New Milton Junior School

New Milton Junior School Inspection report

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115929 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 290368 Inspection number 7 February 2007 Inspection date Richard Hancock 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 414 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Anne Pritchard Chair Mr J Crisp Headteacher 4 March 2003 Date of previous school inspection Old Milton Road School address New Milton BH25 6DS

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01425 614633 Telephone number 01425 614954 Fax number

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7 °11 Age group 7 February 2007 Inspection date 290368 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This well established school serves a settled community. The backgrounds of pupils are mixed but the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. There are a small number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, a few of whom are learning English as an additional language. 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 3 of 10 Inspection Report: New Milton Junior School, 7 February 2007

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Grade: 2

New Milton Junior School provides its pupils with a good education. Standards are above average. The achievement of all pupils is good, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities and the most able. Pupils who are learning English as an additional language also make good progress. All this is a result of good teaching and learning. Because lessons are so stimulating, pupils are keen to learn. Attendance and punctuality are good and pupils behave well, positive factors that help pupils to make the most of their learning. Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils greatly enjoy school and are keen to excel. They understand how to keep healthy and fit because these aspects are stressed in the curriculum. The school helps them to feel secure, unthreatened, respected and valued. They are enthusiastic about taking part in all that the school provides for them and

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Grade: 2

have a good understanding of their local community and the wider world. They are being well prepared for their future economic well being through their growing mastery of communication skills and experience of team working. Their social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is also outstanding. The curriculum is outstanding. Pupils are taught in different groups for English, mathematics and science, a process that is based on the school's thorough knowledge of their performance and progress. This is a very good initiative because it enables teachers to pitch their work accurately so that all pupils benefit. Literacy and numeracy are stressed and pupils get good opportunities to use computers in their learning. Visits and visitors provide further breadth to the curriculum as do clubs and after-school activities. Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. The school environment is clean and safe, and the

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Grade: 2

roles and responsibilities of staff in relation to child protection are clear. Good use is made of outside help to support individual needs. Pupils' work is carefully marked and assessed but is not followed up with sufficient feedback as to what pupils need to aim for and what they need to do to improve. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher and senior leaders work together to ensure that initiatives directly benefit pupils. Accurate records of pupils' progress are maintained and are used to decide which pupils might need extra support. Classroom assistants are well deployed and play a vital role in supporting pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. Developmental plans are giving the school a sense of direction. Books are bright and up to date and help literacy development. Computers are put to good use. The school has addressed the key issue identified at the time of the last inspection and has made good progress. Governors

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Grade: 2

are challenging the school to get still better. The school's capacity to improve further is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that pupils receive regular feedback on how they can improve their work.

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Grade: 2

Standards are above average. Given that standards on entry are just below average this represents good achievement. Prior to 2006, test results consistently improved and were regularly above the national average. However, Key Stage 2 results showed a marked decline in 2006, and significant numbers of pupils clearly under-achieved, particularly in mathematics 4 of 10 Inspection Report: New Milton Junior School, 7 February 2007 and science. The school did not meet its targets. The school has now effectively addressed the issues that led to this decline, and standards are rising in the school, particularly so in English and science but also in mathematics. Standards are also rising in ICT. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress which is no less than that of other pupils. This is also the case for pupils who are learning English as an additional language, including those at the

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Grade: 2

very early stages of acquiring English. More able pupils achieve well because of the high levels of challenge provided in most lessons.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well being are outstanding. Pupils greatly enjoy school. They have a thirst for learning and are keen to achieve. They understand the importance of keeping fit and of eating healthily. They feel safe and unthreatened and are confident that the school will support them if they are in difficulties. Pupils feel valued and respected and their self-esteem is high. They are very ready to take part in the wide range of activities on offer. They are being well prepared for their future economic because their skills of literacy and numeracy are well developed, can work in teams, take on responsibility and communicate easily. Relationships are very good and pupils mix easily. They have a clear understanding of moral issues, partly as a result of the excellent initiative on 'Rights, Respect and Responsibilities', which helps them understand how their behaviour affects themselves and others. They are

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Grade: 1

often reflective and appreciate the world around them. They enjoy the arts. They have a good understanding of different faiths and beliefs and a well developed awareness of different cultures and life styles. They behave well and their attendance and punctuality are good.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good and sometimes inspired. Teachers go to great lengths to help all pupils enjoy learning and make progress. Most lessons have pace and are based on activities which stimulate pupils who have good opportunities to investigate, conduct surveys, express opinions, work in teams, and to present findings in different ways. Teachers' explanations are very clear, and frequent checks are made to ensure that pupils fully understand what they are learning. However, feedback is sometimes limited which means that pupils do not always know what they are aiming for or what they have to improve. The best lessons are well rounded off by summaries which reinforce pupils' understanding. Much learning is of high quality and all groups of pupils benefit from the good levels of challenge in lessons. Teachers have very good subject knowledge and this enables them to ensure work is rigorous and pupils' understanding is thorough,

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding. Its major strength is the very effective way pupils are grouped for learning in English, mathematics and science, based on a thorough knowledge of their performance and progress. This enables teachers to pitch the level of work accurately so that it matches the needs of all pupils. There is a strong emphasis on the development of literacy and numeracy in all subjects. Many opportunities are provided for pupils to learn the importance 5 of 10 Inspection Report: New Milton Junior School, 7 February 2007 of keeping fit and eating in healthy ways, to develop independence, exercise responsibility, and to enjoy what they do. After school clubs and visits to places of educational interest add breadth to pupils' experiences. The school also makes very good use of visitors, such as actors in the roles of Roman soldiers, who provide a powerful stimulus to learning. The use of ICT is

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. Extensive risk assessments ensure that the environment is clean and without hazard. Roles and responsibilities in relation to child protection are clear but the school has been slow to start the single central record as recommended by the Department for Education and Skills. Extensive use is made of external agencies to support individual needs and this is very effective. The school has effective initiatives to help pupils to become confident. For instance, many pupils serve as 'Senators', representing the views of pupils so the school 'can be made an even better place'. The school works effectively to ensure that attendance and punctuality are good and that pupils behave well. Pupils' work is carefully and regularly marked, often with positive comments that encourage pupils to give of their best. However, a weaker feature of guidance is the lack of consistent written feedback to pupils on

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Grade: 3

what they should be aiming for and what they need to do to improve their work in order to help them reach the very highest levels.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. There is a stress on teamwork where staff have clearly defined leadership roles to ensure that the school moves forward on a planned basis with the individual pupil at the heart of the process. Reflection and an accurate analysis of all aspects of the school are central, and are effective in helping the school to build on its strengths and address any weaknesses, such as those identified in the last inspection report. There is an emphasis on developmental planning and this gives the school a clear sense of direction. Monitoring and review are also strong features and are helping managers improve the quality of teaching. Pupils' progress is carefully tracked and provides a strong basis for deploying extra support where needed. The school is well resourced. Governors are providing effective levels of challenge. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: New Milton Junior School, 7 February 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: New Milton Junior School, 7 February 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 1 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?

3 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: New Milton Junior School, 7 February 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: New Milton Junior School, 7 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

16 February 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of New Milton Junior School,New Milton,BH25 6DS Thank you for welcoming me on my recent visit and for helping me to find out so much about your school. I enjoyed talking to you. I was especially pleased to see how much you enjoyed lessons and how keen you were to take part in all the activities that the school puts on. You are being well taught and this is helping you reach standards which are higher than those of pupils in most schools. Your achievement is good. I was pleased that you feel safe and well supported and that you believe that there is always someone in the school you could turn to if you were in any sort of difficulty. I agree with the pupil who said 'Teachers are really kind. They'll always help you'. One of the highlights for me was the class assembly by pupils in Year 4 on global awareness. It taught me so much about what the school is able to help you do. I thought the presentation was excellent and everyone

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

in it contributed to a team performance which showed your excellent communication skills. The research the pupils undertook obviously helped them learn so much about the inequalities in the world and why they should matter to us. Well done pupils in Year 4! The headteacher and his leadership team are providing you with a clean, safe and stimulating environment and are constantly planning to make the school even better. Although your standards are better than average, I still think you could achieve more because there is so much going for you. Consequently, I am recommending that teachers set challenging targets for you to achieve in your work in English, mathematics and science, that they tell you what these are and that they give you clear guidance as to what you have to do to meet them. I think this will lead to even greater achievement on your part. I am sure you will work with them to bring this

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

about in the spirit of the school's motto: 'Together Towards Our Very Best'. Thank you again. Richard Hancock(Lead inspector) 10 of 10 Inspection Report: New Milton Junior School, 7 February 2007

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