Portway Junior School

115853 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 290347 Inspection number 18 °19 June 2007 Inspection dates Olson Davis Reporting inspector

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

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Junior Type of school Community School category 7 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 349 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Wendy Broadbent Chair Mr James Levett Headteacher 17 June 2002 Date of previous school inspection Ashfield Road School address Andover SP10 3PE

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01264 352060 Telephone number 01264 363894 Fax number

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7 °11 Age group 18 °19 June 2007 Inspection dates 290347 Inspection number .

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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

The school is located in an area of socio-economic advantage. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is below the national average. The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. There are no pupils at the early stages of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is in line with the national average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Portway Junior School, 18 °19 June 2007

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Grade: 2

The school provides its pupils with a good standard of education. Pupils achieve well and attain standards which are above average. The school's commitment to placing the Rights, Respect and Responsibility agenda (RRR) at the centre of its work is reflected in its strong ethos of care for pupils. The school is an inclusive community which gives a high priority to meeting the needs of its pupils. High levels of pastoral care and support lead to pupils' outstanding personal development. The school is highly successful in giving pupils the skills necessary to become well rounded citizens. Attendance is good, reflecting the great enjoyment pupils take in school activities. The vast majority of parents are appreciative of the school's work. One parent wrote, 'My children have been enabled to become happy, confident and secure young people through the emphasis placed on the and;quot;whole childand;quot; as well as academic rigour.'

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well because of good teaching and good support for their additional needs. Fundamental to pupils' good progress is teachers' effective use of regular assessments to set work that is well matched to pupils' varying needs and abilities. Pupils' assessments are used well to set challenging targets. However, not all pupils are aware of their targets and they do not have a clear idea of what they need to do to improve their work. Pupils are enthused by a good curriculum which is greatly enhanced by a wide range of enrichment activities. The good links with the local secondary school extend pupils' interests and skills in specific subjects. Transfer arrangements are well managed. Teachers make learning more relevant and interesting for pupils by making meaningful links between subjects and by using the extensive grounds that surround the school. Nonetheless, pupils are not given enough opportunities to apply their

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Grade: 2

good mathematical knowledge in solving problems. As a result standards in mathematics are not as high as in English and science at the end of Year 6. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher, ably supported by the acting deputy headteacher, provide a clear direction to the work of the school. They ensure that the school is strongly focused on raising standards and improving quality. Leadership roles are well distributed throughout the school involving all staff in the process of school improvement. The school is well supported by an effective governing body. The results of their work in improving pupils' writing skills and dealing with the issues from the last inspection show that the school has a good capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve pupils' achievement in mathematics by providing even more opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills in solving problem. • Increase pupils' awareness of their targets and provide clearer guidance on how they might improve their work.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enter school with broadly average standards and attain levels which are above average by the end of Year 6. Standards have been consistently above average since the last inspection and have been well above average in science because teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to think scientifically. English standards have risen as a result of the school's successful emphasis on improving pupils' writing skills. Pupils are more successful in English and science than in mathematics. This is because pupils are not given enough opportunities to apply their 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Portway Junior School, 18 °19 June 2007 mathematical knowledge in solving problems. Achievement is good. Previously boys were not doing as well as girls. The school has made changes to some of its teaching methods to involve boys more. Boys are achieving better as a result of this work and are working at the same level

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Grade: 2

as girls. The school is anticipating a dip in this year's test results. This is because of the lower attainment on entry of this cohort. Inspection evidence and the school's tracking show that this group have made good progress since they started school. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress because of the well-focused additional support they receive.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. They have a high level of awareness of their rights and responsibilities and show a sophisticated understanding of global issues. Pupils express opinions and thoughts with clarity and insight. One pupil commented in a lesson, 'Changing how the world trades will actually help more people than giving money.' Pupils are proud to serve on the school council and feel strongly that their views are listened to. Other pupils are equally keen to take on responsibility, for example, by organising the computer club or by caring for the school environment as an eco-councillor. Pupils intelligently debate the benefits of a healthy lifestyle gained from sport and sensible eating. They participate eagerly in physical activities. Relationships between adults and pupils are very good and as a result pupils behave well. They cooperate effectively in class and respect each other's views. Occasional

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Grade: 1

instances of bullying are dealt with promptly and effectively. There have been a few exclusions. Pupils feel well supported when in trouble. They feel safe and they describe their teachers as approachable, helpful and fair.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers plan interesting work that is carefully matched to the pupils' needs and abilities. The skilled teaching assistants are well deployed. As a result, all pupils including those with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress. Teachers manage their classes well. They use a range of methods effectively to challenge pupils' thinking and extend their personal skills of co-operation, independence and enterprise. This instils enjoyment in learning and prepares pupils for the future. Teachers make creative use of interactive teaching programs on their whiteboards. This adds interest to lessons and motivates pupils, particularly boys. The quality of marking varies. In most lessons work is carefully marked and teachers' comments help pupils to improve. In other lessons comments do not provide sufficient guidance for pupils.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum and other activities are good with some outstanding features. There is a strong commitment to fostering pupils' enjoyment and well-being, along with preparing them for future learning and citizenship. Pupils are given good opportunities to develop respect for cultural diversity. One pupil commented 'The RRR curriculum has helped me to change my attitude'. Pupils learn how to lead healthy lives and to adopt safe practices through a well planned personal, social and health education programme. Teachers make creative links between 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Portway Junior School, 18 °19 June 2007 subjects to make learning more interesting and purposeful for pupils such as involving them in the plans to develop the school's grounds. Information and communication technology is used well to support pupils' learning in other areas of the curriculum. The school recognises that there is still a need to improve problem solving skills in mathematics by providing even

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Grade: 2

more opportunities for pupils to apply their skills in real life situations. The wide range of clubs, visits, visitors and the excellent sports facilities contribute greatly to pupils' academic and personal development.

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Grade: 2

The quality of provision for pupils' care, guidance and support is good. This comment from a Year 6 pupil sums up the excellent pastoral care they feel they receive in school. 'In Portway school we respect and care for each other even though we are all different. Adults respect our views.' The procedures for protecting and safeguarding children are firmly embedded and understood by all staff. The school uses specific programmes and staff expertise very well to support pupils with emotional and behaviour difficulties so that they are able to deal with their personal difficulties and play an active part in the life of the school. The school has effective systems in place to track pupils' progress and to evaluate how well pupils are doing. Teachers keep parents well informed of their child's progress through the mid-year reports. Pupils are not sufficiently involved in evaluating what they do well and what they need to do next to

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Grade: 2

The school has made good improvement since the last inspection, particularly in furthering pupils' personal development by engaging them in an enriched RRR curriculum based. School leaders make good use of assessment information to monitor the progress of individual pupils and groups of pupils to identify possible underachievement. As a result, staff respond quickly to correct relative weaknesses in performance such as in writing and the achievement of boys. The recently restructured staff leadership teams play a significant role in reviewing the school's performance and planning for improvement. Teaching is regularly monitored and evaluated by senior leaders and appropriate targets set for improvement. School self-evaluation is accurate and gives leaders a clear overview of its performance. However, some of the actions detailed in the school's strategic planning are not linked closely enough to measurable targets. This

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Grade: 2

hampers school leaders and governors in judging the success of the actions taken. The provision for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is well organised and means that these pupils achieve well against the targets in their individual education plans. Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities conscientiously and challenge the school to do its best for its pupils. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Portway Junior School, 18 °19 June 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Portway Junior School, 18 °19 June 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Portway Junior School, 18 °19 June 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Portway Junior School, 18 °19 June 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

2 July 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Portway Junior School,Andover,SP10 3PE Thank you for all your help when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking to you and took careful note of what you and your parents had to say about the school. Your school provides you with a good standard of education. Here are some of the things that we consider are good about your school: • your personal development is outstanding • the staff provide you with excellent opportunities to play an active part in the life of the school • you are well prepared for the next stage of your education and for your future lives • you enjoy your school very much, behave well and work hard in lessons • you take lots of exercise and know a great deal about healthy living • your teachers are skilful and help you to learn well in your lessons • adults care for you very well and you say that you feel safe in school • your headteacher, staff and governors run the school well and are continually trying to make

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

it even better for you. We have asked the staff and governors to work on two areas. They are to help some of you to improve your work in mathematics by giving you more opportunities to use your skills in solving problems. Also, for teachers to make clearer what you need to do to improve your work and for them to involve you more in knowing how well you are doing. I hope that you will help your teachers as they work hard to make the school even better for you. Yours sincerely Olson Davis Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Portway Junior School, 18 °19 June 2007

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