Anstey Junior School

115851 Unique Reference Number Hampshire LEA LEA 279688 Inspection number 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005 Inspection dates Steven Hill AI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Eastbrooke Road School address Junior Type of school Alton Community School category GU34 2DR 7 to 11 Age range of pupils 0142084486 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01420542740 Fax number 218 Number on roll Mr Neil Bridger Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Miss Carol Walters Headteacher 8 November 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279688 27 September 2005 - 7 to 11 28 September 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors from Prospects Learning Services, on behalf of Ofsted.

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Description of the school

This is a middle-sized junior school in the small market town of Alton. Pupils come from a wide range of social circumstances, but these are broadly in line with those found nationally. Pupils' attainment when they start is average, but this includes large numbers of pupils with special educational needs, as well as a good proportion of high fliers. Most pupils are of white British origin, with a few from a range of other ethnic backgrounds. Five per cent of pupils are bilingual. None are at an early stage of learning English.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Anstey Junior School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005

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Grade: 2

Anstey Junior has accurately evaluated itself as a good school, which provides good value for money. Teaching is good and there is an interesting and wide-ranging curriculum. This means that all pupils make good progress, including the large proportion that have learning difficulties. Standards are generally high, especially in reading and in science. Standards in speaking and listening, while satisfactory, often lag behind pupils' other English skills. The school keeps a close check on how pupils are getting on in English, mathematics and science, and teachers take great care to match work to their particular needs. In other subjects, the tracking of pupils' progress is satisfactory, but does not enable teachers to plan for individuals with the same accuracy. Pupils' personal development is outstanding. Behaviour is very good and pupils get on well with each other, and with the adults in the school. They enjoy

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Grade: 2

learning and join in the wide range of activities with enthusiasm. The care and guidance provided for pupils is outstanding, and pupils feel safe and secure. Parents are very positive about the school. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher and senior management set a clear direction to the school's work. Observations made of lessons have enabled accurate assessments of the quality of teaching, and the resulting help and advice have led to improvements. However, not all staff are sufficiently involved in this. Improvement since the last inspection has been good. The school has already identified the most important things it needs to do to get even better, and is well placed to improve in the future.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Improve standards in speaking and listening. * Involve all subject co-ordinators more in observing teaching, so that they can better provide help to their colleagues.* Keep a more systematic check on the progress pupils make in subjects other than English, mathematics and science.

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Grade: 2

Standards are good and pupils achieve well. Standards have improved since the last inspection. Results of national tests have been above average for several years in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Pupils make good progress in comparison to their standards when they start in Year 3, regardless of gender, ethnic group or ability. The school sets challenging targets for pupils, based on assessment of their progress, and these targets are generally met. Pupils do particularly well in reading and science. Inspection evidence confirms the generally high standards. Discussion with pupils showed them to have a very good understanding of the scientific process, as well as a good knowledge of facts. Standards in physical education are also good by the end of the school. Pupils are agile and confident, and show good levels of control. In speaking and listening, however, standards are variable, and are only

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Grade: 2

average overall. The school is starting to build in effective opportunities for pupils to 2 Inspection Report: Anstey Junior School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005 improve and practise these skills in lessons. This has led to improvements, but there is still some way to go.

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Grade: 1

Personal development and well-being are outstanding. This is true for all pupils, regardless of gender, ethnic origin or ability. Pupils behave very well and enjoy their learning. Their attendance is good and reflects their very positive views about the school and the work they do. Their social and moral development is outstanding. Their spiritual and cultural development is good, although pupils' knowledge of different cultures in this country is insecure. Pupils understand the difference between right and wrong and talk enthusiastically about experiences in school that inspire and motivate them. For example, they spoke about their wonder and amazement at the workings of the human body, which they were studying in science lessons. They have a very good awareness of the needs of those who are less fortunate than they are. For example, they have raised funds for various charities and they sponsor a child in Kenya.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' good levels of basic skills and their increasing self-confidence prepare them well for later life. Pupils enjoy the responsibilities they are given. The School Council represents the pupils very well and feels strongly that its voice is heard. Children appreciate the Buddy system, which supports those in need and, along with prefects, helps maintain good behaviour and freedom from bullying. Children feel the school is a safe place and that there is always someone to turn to if they have a problem. The children learn about healthy lifestyles and eat healthy lunches and snacks. They enjoy sport and take part in a variety of physical activities outside of the school day. Pupils make an outstanding contribution to the local and wider community through projects like the safe travel plan and mini-business enterprise events.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good, and have improved since the last inspection. Lessons are orderly because teachers' expectations are clear and well understood. Particularly in English and mathematics, teachers use their good understanding of pupils' progress to plan work that is well matched to their needs. High fliers get more challenging work, and those who struggle get easier work or extra help. Pupils enjoy their lessons and concentrate well because the teachers take pains to make the work interesting and enjoyable. Pupils in Year 6 were seen to be engrossed in their mathematics work, for example, when they solved problems about planning the costs of packed lunches, using price-leaflets from a supermarket. A positive atmosphere and good relationships characterise lessons. Pupils like and respect their teachers, so they work hard and do their best to please them. Teachers are starting to plan lessons in different subjects

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Grade: 2

that help pupils to improve their speaking and listening skills. However, sometimes opportunities to build on this further are missed. 3 Inspection Report: Anstey Junior School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is wide-ranging and interesting. All national requirements are met. The school makes good use of a variety visits out to enrich pupils' learning, including residential experiences for older pupils. These bring learning to life and develop pupils' social and academic skills well. There is a good range of clubs that contribute effectively to pupils' progress. This is outstanding in terms of developing pupils' sporting and physical education skills. Pupils have some good opportunities for developing their collaborative skills, which also develop their skills in speaking and listening. The good programme for personal, social and health education contributes significantly to this. In other subjects, however, opportunities are sometimes missed and, as a result, speaking and listening skills lag behind other aspects of English.

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Grade: 1

The care provided by the school is outstanding. Secure child protection procedures are in place and understood by all staff. The school is a welcoming place for children, who feel safe, secure and free from bullying or discrimination. Pupils of different abilities or from different ethnic groups are completely integrated into the life of the school. Pupils with special educational needs are given clear targets, and teachers and other adults ensure that they make good progress. The school successfully gives a high priority to helping children manage their own behaviour and ensuring that each child's welfare is paramount, particularly those in vulnerable situations. The school works very well with other agencies so that children benefit from specialist help when needed. Pupils are told how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The school is led and managed well. Self-evaluation is thorough and accurate, and the main areas that need to be improved have been identified. Good systems are in place to take account of the views of pupils and parents in running the school. The strong leadership and management have led to significant improvements over the last few years. Teaching is better and more consistent, and standards have risen. The school is well placed to improve further. The headteacher gives very clear direction to the school's work and has good support from a skilled senior management team. Governors have a good grasp of the school's strengths and weaknesses, and provide effective oversight of what happens. Subject managers do a good job, but vary in their effectiveness. All are working hard to support their colleagues. The managers of English, mathematics and science have been able to observe their colleagues teaching.

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Grade: 2

This has enabled them to refine the advice they give, and to identify areas where improvements can be made. However, other subject managers have not had this opportunity, so their advice and support is more general. A strength of the management 4 Inspection Report: Anstey Junior School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005 is that developments are focused on improving standards and the care of pupils. A careful eye is kept on how pupils are getting on in English, mathematics and science, and strengths and weaknesses are identified. This information is used successfully to plan improvements to the curriculum. Good use is made of a range of assessment data to support improvements in these subjects, but information is not as extensive or systematically organised in other subjects. The school's consistent emphasis on care and guidance has contributed to the outstanding personal development of all the

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Grade: 2

pupils. 5 Inspection Report: Anstey Junior School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Anstey Junior School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA NA The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse NA Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for all your help when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking to you and watching your lessons. You told us that you enjoy school, and we can see why. This is what we found out. Anstey Junior is a good school. You are all doing well in most subjects, and you are particularly good at science and reading. This is because teachers explain things to you well and give you plenty of interesting things to do. There are a lot of school clubs, especially for sports, which many of you enjoy. Some of you are not quite so good at explaining your ideas or listening carefully to each other, and you need to practise this more. The teachers are good at planning work that is just right for you in English, maths and science. This is because they keep a careful track on how you are doing in these subjects. The school now needs better ways of checking on how you are doing in other subjects. We were impressed by the very good behaviour in lessons, and by how well you get on together.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

The school council do a good job in making sure the school knows what you all think. The adults in the school are very good at looking after you and making sure that you are safe, healthy and happy. Your headteacher organises the school really well, and the other teachers give her a lot of help with this. A few of the teachers have had the chance to watch each other's lessons, and this helps them give each other tips about how to make lessons even more interesting. The other teachers have not had a chance to do this yet, and they need to. The staff and governors have already worked out how to make your school even better.* You need to get better at speaking and listening by practising more.* Teachers need to keep a more careful eye on how you are getting on in different subjects.* All the teachers need the chance to watch each other's lessons.We hope you enjoy the rest of term.

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