Oakley Church of England Junior School

Oakley Church of England Junior School Inspection report

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116306 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 312251 Inspection number 9 January 2008 Inspection date Charalambos Loizou 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 Voluntary controlled School category 7 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 274 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr David Sims Chair Mr David Howe Headteacher 1 December 2003 Date of previous school inspection Oakley Lane School address Oakley Basingstoke RG23 7JZ 01256 780433 Telephone number 01256 782156 Fax number

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7-11 Age group 9 January 2008 Inspection date 312251 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. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following areas:

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Introduction

■ the quality of teaching and the curriculum, and improvements since the last inspection;

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Introduction

■ the quality and accuracy of assessment and target setting carried out by staff;

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Introduction

■ the extent to which pupils understand and evaluate their own learning.

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Introduction

Evidence was gathered from parents' responses to questionnaires and discussions with pupils and staff. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but no evidence was found to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

Oakley is a larger than average rural junior school serving an area of mainly private housing. A significant minority of pupils live a considerable distance from the school and come from outlying villages. The majority of pupils joining the school in Year 3 come from the neighbouring infant school. Most pupils are of White British heritage. A small number come from a variety of other backgrounds although none is in the early stages of learning English. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities (LDD) is similar to that of most schools. There are well established links with other schools and organisations, including close links with the local church.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Oakley Church of England Junior School, 9 January 2008

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Grade: 1

Pupils benefit enormously from the outstanding quality of education provided by Oakley Junior School. By the time they leave at the end of Year 6, pupils reach exceptionally high standards in English, mathematics and science. Despite some staffing changes in recent years, high standards have been maintained because the quality of teaching, care and support provided for pupils is outstanding. Pupils enter Year 3 with skills and abilities that are well above those expected in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers and support staff are very committed and highly skilled, ensuring that pupils achieve extremely well in relation to their starting points. Consistently effective teaching and support help pupils of all abilities to make excellent progress. The headteacher, senior staff and governors provide very effective leadership. They have secured excellent improvements to the school since its last inspection, particularly in providing

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Grade: 1

a more extensive curriculum that is enhanced by an excellent range of after-school clubs, sports and music. Pupils very much appreciate what the school offers. Their excellent attendance rates reflect how much they enjoy school. One pupil remarked, 'There are so many things to do and we love the clubs and sports.' The large majority of parents are pleased with the school. In particular, they are happy with the way the school is led and managed and with the quality of teaching. The teaching is very well organised and consistent. The grouping of pupils by ability for English and mathematics lessons has been particularly successful in maintaining high standards. The pace of learning is rapid, as was seen in a very challenging mathematics lesson for higher ability pupils in Year 6 when pupils demonstrated an excellent understanding of multiples when investigating large numbers. Lessons provide regular opportunities for the pupils to assess their

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Grade: 1

own learning. For example, pupils record how well they are doing after a series of lessons by commenting on how much they have learned and highlighting which areas they understand well or less well. Teachers use a very good range of assessments to plan their lessons. In Year 6, for example, after marking pupils' work, the teacher adapted her planning for the next lesson to spend more time with those pupils who did not make as much progress as expected. The headteacher and deputy headteacher monitor lessons and pupils' performance closely. They set statutory targets after pupils complete Year 4 so that the staff can predict the levels pupils are expected to reach in national tests. . However, last year's test results show that the proportion of pupils that reached higher levels was much higher than expected, reflecting some inaccurate assessments of more able pupils. The school has strong links with the church and local community. Pupils mature into responsible

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Grade: 1

and caring individuals. They behave very well and their personal development is outstanding. Pupils successfully learn to take responsibility for their own actions and to care for others. They are involved in the sponsorship of a child in India and receive information about how the child is doing, as well as studying cultures and customs from around the world. The excellent links established with others schools and organisations include opportunities for pupils to visit a local special school to work alongside pupils who have physical disabilities or severe learning difficulties. The school council thrives on the opportunity to represent the views of others. .Pupils feel very safe and well cared for. Although some parents expressed concern about bullying and behaviour, the large majority feel that the staff deal with this very well. 'All safeguarding arrangements are robust and provision for pupils with learning difficulties or

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Grade: 1

disabilities, particularly those who have reading, writing or communication difficulties, is outstanding. They are supported especially well by teaching assistants and the special 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Oakley Church of England Junior School, 9 January 2008 educational needs coordinator enabling the pupils to make rapid progress towards their individual targets. The many sports and activities provided by the school and the promotion of healthy eating enable pupils to adopt healthy and active lifestyles. . They benefit from special arts projects with visiting artists in residence. The curriculum has improved exceptionally well since the last inspection. The development of writing and opportunities to research, using skills acquired from a range of subjects, as well as improvements to the creative arts, have been particularly successful in raising standards. . Special projects involve excellent opportunities for independent

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Grade: 1

learning and enquiry such as the recent design and production of puppets that are beautifully displayed as an exciting diorama. Pupils are prepared exceptionally well for secondary school. The acquisition of the skills of using computers, digital cameras and other technologies prepares pupils very well for the future. Governors provide excellent support for the school and hold leaders to account for the standards achieved. The headteacher, deputy and senior staff work closely with governors and the recent introduction of the school's website has improved communication further. The school's modest evaluations of its effectiveness reflect the high expectations of all the staff. Their track record of improvement since the last inspection shows that the school is very well placed to continue improving.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the way teachers identify and assess the performance of more able pupils so they can predict more accurately the proportion of pupils likely to achieve higher levels in English, mathematics and science. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Oakley Church of England Junior School, 9 January 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Oakley Church of England Junior School, 9 January 2008

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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? 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

1 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 1 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 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 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?

1 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. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: Oakley Church of England Junior School, 9 January 2008

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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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Oakley Church of England Junior School, 9 January 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

23 January 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Oakley Church of England Junior School,Basingstoke,RG23 7JZ I was very pleased to visit your school. You all made me feel really welcome and I especially enjoyed talking to the school council and to many pupils in lessons and during break time. I think that you go to an excellent school. You all work very hard with your teachers and I agree with many parents who say that your school is helping you to do very well and is an important part of the local village. I was very impressed with many different things that have happened since your school was last inspected. There are many good things about your school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your teachers and support staff are good at helping you to reach excellent standards.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are very well behaved, polite and courteous. You and your teachers know what to do if some children are not behaving as well as they should and this is helping everyone to learn and play safely. ■ You enjoy school very much and I can see why because there are many things for you to do. I was really impressed with the quality and range of sports you have opportunities to take part in. Well done to all the teams, you really are doing very well, judging from the number of trophies on display! ■ I was very impressed with the school council and how it helps to improve the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The large majority of parents are very pleased with you and your teachers and the school is always trying to work closely with them. The new website is a great way of finding out more about your school. ■ The headteacher, staff and governors manage the school very well and work hard to keep looking for ways to make the school even better. I have asked your teachers to:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make sure that when checking which pupils will reach higher levels in the national tests, that they do this more accurately. Well done and I wish you all the very best. Yours sincerely Charalambos Loizou Lead Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Oakley Church of England Junior School, 9 January 2008

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