Lymington Junior School

Inspection Report Lymington Junior School

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116051 Unique Reference Number Hampshire LEA LEA 279733 Inspection number 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006 Inspection dates Gehane Gordelier HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Avenue Road School address Junior Type of school Lymington Community School category SO41 9GP 7 to 11 Age range of pupils 01590674383 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01590679028 Fax number 278 Number on roll Mrs M Archer Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs S A Evans Headteacher 22 May 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279733 7 February 2006 - 7 to 11 8 February 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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Lymington Junior School is about the same size as other junior schools and is over subscribed. The pupil admission number was increased in 2003 which reflects the school's popularity. There are very few pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds and the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is lower than the national average. The number of pupils with statements of special educational needs or identified as having learning difficulties is less than the number found in most schools. The attainment of pupils on entry to the school although varied is broadly average.The school has undergone significant and unsettling staff changes. The present headteacher is the fourth person to hold this post since May 2000. Staffing levels have recently become more stable with permanent leaders in all posts and the governing body has been reformed.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Lymington Junior School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006

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Grade: 3

The school judges its overall effectiveness to be good. The inspection findings are that this is satisfactory overall, although there are many good and some very good aspects. Standards are rising and are now broadly in line with national averages. However, attainment is better in mathematics and science than it is in English. The governing body and the headteacher are among the school's strengths. Key leaders are developing their roles and responsibilities well and this together with the leadership from the headteacher has contributed to the recent improvements in teaching. Pupils make particularly good progress in reading. The quality of teaching is not yet consistently good throughout the school and this is leading to some pupils making slower progress than others, particularly those pupils whose ability is broadly average. The curriculum makes good provision for pupils' needs and interests and is enriched

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Grade: 3

by a very good range of extra-curricular activities. In the last three years the headteacher has made effective use of data to track and monitor pupils' progress. However, not all leaders and managers make sufficient use of data to evaluate progress and help drive standards. As a result this information is not always used rigorously enough to ensure there are consistently good levels of challenge for all pupils. Teachers are beginning to involve pupils more in the assessment of their learning, but pupils are not always clear about they are expected to learn.Pupils benefit from the very good links with the local community and the partnerships between the school and outside agencies. Pupils with learning difficulties make particularly good progress and all pupils are very well cared for and receive very good guidance and support with their personal development. Pupils enjoy their education and know what to do to be safe

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Grade: 3

and lead healthy lifestyles. Their views are actively sought and they make a very positive contribution to their local community.Since the arrival of the headteacher and new key leaders the school has demonstrated that it has a good capacity to improve and provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Improve standards in writing and in pupils' ability to use and apply mathematical knowledge.* Ensure that teaching is good in all year groups and leads to consistently good levels of pupil progress in the core subjects.* Ensure that managers at all levels make more effective use of numerical targets to help drive standards and focus more sharply on outcomes for learners.* Ensure teaching makes greater use of data and information from assessments to provide consistently good levels of challenge for all pupils.

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Grade: 3

Achievement and standards are satisfactory. Standards are rising but at a rate below the national trend. Pupils in Year 6 did not meet the challenging targets for 2005, which were aspirational. However, the school's results in English, mathematics and 2 Inspection Report: Lymington Junior School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006 science were in line with national averages. The progress and standards of pupils' reading are particularly good and by the end of Year 6 pupils also achieve particularly well in science and in mathematics. The progress made by ethnic minority pupils is also good. Although pupils' overall achievement in English is now satisfactory there are fewer higher achieving pupils than in mathematics and science. With the exception of pupils in Year 6, who make good progress, the rate of improvement for pupils of average ability is satisfactory overall. This is particularly evident in writing and in the

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Grade: 3

use and application of mathematics. There are good systems in place to track and monitor pupils' progress and standards. However, numerical targets are not being used sufficiently well to help drive standards and measure outcomes. The overall quality of support for pupils with learning difficulties and special educational needs is good and these pupils are making good progress.

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Grade: 2

The personal development and well-being of pupils are good. Attendance and punctuality are very good. Pupils are good ambassadors for their school because they are enthusiastic about aspects of school life. They especially enjoy the exciting range of extra-curricular activities and trips and visits make a valuable contribution to their social development. Behaviour is mostly good and attitudes to learning are very positive. Pupils understand and support the system of rewards and sanctions. They are proud of their school and its friendly, supportive community. Pupils' spiritual development is very good and their cultural development is good. They show a strong moral awareness in their support for charities and their care for others and the environment. Their written work about the whale lost in the Thames shows a real empathy for the plight of the creature and an understanding of how pollution may have contributed

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Grade: 2

to it. Their artwork illustrates their understanding of other cultures. The school council is very active and is taking its responsibility to improve the choice of healthy food available at break and lunchtime very seriously. Awareness about health issues is good. Many pupils are adopting a healthy life style; they choose sensibly from a range of foods and physical activities and can explain why this is important. Most pupils' basic skills are secure and this is helping to prepare them for their future economic well-being. They know how to be safe and how to ensure the safety of others. They understand the importance of following instructions and obeying the school's Golden Rules.

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Grade: 3

The school judges teaching and learning to be good. There have been improvements in teaching over the last three years but the improvements have been very recent and have not yet made sufficient impact on learning. Teaching is currently satisfactory overall. At the time of the inspection the school was running a themed writing and 3 Inspection Report: Lymington Junior School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006 thinking skills week and consequently most of the lessons seen were in English. Teaching in the majority of these lessons was good and were well planned. However, in a minority of lessons there were still some areas of weakness. The work in pupils' English books also reflects recent improvement in the quality of teaching in English, but there is less evidence of improvement for pupils in Year 3. Work in the books also indicates that the quality of science and mathematics teaching is inconsistent, especially

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Grade: 3

in Years 4 and 5. Much of the work is covered in a repetitive manner. In the best lessons there are good strategies to engage and motivate all pupils. Teaching takes account of the different ways in which pupils learn and this helps to make lessons meaningful and purposeful. There is also a good balance between the amount of time pupils spend listening and the amount of time they spend contributing to discussions and working. Assessment procedures are improving but are not sufficiently well implemented. Teachers generally use appropriate learning objectives but are not always clear enough when giving pupils specific guidance about what they are looking for in their work. Marking and use of pupil targets are also inconsistent across the school. There is some very good marking in Year 6 with pupils given clear feedback on how to improve.

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Grade: 2

Inspection evidence confirms the view of the school that the curriculum is good. Schemes of work are detailed and promote good continuity and this is having a positive impact on pupils' learning. Units of work have been well adapted to suit the needs of the school and are accessible to all pupils. A good example of this is the information and communication technology (ICT) programme which now provides more appropriate progression in the development of pupils' ICT skills and capabilities. There are many opportunities for cross-curricular links between English, mathematics and ICT.There is good provision for Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) and for teaching pupils about health and safety. Curriculum enrichment is given high priority. Visits to places outside the school as well as visitors and support activities are built into every unit of work. There is a very good range of clubs offered, with music and sport featuring

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Grade: 2

prominently. Most of the pupils take part in annual residential visits. Year 4 and 5 pupils, for example, visit Hooke Court to immerse themselves in Tudor life. Good use is also made of the beautiful New Forest surroundings

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Grade: 2

The quality of care, guidance and support for pupils is good with some outstanding features. Health and safety, risk assessment and child protection procedures are in place and the monitoring of behaviour and attendance is very good. Pupils say that they feel very safe in school and that any incidents are dealt with quickly and well. Pupils' achievements are shared, celebrated and rewarded and their ideas are listened to. Teachers are beginning to make effective use of peer and self-evaluation to further improve levels of support, guidance and learning. However, not all teaching makes sufficient use of assessments and data to provide consistently good levels of support 4 Inspection Report: Lymington Junior School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006 and challenge. The extent to which the school seeks the views of pupils is excellent. The school consults with pupils in discussions and through questionnaires and the

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Grade: 2

school council is very active. This allows pupils to participate in decisions which affect them and enables them to play a part in the management of their school. Pupils with learning difficulties are supported very well and the gifts and talents of individuals, for example in music and sport, are encouraged. Partnerships, community links and the use of outside agencies are very effective, particularly links with the local secondary school. This helps to ease the transition for pupils to the next phase of their education.

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Grade: 3

The overall quality of leadership and management is satisfactory with significant strengths. The headteacher provides strong leadership and has made many positive changes to the school since her arrival. As a result there has been an increase in the quality of provision and improvements in standards and behaviour, both of which had deteriorated since the time of the last inspection. The headteacher has ensured there is a shared vision for improvement and a powerful ethos of spirituality. The appointment of new staff to the leadership team has significantly strengthened the school's capacity to improve. There are increasing levels of distributive leadership with clear roles and responsibilities. Managers have a good overview of the strengths and weaknesses in the school. However, they do not all make sufficient use of numerical targets to drive standards and to track pupils' progress in each year group. Leaders and managers work

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Grade: 3

well as a team and are now providing good role models to support teaching. This has contributed to the recent improvements in teaching. The quality of the school's self-evaluation is satisfactory overall. The headteacher monitors the quality of teaching effectively and the quality of her self-evaluation is a strength. However, the quality of monitoring and self-evaluation undertaken by other all managers and leaders are of variable quality and are not sufficiently rigorous. Managers undertake lesson observations, but their judgements about the quality of teaching are not based sufficiently on the outcomes for learners, furthermore not all subject action plans are sharply focused on raising achievement.The governing body is effective in its role and ensures that policies are in place and regularly updated and reviewed. Governors are very supportive of the school and have become more challenging and aware of the

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Grade: 3

school's strengths and weaknesses. Parents agree that their opinions are sought and valued. During the course of the inspection some parents expressed the view that the school has been transformed since the arrival of the headteacher. 5 Inspection Report: Lymington Junior School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 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: Lymington Junior School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 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 3 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 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 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 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 3 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 2 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 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

As you know your school has recently been inspected. I am writing to thank you for the courtesy you showed the inspection team during our time at the school and to share some of our findings with you.We agree with you that the staff at the school help to make Lymington Juniors a happy and safe place to learn and we are impressed by the range of activities that are provided for you especially the visits and activities after school. It was very interesting to hear about how you have contributed to your local community and helped to make your school a healthier and better place. The people in charge of leading and managing your school are making positive changes which are leading to improvements in many areas. All the staff care about you and want to do their best to help you to develop into mature, thoughtful and well educated young people. There were some areas; however, which the inspection team believe are in need of some improvement.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

* Although standards are rising, standards in writing are not always as good as they could be. We think that you need more opportunities to use what you are learning in mathematics.* While many of you are making good progress, this is not the case for all pupils.* The school needs to focus more sharply on what you are learning during lessons and the progress you are making.* There is not always enough challenge for some of you during lessons and there needs to be better use of information about what you already know.It was a pleasure to meet you and wish you all the best for the future.

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