Crofton Hammond Junior School

Crofton Hammond Junior School Inspection report

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116058 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 312163 Inspection number 17 °18 October 2007 Inspection dates Mike Thompson 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 249 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Michelle McClure Chair Mrs Ann Jennings Headteacher 15 September 2003 Date of previous school inspection Mancroft Avenue School address Stubbington Fareham PO14 2DE 01329 664451 Telephone number 01329 663930 Fax number

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7-11 Age group 17 °18 October 2007 Inspection dates 312163 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Crofton Hammond Junior School is located in a village to the south of Fareham. It has eight classes, two for each year group from Year 3 to Year 6. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage and are generally from advantaged home circumstances. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is about half the national average. The school has achieved the Healthy Schools Enhanced status. It has also gained the Activemark award and the bronze level Geography Quality Mark. Almost all pupils transfer from Crofton Hammond Infant School, which shares the site.

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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: Crofton Hammond Junior School, 17 °18 October 2007

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Grade: 2

Crofton Hammond is a good school. Its parents appreciate many of the strengths identified by this inspection. Of those who returned the inspection questionnaires, almost all felt that their children are well looked after, behave well and are well taught. Standards are high. The pupils achieve well and make good progress because their teachers are good at making learning interesting through a well-planned curriculum. The school has a clear overview of pupils' progress because of the rigorous systems for checking on pupils' attainment, and these lead to clear targets being set for pupils to achieve. However, the ways in which teachers involve pupils in evaluating their own learning and progress in meeting their targets, vary from class to class. This inconsistency means that pupils in some classes progress more quickly than others. An important contributory factor to the school's effectiveness is the good standard of pupils'

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Grade: 2

social development. This stems from the excellent pastoral care provided for all. Particularly noteworthy are pupils' excellent attitudes towards their education and their enjoyment in being at school. This is an inclusive school in which each child matters. All pupils are warmly welcomed and equally valued. These qualities were succinctly summarised by one Year 6 pupil who commented, 'The school gives equal opportunities and everyone has an equal say.' Teaching is sometimes outstanding. However, the school acknowledges that there is too much inconsistency in the quality of teaching overall. In a few lessons pupils only make satisfactory progress because teaching is less effective than elsewhere. The challenges presented by parts of the accommodation also adversely affect some aspects of pupils' learning. For example, the school hall is too small for pupils to easily practise and develop skills taught in physical education

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Grade: 2

(PE) lessons. One of the weaknesses in otherwise good provision is the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to support learning. The number of computers available to pupils falls well short of the national average for a school of this size. In lessons, inspectors saw little evidence of pupils' use of ICT as a learning tool. The provision of a new ICT suite, currently under construction, is designed to address this weakness. The very clear and determined leadership shown by the headteacher has improved the school in a number of ways since her appointment in 2004. The curriculum now provides greater breadth than it did at the time of the last inspection, and most of the systems for monitoring pupils' progress and setting targets for them to work to were introduced by her. However, a significant proportion of parents continue to express concern that the school does not provide them with enough information, and feel that the school does not take account of their views.

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Grade: 2

The inspectors looked very carefully at the ways in which the school communicates with parents and found that, overall, its practice is similar to that found in most other schools. Some aspects are good, such as the informative parents' guide to mathematics, while others are weak, such as the school website. The school has difficulty in recruiting governors from the local community, and there are vacancies on the governing body. Governors work hard to support the school in many ways, but are not always able to function effectively as 'critical friends'. This is because tasks are shared by too few people and because governors' monitoring of the school's work relies too little on information gathered from visits to classes. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Crofton Hammond Junior School, 17 °18 October 2007 The senior managers have a good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. There is a very strong commitment to continuous improvement and robust systems to help

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Grade: 2

ensure that this happens. The school is, therefore, well placed to make further progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Eliminate inconsistencies in teaching, including the ways in which teachers involve pupils in meeting the targets set for them to achieve. ■ Ensure that governors monitor the work of the school more rigorously.

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Grade: 2

The school sets itself very challenging targets to achieve, and usually comes very close to meeting them. It is consistently successful in ensuring that pupils move from above average starting points to attain high standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. In each of the five years covered by the performance data available to inspectors, standards in the core subjects were significantly above the national average. This situation is likely to be repeated once the provisional results from the 2007 tests are confirmed. Pupils achieve well irrespective of gender. Those with learning difficulties and disabilities achieve well because their specific learning needs are carefully assessed and they are given good quality help in lessons.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' good spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness contributes strongly to the good climate for learning within the school. Pupils are happy, and show a strong sense of responsibility. They develop very good skills in teamwork. They know very clearly how to care about their own well-being and are ready to contribute to that of others. They do this, for example, through the 'buddy' system. Pupils show good skills in working independently and in groups. However, they are not always involved enough in evaluating their own learning through the target-setting system. This is because the system is relatively new and practice has yet to become fully consistent across the school. Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to live healthy lives because of the school's outstanding work in promoting their awareness. At lunchtime, for example, one of the teachers awarded 'colour points' to pupils who had fruit and vegetables in their packed lunches. The

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Grade: 2

system of grouping pupils into 'houses', known as colour groups, is greatly enjoyed by pupils and helps promote the good sense of community that is evident in the school. Pupils' good understanding of how to keep safe is particularly important to their well-being, given the cramped working conditions in some areas of the school. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for their futures lives, not only by developing excellent literacy and numeracy skills, but also through their excellent attitudes to learning and clear work ethic. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Crofton Hammond Junior School, 17 °18 October 2007

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Grade: 2

Teachers have extremely good relationships with their pupils, and this ensures a positive learning environment. 'Teachers are kind and they help you to understand things better,' commented one Year 5 pupil. Enjoyment is a key feature in most lessons. This is reflected in pupils' good behaviour and positive attitudes. Teachers use resources well, including the interactive white boards, to introduce tasks and to interest pupils of all abilities. In some lessons, teachers do not use the available time well enough and spend too long over the introduction to their lessons. Where this occurs, pupils have too little time to apply the skills taught and complete the tasks set for them. The support staff give good quality help to pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. This helps these pupils to make good progress. In the best lessons, teachers use skilful questioning to challenge pupils' thinking and excellent demonstrations of techniques

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Grade: 2

to help pupils develop their skills. Teachers' marking of pupils' work gives pupils clear feedback on how well they have done, but it does not always tell them what they need to improve to achieve their targets.

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Grade: 2

The school's good curriculum and enrichment activities inspire pupils and promote both their academic and personal development. The school's recent emphasis on specific aspects of the curriculum such as writing, and problem solving in mathematics, has helped sustain high standards. Provision for music is a strength, as shown by pupils' lively and tuneful singing of African rhythms. Pupils also receive peripatetic tuition in a range of instruments. The limited space in the hall adversely affects learning in PE. For example, in one lesson the excellent teaching of gymnastic techniques did not result in excellent learning because the pupils did not have enough room to practise the skills taught. The school uses its local environment and its links with the local schools well to enhance pupils' skills and knowledge. The promotion of Rights, Respect and Responsibilities (The UN convention on the rights of the child) contributes

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Grade: 2

strongly to pupils' personal development. The inspectors saw some evidence of connections between subjects used well to make learning even more relevant and interesting. For instance, a Year 5 religious education lesson about symbolism made good links with pupils' learning in science. However, the school acknowledges that planning does not yet exploit cross-curricular possibilities well enough. Activities to enrich pupils' learning, such as the science day, and the Year 6 residential trip to Beaulieu help make the curriculum more interesting and develop pupils' life skills.

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Grade: 2

The school's excellent provision for pastoral care helps ensure that pupils feel safe and happy in school. Staff work very closely with outside agencies to provide effective support for pupils' differing needs. The school uses specific programmes well to help pupils with behavioural and emotional needs. The systems to identify and support pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are good. As a result, these pupils make good progress towards their targets. There are well-developed links with the adjacent infant school and good transition arrangements with local secondary schools to help pupils move between the different stages of their education 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Crofton Hammond Junior School, 17 °18 October 2007 with minimal disruption. Procedures to protect and safeguard pupils meet the statutory requirements and are clearly understood by all staff. The arrangements for tracking pupils'

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Grade: 2

overall progress are good. Pupils in danger of underachieving are quickly identified and effective strategies are put in place to help them improve. Most pupils know their targets, but the strategies used to involve pupils in evaluating their own progress are inconsistent.

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Grade: 2

Strong and effective leadership by the headteacher has enabled the school to make good progress. The staff give her good support. Teachers monitor their areas of responsibility carefully and successfully focus on improving the quality of provision and pupils' learning. For example, a whole-school approach to improving the way that literacy was taught resulted in a significant improvement in attainment in English between 2005 and 2006. The school also reacts swiftly to remedy any downturn in performance. In the most recent national tests, the proportion of pupils who exceeded the nationally expected level in science dipped in comparison to previous years. Even though performance at this level remains well above the national average, this downturn immediately triggered a rigorous evaluation of each individual's performance as part of the action plan established to help ensure that this situation is not repeated.

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Grade: 2

Governance is satisfactory. The governors are committed to and supportive of the school. However, they are not involved enough in the process of school self-evaluation because their monitoring of the school's work is not broad enough. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Crofton Hammond Junior School, 17 °18 October 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. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Crofton Hammond Junior School, 17 °18 October 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? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 1 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?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 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?

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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Crofton Hammond Junior School, 17 °18 October 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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: Crofton Hammond Junior School, 17 °18 October 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

1 November 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Crofton Hammond Junior School,Fareham,PO14 2DE I would like to thank you for being so welcoming and helping so much when I came to inspect your school, with my colleague Mrs Kutty, to find out how well you are getting on. We particularly enjoyed visiting your lessons, talking to you and looking at your work. Your parents think that you go to a good school, and we agree. Here is a list of some of the things we liked best.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You do well in your work, and when you leave school at the end of Year 6 your results are often among the best in the country. You should be very proud of this. Keep it up! ■ You all follow the values your school teaches you. Everyone in your school is friendly and welcoming. You behave well and get on well with each other. ■ You learn well in lessons because the teaching you are given is good.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ All of the adults in your school make sure that you are really well looked after.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your teachers keep a very close check on how well each of you is doing. This means that they can make sure that you get extra help whenever you need it. ■ Your headteacher and the other teachers who help run your school are doing a good job.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We also loved looking at your artwork and we really enjoyed the excellent African singing we heard during your music lessons in the hall. Even a good school like yours has things to do to become even better, and we have asked your teachers to concentrate on two things in particular.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ We would like your school to carry on working hard to make teaching even better than it already is. One of the ways that this could be done is by making sure that your teachers all work with you on your individual targets in the same sort of ways. ■ We would also like your school governors to work out even better ways to keep a check on the work of your school. This will help them when they make important decisions about how to improve your school in the future. I am sure that you will continue to have great success in the future. Yours sincerely, Mike Thompson Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Crofton Hammond Junior School, 17 °18 October 2007

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