEN is effective. • Over direction by teachers means that pupils lose the opportunity to think for themselves. • Some teachers talk for a long time and pupils become passive. • Assessment is generally being used well but weekly plans are not being appropriately adjusted. • There is no whole school approach to marking to enable pupils to improve their work.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 40 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 40 lessons

0 (%) 7 (18%) 25 (62%) 8 (20%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 40 lessons

11. In the previous inspection, although 30 per cent of teaching was reported to be very good or excellent, over 17 per cent was less than satisfactory. A key issue for action was to ensure that the quality of teaching is consistently good. This has been addressed well by the school as, in this inspection, 80 per cent of teaching was good or better and there was no unsatisfactory teaching. Although teaching and learning are strongest in Year 6, there are no weak links in this school. The high standards attained by pupils in Year 6, especially in mathematics and science, are the culmination of the consistently good teaching that they receive from the time they enter the school. Teaching is very good in science and good in all other subjects where judgements could be made except that it is satisfactory in history and unsatisfactory in RE. Nearly all pupils in their questionnaires said that they mainly learned new things in lessons and found them interesting and

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 40 lessons

fun. Ninety-nine per cent of parents in the survey felt that teaching was good and that teachers expected their children to work hard. Bosmere Junior School - 11 12. The most successful teaching in the school is founded securely on teachers’ very good subject knowledge. This gives them a vision of what pupils can achieve so that topics are taught rigorously, presentations are inspiring, connections made between subjects and new knowledge introduced in a clear and systematic way. This was evident in a Year 5 dance lesson linked to Divali when the teacher’s expertise and easy rapport with the pupils encouraged them to apply considerable creative effort in their interpretation of the story of Rama and Sita. Linked to this command of subjects are the demanding and clearly expressed expectations set by teachers so that pupils of all abilities are challenged at their own level. In a Year 3 ICT lesson, pupils made very good progress in making

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 40 lessons

repeat patterns because of the high level of demand and pace of the lesson.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 40 lessons

13. Teachers are also skilled at asking questions which make pupils think carefully before giving their ideas. In a Year 6 science lesson about testing different heart rates, the teacher’s taxing questions encouraged pupils to think scientifically and to make connections between cause and effect as well as carrying out observations methodically. In most classes, there is a sense of urgency in teaching so that lessons maintain pace and vitality and pupils remain eager and alert. In a Year 5 art lesson, the crisp pace set by the teacher enabled pupils to learn concepts quickly in preparation for their portraits of Henry VIII. Teachers are also careful to give accurate and in depth explanations and to introduce and reinforce specific vocabulary so that pupils use it naturally and quickly learn to master technical language across the curriculum. Underpinning these strong features is teachers’ positive

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 40 lessons

and sensitive management of pupils’ behaviour. This means that pupils feel confident to ask questions, learn from mistakes and say when they do not understand.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 40 lessons

14. A general weakness is over direction by teachers which limits pupils’ independence to choose and experiment and to develop their own learning. Occasionally, teachers talk too much so that the pace of the lesson flags as the session becomes protracted and pupils’ good behaviour masks passive listening. Some teachers do not have enough strategies to extend pupils’ speaking skills so that the more articulate tend to dominate discussions.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 40 lessons

15. Teachers and learning support assistants work in close and effective cooperation. Resources for learning, including ICT, are well used. Where pupils have individual education plans (IEPs), the targets set for their learning are clear and achievable. Pupils and their support assistants know the targets and this helps them to identify the progress that they make. However, teachers’ plans do not always give sufficiently clear detail about what pupils are to learn and how this is to be achieved.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 40 lessons

16. The provision for assessment is good across the school and has clearly improved since the last inspection, when it was considered to be a key issue in the school’s report. The results of assessment are now used far more effectively to ensure that all pupils make consistently good progress. The current school improvement plan recognises that there is a need to continue to improve tracking and assessment arrangements. The existing provision established for mathematics is very good. It is particularly effective because it has provided information which supports the setting of individual targets for pupils and enables teachers to make predictions as to the future needs and achievements of groups, classes and year groups. There are plans for a similar approach to be developed for English. The school’s assessment system uses a computer program to facilitate the grouping of pupils and also provides information, which aids the identification

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 40 lessons

of pupils having SEN. A range of tests is used to supply further data concerning pupils’ progress. The results of these tests and data are monitored rigorously. However, some of the assessment arrangements outside English, mathematics and science are at an early stage of development and do not all consistently relate to the levels in the National Curriculum.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 40 lessons

17. Teachers make good use of assessment to inform their medium term planning and to meet the needs of individual pupils, groups and whole classes. Consistent use of planning sheets extends across the school. The way in which teachers adapt their teaching plans to take account of assessments they have made is a growing strength of the school’s provision. However, insufficient consideration is given to the amendment of weekly lesson planning, to take into account teachers’ assessments about how their pupils have achieved in previous lessons. Bosmere Junior School - 12 18. As in the previous inspection, the quality of marking is variable. Since the last inspection, the school has regularly reviewed and adapted its marking policy. However, evidence found from scrutinising the quality of pupils’ work indicates that inconsistencies still exist across the school concerning how work is marked and how pupils can be told of ways to improve their work. The

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 40 lessons

current marking and response policy provides limited guidance to teachers in both these respects. Pupils are regularly involved in helping to assess their work. The school is developing this by increasingly including their pupils in discussions linked to their personal targets.

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The curriculum

Curricular provision is unsatisfactory. There are very good opportunities for curricular enrichment. The school’s accommodation and resources are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is very good range of extra-curricular activities. • Pupils receive good equality of opportunity. • There are strengths in the provision of mathematics and science. • The pupils’ learning is well supported by the creative and performing arts. • Pupils are well prepared for secondary school. • The school’s accommodation and resources promote learning well. • Curricular provision for pupils with SEN and for the more able is good. • Religious education does not meet requirements. • The school’s provision for swimming does not meet requirements. • Writing skills are not developed well enough in other subjects.

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Commentary

19. When the school was last inspected, the curriculum was judged to meet all requirements and to be a strength of the school although too little time was devoted to religious education. Curricular provision is still broad and has a number of strengths. However, it no longer meets requirements in RE or PE and is not, therefore, balanced. The time devoted to the teaching of RE is still insufficient. There is little evidence that pupils have an understanding of the effect religion has on people’s lives. The school does not make adequate provision for swimming and so does not meet National Curriculum requirements for PE. The use of the pupils’ literacy skills, particularly their writing, is not developed well enough in other subjects. This is largely because too many restrictive worksheets are used in subject such as history and geography. This means that pupils do not get enough opportunities to apply the skills they learn in English. This partly explains why standards in English in

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Commentary

the Year 6 national tests are not as good as they are in mathematics and science.

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Commentary

20. Dance, music and drama support the pupils’ learning in other subjects well. For example, during the inspection, pupils were seen developing a dance telling the story of Rama and Sita in a strong link with RE. In conversation, Year 6 pupils remembered what they had been taught about St Lucia in geography in Year 5 largely because of their interest in drama connected with that project. They also remembered being visited by Henry VIII while having a Tudor banquet as part of their work in history. The school’s productions, such as Alice, make strong links between literacy and music. Curricular provision in mathematics and science are also strengths. These subjects are well planned and taught in all aspects of the National Curriculum. They are well resourced and pupils consistently reach high standards in mathematics and science in the end of Year 6 national tests.

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Commentary

21. Pupils do well in this school and all are able to play a full part in its life and participate in all its activities. This gives them good equality of opportunity. Pupils do not receive full opportunity in swimming. The good standards that the pupils reach in Year 6 are one way in which the school prepares them well for secondary education. However, it also gives the pupils a strong sense of pride in achievement and an understanding that hard work is needed to succeed. Its wide range of Bosmere Junior School - 13 extra-curricular activities and its strengths in the creative and performing arts broaden the pupils’ horizons and give them confidence and poise in different situations.

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Commentary

22. Pupils with SEN are usually taught all subjects in class and are well supported by teachers and assistants. Sometimes, they are withdrawn from lessons for more intensive teaching, particularly where they need to focus on tasks undistracted by other activities. For example, in an English lesson, a group of pupils worked very effectively with an assistant in a quiet area when they prepared a play script. IEPs have clear and manageable targets and the criteria that indicate success in their attainment. However, the plans give no indication of appropriate strategies to meet those targets. As a result of recent research, additional reading strategies for more able pupils are being put in place.

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Commentary

23. The school provides a very good range of activities that enrich and extend the curriculum for the pupils. These include educational visits, including a residential trip, visitors to the school and very wide ranging and well attended extra-curricular activities. For example, educational visits have included the D Day museum, Bignor Roman villa, Singleton Open Air Museum and, for Year 6, a five day residential trip to the Isle of Wight. Visitors have included grandparents who talked about being evacuated during World War II, “Romans” from a historical society and the Hampshire Fire Brigade. The wide range of after school clubs available to pupils includes football, art, gymnastics, recorders and a computer club. This provision makes a very positive impact on the pupils’ learning and development.

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Commentary

24. The school has a good range of specialist areas which support the implementation of the curriculum well. These include a music/drama area, a computer suite, a food technology room and a pottery room. Although some classrooms are small, all have access to additional space if needed. There is a good-sized hall, a well stocked library and a number of tutorial rooms which, for example, are used to teach pupils with SEN. The school grounds contain adequately sized field and hard surface areas. The grounds also have a quiet area, a copse and a jumping pit. Resources such as sophisticated ICT equipment, a wide range of musical instruments and extensive provision for English, mathematics and science support teaching and learning well.

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Care, guidance and support

The provision for pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety is very good. The monitoring of pupils’ personal development is good. The involvement of pupils through seeking and acting on their views is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The induction arrangements for pupils when they enter the school are good. • There are very good procedures for health and safety, child protection and first aid. • Adults know pupils well and provide good levels of care for their well-being. • The involvement of pupils in the school’s work and development is satisfactory but their views are only formally sought when they are in Year 6. • The school provides a good level of care for pupils with SEN.

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Commentary

25. There are good induction arrangements for pupils when they start at the school, which are enhanced by the relationship the school has with the local infant school. Parents confirm that they are very happy that there are good arrangements to help their children settle at the school. These procedures include opportunities for parents and children to visit the school so that they can meet the teachers and some of the pupils already at the school. Staff visit the main feeder school which enables teachers to gather information about each child.

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Commentary

26. The school has very good health and safety procedures in place. Governors and staff make regular health and safety checks and carry out regular risk assessments. Regular checks are made Bosmere Junior School - 14 to grounds, buildings and equipment. The headteacher is the nominated officer for child protection procedures and has received appropriate training; the deputy headteacher has responsibility for child protection in the headteacher’s absence. All staff are briefed on the procedures and are well aware of the need to inform the headteacher should they have any concerns. Arrangements for the administration of first aid and for the care of children who are unwell, or who have specific medical needs, are very effective and help them to feel safe and secure at school.

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Commentary

27. All adults who work in the school form close and trusting relationships with the pupils. They know them very well and provide good role models for behaviour. Pupils confirm that there are always a number of adults to go to if they are worried or need help or comfort and that they feel safe and secure. Pupils are also happy that teachers listen to their ideas. However, there are no formal arrangements to take account of their views other than when they are in Year 6.

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Commentary

28. Pupils with SEN are involved in setting their learning or other targets and in the review of progress toward meeting them. Those who have statements of SEN contribute to the assessment of their progress at annual reviews.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s links with parents and other schools are good. There are very good links with the community.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents have very positive views of the school. • Parents provide a very good contribution to pupils’ learning at home and at school. • The school provides parents with good information about the curriculum and how to help their children at home. • Written reports on pupils’ progress are good and inform parents clearly how well their children are getting on. • Parents who have children with SEN are involved well. • The school is outward looking and has highly productive links with its community. • Many people from the community visit the school and regularly use its facilities. • The school works actively with partner schools to ensure effective transition and induction arrangements.

p.14

Commentary

29. Parents and carers have very positive views of the school. They feel comfortable about approaching the school and confirm that the school works very well with them and regularly seeks their views through questionnaires. The school encourages parents to support the work of the school through the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and to help their children at home with homework. A significant number of parents come into the school on a regular basis and help in the classrooms.

p.14

Commentary

30. The school provides a good range of information for parents about what is happening in school as well as regular information about the curriculum and how they can help their children at home. Parents value this information.

p.14

Commentary

31. There are good opportunities for parents to meet staff formally and informally to discuss their children’s progress. Written annual reports for parents are good: they inform parents what their children, know, understand and can do, and give areas for development. Parents confirm that they feel well informed about their children’s progress and are happy with the reports, which are comprehensive and give National Curriculum levels for their children. Bosmere Junior School - 15 32. The school provides a good level of involvement for parents of pupils with SEN. There are both formal and informal meetings and parents are invited to comment on draft IEPs and to take part in the regular reviews.

p.14

Commentary

33. The school has very good links with the local community. Community use of the school includes local Cubs, a Karate Club and the Local Residents Associations. The school regularly participates in local events and facilities. Pupils in all years use Havant Library as part of its Summertime Book Reading Scheme, and the school has had active ties with the local Guide Dogs for the Blind since 1972. The vicar of St Faith’s Church takes acts of worship at the school and the pupils attend the United Reform Church for three carol services each December. Pupils visit a farm on Hayling Island and Year 6 pupils make a residential visit to the Isle of Wight. 34. The school has good links with other local schools and colleges. It has established strong links with Fairfield Infant School, which facilitates the smooth transfer of its pupils into Year 3 classes. Similarly good arrangements enable Year 6 pupils to transfer successfully to Warblington Secondary

p.15

Commentary

School. The school has connections with several local secondary schools and their pupils visit Bosmere as part of a Year 10 Community Service Unit known as Trident Work. Adult students from University College in Chichester also regularly attend as part of their studies.

p.15

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are very good. The leadership of headteacher is very good. The leadership of other staff is satisfactory. The management of the school is very good. Governance is unsatisfactory.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The very good leadership of the headteacher provides strong drive and direction. • Staff work as a committed and coordinated team. • Most groups of pupils are given full access and opportunity to what the school has to offer. • The role of subject managers is not fully developed in order to make the best use of their abilities. • The school has a critical and analytical approach to its work. • Systems for checking the quality of teaching and learning are regular and thorough. • The leadership and management of SEN and of the provision for more able pupils are good. • Governors are committed and use their skills and professional expertise to help the school. • Statutory requirements are not met in RE and swimming. • Governors do not have the systems in place to enable them to fulfil all aspects of their role effectively.

p.15

Commentary

35. The very strong leadership of the headteacher gives clear and decisive direction to the work of the school. His incisive leadership and ability to move the school forward provide a definite momentum for change and a constant focus on self-driven improvement. He also provides continuity and challenge for staff so that all work together as a very committed and efficient team who share his vision and high expectations. This unity of purpose and high aspirations result in a happy, well- ordered school where learning flourishes. It means that the school provides a good academic and creative education in an environment where all pupils are equally valued and individual needs recognised. In the parents’ survey, nearly all parents felt that the school was led and managed well. At the pre inspection meeting, they said that they felt that the school was maintaining high standards in all aspects of its work. There are no significant barriers to raising achievement in the school.

p.15

Commentary

36. Since the previous inspection, the role and effectiveness of year leaders in having an oversight of planning and sharing good practice have improved. However, many subject managers in the school have a wealth of experience and expertise and show considerable initiative in bringing new ideas to their work. They make an important contribution to building up colleagues’ confidence and expectations. In spite of this, their role is insufficiently developed or well-defined, especially in carrying out classroom observations, to give them a clear view of trends and priorities for improvement. Subject managers are not given sufficient opportunities to play a pivotal role in monitoring, evaluating and developing their subjects in order to give high quality creative input. Bosmere Junior School - 16 37. The school has responded well to the key issue for action from the last inspection to use the results of assessment more efficiently to ensure that all pupils make consistently good progress.

p.15

Commentary

Since that time, there has been in depth evaluation based on comprehensive assessment procedures and careful scrutiny of data from national and internal tests. These are used to build up a frank and objective picture of the school and an accurate profile of pupils’ past and present performance in order to guide its work. This ensures that gaps in skills, knowledge and understanding of pupils of all abilities are quickly highlighted and planning appropriately adjusted. Data are also used to check trends, to set individual targets for pupils and to raise questions about the school's performance. Any problems pinpointed are decisively confronted, for example, the disparity in pupils’ achievement between reading and writing, and programmes of action put in place to address them. 38. The monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning by the headteacher and deputy headteacher are rigorous and systematic and have led to greater consistency in the good quality of

p.16

Commentary

teaching since the previous inspection. However, there is not enough sharing of good practice within the classroom. Arrangements for Performance Management are also interwoven with these systems. The way in which individual objectives have been linked to priorities in the school improvement plan and to teachers’ professional needs means that it is central to the work of the school and encourages teachers to take collective responsibility for school improvement. There is a strong commitment to the continuing professional development of staff and the school makes a good contribution to Initial Teacher Training. 39. The provision for pupils with SEN and for more able and gifted and talented pupils is good because the coordinator and the headteacher have a clear vision for its implementation. However, the use of ICT in administration is not extended enough, for example, in writing IEPs. The coordinator works closely with staff to ensure that provision matches the needs of pupils of all these

p.16

Commentary

groups of pupils. Learning support assistants are well deployed, support pupils competently and feel valued for their contribution to the school. Since the previous inspection, systems for monitoring provision and the deployment of assistants have both been improved. The governors’ Annual Report to parents now meets statutory requirements. 40. Governors are active in the school and work closely with the headteacher and staff. They gain their understanding of the school through, for example, analysis of assessment data, and headteacher’s and subject managers’ reports. The governors use their own interests and professional expertise well, for example, in ICT and drama, to help the school. They have recently taken part in their own self-review and were also involved in the school’s self-evaluation process. The governors are insufficiently involved in the earliest stages of strategic planning, which it is

p.16

Commentary

reported, most of them prefer to leave to the headteacher. The key issue for action from the previous inspection to review the organisation, structure and work of the governing body to provide members with relevant, timely and valid information about standards has only partially been met. The governors’ systems for gaining information about the school are not sufficiently reliable or comprehensive enough. They lack rigour and are, too frequently, based on untested information. This is indicated by the fact that the key issue for action relating to RE has not been successfully implemented and that they have not ensured that statutory requirements for RE and swimming are met. The governors do not have a sufficiently accurate and up-to-date understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. This means that they cannot challenge the headteacher effectively or hold the school to account adequately for the quality of education it provides.

p.16

Commentary

41. Efficient financial planning and administration ensure that spending is focused on priorities in the school improvement plan and is carefully reviewed throughout the year. Governors ensure that they get good value for money when making spending decisions and consider a number of options, for example, recent expenditure on ICT. Governors have sound procedures in place for gauging the effects of expenditure on standards achieved by pupils such as formal reports on the success of a new mathematics scheme or extra expenditure on SEN reflected in results.

p.16

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 898301 Balance from previous year 35008 Bosmere Junior School - 17 Total expenditure 847184 Balance carried forward to the next 51117 Expenditure per pupil 2379

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Some teaching leads to high levels of interest and response from pupils. • Pupils have very good attitudes towards learning. • Teachers often talk for too long and this inhibits the development of pupils’ speaking skills. • Drama is effective in the development of pupils’ spoken language. • Insufficient challenge for pupils to produce written work of high quality. • Overuse of worksheets hinders the development of writing skills. • Insufficient monitoring of pupils’ work. • Marking does not always show pupils how to improve their work. • Use of literacy in other subjects is underdeveloped.

p.17

Commentary

42. Pupils in Year 6 reach average standards in reading, but some who are more able are beginning to work out information from the context about what they read, refer to the passage when asked to explain their views and show understanding of a range of different texts. Those who are less able make appropriate progress toward the use of these skills. Most pupils have understanding of significant ideas and events in stories and can locate and use information in non-fiction books. Pupils express preferences in their reading. When required, they read confidently and clearly. For example, reading extracts from the letters that they have written to the headteacher about the use of income from the Christmas Fayre.

p.17

Commentary

43. Standards in writing in Year 6 are average. This is an improvement over the lower than average 2003 national test results when there were a significant number of pupils with SEN. In the lessons seen, pupils generally organised their ideas carefully and sometimes used language imaginatively. Punctuation was usually accurate, but spelling tended to be erratic. More able pupils knew how to use paragraphs and showed some precision in their use of words when they wrote well-constructed sentences. However, analysis of a sample of work done by pupils during the term indicates a limited range of writing for different purposes, little use of independent research skills, poor presentation of work and inaccurate spelling.

p.17

Commentary

44. In Year 6, pupils reach average standards in speaking and listening. Most of them speak confidently and clearly. What they say is usually well adapted to their purposes. They listen carefully in discussions and make appropriate and considered contributions when necessary. In drama, pupils speak clearly and quickly learn to adapt tone, volume and characterisation to the demands of the role. In the one lesson seen in Year 6, most pupils were confident and articulate and enjoyed the various drama activities.

p.17

Commentary

45. Pupils’ overall achievement, which takes account of their capabilities, is satisfactory overall. However, in the lessons seen, it was mostly good and related to the quality of teaching. Pupils with SEN achieve well for their capabilities, particularly when supported by assistants. Bosmere Junior School - 18 46. The quality of teaching and learning was good overall in the lessons seen. However, it is much more variable when judged by the quality of work produced by pupils. In a good Year 6 lesson, lively teaching and a good level of challenge carefully focused upon the objective, to write a persuasive letter. Pupils were interested, became absorbed in the process, and produced some well-written letters. In all lessons seen, pupils had good attitudes to their work and where learning support assistants were deployed, they made a good contribution to the achievement of pupils. However, in most lessons seen, teachers did not clearly state their expectations with regard to the quality of work

p.17

Commentary

expected. Where spoken language made a significant contribution to learning and understanding, teachers had high expectations of pupils’ ability to use language precisely. They made very good use of questioning and gave pupils time to structure their thinking and responses. In some lessons and activities, teachers talked too much. Therefore, pupils had insufficient opportunity to develop the skills of precise communication and extend their understanding through dialogue. The rehearsal seen for Nicholas Nickleby was well managed by all the adults involved and made a significant contribution to pupils’ understanding of the use of spoken language and the conventions of dramatic art.

p.18

Commentary

47. Analysis of a sample of work previously completed in all classes shows wide variation in its quality. Too much is unsatisfactory with respect to handwriting, spelling, general presentation and the amount produced. The considerable use of worksheets inhibits pupils’ achievement because they have too few opportunities to engage in extended writing for different purposes and to use the skills that they have acquired. There are variations in the quality of marking. Some clearly shows pupils how to improve their work whilst, in many cases, little constructive comment is made.

p.18

Commentary

48. The subject manager provides a satisfactory level of leadership and management. Priorities for development have been identified, to some extent, through the analysis of test results. For example, there is a current focus upon the improvement of writing. However, the manager does not monitor teaching and, therefore, has no clear appreciation of the variations in its effectiveness. The quality of pupils’ work is not checked in any depth or breadth or with sufficient regularity. Therefore, the manager is not in a good position to determine the full range of priorities to improve pupils’ writing or ways of achieving them. Since the previous inspection, there has been some improvement in the use of ICT to support pupils’ writing and teachers have a clearer view of their overall progress in literacy because of the use of assessment data. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory.

p.18

Language and literacy across the curriculum

49. The use of literacy across the curriculum is unsatisfactory. This is mainly because of the overuse of worksheets in subjects such as RE, history, geography and science. Pupils, therefore, do not have enough opportunities to put learned skills to use to develop writing extended narrative, story, personal reflection or to explore different ways of recording information.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are consistently good across the school. • Pupils make particularly good progress because the expectations of teachers are high. • The school prepares pupils well for the needs of the national tests. • Assessment arrangements for tracking and evaluating the progress of pupils are very good • Teachers manage, organise and control classes well, which results in good behaviour and a strong work ethic. • Support in mathematics for both the more able and those having SEN is good. Bosmere Junior School - 19 • The mathematics manager is highly effective and makes especially good use of performance data to raise standards but her monitoring role is not developed sufficiently. • Standards of presentation in pupils’ work are not good enough. • Opportunities for curricular links with other subjects, especially ICT, are under-developed.

p.18

Commentary

50. Standards of attainment are well above average in Year 6, and pupils’ achievement, which takes account of their capabilities and previous levels of attainment, is also very good. Pupils solve mathematical problems, check that their results are reasonable and present them in an organised manner. They can work with decimals to at least two places and make sensible estimates of a range of measures used in everyday life. They understand that, if they repeat an experiment, they may get a different results. The most significant contributor to this is the consistently good teaching and learning the pupils receive throughout the school. Teaching is well structured and designed to be challenging for all pupils. Teachers expect their pupils to think and reason mathematically, to work to capacity and to apply themselves to the learning opportunities provided. These high levels of expectation promote the best rate of progress possible for the pupils. In lessons observed, this

p.19

Commentary

particularly helped and encouraged the most able pupils, whose achievements in the school are especially high. Teaching in good lessons moves along at a good pace and uses appropriately differentiated tasks for the pupils. The classes are organised and managed well, which provides a work ethic where the pupils can both enjoy their lessons and know and understand what they need to do to succeed in their learning. In fact, in several of the lessons observed, the pupils were so engrossed in completing their work that they were disappointed when the lesson drew to a close.

p.19

Commentary

51. Other major factors which have a significant effect on the school’s very good standards include its comprehensive assessment procedures and the effective way in which it prepares the pupils well for the needs of the national tests. In lessons, the teachers use assessment data to guide the grouping of their pupils and to indicate appropriate personal targets for every individual. They also make good use of extra teachers and support staff to focus on raising achievement. There is, however, evidence of some lessons being excessively teacher-directed. This prevents some of the pupils from developing as independent learners. There are also indications that teachers pay insufficient attention to the time management of some lessons. This results in the impact of some of the lesson’s learning objectives being reduced, especially when there is not enough time to revise them adequately at the end of the lesson.

p.19

Commentary

52. Teachers use resources well and consistently select appropriate teaching materials and visual aids to promote easier learning for the pupils. For example, in a Year 4 lesson, the teacher used a projector to present some vivid images in her teaching about Fractions Families. In a Year 6 lesson about calculating the perimeter of rectangles and compound shapes, very good use of well prepared overhead projector foils had a valuable impact on the speed with which the pupils understood the learning objectives set. As a result, all the pupils made enhanced rates of progress. Teachers currently do not take sufficient advantage of the potential available from resources such as in ICT. However, the school is not only aware of this, but also has prepared a day of training for this aspect of their teaching for spring term 2004.

p.19

Commentary

53. In all the lessons seen, pupils who have SEN were given good levels of support, both from teachers and assistants. Classes are organised so that pupils are largely grouped according to their levels of ability. Pupils of all abilities and both genders benefit from this organisation. Those who have SEN are included fully in all activities and teachers and assistants ensure that all pupils can attempt work set. Pupils who have SEN make good progress towards their own targets.

p.19

Commentary

54. A weakness seen in the analysis of pupils’ books and printed work sheets is the marking of their work. Pupils’ written work that is either unsatisfactorily presented or is difficult to read is rarely commented upon. There were very few examples of teachers writing what pupils should do to improve. An unsatisfactory area is the use and practice of worksheets. Most of those seen did not show how pupils had set out the mathematical process required to solve any questions set, and many of the sheets were undated, and often untidily presented. Bosmere Junior School - 20 55. Leadership and management of the subject are very good. The subject manager has a very clear overview of her responsibilities. She has established comprehensive and competent assessment processes for tracking the progress of pupils and for setting relevant future targets for pupils to seek to achieve. She has also established a wide range of teaching resources, which

p.19

Commentary

includes the recent purchase of projectors and appropriate support materials. However, her current role in monitoring teaching and the quality of pupils’ work is under-developed. 56. Standards at the time of the last inspection were reported as well above average, which reflects the judgements of this inspection. However, the previous report had a key issue for action which required the school to improve the subject expertise of some teachers. There is clear evidence that the school has made very good progress in this respect. No lessons were observed where there was any indication of weaknesses in teachers’ knowledge. The findings of the last inspection also judged that the less able pupils did not all make sufficient progress in mathematics. Evidence on this occasion showed that this is no longer the case.

p.20

Mathematics across the curriculum

57. The provision for developing pupils’ numeracy skills across the curriculum is satisfactory. There are some good examples in science, such as the compilation of graphs measuring temperatures in decaying vegetation. There are also a few examples in ICT and, occasionally, at registration times, but the full potential for this aspect of the school’s curriculum planning has not been realised.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are consistently very high. • The leadership of the subject is excellent. • The teachers show a good knowledge of the subject. • Strong assessment procedures help the pupils to succeed. • Pupils’ have very good attitudes to their work. • Teachers have high expectations of the pupils. • The pupils’ writing skills are not fully developed in science. • Marking does not always help pupils to improve their work.

p.20

Commentary

58. Standards in Year 6 are well above average which means that the very high standards found at the time of the school’s last inspection have been maintained. The pupils’ achievement is very good which is also the same as the judgement of the school’s last inspection. As in 1998, the pupils are strong in all aspects of the subject. For these reasons, improvement in the subject has been very good. The excellent leadership of the subject is one of the principal reasons why standards are so high which, again, was the case when the school was inspected in 1998. The subject leader is very knowledgeable about science. She has set up first rate assessment procedures which help every pupil to reach his or her potential. She monitors pupils’ work through the examination of their books and checks regularly to see that they are doing as well as they are able to. Any pupil who is judged to need additional help to reach the highest standards of which they are capable receives it.

p.20

Commentary

59. Discussion with the pupils and analysis of their work confirm that that they enjoy science and are doing well. They were confident and articulate and able in all aspects of the subject. The pupils said that they liked investigative work best, clearly did a lot of this type of work and devised their own experiments. They had a good range of scientific vocabulary. The pupils had a very secure understanding of fair testing and knew that tests needed to be repeated to ensure their accuracy. They were less clear about isolating and changing a variable and retesting to see the effect. Bosmere Junior School - 21 60. The quality of teaching and learning is very good. This is a significant improvement since the school’s last inspection. In 1998, most teaching was judged to be at least satisfactory with 53 per cent being good or very good. Weaknesses identified in 1998 include some teachers’ lack of

p.20

Commentary

knowledge of the subject, slow pace and mundane activities. None of these weaknesses was apparent in the teaching and learning seen during this inspection. A Year 6 lesson showing pupils the difference in the activity of their hearts when they were resting and after they had exercised typified the quality of teaching and learning seen in the subject during the current inspection. The teacher’s manner was confident, precise and knowledgeable. The pace was fast and the supporting teacher made a significant contribution by expanding the points being made to the pupils. As a result, the pupils were very attentive, interested and worked very well. They answered questions confidently, fully and in complete sentences. They organised themselves into pairs very efficiently and were excited and involved as they ran on the spot for one minute in order to raise and measure their pulse rates. Pupils then worked purposefully as they measured and recorded their pulse rates

p.21

Commentary

at one-minute intervals as it slowed down. They analysed their results and were pressed very hard by the teachers to explain anything that did not look as if it was correct, for example, an increasing pulse rate after the exercise was over.

p.21

Commentary

61. This lesson also exemplified the one significant weakness in the subject. The extension work planned consisted of undemanding worksheets in which the pupils filled in gaps in sentences from a list of words provided. The analysis of the pupils’ work confirmed that the pupils’ writing skills are not fully extended in science. Much of their written work consisted of worksheets which allowed little independence and which could only be answered very briefly. The marking of the pupils’ work was also variable. Some gave the pupils a clear understanding of how to make the work better. In other cases, considerable amounts of work were unmarked and limited, poorly presented and undated work was praised fulsomely.

p.21

Commentary

62. The use of ICT in the subject is satisfactory. It has included word processed letters, for example, to the Prime Minister and the British Dental Association. These letters had been improved by drafting and redrafting and had been replied to. Additionally, some good graphs showing the rate of decay have been produced using ICT. In conversations with the pupils, they felt that they watched a lot of videos in science, that computers were mostly used in English and that they did not write a lot in science.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievement is good overall. • Teaching is good overall. • Teachers have good subject knowledge. • Some instruction is too long. • Good leadership, management and deployment of part time teacher. • Pupils’ typing skills need improvement.

p.21

Commentary

63. In Year 6, pupils’ attainment is average. Most of them know how to access, load, save and develop their work by combining sound, images and text. For example, in one lesson, they produced a multimedia presentation that required the learning and use of a range of new skills. However, some were slow in their work because their typing skills were not efficient enough. Throughout the school, typing skills are not developed well enough. Pupils have Internet access for research, but do not have extensive skills in its use. Pupils’ achievement, which takes account of their capabilities, is generally good because of the quality of the teaching. This includes those with SEN. Bosmere Junior School - 22 64. Teaching is good overall and, in some lessons, there are very good features. In Year 6, a good lesson was characterised by clear instruction well focused upon the teaching of specific skills. Therefore, pupils had a high level of interest and made good progress in using the skills acquired as

p.21

Commentary

they developed their ‘slide’ presentation of instructions for muffin making. Teachers have good subject knowledge and use this well to enthuse and instruct pupils. They respond well, except when at times, teachers talk for too long and pupils become restless and lose concentration. Most teaching is challenging and relies upon a good range of techniques and new technology to motivate and equip pupils with appropriate skills.

p.22

Commentary

65. Leadership and management are good. This is because the joint subject managers are very well informed and have clear plans for the development of the subject. For example, there are plans to increase the number of computers and extend the use of technology such as data projectors and whiteboards for teaching. The part time teacher is involved in both management and teaching. She also works with other teachers and support assistants in lessons and thereby provides a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning and the professional development of colleagues.

p.22

Commentary

66. There has been good improvement since the previous inspection. Resources have been improved for pupils and new technology is increasingly used for teaching as noted above.

p.22

Commentary

The use of information and communication technology across the curriculum.

p.22

Commentary

67. This is satisfactory and is developing. Pupils produce screen turtle patterns and charts in mathematics, word-processed text on life processes in science, write ‘Autumn’ poems in literacy and write about health and hygiene in Tudor times. In Year 6, they have produced personal CV’s and imported photographs into the text.

p.22

HUMANITIES

68. Insufficient evidence was obtained to make a judgement about provision in geography. One lesson was observed, pupils’ work and the school’s documentation were analysed and discussions were held with staff and pupils. In the one lesson seen, pupils gained a clear understanding of the volcanic nature of the island of St Lucia. Teaching and learning were satisfactory. Strong features were the pace of the lesson and the imaginative activity designed to help the pupils to understand volcanic activity. Weaknesses were overlong explanations and the failure to develop the pupils’ ability to find information quickly and accurately well enough. Conversations with Year 6 pupils showed that they had enjoyed the work they had covered about St Lucia when they were in Year 5. They particularly remembered the work linked to drama which presented the story of a traveller to the island and what he saw there. The pupils’ impression of work in other years confirmed the

p.22

HUMANITIES

conclusions drawn from the analysis of work. The Year 6 topic linking history and geography appears to have a strongly historical bias. This work is supported by fieldwork. Very little evidence of geography was available in the books of pupils in Years 3 and 4. In general, in Year 3 to 6, there is limited written work in the subject and much of what there is consists of poorly presented undemanding worksheets. The written work on display is of better quality although there is not a lot of it. Display also shows that the subject is enhanced by a residential visit to the Isle of Wight. The evidence also indicates limited use of ICT or mathematics in geography. Management of the subject is satisfactory. However, the co-ordinator is relatively new to the role and has yet to make a significant impact of the development of the subject. Her main focus for improvement is the copse in the school grounds.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils enjoy using the detective skills required in history. Bosmere Junior School - 23 • The local area is used well as a resource. • Good links with other subjects enrich pupils’ learning. • Pupils’ skills in realising how the past is represented in different ways are less well developed. • Literacy skills are not used well enough. • History makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.22

Commentary

69. In Year 6, standards in history are average and all groups of pupils achieve satisfactorily. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection so improvement since then has been satisfactory. Judgements are based on classroom observations, looking at pupils’ books, projects and displays and talking to them and to teachers.

p.23

Commentary

70. Overall, teaching and learning are satisfactory although the two lessons seen during the inspection were good. Adequate attention is given to teaching key historical skills although pupils’ ability to identify and explain different interpretations is a weaker element. A strength of pupils’ learning is their obvious enjoyment in being time detectives and in using historical evidence to find out about the past. Pupils in Year 3 have heard about the plight of evacuees from grandparents of pupils at the school. In Year 4, the teacher told pupils they were to be super sleuths and investigate three characters who took part in rebellions against the Romans. Pupils set to work with a will to build up a picture of the characters from accounts ranging from Cassius Dio and Gildas to modern historians. By the end, they realised that the three characters Bonduca, Boudicca and Boadicea were the same warrior queen being described by different sources. Pupils made good progress in

p.23

Commentary

learning to ask questions of historical sources and their validity. In their study of Tudor times, Year 5 pupils know about Henry VIII as a young man and as a king and have contrasted the life styles of the rich and poor. In a Year 6 lesson about how Havant has changed in the last 150 years, the teacher insisted that pupils should back up their ideas with historical evidence as they discussed how industries like parchment and glove making had disappeared and had been replaced by high technology as Havant became less dependent on water power.

p.23

Commentary

71. The school draws well on its rich local heritage to bring history to life. For example, Year 3 pupils visit the D Day Museum in Portsmouth, Year 4 produce leaflets on Bignor Roman Villa, Year 5 go to the Weald and Downland Museum and Year 6 walk around the local area to make them realise that they too are part of the history of the town. However, although pupils undertake independent research such as differences in Tudor lifestyles, literacy skills are not used well enough to enable pupils to reach higher standards in the subject. There are too many worksheets which do not develop different forms of writing, historical language or pupils’ skills and independence as young researchers.

p.23

Commentary

72. The subject is satisfactorily led and managed although the subject manager’s monitoring role is not developed well enough. There are good links with ICT, art and design such as portraits of Henry VIII, and DT in collages depicting aspects of Celtic life. History makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development when they discuss moral issues, observe the gulf between the classes in Tudor times, understand the legacy of ancient civilisations and research information together about the Celts.

p.23

Religious education

Provision in religious education is unsatisfactory .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ attainment is below expectations and achievement is unsatisfactory. • Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. • Pupils are interested in the subject but there is little evidence that they learn much from religion. • The requirements of the locally agreed syllabus are not being met. Bosmere Junior School - 24 • Limited range of work and lack of breadth and depth. • Too much use of worksheets. • The monitoring role of the subject manager is unsatisfactory.

p.23

Commentary

73. Only a few lessons were seen during the inspection and none in Year 6. Analysis of work in Year 6 indicates a limited range undertaken and discussion with pupils revealed a lack of breadth and depth in their knowledge. Standards reached are below those expected for pupils of this age. Their understanding of religious ideas was also underdeveloped. This was because most of the work was at the level of retelling Bible stories in comic strip form or filling in worksheets that required only simple reference skills. However, in discussion, they were enthusiastic to talk about what they did know. Pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory because they could learn much more about religion and understand its influence and effect upon their own lives and that of others.

p.24

Commentary

74. Although the two lessons seen during the inspection were satisfactory, overall, teaching is judged to be unsatisfactory in the subject. This is because the analysis of work indicates that teachers’ expectations regarding the quality and quantity of work produced are too low and demand little of pupils. For example, in Year 6, there are few opportunities for pupils to engage in suitable research into religions or religious ideas. Neither do they record their findings in different ways such as notes or narrative. Too much time is spent filling in worksheets and not enough on extended writing of narrative or that which captures personal thoughts or feelings. Overall, literacy skills are underused in the subject. There is little evidence that pupils have understanding of the effect of religion either on themselves or upon the lives of people in their own or other cultures. In the two lessons seen, pupils

p.24

Commentary

made satisfactory gains in knowledge through discussion, but the pace was too relaxed and this meant that they were not always well engaged in learning. There was not enough challenge for them to produce recorded work of good quality.

p.24

Commentary

75. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. The subject manager has produced planning for teachers that is based upon the agreed syllabus for RE and has an action plan to monitor aspects of provision. However, a major barrier to the improvement of provision is that he does not have enough time or opportunity to monitor adequately either teaching or work produced by pupils. Therefore, he does not have a sufficiently clear view of what needs to be improved or how this should be achieved. He has a number of other major responsibilities that demand much of his time.

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Commentary

76. Improvement since the previous inspection is unsatisfactory. Pupils’ work in religious education is now reported to parents but the requirements of the agreed syllabus are not met. Too little time is allocated to the subject; there is still weak provision and teaching is unsatisfactory overall.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. Inspectors only observed one lesson in design and technology , and there was insufficient previous work available to make a reliable judgement about standards. The lesson observed was part of a Year 6 History topic, where the pupils were expected to cook some Victorian High Tea Cakes. The lesson was very well planned and organised. The teacher ensured that the lesson was stimulating and moved at a brisk pace to accelerate learning, which helped to hold pupils’ attention and interest. The pupils were required to follow a recipe, make a batch of cakes, understand about hygiene and safety, and then evaluate the success of their efforts. It turned out to be a very good and entertaining lesson, with every pupil being engrossed in his or her work and making very good progress. Other evidence observed indicated that Year 5 pupils have been successful in planning, designing and modelling some Tudor Period styled roasting spits. During the last year, the subject

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

manager has ensured that new units of learning have been established across the school and is now working with her colleagues to encourage further developments. Additional evidence showed that valuable progress has been achieved since the last inspection regarding the process of making and evaluating finished products. The manager has also provided a broader range of appropriate resources to promote the effective teaching of the subject. Bosmere Junior School - 25

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Effective curricular planning places appropriate emphasis on a wide range of art and provides progression in the teaching of knowledge and skills. • The quality of teaching is consistently good, with classes being well organised and lessons taking account of pupils’ differing needs. • The teachers’ expertise and enthusiasm stimulate the pupils’ enjoyment of their lessons. • Links with other subjects, especially DT and ICT, enhance learning opportunities. • Arrangements for monitoring and evaluating by the subject manager are under-developed. • Sketchbooks are not used effectively to develop skills.

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Commentary

78. Pupils’ attainment is above average in Year 6. This is a good improvement on the findings of the previous inspection, which judged art and design as unsatisfactory. It also identified the expertise of some teachers in art and design as weak. This aspect of the provision is now a developing strength of the subject. Consistently good teaching ensures that the pupils are taught the basic skills in drawing, painting, printing and collage . Evidence of completed work found in classrooms and the high quality of artwork displays throughout the school also support the evaluation that standards are good. The school’s clear guidance on curricular planning and approaches to teaching enable high standards to be achieved. Planning links with subjects such as DT promote opportunities for stimulating learning. Additionally, it enhances opportunities for pupils who have a particular talent to extend their knowledge, develop their skills and enhance their creative flair.

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Commentary

79. The quality of teaching and learning across the school is good. An analysis of the pupils’ work indicates that the teaching of art and design enables them to make good progress in their learning and to achieve high standards. The pupils in Year 3 are able to draw accurately from observation. They are able to illustrate the visual and tactile qualities of a range of materials, by showing both tone and shade. Discussions with upper school pupils show that they have built on learning earlier in the school. They not only can draw the visual and tactile qualities of materials, but can also use this skill for specific purposes. A Year 5 class, who were learning about Henry VIII, could use different paintbrushes to establish texture and could create different skin shades by mixing colours in preparation for portrait paintings of the king. Teachers provide their pupils with opportunities to use a

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Commentary

wide range of media in their work in order to create different effects. For example, a display completed by Year 6 showed illustrations of their having designed their own abstract printing blocks, and then using them to print sheets to be used as wrapping paper. During the most effective lessons observed, the teachers prepared and organised the lessons well. They also showed real enthusiasm for the subject, which promoted good progress and resulted in pupils enjoying their learning. The current use of sketchbooks to practise and refine skills is underdeveloped. The pupils also have insufficient opportunities to learn about the work of artists from cultures other than European.

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Commentary

80. The subject manager provides satisfactory leadership in the subject. She has provided the school with a good range of appropriate teaching resources and has established the popular after- school lower and upper school art clubs. However, she has neither had regular opportunities to monitor the quality of teaching in art and design nor to assess pupils’ progress.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Bosmere Junior School - 26 • Pupils’ talents as young musicians are developed well. • There is a good emphasis on pupils evaluating their work in order to improve their performance. • Pupils sing a variety of songs with skill and enthusiasm. • Pupils’ knowledge of music from other cultures is less well developed. • A very wide range of musical activities outside the classroom raises the profile of music in the school and community. • The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Commentary

81. Standards in Year 6 are above average and pupils achieve well. There is a strong tradition of music in the school and pupils obviously enjoy their music making. The subject manager has very good expertise and high expectations of what pupils are able to achieve which help to raise the profile of music in the school. Judgements are based on classroom observations, talking with pupils and teachers, orchestra practice and recorder club.

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Commentary

82. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good. Pupils also reach good standards because their own enthusiasm and interest help them to make the best use of the opportunities given to them. A key to this successful partnership in learning is that the subject is taught rigorously and pupils are treated as young musicians. As a result, they rise to the challenge presented by high expectations of commitment, response and behaviour.

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Commentary

83. Right from the beginning, pupils are taught to consider their performance critically in order to improve it so that it becomes a natural part of learning. In a Year 3 lesson about calypso music, although unaccompanied, pupils confidently maintained a tuneful melody in Jamaica Farewell. They discussed how they could improve their musical ideas with a range of percussion instruments and also made good progress in understanding how rhythmic patterns fit to a steady beat. In Year 4, the teacher emphasised the importance of control, diction, breathing and posture as pupils tackled a new song I do like to be beside the seaside. There was a lively sense of fun and enjoyment but pupils still took their work very seriously. They paused for breath in appropriate places and showed good awareness and control of rhythm. In Year 5, pupils discussed the background of folksongs and evaluated their performance of High Germany. By the end of the lesson, their singing was rhythmic,

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Commentary

energetic and expressive with good awareness of the quality of their performance and of the conventions of the time. Improvisation is a strength of the school and Year 6 pupils talked of how they had listened to Peer Gynt and had played instruments to accompany ‘Morning’ and ‘Shipwreck’. In general, pupils are confident in using musical terms and different forms of notation although they are less keen to talk about the moods and feelings that music evokes or about music from other cultures.

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Commentary

84. The subject is well led and managed. Music is well resourced and pupils can receive instrumental tuition in flute, violin, trumpet, clarinet and piano. Large numbers of pupils attend recorder and guitar clubs, orchestra and choir and take part in concerts, carol services and productions. Since the last inspection, music has continued to flourish in the school so improvement has been good. The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development as they reflect on works like Peter and the Wolf, support each other in performances like Alice, improvise rhythms in a group and play a range of multi ethnic instruments.

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Physical education

Provision in physical education is unsatisfactory

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Bosmere Junior School - 27 • Dancing is a strong element of the subject. • Teachers show good knowledge of physical education. • The pupils’ technical vocabulary is well developed. • Pupils have very good attitudes. • There are some good links with other subjects. • Provision for swimming does not meet the requirements of the National Curriculum.

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Commentary

85. Overall, standards are average and achievement is satisfactory. Standards in dance are above average and pupils achieve well in this aspect of the subject. The school’s provision for swimming does not meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. Problems have arisen because the swimming baths used by the school were closed for refurbishment and because of the time involved in carrying out the activity. The school plans to restore swimming to the curriculum next term. Nevertheless, the school’s records show that, in October 2002, it considered that the then Years 5 and 6 had “missed out” on swimming. Subsequently, for similar reasons, very little swimming was available for the present Year 5. No arrangements have been made to provide swimming for these pupils at another time to make up for their loss. No arrangements are made for pupils who join the school in Years 5 and 6 to swim. The time devoted to swimming has been cut to the point where the

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Commentary

planned programme is too limited. The indications are that standards in swimming are below average and that achievement is unsatisfactory. Equality of opportunity for pupils in this aspect of physical education is unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

86. In the one gymnastics lesson seen, the pupils moved with above average control, co-ordination and imagination when travelling in a circular route using three different ways of moving and achieved well. No teaching of games was observed.

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Commentary

87. In dance, the pupils move gracefully with poise and purpose. They show good imagination and an understanding of the basic techniques of dance that they apply well. They describe, evaluate and improve their work well, know why they need to warm up and cool down and how exercise affects their bodies. Comparative weaknesses in the subject are a tendency to bunch and not use the space available to the best advantage and keeping in time with music when working with a partner.

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Commentary

88. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Teaching and learning were very good in dance. The teachers’ good grasp of the subject was clearly evident in their demonstrations, the way in which they encouraged the pupils to discuss and improve their performances and in their use of the language of dance. For example, in a Year 3 lesson, pupils created the movements of an imaginary machine which linked well with DT. The teacher encouraged the pupils successfully to vary the height and speed of their movements and to incorporate sound. In a Year 4 lesson, the pupils evaluated the work of their peers well. For example, they offered strengths such as “her back was very straight” to support their judgements of good quality work. Similarly, to indicate areas which could be improved, “more control of the bunny hop” was appropriately suggested. A pupil with significant SEN enjoyed and took a full part in this lesson. In a Year 5 lesson, the dance was based

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Commentary

on the pupils’ work in RE which, again, illustrated how dance supports pupils’ work in other areas of the curriculum. The teacher’s knowledge and enthusiasm encouraged pupils to create imaginative interpretations of the story of Rama and Sita. Particular features of this lesson were the way in which the teacher modelled movements for the pupils and the development of their ability to express how they felt about their performances. Relative weaknesses in teaching and learning in the subject were over long introductions and explanations by teachers which resulted a loss of in the pace of learning.

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Commentary

89. At the time of the school’s last inspection, standards were average and teaching was sound. This inspection finds good standards in dance and gymnastics and below average standards in swimming. As at the time of the previous inspection, the subject is very well supported by extra- curricular activities and by participation in competitive sports. Improvement of the subject has, therefore, been satisfactory since the school was last inspected. The picture is one of significant new strengths and a major weakness. Leadership and management are satisfactory and the Bosmere Junior School - 28 subject manager is well aware of the issues regarding swimming. Some use of ICT was seen, for example, audio players supporting dance and photographs of the pupils’ work. However, this was not fully developed.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

90. Not enough evidence was gathered during the inspection to make valid judgements about provision, standards and teaching and learning in PHSE. Year 6 pupils have taken part in Junior Citizen Day at Fort Purbrook which is a safety day involving the emergency services. There are also visitors including the school nurse, police and fire brigade. In the one lesson observed during the inspection, after watching a video of different scenarios, Year 3 pupils were able to identify that bullying could take different forms including mental bullying. Pupils played the part of both the bully and the victim to help them understand the feelings of both. Teaching was sensitive and supportive and enabled pupils not only to give thoughtful views about bullying but also to acquire strategies to cope with such situations. Bosmere Junior School - 29

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 2 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 5 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 2 The governance of the school 5 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

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