Park View Primary School

Park View Junior School Inspection report

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116237 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 290466 Inspection number 14 °15 May 2007 Inspection dates Keith Sadler 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 250 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Darron Dean Chair Mrs Kate Webb (acting) Headteacher 15 April 2002 Date of previous school inspection Pinkerton Road School address Basingstoke RG22 6RT

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01256 322616 Telephone number 01256 814279 Fax number

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7 °11 Age group 14 °15 May 2007 Inspection dates 290466 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

Park View is an average sized junior school. The large majority of pupils come from the immediate, and generally disadvantaged area. Almost all the pupils are of White British heritage. Other pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. A small number of pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The percentage with learning difficulties and disabilities is well above that of most schools. The school has a unit for hearing impaired pupils who are taught in classes alongside their peers. Due to the challenging and complex social and emotional needs of some pupils the school has developed a 'Nurture' unit for a small group of pupils. The school has had an acting headteacher for the past year. This is because governors were unable to make an appointment to succeed the previous substantive headteacher who retired in August 2006. A new headteacher is due to take up post in September 2007.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Park View Junior School, 14 °15 May 2007

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Grade: 3

The school's overall effectiveness is satisfactory and it is improving. The school has come through a difficult year and due to the determined efforts of the acting headteacher there have been a number of significant improvements. Pupils, staff, governors and almost all parents say that the headteacher has created a happy and friendly school where staff and pupils enjoy learning. She provides outstanding leadership and has identified correctly the key improvements that are needed to be made and has developed good systems to ensure that the school has an accurate and realistic view of itself. Most of all, she has brought more rigour to teaching and learning and this has accelerated pupils' progress. Overall, achievement is satisfactory. In addition, leadership has been strengthened because the staff have a clear understanding of their role and what they need to do contribute to school improvement. There is satisfactory

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Grade: 3

capacity for further improvement. Overall, achievement is satisfactory. Pupils enter the school with below average attainment and they make satisfactory progress. The teaching is satisfactory overall and there are pockets of strong teaching that accelerates pupils' progress in some classes. Standards are broadly average and improving well. Pupils in Year 6 are on course to reach more challenging targets this year. This is a marked improvement from the significantly below average standards attained in the past five years. These improvements are due directly to a strengthening of the quality of teaching and learning. In particular, teachers' planning now ensures that interesting and challenging work is set for pupils of all abilities. There are strengths in the school's curriculum, which includes the wide range of additional activities and the linking of subjects together to extend pupils' thinking and make learning more relevant. Opportunities for pupils to practise

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Grade: 3

skills in information and communication technology (ICT) are limited because teachers do not have enough computers in their classrooms. Pupils' personal development is satisfactory. Although the large majority of parents are supportive of the school, a small minority feel that the pupils' behaviour is unsatisfactory. Inspection findings do not confirm this viewpoint. Pupils say that they enjoy school. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good, and in assemblies and break times it is excellent. Relationships are good and staff are skilled at encouraging good behaviour. However, the school has a higher than usual number of pupils who have complex emotional and social difficulties. The behaviour of these pupils has been a cause of great concern and has led to a number of them being temporarily excluded. As a result of this, the overall evaluation of behaviour is that it is satisfactory. The school recognises that the level of exclusions is too high.

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Grade: 3

There has been an excellent focus on strengthening the support for these pupils. Consequently, the number of exclusions has reduced in the last year though there is still some way to go.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Increase the proportion of good and outstanding teaching in order to strengthen pupils' achievement and raise standards. • Reduce the number of temporary exclusions of pupils by building on the good strategies that have been implemented. • Provide more opportunities for pupils to use computers across the curriculum to raise standards and reinforce their knowledge and skills in ICT. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Park View Junior School, 14 °15 May 2007 A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Standards are average and achievement is satisfactory. Standards in national test results have been significantly below average for the past five years. This is no longer the case. Current data about their progress and work in lessons show that Year 6 pupils are on course to attain standards that are in line with those expected for their age in English, mathematics and science. Although there has been a slight and steady improvement in standards over each of the past few years, achievement has improved considerably this year. It is satisfactory overall and good in some classes where effective teaching accelerates pupils' progress. Many more pupils than previously are on track to attain higher levels, particularly in English, reflecting more challenging targets. Pupils who have learning difficulties or disabilities, are given appropriate support and make satisfactory progress.

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Grade: 3

Personal development and well being are satisfactory. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Assemblies are very good at bringing the school community together for thoughtful reflection as well as the celebration of pupils' talents and achievements. Enjoyment and behaviour is satisfactory overall, although inspectors saw good and often excellent behaviour around school. Some pupils behave less well than others, although the school is tackling this effectively. There is a clear behaviour charter in place as well as celebrations of good behaviour in the form of the, 'caught being good' board. A number of the pupils that have been excluded said themselves that their behaviour is improving as a result. Attendance is satisfactory. Pupils have a good understanding about safety, and feel safe at school. They say that when bullying occurs they are confident that it is quickly dealt with.

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Grade: 3

Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of healthy lifestyles and take full advantage of the many opportunities to take part in a variety of sports, although the choices they make are not always healthy as reflected in their packed lunches. Pupils make a good contribution to the school and wider community through the school council, and when supporting other pupils as playground buddies or prefects. Pupils are adequately prepared for the next stage of their education because of their satisfactory achievement in basic skills.

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Grade: 3

The teaching is satisfactory. Lessons generally have clarity of purpose and pupils are helped to know what is expected of them. In the main, teachers plan work that is well matched to pupils' abilities, particularly in English and mathematics. However, in some lessons too little is expected of pupils. Teachers ensure that pupils behave well and relationships in classrooms are good and this contributes to a positive atmosphere which is conducive to effective learning. In the best lessons, teachers question pupils skilfully. This enables the teachers to gauge how well pupils have grasped lesson objectives and provides good opportunities for pupils to develop 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Park View Junior School, 14 °15 May 2007 their speaking skills. In a good mathematics lesson for example, pupils in Year 4 responded very well to the teacher's quick-fire questions. This helped them to improve their problem

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Grade: 3

solving skills. Elsewhere in the school, questioning is not as skilful and there are occasions when teachers take too long explaining activities. This slows the pace of learning.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. It is adapted and planned to engage pupils in their own learning and to extend their thinking. Topics are well planned to ensure that pupils make meaningful links between different subjects. Themed weeks such as, 'Book, Science' and 'Art' weeks have a positive impact on pupils' personal development and enjoyment. Pupils actively participate in a range of extra-curricular activities such as rugby, gymnastics and choir. Currently, pupils' skills in ICT are developed satisfactorily in the computer suite but teachers are not providing enough opportunities to reinforce their ICT skills in the classroom, due to a lack of computer resources. The school has implemented a wide range of effective strategies to enable pupils with learning and social and emotional difficulties to make satisfactory progress in their academic development and good progress in their personal development. This includes a 'nurture' unit

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Grade: 3

in which the curriculum is carefully organised. In addition the needs of pupils that are hearing impaired are met well both through specialist curricular provision and when working alongside their peers in classrooms.

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Grade: 3

There are satisfactory arrangements in place for the care, guidance and support of pupils. All groups of learners are fully supported and integrated. Staff are vigilant and committed to the care of pupils and those most at risk are well supported through the nurture group and through specialised therapy and counselling sessions. There are satisfactory arrangements in place for the safeguarding of pupils. Health and safety and other risk assessments are carefully conducted. Child protection procedures are effective and the needs of vulnerable children are met well. The nurture group facilities and staff are used well to re-engage pupils that have been temporarily excluded. The monitoring of academic progress is satisfactory. Learners have a clear understanding of their group targets in English, although to a lesser extent in mathematics. However, the tracking of progress in science is not yet fully established.

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Grade: 3

The acting headteacher has galvanised the staff forming a close team and all are committed to the continuing improvement in pupils' achievements. Subject leadership in some areas such as English, mathematics and science is good, though in others such as ICT it is less well established. Consistent approaches to teachers' planning and to the management of pupils have established a firm base for improvement. The close involvement and support from the local authority has helped the school to refine approaches of assessment and the tracking of pupils' performance and progress. This gives the school an accurate picture of how well it is doing and pinpoints areas for improvement. The leadership team have relished the opportunity to take on additional responsibilities and their morale is high. The school has worked hard to try to achieve a full complement of governors, though there remain vacancies. Governors are

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Grade: 3

6 of 11 Inspection Report: Park View Junior School, 14 °15 May 2007 committed to the school and support it well. However, they do not ask searching questions about how well the school is doing. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Park View Junior School, 14 °15 May 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Park View Junior School, 14 °15 May 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 3 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

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 3 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Park View Junior School, 14 °15 May 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Park View Junior School, 14 °15 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

24 May 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Park View Junior School,Basingstoke,RG22 6RT I am writing to let you know how much we enjoyed our visit to your school. We would like to share with you what we thought about it. Yours is a satisfactory school and it is getting better. Here are some of the good things that we found. • Your headteacher has made some really good changes to your school that has pleased everyone and has helped to speed up your learning. • Your behaviour is good. Most of you enjoy your lessons and you play and work together well. • The development of the nurture room and your time-out space 'The Glade' has helped those of you that find behaving well very hard. • Your progress, particularly in literacy and numeracy is getting better. • Teachers make lessons interesting and fun and provide a good range of activities for you to enjoy. We have asked your headteacher and staff to work on three things to help improve the school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

further. • We would like the school to make sure that all lessons are as good as the very best ones we have seen. • Reduce the number of times pupils are excluded from school if their behaviour is not as good as it should be. • Provide more opportunities for you to use computers in your classrooms so you can practise what you learn in the ICT suite. You can all help by continuing to work hard, keeping your targets constantly in mind so you that can achieve them as quickly as possible and by making sure you come to school every day. With best wishes Keith Sadler Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Park View Junior School, 14 °15 May 2007

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