Denmead Junior School

116043 Unique Reference Number Hampshire LEA LEA 279729 Inspection number 9 March 2006 to 10 March 2006 Inspection dates Peter Thrussell AI Reporting inspector

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

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Bere Road School address Junior Type of school Denmead Community School category Waterlooville PO7 6PH 7 to 11 Age range of pupils 02392252735 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02392230824 Fax number 322 Number on roll Miss Amanda Kennedy Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Miss Eleanor Beale Headteacher 13 September 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279729 9 March 2006 - 7 to 11 10 March 2006 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a larger than average junior school serving the village of Denmead. There is little deprivation, with a very small proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. Almost all pupils have White British heritage and none is at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is slightly above average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Denmead Junior School, 9 March 2006 to 10 March 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with some outstanding features. It provides good value for money. Pupils' personal development is outstanding. Their very good behaviour and excellent attitudes to learning and school life contribute considerably to their success. They are extremely well-cared for, feel safe and enjoy coming to school. The school is very accurate in its own evaluation and is outstanding in its use of information to plan its way forward. It has rightly identified the need to raise attainment further in writing and mathematics, particularly amongst more able pupils, and is working successfully on this. The quality of education throughout the school is good. Teaching is of a consistently high standard. Pupils make good progress in their learning and in Year 6 consistently achieve above average results in national tests. Pupils greatly enjoy the new and developing approaches to learning. However, the newly designed curriculum has yet

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Grade: 2

to be fully evaluated for its impact on standards and achievement. The leadership of the head teacher is very good. She is very well supported by her leadership team, all other members of staff and the governing body. The school is well placed to continue making very good progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Develop current strategies to raise the attainment of more able pupils in writing and mathematics. • Evaluate the impact of the newly designed curriculum on standards and achievement.

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Grade: 2

When pupils enter the school in Year 3, their levels of competence in English and mathematics are above average. Overall pupils make good progress in meeting the challenging targets set for them in English and mathematics. In Year 6, pupils' overall performance in national tests has consistently been above average. In 2005, results in reading and science were well above average. Very effective action was taken to achieve this result in science after results fell significantly in the previous year. Although above average, standards in writing and mathematics have not been as high. The school has recognised this and action has been initiated to raise achievement further, particularly amongst higher attaining pupils, which is already proving to be effective. Through planned opportunities to discuss their work with partners, pupils are becoming more aware of the quality of their written work and how they could improve it; in mathematics, the higher level of

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Grade: 2

challenge through questioning and problem solving is helping pupils become more confident learners. Those with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress 2 Inspection Report: Denmead Junior School, 9 March 2006 to 10 March 2006 because of the effective support of the special needs co-ordinator and teaching assistants.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development is outstanding. They are proud of their school and enjoy all that it has to offer, which is reflected in their good levels of attendance. One pupil commented, 'the atmosphere of the school makes me feel good about myself'. Pupils' behaviour is very good and they have excellent attitudes to learning. They co-operate well in groups and pairs and these attributes, together with their good basic skills, prepare them well for secondary school and the world beyond. Pupils' social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is outstanding. They are very respectful of one another, have a developing understanding of life in multi-cultural Britain, and respond thoughtfully to the many opportunities for reflection. Pupils are eager to take on responsibility, as 'playground buddies' for instance. They contribute to the school community effectively through the school council. They develop awareness

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Grade: 1

of the wider community through, for example, links with a local special school. The school council also nominates a charity annually to be the recipient of fund raising. Pupils have a clear understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles and have been instrumental in establishing the 'snack stop', which serves nutritional food at breaktime. They also take part enthusiastically in the many physical activities provided by the school. Pupils feel safe in school and are confident that any problems will quickly be resolved. They are clear that bullying should not be tolerated and helped devise an anti-bullying charter. One pupil wrote, 'no-one should ever wake up feeling they don't want to go to school again because of a bully. Tell someone'.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good with some outstanding practice, ensuring that pupils of all abilities achieve well. Teachers have excellent relationships with their classes and high expectations of their work and behaviour. As a result, pupils apply themselves diligently and make good progress. Teachers give pupils of all abilities activities which challenge them to do their best in interesting contexts. This was evident in mathematics lessons in Year 5 when pupils were given a complex problem to solve involving the planning of adventurous activities on a trip, working to a set budget and timetable. Pupils were able to apply themselves enthusiastically using a range a mathematical strategies and reasoning skills. Teachers also create an atmosphere where pupils are able to express their thoughts confidently. For example, in a Year 3 religious education lesson pupils were able to clearly articulate

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Grade: 2

the concept of loyalty in an encouraging and supportive atmosphere. Teachers mark pupils' work thoroughly and give them good advice about how it might be improved. 3 Inspection Report: Denmead Junior School, 9 March 2006 to 10 March 2006 They also encourage pupils to share their work with each other and give critical feedback.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy a broad and interesting range of work. This adds to their positive attitudes to school. 'Lessons are exciting!!' exclaimed one pupil. Planning takes good account of what pupils of all abilities have learned and where extra support or challenge is needed. The school constantly looks for ways to improve the curriculum to meet the learning needs of all aptitudes and abilities. For example, it now plans closer links between subjects to make learning more relevant to pupils and to provide more opportunities for them to apply the different skills they are taught. While it is too soon to see the impact of this on standards, it is clearly adding to pupils' interest and enthusiasm for learning, as seen when Year 3 pupils were learning about the life of evacuees. Pupils value the very wide range of clubs, visits and visitors, which motivate them well and provide opportunities for them to succeed in different ways. There is

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Grade: 2

a well-structured programme of personal, social and health education. It promotes pupils' strong personal development and their good understanding of health and safety issues very well. Valuable contributions from visitors, such as the community police officer, enhance it.

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Grade: 1

The care, guidance and support of pupils are outstanding and contribute very effectively to their personal development. When they arrive at school pupils are helped to adjust quickly to school routines and this allows them to settle effectively. This gives the majority of parents confidence and begins a fruitful partnership between home and school. One parent commented, 'My child has been kindly encouraged, both creatively and personally in a caring environment'. Staff know pupils well and monitor their personal as well as academic progress carefully. Learning targets are set and shared fully with pupils and parents. The school effectively uses information from regular checks made on pupils' progress to identify those who need extra help. Support for pupils with a range of learning difficulties and disabilities is very good and ensures that these pupils make good progress. There are effective procedures to ensure that

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Grade: 1

children are fully protected. Regular health and safety checks and thorough risk assessments are carried out by the site manager and action is taken to ensure that the learning environment is safe and secure.

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Grade: 2

The head teacher provides very good leadership and management. She gives a clear direction for the school's work and focuses strongly on the all round development of pupils. She is very well supported by the leadership team and has built up an effective 4 Inspection Report: Denmead Junior School, 9 March 2006 to 10 March 2006 and enthusiastic work force across the school, including teachers and all other staff. The school assesses itself accurately and makes extremely good use of information to plan its improvement, often researching and trying out innovative ideas such as its 'writing doctors' project. Issues, such as gender differences in standards, have been thoughtfully and effectively addressed. There has been very good improvement since the last inspection. Year group teams plan effectively together, sharing their experiences and expertise. The high quality of teaching and learning is well maintained through regular lesson

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Grade: 2

observations, looking at pupils' work and talking to them about it. Areas for both staff and school development are identified, such as the need to monitor the impact of the revised curriculum on learning; they are supported well through further training and performance management. The work of the governing body is very good. Governors clearly know the strengths and weaknesses of the school and contribute to its self-evaluation. Many visit the school frequently and contribute actively to its work. The school keeps parents well informed of the progress their children are making. It regularly seeks their views and acts appropriately on them, although a small minority feel that these are not taken sufficiently into account. The recent high level of fund raising for the new computer suite shows the parents' very strong support for the school. 5 Inspection Report: Denmead Junior School, 9 March 2006 to 10 March 2006

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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: Denmead Junior School, 9 March 2006 to 10 March 2006

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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 1 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 1 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 2 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 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 Yes 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

Pupils I am writing to let you know what we found when we visited your school. Thank you for taking part in the inspection. We spoke to many of you during our visit and you were always interesting to talk to, polite and helpful. You spoke enthusiastically about enjoying school and all of the things you take part in. We think Denmead is a good school with some outstanding features. We liked these things the most:* You behave very well and enjoy school.* The school is extremely caring; pupils who need extra help are very well supported.* Teachers provide good lessons; you are all very keen to learn and make good progress. * The school provides lots of interesting things for you to do.* You are keen to take on responsibilities.* You understand the importance of eating the right things and taking plenty of exercise.* Your head teacher and all other staff do a very good job and continually strive to make the school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked the school to work on these things now:* Work to further raise standards in writing and mathematics, particularly for those who are stronger in these subjects.* Check how well you are learning and applying different skills, for example when using your writing skills in other areas of the curriculum.Thank you again. Yours sincerely Peter Thrussell Lead Inspector

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