Hampton Junior School

HAMPTON JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 8 – 12 December 2003

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HAMPTON JUNIOR SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Hampton Junior School - 3 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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HAMPTON JUNIOR 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. Hampton Junior School - 4

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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: 347

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Percy Road Hampton Middlesex Postcode: TW12 2LA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: (020) 8979 2545 Fax number: (020) 8941 8561

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Kevin Cook

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 6 July 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school serves a well-established area of Hampton in Outer London and pupils come from a variety of social and economic backgrounds not significantly different from the national picture. The great majority of pupils are of White British heritage; there are very few pupils who are at the early stages of learning English as an additional language.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is close to the national average, while the proportion with full statements is higher than average. As well as a wide range of learning difficulties, the special educational needs in the school include social, emotional and behavioural. Overall, attainment on entry is below national expectations.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has gained a large number of awards including Active Mark, Arts Mark, Basic Skills Quality Mark, Healthy Schools, Investor in People and a Schools’ Achievement Award (2000). In addition, it is an LEA Centre of Excellence for guided reading and a pilot school for the latest materials produced through the Additional Literacy Strategy. Hampton Junior School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

19623 Michael Cahill Lead inspector Mathematics Science Physical education 9334 Jenny Mynett Lay inspector 31218 Tom Allen Team inspector Geography History Religious education 22831 Clive Lewis Team inspector English as an additional language Special educational needs Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology 11901 Pat Lowe Team inspector English French Music

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection 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.ofsted.gov.uk). Hampton Junior School - 6

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

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

The school is very effective and provides very good value for money. Excellent leadership and management are very successfully focused on raising the level of pupils’ achievements through continually improving the quality of education provided. There is a rich curriculum, including many high quality opportunities for engaging in sport, the humanities and the arts, and the quality of teaching is very good. National test results in 2003 were above the national average.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Excellent leadership and management by the headteacher, his deputy, the assistant headteacher and other key staff, together with the governing body, have established and maintain a pleasant and purposeful working atmosphere in which all are welcomed and valued. • The school offers a very rich curriculum with an appropriate emphasis on literacy and numeracy and many high quality opportunities for learning in the arts, humanities and sport. • The quality of teaching is high and based on detailed knowledge of individual pupils’ learning needs, and so pupils achieve very well in relation to their starting point. • Pupils achieved results in the national tests in 2003 that were well above those achieved by similar schools, except in mathematics where they were similar. • High quality provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural,

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OVERALL EVALUATION

development helps pupils to become mature and responsible and to develop very good attitudes towards themselves as successful young learners. There are no significant weaknesses but there is a small number of areas for further development.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has achieved a very good level of improvement since its last inspection; those areas, for example, assessment, the use of ICT and the effectiveness of the governing body, which were identified as weaknesses are now listed among the strengths of the school. In addition, standards have been raised substantially.

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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 English B A A A mathematics B C C C science B B B A Key: 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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Pupils achieve very well, making well above average progress from below average starting

points. Test results in 2003 exceeded the targets agreed with the LEA for English and mathematics. The school has made a priority of improving pupils’ literacy skills so that they have full access to other subject areas and is now focusing on raising standards in mathematics to the same level. Inspection evidence suggests that the measures taken are proving effective. The present Year 6 did not perform as well as their predecessors had when they entered the school; their attainment now is in line with national expectations in mathematics and above in English and science. Although the inspection team did not have a main focus on other subject areas, there was ample evidence of work that was above, often well above, what is expected of pupils of this age. The school has an average number of pupils with special educational needs, many of whom achieve in line with national expectations by the time they leave the school. The relatively small number of

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Pupils achieve very well, making well above average progress from below average starting

pupils for whom English is an additional language also achieve as well as their peers. Hampton Junior School - 8

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

are developed very well. The school makes excellent provision in this respect and pupils develop very positive attitudes. Their behaviour and relationships with one another and with adults are very good. Attendance and punctuality are satisfactory, overall, although good for the vast majority of pupils.

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The school provides a high quality education for all its pupils. The overall quality of

teaching and learning is very good. Teachers expect and insist on high standards of behaviour and use assessment of earlier learning very well to respond to pupils’ individual learning needs. Many lessons provide both challenge and inspiration. When there are teaching assistants in lessons, pupils benefit from the additional support and there is even more effective inclusion in the learning experience. Pupils develop basic skills very well, becoming confident about their ability to learn and to organise their work independently. They show a high level of interest in what they are taught and often show commendable perseverance and pride in the presentation of their work.

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The school provides a high quality education for all its pupils. The overall quality of

The curriculum is very well planned, with a strong emphasis on developing and using literacy skills and on making links between different subjects. Pupils are very competent computer users and very naturally use their ICT skills to support their learning in other areas of the curriculum. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good and the school also caters very well for those with particular gifts and talents. There is excellent enrichment of the curriculum through a very wide range of visits, visitors and opportunities for taking part in the arts and sport. Pupils benefit from the very good support, advice and guidance that the school provides, alongside an excellent level of provision for their welfare, health and safety. Teachers take exemplary care, for example, in promoting safe practices when teaching physical education in halls that are also corridors and not large enough for the purpose. The school’s partnership with its parents is very good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are excellent. The headteacher and his deputy, the assistant headteacher and other key staff, provide outstanding leadership that is focused sharply on improving the achievement of all pupils. The governing body provides exceptional support and challenge and plays a major role in shaping the future direction of the school. The school runs extremely smoothly and there are highly efficient systems for keeping all aspects of its performance, particularly in relation to pupils’ progress, under continuous review.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are highly satisfied with the school, appreciating the quality of the leadership and management and of the teaching that enables their children to make good progress. They value the fact that children are treated fairly, expected to work hard and to become mature, and that they are very well prepared for the later stages of education. Pupils like their school very much and like the teachers because they give interesting lessons; they also like the many extra-curricular activities. They value the fact that they are given responsibility and that their views count.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Maintain the current focus on raising standards in mathematics. • The school has chosen a bold and so far successful strategy for ICT. For the future it should expand the laptop-based innovation so that pupils’ skill level and usage are further increased. • Urgently to pursue plans for improving specific aspects of the accommodation identified in the full report. Hampton Junior School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils achieve very well. Many pupils entered the school with attainment that was well below average in reading and writing and below average in mathematics. Overall, standards are above average in the present Year 6. There are no significant differences in the achievement of different groups of pupils.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• In the most recent national tests, the school’s results, overall, were above the national average and well above those of similar schools. • As a result of very good teaching, based on very good assessment procedures, most pupils make very good progress as they move through the school.

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Commentary

1. National test results in 2003 were well above average in English, above average in science and average in mathematics. Although results in each of English, mathematics and science have improved since the last inspection, there has been the greatest improvement in English, which has been the major focus of the school’s development plan. The overall trend of the school’s results has been in line with the national upward trend. The targets for 2003, agreed with the local education authority, have been exceeded. The present Year 6 did not perform as well as their predecessors in the national test before entering the school. Inspection evidence indicates that their attainment is above national expectations in English and science and in line with them in mathematics.

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Commentary

2. The attainment on entry of a significant proportion of pupils now in the upper part of the school was well below average when they entered the school in Year 3. Pupils of all abilities make very good progress as a result of very good teaching based on very good assessment of individual learning needs.

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Commentary

3. In most other subject areas, standards are above, and for a significant number of pupils, well above, national expectations. In religious education, attainment is above that expected in the locally agreed syllabus. In information and communication technology (ICT), pupils’ attainment in Year 6 is in line with expectations, although in other year groups it well exceeds that benchmark. Pupils throughout the school are competent and confident computer users.

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Commentary

4. Pupils with a wide variety of special educational needs achieve very well. Due to the very good level and quality of support, pupils make very good progress towards their individual learning targets. Pupils with a special educational need are identified at an early stage and receive very good support. As a result, they achieve very well in terms of the targets contained in their individual education plans. A high proportion of pupils with special educational needs achieve the national expectation in a range of subjects.

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Commentary

5. Pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve very well because of very good support and the school’s very strong commitment to inclusion in all its work. The school monitors carefully the performance of boys and girls and pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds; there are no significant differences in achievement. Hampton Junior School - 10 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 28.7 (29.1) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 27.1 (27.0) 26.8 (26.8) science 29.9 (29.3) 28.6 (28.3) There were 86 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school stimulates in pupils a desire to learn and, consequently, pupils have very positive attitudes to school and demonstrate a high level of confidence and self-esteem. • Behaviour in and around the school is very good and pupils are friendly and courteous to visitors and to each other and their very positive attitudes and eagerness to learn enables them to achieve very well. • The very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development results in them valuing and respecting others and developing a clear understanding of right and wrong.

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Commentary

6. Pupils enjoy coming to school and show a high level of interest in school life and the very good range of learning opportunities provided for them. They willingly accept responsibility - demonstrated very well in the very confident way pupils collect, use and return the school’s laptop computers. Pupils are given a wide range of opportunities throughout the curriculum for personal development. Harmony is a strong feature of the school and there is no evidence of bullying or oppressive behaviour.

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Commentary

7. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very well integrated into the curriculum and contributes very effectively to pupils’ personal development. The school utilises a wide range of opportunities to develop pupils’ self-knowledge and spiritual awareness and, as a result, pupils show great respect for the values and beliefs of others. Provision for moral development is very good; pupils help devise their own class rules and are fully aware of the way their actions affect others. Provision for social development is similarly very good and results in very constructive relationships between staff and pupils and between pupils themselves, with pupils accepting responsibility readily and completing any tasks conscientiously. In most lessons this promotes a very good working atmosphere and has a significant and positive impact on achievement. The school promotes an awareness of pupils’

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Commentary

own cultures very effectively and awareness of the local culture and history is promoted excellently through the increasingly detailed and comprehensive local studies of Hampton undertaken by each year group. Awareness of life in a culturally diverse society is addressed very well through a combination of outside contacts and visitors to the school. The school’s racial equality policy is implemented in an exemplary manner.

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Attendance

Pupils’ attendance is satisfactory and in line with the national average.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Hampton Junior School - 11 • Most pupils attend school regularly and arrive on time.

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Commentary

8. Pupils are happy to come to school and are eager to learn. Attendance of most pupils is good. However, there is a small number of pupils whose attendance is not so regular and this affects the overall attendance figures of the school. The higher than average unauthorised absences mostly relate to a few individuals. Most parents bring their children to school punctually in the mornings and lessons start on time. The school has effective systems in place to monitor and promote better attendance.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.1 School data 0.9 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.

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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 285 4 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a high quality education for all its pupils. The overall quality of teaching is very good and the curriculum, with its emphasis on literacy, meets pupils’ needs extremely well. There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and for pupils with particular gifts and talents. There is excellent enrichment of the curriculum through an extensive range of visits, visitors and extra-curricular activities, especially in the arts and in physical education. The school is a very caring community, where adults know the children well and keep very good track of their personal development and progress; there is an excellent level of provision for pupils’ welfare, health and safety. The school has very good links with the community and with other educational providers and these very effectively promote pupils’ learning. The school is a highly inclusive educational

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is very good.

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In the many successful lessons strengths include:

• Teachers convey high expectations of work and behaviour and, together with the pupils, maintain a very pleasant and purposeful working atmosphere. • Teachers and the experienced team of teaching assistants work together very effectively to make sure that all pupils have the challenge and support they need to be fully included in the lesson. Hampton Junior School - 12 • Pupils’ learning is often very good because of the encouragement of self-assessment and the promotion of individual and independent recording methods. Hampton Junior School - 13 • Very good continuous assessment facilitates accurate responses to pupils’ learning needs. • There is very good, natural, use of ICT by teachers and pupils to support and extend learning across the curriculum.

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Commentary

9. The overall teaching of English, including literacy, was very good, never less than good and with examples of excellent lessons observed during the inspection. Literacy is promoted very well across the curriculum. In mathematics, including numeracy, teaching is good; during the inspection it ranged from satisfactory to excellent. The teaching of science is very good and the skills of ICT are used very well to support learning in other subjects, especially English and mathematics. In the other subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education teaching is usually at least good and frequently very good. During the inspection, half of the teaching observed was very good or better, including ten per cent that was excellent. This high quality teaching makes a major contribution to pupils’ very good attitudes to their learning and to improving standards.

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Commentary

10. Individual education plans (IEP’s) for pupils with special educational needs are well written and provide short-term, specific and achievable targets. Teachers and teaching assistants work very closely together, planning, assessing and evaluating. In their lesson planning, teachers take good account of the needs of pupils on the special educational needs register and also of those whom the school has identified as gifted or talented. The school works very hard to make sure that all pupils, including those for whom English is an additional language, enjoy full access to all that it offers. Its annual target-setting week is used very effectively to plan to meet the needs of both individuals and groups of pupils.

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Commentary

11. Teachers make very clear their expectations of a high standard of behaviour and because pupils know what is expected of them and that they are listened to, and their views taken into account, they contribute very well to maintaining a pleasant and purposeful working atmosphere throughout the school. The school rightly places great emphasis on the development of self-esteem and of pupils’ confidence in their ability to learn and is very successful in this. Pupils’ learning is greatly enhanced by teachers using a wide variety of teaching strategies and making sure that pupils are stimulated visually, orally and kinaesthetically and have opportunities to work individually, in pairs and in larger groups. Pupils’ growing confidence and independence are often demonstrated in the natural way that they go and get one of the school’s stock of laptops when, for example, in a literacy lesson, it is the way that they want to continue their work. The ICT provision and its use make valuable

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Commentary

contributions to raising standards and to promoting independent learning; the school is rightly seeking to provide even more opportunities in this respect.

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Commentary

12. Assessment, and its use in planning subsequent learning, are strengths of the school and is the overall responsibility of the deputy headteacher who maintains a comprehensive database of the progress of individual pupils. Continuous assessment, feedback to pupils and modification of the course of the lesson were very good features of much of the teaching observed. Hampton Junior School - 14 Example of outstanding practice Teachers have reflected well on the elements of good practice in teaching and have brought them together under the school’s accelerated learning strategy; this is a very commendable initiative and is making a major contribution to improving the quality of pupils’ learning and their achievements. An excellent mathematics lesson with the top set in Year 5 exemplified many features of the best teaching observed. The lesson begins with a rigorous practice of the five times and seven times table and is followed by

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Commentary

pupils demonstrating via their whiteboards that they can show 10% as a decimal fraction, 0.2 as a percentage and ¼ as a decimal. Pupils enjoy this and display above average mental facility. In the main part of the lesson the teacher very skilfully leads pupils to adopt written methods for adding two three-digit numbers that follow logically from their mental methods, initially with two-digit numbers. Varying demands are made on pupils, for example, listening, discussing, writing and, above all, thinking. In addition, the lesson begins with whole-class teaching in mental and oral work, which is very rigorous and sharpens pupils’ mental skills. This is followed by appropriately demanding consolidation and extension work and the lesson ends with a whole-class session that helps pupils to know what they have learned. Pupils make good gains in their knowledge and understanding, their achievement is good.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 41 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

4 (9.75%) 16 (39%) 17 (41.5%) 4 (9.75%) 0 0 0

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Commentary

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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The curriculum

The breadth of curricular opportunities is excellent, and opportunities for enrichment are also excellent. Whereas most aspects of the accommodation and resources for teaching are very good, there are limitations in parts of the accommodation, which have a negative impact on some areas of learning. Nevertheless, overall accommodation and resources are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum promotes high achievement. • Expertise within and outside the school is used well to enrich learning. • Personal development is very successfully promoted through a wide range of opportunities. • Subject and areas of study are interlinked without losing their distinctive character. • Carefully managed innovation helps to meet changing requirements. • Imaginative organisation of activities provides interesting learning experiences.

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Commentary

13. The school meets statutory requirements for the teaching of all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. There is a daily act of collective worship and very good provision for sex education and drugs awareness that are well supported by the expertise of external agencies. The academic curriculum is further enhanced by the provision of French for Years 5 and 6 pupils, with educational trips to France.

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Commentary

14. Provision for enhancement of the curriculum is excellent. On the way to achieving excellence the school has acquired Active Mark Gold Award, Arts Mark Gold Award, Investors in People Award, Basic Skills Agency Quality Mark, Healthy Schools National Health Standard, Outreach Award for Outstanding Participation in Biodiversity and Certificate of Distinction for Out of School Hours Learning Activities, among others. The very wide range of visits to places of educational interest, the strong links with experts from outside agencies and their contributions Hampton Junior School - 15 to the life of the school, contributions of governors and parents combine to provide a richness of educational opportunities for all pupils within the school. 15. Pupils with special educational needs are very well catered for and parents rightly praise the provision made by the school. Pupils are supported very well by class teachers and

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Commentary

experienced teaching assistants. The school works hard to give all its pupils equal access to the full curriculum and class teachers ensure in their lesson plans that appropriate provision is made for pupils with particular learning needs and that it meets the needs of pupils with a special educational need with appropriate support. Teaching assistants work very well with class teachers and provide very good support for pupils, monitoring pupils’ progress and providing an appropriate blend of help and challenge. Support for pupils with Statements of Special Educational Need is very good. The school’s special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCo) has overseen significant improvements to the provision since the previous inspection. In accordance with the Revised Code of Practice for special educational needs, class teachers have now taken on full responsibility for writing, monitoring and reviewing the

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Commentary

individual education plans for pupils in their classes. The SENCo has a very good overview of special needs within the school, and the very positive working atmosphere of the school promotes the very effective inclusion of pupils with special educational needs into every aspect of the school’s life.

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Commentary

16. Planning and teaching take good account of the language and learning needs of pupils with English as an additional language, with effective models of spoken and written language consistently provided. Pupils at a very early stage of learning English receive appropriate additional support from the local education authority support staff.

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Commentary

17. Excellent provision is made for the personal, social and health education of all pupils. The strong positive ethos of the school promotes self-esteem and a culture of ‘can do’ and respect for others. The staff of the school work together with a common purpose to create a harmonious community in which each person can achieve his/her full potential. The pupils are well prepared for self-learning and citizenship development.

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Commentary

18. The school keeps abreast of developments in education by means of its excellent self- evaluation and improvement procedures. Regular reviews of the curriculum, modification of accommodation and innovative practices help to move the school forward. The interlinking of subjects across the curriculum helps to make a more efficient use of time. A number of the staff are leading innovative practices for the local education authority, for example, provision for gifted and talented pupils. The school has been designated a Centre of Excellence for guided reading. Members of staff give demonstration lessons for both teachers from other schools and for parents. Tips for helping parents to support their children’s learning out of school have been appreciated and even shared with parents from other schools. Each curriculum area is very well led by a member of staff with expertise in that field. Professional development is

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Commentary

enhanced by involvement in the local cluster of schools.

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Commentary

19. The school is generally very well resourced and the accommodation is in good condition. The school recognises the need to increase the provision and use of computers in teaching and learning. There are well-considered plans for increasing the stock of laptops; to date, their innovative use has been funded almost entirely through voluntary donations. A designated arts centre, food technology area, music room and a special educational needs room are used effectively to meet the needs of the pupils. There are two assembly halls, which are used well throughout the school day by the classes whose rooms open off them. They also have to be used as corridors across the building. Very good planning and organisation enables the school to overcome most of the difficulties posed. Nevertheless, their small size and use as corridors restricts their use for physical education, assemblies and drama. Hampton Junior School - 16

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Commentary

Example of outstanding practice The school provides a curriculum that is superbly well matched to pupils’ needs, with a strong emphasis on basic literacy and excellent enrichment through the arts, humanities and sport. There is a very strong focus on improving pupils’ literacy skills in order to improve access to other areas of the curriculum; the school is, for example, a centre of excellence for guided reading. There are excellent opportunities to undertake sustained work of high quality in humanities-based projects on the local area and to develop creative skills in art and design, dance and music; pupils perform, for example, in numerous music festivals and the art centre is nationally recognised. The school has achieved national championship status in softball and local and regional success in a wide range of sports, open to both boys and girls. The curriculum is rich and enables pupils to explore and achieve success in an exemplary range and quality of areas of activity.

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Commentary

This has an immensely positive impact on pupils’ self-esteem and on their view of themselves as successful young learners. This, in turn, is a major factor in the school’s successful drive to raise standards.

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Care, guidance and support

Systems to ensure pupils’ health, safety and welfare are excellent and ensure that pupils are very well supported during their time at school. Procedures to monitor and promote pupils’ personal and academic development are very well developed. Pupils feel it is a very safe and happy school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides a very caring and supportive environment where pupils can grow into confident and happy individuals. • Very good induction arrangements ensure that pupils settle quickly into school. • Pupils feel that they are consulted and there is always somebody they can talk to. • Procedures to monitor and promote pupils’ personal development are very well developed and ensure that pupils know how well they are doing.

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Commentary

20. This is a very caring school, with teachers and support staff providing a safe environment for pupils. The overall provision for pupils’ health, welfare and protection is excellent and well managed by the welfare staff and class teachers. Parents are delighted by the way the school takes care of the individual needs of their children. Arrangements for child protection and procedures relating to health and safety are securely in place, with the governors taking their responsibility for health and safety issues conscientiously. Staff are vigilant in ensuring that safety arrangements are applied when the halls are used for physical education lessons. The uneven surface of the playground, mentioned as a potential danger in the last inspection, has been dealt with. The children from travelling families are well supported, both by staff at the school and by the external traveller support team. The induction process into the school is well

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Commentary

thought out and implemented effectively, with increasingly good links established with the local infant schools. The difficult transition process to the various secondary schools is also managed effectively to ensure that pupils progress to the next stage of education as smoothly as possible.

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Commentary

21. Procedures to monitor and support pupils’ academic development and progress are very good. Staff know their pupils very well and there are systematic tracking and target-setting procedures in place to monitor pupils’ personal and academic developments. This ensures that pupils know how they are doing and are aware of what they need to do to improve. The school has good systems in place offering support and guidance for those pupils with special education needs, and involves the various outside agencies as necessary. Parents spoke very positively about the school and feel it is a very inclusive school and treats pupils fairly.

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Commentary

22. Pupils are very happy and think it is a very safe and secure school. They speak very highly of the school and teachers and the trust placed in them with ‘no unnecessary rules’. They feel that they are well known by their class teachers and that this is fostering very good Hampton Junior School - 17 relationships. Pupils are confident that they can turn to any member of staff if they have a problem or are unhappy, and that issues will be dealt with swiftly. Opportunities to consult pupils and to take their views into consideration are very well developed. The school council and system of house captains in Year 6 encourages pupils to be more responsible, and gives them a voice by involving them in decision-making processes in the school. Pupils speak enthusiastically about some of the improvements they have made and the ideas currently being generated to raise money for charities or to purchase play equipment and a trim trail.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The partnership with parents, the local community and other schools and colleges is very good and continues to be one of the many strengths of the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has developed a very strong supportive parent body and actively consults them. • Parents hold the school in high regard. • There are very good links with the local community and partner institutions. • Parents offer valuable assistance to the school, both in lessons and through Hampton Junior School Association.

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Commentary

23. The school’s very good liaison with parents keeps them fully informed and provides them with many opportunities to become involved in their child’s education. This close partnership is having a very positive effect on pupils’ learning and their good levels of achievement. Parents expressed a high level of satisfaction about the work of the school – ‘it’s a joy to be a parent in this school’. They think the school is very well managed and find the headteacher and staff very approachable. They value the way the school seeks to keep them informed and actively consults them. Frequent newsletters keep parents updated on events and activities. Curriculum information is shared with parents each term and open evenings offer guidance on new initiatives or tips about how they can help their children at home. Parents are particularly delighted by the ‘open-door policy’, how teachers are always available to deal with any issues

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Commentary

of concerns and the way they are made to feel welcome at the school. The school actively consults parents and responds to their suggestions or concerns, such as the improvements to the provision of homework over the last two years.

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Commentary

24. The majority of parents take an active interest and involvement in their child’s learning. They get involved in projects undertaken at home. A large number of parents volunteer their help around school through listening to reading; assisting in the classroom with groups such as cookery; involvement in club activities; or undertaking various tasks and helping out on school visits. Information evenings as well as school events including sports days, sponsored walks and plays and performances are very well attended. Parents are kept fully informed about their child’s progress through regular consultation meetings and the annual reports. These clearly state what their child has covered, as well as evaluating how well they are doing and identifying targets for improvement.

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Commentary

25. Links with the local community are very good. The school is central to the local community life, with many local people involved in school activities and attending functions run by the school. Local artists are using the Arts Space on an increasing basis to offer activities for local groups. The school is making very effective use of the local environment for the ongoing Hampton project, which helps to support pupils’ learning. Concerts and carol services are held in the local church. Links with local business are helping to sponsor both the weekly ‘News Notes’ and some of the activities run by the Hampton Junior School Association (HJSA). HJSA is run by an enthusiastic group of parents and staff who organise a large number of social and fund-raising activities each year, which generates substantial amounts of money for the school. This helps to purchase additional resources and equipment, including laptop

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Commentary

Hampton Junior School - 18 computers, as well as fund some of the school council activities. This group also acts as a valuable resource for the school by acting as an initial sounding board for new ideas. The school has developed a number of very good links with partner institutions. Liaison through the Parkside cluster facilitates a sharing of professional expertise, whilst links with St Mary’s College offer very good opportunities for students as part of their teacher-training course. The school is seeking to forge stronger sporting and curriculum links with the local community college.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are excellent, as is governance.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The leadership of the headteacher and the senior management team is excellent and focuses strongly on inclusion and raising achievement. • The leadership of the curriculum and teaching by subject and aspect co-ordinators is very good and is instrumental in raising standards. • The management of the school is excellent and reflects the emphasis on self-evaluation and commitment to improvement. • The governing body helps to shape the vision and direction of the school and challenges and supports senior managers. • Approaches to financial management are very good and enable the school to achieve educational priorities.

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Commentary

26. All leaders create very effective teams and provide very strong leadership. They inspire, motivate and influence staff and pupils, and create a vibrant climate for learning which focuses on improvement and the achievement of all pupils. They provide excellent role models for other staff and pupils through their clarity of vision, sense of purpose and high aspirations. Under the excellent guidance of the headteacher, who is extremely well supported by his deputy and the assistant headteacher, subject and aspect co-ordinators provide very good leadership of the curriculum and teaching. The school’s commitment to inclusion, promotion of equality, and concern for the needs of individuals is excellent, and is instrumental in developing pupils’ independence, confidence and self-esteem. Strategic planning reflects and promotes the school’s aims and priorities, to create a centre of excellence. Innovative practice

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Commentary

and self-evaluation are integral to all aspects of the school’s work.

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Commentary

27. Excellent systems are in place for regular monitoring and evaluation of the progress of pupils in all subjects. This is particularly rigorous in English and mathematics and provides clear evidence of the achievement of pupils of all abilities and backgrounds, enabling prompt and effective action to be taken, where necessary. The school’s management of the recruitment, retention, deployment and workload of staff is excellent and is instrumental in enabling the school to fulfil its vision and achieve its strategic objectives. Excellent induction procedures, and the continuing professional development of staff, are very effective in bringing about improvement. The performance management of staff, including support staff, is rigorous and has raised the standard of teaching significantly. Excellent links with a neighbouring teacher training college are mutually beneficial both to the teachers in training and the school. The

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Commentary

school budget is driven by the priorities in the school improvement plan and is managed very efficiently by the headteacher, the school’s finance officer and the governing body. They have a very good understanding of the principles of best value and follow recommended procedures to obtain very good value for money.

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Commentary

28. The governance of the school is excellent. The governing body combines a wealth of educational and financial experience and takes advantage of training opportunities to improve its performance. It has an excellent understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Hampton Junior School - 19 This enables it to take a very active role in helping to shape the vision and direction of the school. The governing body is vigilant in ensuring that the school fulfils its statutory duties with regard to special educational needs, English as an additional language, race equality, disability, gender, and inclusion. It plays a significant strategic role in leading the school’s development. Emphasis is on the improvement of standards and provision. It challenges, as well as supports, the leadership and management of the school and is prepared to take difficult decisions, if necessary.

p.18

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.19

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 970,263 Balance from previous year 21,665 Total expenditure 962,147 Balance carried forward to the next 29,781 Expenditure per pupil 2764

p.19

Financial information

Example of outstanding practice There is a comprehensive performance management programme that uses a very wide range of assessment data to set targets and adjust planning and teaching strategies. There is a very strong focus on inclusion and improving the achievement of all pupils within a culture of setting challenging targets and rigorously evaluating progress towards them. The school’s annual target-setting and performance management week in October is highly effective as a forum for agreeing appropriate targets and support for individuals as well as for groups of children. It is based on very good assessment data, especially in literacy and numeracy, which is easy to retrieve and use and often leads to immediate realignment of emphases or organisation. For example, sets for numeracy in Year 6 were adjusted in 2003, the timings of blocked lessons in other subjects may be altered or ICT provision refocused. The individual responsibility of all members of staff

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Financial information

for pupils’ progress is made explicit through locating target-setting for pupils within the performance management programme. This makes a major contribution to achieving whole-school commitment and to raising standards. Hampton Junior School - 20

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good leadership and management by the co-ordinator make a major contribution to pupils’ very good achievements. • Very effective planning and very good subject knowledge promote very good teaching, which leads to very good learning for all pupils. • Literacy skills are taught well, in all areas of the curriculum. • Teachers’ ability to encourage and engage pupils, and their insistence on high standards of behaviour, promote very good learning for pupils of all abilities. • Assessment is very good and is used very well to respond to individual needs.

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Commentary

29. Standards in speaking and listening, reading and writing are above those expected of pupils in Year 6, demonstrating very good progress and achievement in relation to their attainment on entry to Year 3 in September 2000, when their standards in reading and writing were well below expectations for their age. The school’s emphasis on accelerated learning, rigorous assessment, monitoring and target-setting, combined with very good teaching, has been instrumental in the rapid progress made by most pupils, throughout the school. Inspection findings suggest that pupils in Year 6 should meet the challenging targets set for them and, in most cases, exceed them.

p.20

Commentary

30. Standards in speaking and listening are above those expected of pupils in Year 6. Most pupils listen attentively for sustained periods of time and contribute well to discussions, demonstrating the very good progress achieved during their time in the school. There are planned opportunities to develop speaking and listening skills in every area of the curriculum. Picture the scene of the teacher in a Year 5 class, surrounded by eager faces of pupils bursting with ideas on how to prepare a play script, based on the appearance of a hand rising from a hole in an icy river. Working in small groups, they shared their ideas, and recorded, evaluated and developed their scripts. In performing their scenes, they varied tone and volume to convey the atmosphere, mainly chilling and gruesome, that they wished to project.

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Commentary

31. Pupils’ attainment in reading is tracked and analysed to improve standards. Standards are above those expected of pupils in Year 6. The school is innovative in its approach to reading. Regular guided reading sessions introduce pupils to a wide range of books and are proving very successful in raising standards in reading, with the result that the school is now used as a Centre of Excellence for Guided Reading. Pupils are encouraged to take books home to enjoy with their parents, and most parents are reported as supporting their children very well in this activity. The associated literacy work, which is linked to guided reading sessions, is of particular value. The new additional literacy strategy, which is being piloted by the school on behalf of the Borough, is having a very positive impact on raising the standards of lower- attaining pupils.

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Commentary

32. Standards in writing are above those expected in Year 6. There are planned opportunities for writing in most subjects. Recent monitoring shows that the school’s continuing emphasis on writing is having a very positive influence on standards. The writing of many pupils in Years 5 and 6, in particular, is varied, thoughtful and interesting. During the inspection, pupils in Year 6 Hampton Junior School - 21 developed their understanding of similes and metaphors and incorporated them in their own poems. Some pupils chose to use a publishing program on the readily available laptop computers, expressing their feelings and emotions as they wrote about a storm, a monster or some other subject.

p.20

Commentary

33. The quality of teaching and learning is very good. Very effective team planning is carefully designed to engage pupils’ interest and provide practical and challenging experiences. Teachers have a very good understanding of the learning needs of individual pupils and use a wide range of successful strategies to challenge their thinking. The marking of written work is of a high standard. Very good support for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, those for whom English is an additional language, pupils from a travelling background and gifted or talented pupils, ensures the full inclusion and very good achievement of all pupils. Strengths of learning are pupils’ application to their work, their productivity, and their capacity to work individually and collaboratively.

p.21

Commentary

34. The subject leader provides very good leadership. She has a very clear vision for the future development of the subject. She provides an excellent role model for staff and pupils and inspires, motivates and influences them. Her detailed analysis of school test results leads to changes of emphasis in teaching, for example, in reading, in the light of what the tests reveal. Assessment and tracking of pupils’ progress are very good and the results of assessment are used very well to respond to pupils’ individual needs. The curriculum is enriched by planned cross-curricular links, visits to the theatre, visits by theatre companies, listening and writing workshops, drama, book and spelling weeks. The quality of provision shows very good improvement since the last inspection. Leadership and management, the curriculum, the use of assessment and teaching all show very good improvement.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

35. The National Literacy Strategy has been implemented very well. It provides a structure for the progressive development of pupils’ speaking, listening, reading, writing and spelling skills in all areas of the curriculum. Additional literacy support is very effective for pupils who experience difficulties. Resources for the literacy hour are very good and help teachers to develop the elements of the strategy very effectively. The school is very effective at promoting literacy skills in and through the other subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers’ fluency and skills enable pupils to make good progress in both spoken and written work.

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Commentary

36. The teaching of French in Years 5 and 6 was introduced ten years ago. Teaching is very good, because teachers have undergone specialist training and speak French fluently. They successfully engage pupils’ interest and desire to learn another language. Pupils are proud to speak another language and feel better prepared for secondary school. Teachers place an appropriate emphasis on conversational French, in both year groups. Pupils’ confidence is good, as a result, and the majority of pupils speak and write words, phrases and short sentences competently. They listen and respond appropriately to questions, demonstrating their understanding and their ability to convey their meaning. They take part in short dialogues and conversations, for example, about Christmas. French is spoken during registration, and pupils throughout the school develop a repertoire of French songs. On their annual visit to

p.21

Commentary

France, pupils converse in simple terms, when buying goods or ordering a meal. They Hampton Junior School - 22 research French customs and culture, the geography and aspects of the history of France and compare life in France with life in England. The school’s status as a Professional Development School means that French students teach their language to all classes, during their periods of training. Pupils in Year 6 are currently working towards a badge, which symbolises competency in French.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The co-ordinator has identified what needs to be done to raise standards further and provides excellent leadership. • Assessment procedures are very good and the information gained is used very well to promote further learning, especially of pupils identified as underachieving. • Attainment on entry has been below average in mathematics; pupils find particular difficulty with word problems. • Inconsistencies in the regularity and quality of marking mean that not all pupils are benefiting from having written feedback about their work that can be referred to subsequently.

p.22

Commentary

37. In the 2003 national tests results were in line with the national average for all schools and for similar schools. Having substantially raised standards in English, the school is now rightly focusing on mathematics and the evidence is that the measures being taken are proving effective. The present Year 6 did not do as well as their predecessors in the national tests before entering the school but their attainment now is in line with national expectations for their age; this represents a good level of achievement by them. Using assessment results and overall knowledge of pupils to identify possible underachievement and to target this in a systematic way is clearly leading to improvement. Focused and rigorous teaching based on excellent subject knowledge and knowledge of the pupils was seen with the top set in Year 5 and with one of the booster sets in Year 6. In these lessons, pupils achieved well and the

p.22

Commentary

quality of their learning, in response to the teaching, was excellent.

p.22

Commentary

38. The overall quality of teaching is very good; during the inspection it ranged from satisfactory to excellent. Pupils are very willing to offer answers to questions and show good skills in mental work. Individual whiteboards are used frequently and effectively in lessons and pupils are mostly confident when performing calculations and displaying their answers. Teachers are continually assessing pupils’ understanding through seeing the answers and use the information gained very effectively to sort out misunderstandings or to provide further appropriate challenge. However, less work is recorded in pupils’ books than is usually the case. This has a number of consequences, including the fact that pupils often have no correct record to refer to and parents have less access to what their children are learning. The most important consequence, however, is with respect to the marking of written work in terms of its

p.22

Commentary

correctness and presentation. There are very good examples, notably in Year 3, of marking that makes clear what is good (or not) about pupils’ work and what needs to be done to make it better. These include insistence on completing work, presenting it neatly and doing corrections. In this year group, marking is making an essential contribution to raising standards, in other year groups it is not. This is in contrast with the high quality marking throughout the school in English and science.

p.22

Commentary

39. Many features of the best teaching were evident in an excellent lesson with one of the parallel booster sets in Year 6. The lesson begins with a rigorous mental starter that includes saying the three times table backwards and working out how many grams in ½ kilogram, what is 1.6 metres in centimetres, with a premium on speed and accuracy. This routine is well established and pupils are bursting with enthusiasm, highly motivated and competitive; they Hampton Junior School - 23 are delighted that they complete the exercise 10 seconds faster than the parallel booster class next door did on the previous day. Music is used well to provide a quiet background to pupils thinking for one minute about how they will apply their word problem-solving strategy to the question set. The teacher is extremely effective in consolidating pupils’ learning through questions and through recording the processes they describe on overhead projector

p.22

Commentary

transparencies (OHT’s). Assessment by the teacher is continuous and used very constructively to shape the course of the lesson; pupils are expected constantly to self- evaluate their learning. The pace and challenge of the lesson are excellent and time and resources such as the OHT’s and the Internet problem-solving web site are used extremely effectively. All pupils, including those who experience behavioural difficulties, are fully carried along by the pace and interest of the lesson and achieve well. As a consequence of high quality teaching, most pupils use all four operations successfully to solve ‘story’ problems, an area that had been identified as a weakness. Pupils are well placed to achieve the national expectation by the end of the school year.

p.23

Commentary

40. The very experienced co-ordinator provides excellent leadership and support for colleagues. She has led the initiative to identify and deal with underachievement and set the challenging target of raising standards in mathematics to the levels of those in English. Booster classes in Year 6 are clearly having a very good impact on attainment and money has been spent well on good ICT resources that are used very well. The organisation of a workshop for parents about the computation methods being used and of focused investigation topics, again involving parents, are further examples of the wide range of strategies employed to raise standards and to build further on pupils’ positive attitudes to their learning in mathematics. There has been very good improvement since the last inspection.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

41. Pupils do use their mathematical, especially number, skills in other subject areas, and there are examples of calculations, measurement, data-handling or graphical work in science, geography, history and design and technology. A very interesting and stimulating Mathematics and the Arts week, with a strong ICT component, was very well planned and worthwhile. There is scope for pupils of all abilities having more regular planned opportunities for applying practically the mathematics they are learning.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very strong emphasis on investigative work throughout the school, the encouragement of independent recording and marking that is focused well on providing further challenge promote very good achievement for pupils of all abilities. • Most pupils achieve the national expectation by Year 6; in 2003, more than half exceeded it. • ICT resources are used very well to promote and extend learning. • Strong planned links with other subject areas enhance the quality of learning. • Very good leadership and management by the co-ordinator promote a rich and well-planned curriculum accessible by all pupils.

p.23

Commentary

42. Examination of work carried out by pupils in Year 3 shows that they have been given good opportunities to make predictions and to carry out experiments; for example, to investigate the effect of water, Coke and Diet Coke on egg shells. There is also very good encouragement of independent recording skills, initially through the provision of well-designed worksheets and then through writing frames and other supports. The transition is planned well so that early in Hampton Junior School - 24 the year pupils of all abilities use diagrams and text well when reporting an investigation into roots. Pupils’ achievement is very good, as it is throughout the school. The quality of teachers’ marking in all year groups makes a major contribution to this; at all levels of ability teachers ask further questions to confirm or extend learning. During the inspection, pupils in one Year 3 class benefited from their teacher’s very good subject knowledge and made good

p.23

Commentary

gains in their understanding of how water and minerals are taken in through the root and transported through the stem. The introduction, display and use of appropriate vocabulary, for example, xylem and absorb and the skilled use of questions and appropriate tasks promoted very good learning. For example, pupils were challenged as scientists to show with a diagram and a few sentences what they now knew about transpiration in plants.

p.24

Commentary

43. Throughout the school, pupils are encouraged to work in pairs and to discuss their work. As well as supporting very well the development of literacy skills and collaborative work, this practice aids scientific understanding effectively and contributes significantly to the high achievement of pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language.

p.24

Commentary

44. Collaborative work was an essential ingredient of the success of a Year 5 lesson where pupils worked in groups to prepare presentations to the rest of the class on one aspect of recent work on the Earth, Sun and Moon. The teacher had created a very pleasant and purposeful working atmosphere and communicated both enthusiasm for the topic and confidence in pupils’ ability to organise their own presentations. As a consequence, pupils rose to the occasion and displayed both very good group working skills and an above average knowledge and understanding of planetary motions, rotation and the seasons. One higher-attaining pupil, for example, gave convincing arguments for the seasons having different lengths because of the Earth’s elliptical rather than circular orbit.

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Commentary

45. National test results for pupils at the end of Year 6 in 2003 were above average for all schools and well above average for similar schools; their achievement, since they entered the school, in terms of scientific knowledge, skills and understanding was very good. The work of the present Year 6 indicates that their attainment is also above the national average. Work in books includes some very good examples of pupils using mind maps to summarise what they know about electricity and magnetism. This supports well the systematic revision that pupils undertake, which alongside very good understanding of the scientific method leads to above average performance in national tests. During the inspection, pupils in Year 6 extended their understanding of how sound is produced and how it travels. Higher attainers pose their own questions, for example, in relation to tautness and slackness of the string connecting two

p.24

Commentary

plastic cup speakers and what is happening when someone flicks the string. The teacher picks this up well to pave the way for future discussion of interference. There is good use of ICT in this lesson, through the use of data loggers and also a video to explore the order in which senses register a distant explosion.

p.24

Commentary

46. The co-ordinator provides very good leadership and support for colleagues. She has, for example, provided very useful guidance in the use of data loggers and a programme of applications for each year group. Year 3 have used temperature sensors to model why animals huddle. Year 4 pupils write good accounts relating to the thermal insulation properties of different materials. Year 6 pupils use the data logger to explore how sound travels through or is absorbed by a variety of materials and how the loudness is affected. These examples and the wide use of the Internet and CD-ROM based resources represent very good use of ICT to support and extend learning.

p.24

Commentary

47. The overall quality of teaching and learning is very good. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and very good teaching skills that enable them to organise learning in a way that is appropriate both to the scientific content and to pupils’ learning needs and styles. The co- ordinator has led the development of an assessment system that is appropriate to the subject and teachers use the information very well when planning lessons. The links that the co- ordinator has made with universities and other institutions provide valuable enhancement for Hampton Junior School - 25 all, but particularly for those who are gifted and talented. Her leadership in activities such as Investigation Week provides a very valuable lift for the profile of the subject and for making very effective links with other subject areas, notably design and technology. There has been very good improvement since the last inspection in terms of teaching quality, assessment,

p.24

Commentary

organisation and resources, and standards have continued to rise.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision for information and communication technology is good.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There has been substantial improvement in provision and standards since the last inspection. • There is very good and well-planned use of information and communication technology across the curriculum. • Pupils demonstrate a very good level of confidence in using the school’s laptop computers. • There is a need to expand and develop the laptop-based innovation in ICT so that skill levels and usage are further improved.

p.25

Commentary

48. The school has moved a very long way, both in the quality of its provision for the subject and in teachers’ confidence, following the last inspection when provision for information and communication technology was judged to be “unsatisfactory”. In response to the weaknesses identified, the school quickly opened and resourced an ICT suite, worked with this for four years or more and, recently, when it became necessary to replace much of the hardware, made the decision to abandon the desk-top based suite in favour of banks of easily-accessible lap-top computers throughout the school. This has had two very positive effects: greatly increasing cross-curricular use of information and communication technology and significantly improving pupils’ confidence in using computers. Pupils now collect a laptop to do their work on in the way they collect a book from the shelves; they access the Internet confidently for

p.25

Commentary

research using the school’s ‘wireless’ network, save their work and return the computers to their base-stations for charging - with a great deal of confidence . This is the significant strength of the school’s provision.

p.25

Commentary

49. These new resources and improved levels of confidence have not yet, however, been in place long enough to have had a significant effect on pupils’ overall levels of achievement by the age of 11. Although there is evidence of above average achievement lower down the school, standards of work produced and undertaken by the end of the juniors are currently in line with national expectations.

p.25

Commentary

50. Only two wholly “ICT” lessons were observed, although a number of lessons in other curriculum areas were observed where information and communication technology was playing a significant and important part. The quality of teaching and learning in lessons seen ranged from good to satisfactory; no overall judgement on the quality of teaching can be made on this small sample. However, in the lesson judged to be good, a Year 6 lesson where pupils were developing their understanding of the language of commands and writing a short program to operate traffic lights, the teacher demonstrated very good subject-knowledge. She generated a very good working atmosphere with pupils working independently in and outside the classroom in pairs at laptop or desktop computers and provided very good support for pupils of wide-ranging ability and confidence.

p.25

Commentary

51. Leadership and management of the subject are very good. The co-ordinator is very confident in the subject – personally providing much of the school’s day-to-day technological support, for example - and provides very good support for individual teachers. She has developed a comprehensive scheme of work for the subject, based largely on the government- recommended units of work for the subject. Although all teachers have undertaken the Hampton Junior School - 26 government-funded training in information and communication technology, a published series of lesson plans is used to provide additional support for less confident teachers, with activities such as control and data-logging activities, all of which are now resourced appropriately. A new self-assessment booklet has recently been introduced by the co-ordinator which, when it becomes ‘bedded-in’, should provide very good assessment information.

p.25

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

52. There is very good use of information and communication technology across the curriculum, due largely to the ease with which the laptop computers can be brought into a lesson, and lesson plans regularly incorporate information and communication technology activities. Resources for the subject are good and are very well utilised.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching is very good and the standard of work is very high. • Imaginative organisation provides interesting experiences for the pupils, including a very good range and quality of fieldwork activities that give the pupils first-hand geographical experiences. • The subject is interlinked with other areas of learning without losing its distinctive character.

p.26

Commentary

53. The standard of work produced by pupils throughout the school is of the highest quality. In Year 6, the pupils submit a range of individual projects well organised to reflect a thorough understanding of the relationship between physical and human geography. Each year group gets the opportunity to experience geography in the field. These range through the local environment of Hampton, Bushy Park Environmental Centre, the River Thames, contrasting rural environments in Dorset, coastal study at Burton Bradstock Beach in Dorset and Bude in Cornwall and aspects of the French landscape. Close liaison with history and religious education enables effective use of opportunities to emphasise the links between subjects. For example, the visit to Hampton Court Palace combined the history of the Tudors, the impact of the river and religious themes to paint a picture of the past. Excellent planning and thorough

p.26

Commentary

organisation result in the experience of annotating, on a large-scale map, how different areas of Hampton were affected by the Second World War.

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Commentary

54. Work on rainforests extended to links with Kew Gardens. Visits, followed by workshops with Year 3 on plant and animal habitats, were directed by the education officer of Kew Gardens. As a result, the topic of biodiversity has been incorporated in the curriculum and the British Trust of Conservation Volunteers has been involved in setting up a habitat for stag beetles in the school green area. The subject is providing a rich and varied curriculum, which responds to the changing needs and interests of the pupils.

p.26

Commentary

55. The quality of teaching is very good, overall, with some excellent features. The pupils are given challenging projects for which they receive very good support. A range of teaching styles maintains the pupils’ interest and concentration. The combined efforts of the staff in planning and on visits increases the relevance of the learning to the interest and experience of the pupils.

p.26

Commentary

56. The management of the subject is excellent. All aspects of the work are well organised, clearly thought out and implemented. Innovative curriculum planning resulted in the teaching of geographical and historical skills in the ‘Hampton Through the Ages Project’ in Year 3, Hampton Junior School - 27 extended through all year groups. The curriculum is kept under regular review in order to ensure that it meets the needs and interests of the pupils. The expertise of the staff is used effectively to obtain, well presented work of a very high standard. Planning incorporates literacy skills development, citizenship and opportunities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Very good improvements have been made since the last inspection.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching and the standard of work produced are very good. • The pupils are given very good opportunities for enhancement of the subject. • Strong links with other areas of the curriculum increase the relevance of history. • The use of information and communication technology is underdeveloped.

p.27

Commentary

57. The quality of work presented throughout the school is well above national expectations. In Year 5, the pupils produce projects on topics such as the Tudors that reflect high standards of presentation, and understanding of the way people lived in the past. Large displays of history topics around the school provide an attractive and stimulating environment. Major events or personalities, highlighting events along a time-line from the birth of Christ to the present day, adorn the staircase. Some displays demonstrate well the strong links between artistic skills and history. The quality of Tudor models of buildings made by each pupil in a Year 5 class makes an outstanding display in the hall. Analysis of pupils’ work indicates attention to detail and progress in knowledge and understanding of major events in the past and the impact they have on the present.

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Commentary

58. Each year group is given very good opportunities for enhancement of their learning experience. These include talks by invited speakers, workshops as in Year 4 Roman studies, Year 6 Greek Day and a theatre group workshop on life in Tudor times. Visits to places of historical interest include Ham House, Hampton Court Palace, The British Museum, The Imperial War museum and the poppy factory in Richmond.

p.27

Commentary

59. Cross-curricular links with art are combined with a visit to the Wallace Collection for pupils studying Greek civilisation and Tudor Britain. Geography and history are well-integrated in the Hampton project and on educational trips. Although some use is made of ICT, this has been identified as an area for development.

p.27

Commentary

60. The quality of teaching is very good. Teachers use their very good subject knowledge to encourage high standards of work. Enthusiasm for the subject is transmitted to the pupils, who are keen to learn more about each topic. The opportunities for discussion, working in pairs and larger groups, and role-play as demonstrated by Year 6 on the development of the welfare state, encourage involvement and the development of independent learning skills. Artefacts and other resources are used effectively to make history come alive for the pupils, who show positive attitudes to their lessons.

p.27

Commentary

61. The subject is well managed by the co-ordinator, who works closely with the geography and religious education co-ordinator within the framework of humanities. Resources are well maintained and the subject is monitored through discussion with colleagues and scrutiny of pupils’ work. Literacy skills are encouraged through lessons and good improvements have been made since the last inspection. Hampton Junior School - 28

p.27

Religious education

Provision in religious education is very good.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching is very good and attainment is above the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. • Cross-curricular links with other areas of study are planned very well and visits and visitors are used effectively to enhance the curriculum. • The use of ICT and the assessment of pupils’ work are at early stages of development.

p.28

Commentary

62. The standards achieved by the pupils in Year 6 are well above the expectations set out in the locally agreed syllabus. Pupils know the basic beliefs of the major religions of the world and understand some of the ways in which beliefs affect the lives of people. They show respect for the views of others and seek answers to fundamental questions about life. As the pupils move through the school they acquire greater knowledge about and understanding of the meaning of symbols in different faiths and gain experience through visits to different places of worship. Trips to the local Hampton Methodist and All Saints’ churches add realism to their religious education lessons, as does the visit of Year 3 pupils to the Richmond Synagogue. Religious education experiences are provided through personal, social and health education lessons, through assemblies, acts of collective worship, literacy, art, music and history lessons as well

p.28

Commentary

in other aspects of corporate life at Hampton Junior School. Ongoing assessment provides the basis for attaining good standards of work. However, further improvements are in progress for grading the work of pupils across the year groups. Although there is some use of ICT, for example, videos, in religious education lessons, there is room for development.

p.28

Commentary

63. The quality of teaching is very good. Teachers have good knowledge of the subject and make their lessons informative and interesting. Topics are covered with sensitivity and respect for the views of others, so that pupils learn a great deal from their lessons. Very good use is made of artefacts, giving the pupils first-hand experience of articles that have special meaning for different faiths. Good use is made of the variety of pupils’ personal knowledge and experience of their religious background to share with the class. High expectations reflect the very good achievement of pupils throughout the school.

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Commentary

64. Very good management of the subject is reflected in the very good standard of work produced by the pupils. The scheme of work covers the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus well. Planning incorporates aspects of citizenship as well as education for personal, moral and social education. Close links with schools in the local cluster group, and with both infant and secondary schools, promote the sharing of good practice. Visiting speakers give the pupils first-hand experiences of what it means to be part of a faith community. Literacy skills are well supported through planning and the use of key concepts. Improvements since the last inspection have been very good. Hampton Junior School - 29

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Art and design

The school’s provision for art and design is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The very high priority accorded to art within the school reflects the very good quality of subject leadership. • Standards in the subject are very good.

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Commentary

65. The quality of teaching in art and design ranges from good to very good and is very good overall. Teachers demonstrate very good subject knowledge and plan and resource their lessons very well. They have very high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour and, as a result, pupils are well motivated and apply themselves to their work with enthusiasm. This was seen, for example, in a Year 6 art and design lesson where pupils were investigating imagery and personification in the paintings of Howard Hodgkins and relating these to their own experience and producing collages in the style of the artist. The teacher’s very good relationships with the class, very good subject knowledge and evident enthusiasm for the work under discussion, led to pupils responding very confidently and responsibly and, as the lesson progressed, the very good pace and the use of relevant resources led to very good progress in

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Commentary

learning. Due to the very good quality of teaching, overall standards in the subject, by the age of 11, are well above those expected nationally and this is demonstrated very effectively by a scrutiny of work on display around the school.

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Commentary

66. The subject co-ordinator is very well qualified and is a very enthusiastic promoter of the importance of art and design in the primary curriculum. She has been personally responsible for significant improvements in resources for the school, through very good contacts and through an impressive number of successes in a range of local and national art competitions. Of particular note, and a significant additional resource for the subject, is the new “Art Room” – a small Victorian outbuilding which, with grant support, has recently been transformed into a space for “The Arts” for the school’s use and for local artists to run community arts projects. The schemes of work for art and design are based on government-recommended schemes of work adapted and enriched by the school’s own ‘units of work’ and enhanced by the use of ‘art mapping’ strategies to aid teaching and learning. A number of lunch-time and after-school art

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Commentary

clubs are held and attended enthusiastically. Arising from these are the very good quality “History Time-Line” plaques currently being displayed on one of the school’s main staircases.

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Commentary

67. No lessons were observed in design and technology due to the way that art and design and design and technology are ‘blocked” into units of work across the school year. As a result, limited work was available for scrutiny. No overall judgements are made on the quality of teaching and learning or on the standards achieved. However, a scrutiny of the work on display around the school showed that work resulting from Year 5’s study of the Tudors (Tudor houses) was of a good, sometimes very good, standard. Work in books demonstrates that pupils throughout the school undertake an appropriate range of ‘design and make’ activities. Hampton Junior School - 30 68. Co-ordination of the subject is good. The scheme of work for design and technology is based on government-recommended schemes of work, adapted to suit the school. Resources for the subject are broadly satisfactory and the school has the additional advantage of a “food

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Commentary

technology” room, for small-group cooking activities, with volunteer adult supervision.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good teaching leads to very good achievement on the part of the pupils. • Extra-curricular music and opportunities to perform contribute very well to pupils’ overall musical experience.

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Commentary

69. Standards are well above national expectations in Year 6. Pupils of all abilities make very good progress and achieve very well. They are always given a clear purpose to improve their skills, such as an event, a recording or a performance; this leads to a high level of motivation. Work is very well planned and is carefully matched to the needs of pupils. Each lesson is evaluated, and refinements are made to subsequent plans to focus on pupils’ musical needs. Pupils in Year 6 have a very good understanding of tempo, dynamics, timbre, rhythm and pitch. They explore sound sources successfully, using vocal and instrumental compositions. They use keyboards competently and are developing their use of music technology. Very good questioning ensures that they listen carefully to the quality of the sounds they make and the effects they are trying to produce. Pupils learn new skills and improve their understanding as a

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Commentary

result of teachers’ very good subject knowledge and their very good assessment, which focuses on improving the quality of what pupils do and learn. Pupils develop their literacy skills well as they listen, discuss, compose, evaluate their performance and sing songs. They develop their mathematical skills as they learn to read and write music.

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Commentary

70. The standard of extra-curricular music, instrumental playing and performance, whole-school performances, such as The Water Babies , the school orchestra, wind band and Year 3, 4, 5 band is very high, as is the level of participation. Over 110 pupils, almost one-third of the school, learn instruments. These include the violin, viola, guitar, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, E flat horn, keyboard and drums. Many pupils learn the recorder. Together, pupils develop the skills of ensemble playing and performance. Pupils have many good opportunities to develop their skills through performances in the community, at local music festivals, open-air concerts, gala performances at the theatre, and local churches and schools. Performances within the school take place on several occasions each term. Singing is of a very high quality, as evidenced on the school’s Jubilee CD, which also demonstrates the

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Commentary

high standard of the orchestra and wind band. The school owes much of its success to the very good leadership and management of the talented co-ordinator, who is an excellent role model and inspiration to staff and pupils. She gives unstintingly of her time for the benefit of all pupils. Improvement since the last inspection is very good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Provision in physical education is very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The co-ordinator provides very good leadership and management and enjoys the active support of many colleagues, including the senior management team. Hampton Junior School - 31 • There are many very good opportunities for taking part in competitive sport and school teams achieve a very impressive degree of success. • The school makes very good use of the facilities available but the size of the halls, and their necessary use as corridors, makes them less than ideal for dance or lessons with apparatus.

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Commentary

71. Lessons were observed in Years 4 and 6; in both, the teaching, learning and pupils’ achievement were good and standards were in line with national expectations. Evidence from videos and from the school’s very impressive record of sporting success indicates that overall standards are better than expected and in some case well above average. For example, the school’s team achieved the status of national champions in softball. There is a high level of involvement in extra-curricular sporting activities, both at lunch-time and after school. This owes much to the enthusiasm and commitment of members of staff, who give unstintingly of their time to provide high quality opportunities in, for example, basketball, netball, cricket, tennis, rugby, swimming, indoor athletics and football, as well as softball. Pupils have swimming lessons each year and the great majority achieve the national expectation of

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Commentary

swimming 25 metres unaided, many progress to life-saving.

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Commentary

72. The introduction of softball by the co-ordinator, initially to girls, has been catalytic in involving many who had previously been non-participants in competitive sport. There is a very strong link between the provision for physical education and the school’s aim of promoting healthy life styles. This was explicit in an indoor physical fitness lesson for Year 6 pupils. They set the hall up for a very good variety of exercises, most mat-based, and engaged enthusiastically in them. The teacher picked up well on the fact that some pupils were not doing some exercises, for example bicep curls, press-ups or sit-ups correctly and demonstrated correct techniques. There was very good leadership of warm-up, stretching and warm-down routines, and the whole session promoted understanding of the value of exercise and of carrying out exercises properly. Because of the difficulties presented by the size and shape of the hall and the fact

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Commentary

that there are many doors opening into it, there was an appropriately high level of attention to safety concerns. Evidence on video of the extent to which a visiting dancer working with a group of pupils had to contend with people continually walking through the hall further indicates how far from ideal the present indoor facilities are.

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Commentary

73. Outdoor facilities are good, although the school field is half a mile walk away. Pupils from Year 4 who were developing their netball passing skills benefited from having a large hard surface for their lesson. As the teacher increased the level of her direct coaching input pupils’ achievement improved, for example, in their movement and in making a two-handed chest pass. No overall judgement is made about the quality of teaching and learning because of the small amount that was directly observed; all the other evidence suggest that pupils benefit from regular and well-planned lessons that are focused on improving skills and, where appropriate, teamwork. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, have full access to all the opportunities provided and achieve as well as their peers. Provision has been improved since the last inspection, most

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Commentary

noticeably in dance, and the subject occupies an even stronger position in the school’s curriculum.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision for personal, social and health education is excellent.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a highly organised Programme of Study. • The subject has a high profile in the school. • Citizenship development is an integral part of PSHE. Hampton Junior School - 32

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Commentary

74. The arrangements for pupils’ personal, social and health education (PSHE) are excellent. A well-organised scheme of work is in place and weekly lessons are timetabled for each class. Topics range from friendship and self-esteem in Year 3 to rights and responsibilities in Year 6. Many topics are dealt with progressively, for example, self-esteem, with a focus on feeling good about oneself in Year 3 to mental health and coping with pressure in Year 6. Sex education is taught through science lessons and health education lessons for older pupils. Outside agencies are used effectively to promote drugs awareness and personal safety.

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Commentary

75. The subject has a high profile in the school, being part of the leadership responsibility of the assistant headteacher. A regular review of progress is undertaken and staff updated on developments. The general ethos of the school and the variety of structures and guidance in place promote a friendly and purposeful environment where each member of the school community feels valued. The very good caring relationship between staff and pupils contributes to a harmonious community.

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Commentary

76. Citizenship development is well promoted through the PSHE programme. There is a school council enabling the pupils to be involved in monitoring developments and making suggestions for improvement. The house system and extra-curricular arrangements provide opportunities for pupils to take responsibility. Representatives from the school council take part in the borough pupil parliament. Citizenship of the wider world is fostered through the raising of funds in support of major charities, in addition to the local Shooting Star Trust Hospice for sick children. Hampton Junior School - 33

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 2 How inclusive the school is 1 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 2 Value for money provided by the school 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 4 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 2 The quality of teaching 2 How well pupils learn 2 The quality of assessment 2 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 1 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 1 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 1 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 1 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 1 The governance of the school 1 The leadership of the headteacher 1 The leadership of other key staff 1 The effectiveness of management 1

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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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