Bidbury Junior School

Age group 7–11 Inspection date(s) 17–18 June 2009 Inspection number 326318 Bidbury Junior School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 116053 Local Authority Hampshire Inspection number 326318 Inspection dates 17–18 June 2009 Reporting inspector John Seal HMI

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 under pilot arrangements; it was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act .

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Type of school Junior School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number on roll School (total) 193 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Steven Bourne Headteacher Miss Julie Wood Date of previous school inspection 14–15 March 2006 School address Fraser Road Bedhampton Havant PO9 3EF Telephone number 02392 474513 Fax number 02392 470430 Email address info@Bidbury-jun.sch.uk Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk 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

This pilot inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and an Additional Inspector. The inspectors visited 19 lessons, and held meetings with governors, staff, groups of pupils and representatives from the local authority. They observed the school’s work and looked at documentation including records of pupils’ progress, the school development plan, governors’ minutes and information regarding the safeguarding of pupils. The views of 53 parents who returned their questionnaire were considered.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following.

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Introduction

 The achievement of all pupils, especially vulnerable groups of pupils, boys’ writing and girls’ mathematics.  The quality of teaching and learning and the impact of the school’s work to improve it.  The effectiveness of the school’s monitoring and evaluation of all pupils’ progress.

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Information about the school

Bidbury Junior is an average sized junior school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. Almost all the pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above the national average while the number of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs is below average. Most pupils have moderate learning needs and some receive support for speech, language and communication. A much higher than average number of pupils join and leave the school throughout the school year in all year groups. Since September 2008, there has been a high turnover of staff with some starting at the beginning of this term. There is a daily breakfast club which is managed by the governing body.

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Inspection judgements

Grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Main findings

Bidbury Junior is a very caring school. Pupils’ social and emotional well-being is a priority in order to prepare all pupils for learning, especially the most vulnerable. There is some exemplary practice in how the school works with other agencies with regard to pupils and their families who have complex and difficult circumstances. The ‘Magic Circle’ nurture group provides a calm and purposeful haven for a small group of pupils in which they can develop positive attitudes to learning and school life. This atmosphere is beginning to spread beyond the group and can be seen in the best lessons and classrooms around the school. Despite these strengths, the school provides a satisfactory quality of education.

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Main findings

Pupils’ awareness of healthy lifestyles is good because of the school’s development of the Healthy Schools programme. There are many opportunities in science and in personal, social and health education for physical activity and activities that explore how to be healthy.

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Main findings

Over the last year, the school has suffered from frequent changes in teaching staff who, for various and appropriate reasons, have moved on. As a result, although there are some good lessons and teaching in the school, there are too many lessons that are satisfactory.

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Main findings

Pupils’ standards of attainment in English, mathematics and science have remained broadly average because of the high mobility of pupils and the significant turnover of staff. The recently implemented strategies to identify those pupils whose progress is slow and provide additional and more focused support are beginning to pay off. The school’s assessment information indicates that a higher proportion of pupils are attaining nationally expected levels. Although the progress of many pupils is now improving this is not consistent across the school, especially those who join the school other than at the normal date of admission.

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Main findings

Pupils’ moral and social development is good. They know the difference between right and wrong and work well together. However, there are too few opportunities for pupils to reflect on their experiences and the world around them. In addition, pupils’ development of a wider awareness and understanding of different faiths and ways of living is limited.

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Main findings

The School Improvement Team have accurately identified the areas of the school that require improvement, and have put into place a range of strategies that are beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching. The governing body has undergone a recent change in membership and governors are now very clear about the school’s areas for development and what to do to improve them. The recent improvements in standards and the quality of teaching indicate a trend of improvement. With the increased membership of the School Improvement Team to include the literacy and numeracy leaders, and the governing body’s keenness to be involved productively, there is satisfactory capacity for the school to improve further.

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Main findings

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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ standards of attainment in English and mathematics to above average by: - monitoring and evaluating all pupils’ progress and implementing early support strategies for those in need of additional support.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the overall quality of teaching to good by:  teachers visiting, noting and emulating the good practice within the school;  ensuring pupils’ prior attainment is taken into account in all lessons;  rigorous, systematic monitoring and evaluation of lessons by senior leaders.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Implement a more cohesive approach to promoting community cohesion by: - planning and implementing a range of activities that provide pupils with opportunities to learn about the different cultures and beliefs of people in Britain and around the world.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

 Pupils’ learning, progress and achievement are beginning to improve. In most lessons seen, pupils made satisfactory progress. Many pupils are now making good progress but although this is the case for the majority of pupils, there are still a significant minority whose attainment is below average and who have some ground to make up. This is especially the case for pupils who start at the school at times other than Year 3.  Pupils responded well to probing questions from teachers, and enjoyed opportunities to discuss their work with their classmates. Many were aware of targets and in some classes these were identified in pupils’ books. However, this practice is inconsistent across the school.  Pupils’ results in English, mathematics and science have remained broadly average since the last inspection and their progress has been too slow in the past. Pupils’ achievement in mathematics has improved in the last year.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

 Pupils behave well, they are polite and courteous to each other and to adults. Pupils say they feel very safe in the school and while there are a very few incidents of bullying, the staff work hard to follow them up and tackle them effectively.  All pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities make at least satisfactory progress and, recently, older pupils are making better progress than expected nationally, especially in reading.  Most pupils have positive attitudes towards learning, are keen to take part in activities and enjoy school.  Pupils have a good awareness of how to live a healthier life. Many pupils take up opportunities for sporting activities.  Pupils’ attendance is average because of some pupils’ regular absences due to illness and holidays taken in term time.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes Pupils’ attainment 1 3 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress 3 The quality of learning for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and their progress How well do pupils achieve and enjoy their learning? 3 To what extent do pupils feel safe? 2 How well do pupils behave? 2 To what extent do pupils adopt healthy lifestyles? 2 To what extent do pupils contribute to the school and wider community? 2 Pupils’ attendance 1 3 How well do pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being? What is the extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development? 3

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How effective is the provision?

The quality of teaching has improved rapidly over the last few terms. Because of the significant turnover of staff since September, the school has had to work hard to ensure new staff have settled into the routines of the school. This has not always been the case because of recruitment difficulties and illness. There is now a stable picture and inspectors observed some good lessons and many satisfactory ones.

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How effective is the provision?

Where teaching was effective, teachers used information about the pupils to make sure the activities they planned matched pupils’ abilities and needs accurately. Planning is clear and pupils have many opportunities to discuss their learning. Teachers ask probing questions that make pupils think. The more able pupils are

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low challenged by more complex or higher-level activities. Teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge and make sure that lessons have purpose.

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How effective is the provision?

The key features of the less effective lessons are:

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How effective is the provision?

 insufficient regard to what pupils had learned earlier  not all activities match the needs of all pupils  teachers talk to the class for longer than is necessary. As a result, pupils lose interest, become restless and make limited progress  limited pace. Lessons are pedestrian and time is not used well to ensure all pupils learn enough  marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent. In some classes, books have regular comments about what pupils need to do next. In others, there are sporadic ticks or comments and, in a very few, no marking at all.

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How effective is the provision?

There have been many recent improvements in the curriculum and it provides a range of activities which meet the needs of most pupils. There are suitable initiatives to support the development of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. Effective use of the information and communication technology suite is supporting pupils’ computer skills. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities that many pupils attend. These include netball, football, information and communication technology and gardening. There are many visits to interesting places to study history and geography, for example by visiting nearby Portsmouth as part of the project on Admiral Lord Nelson. The development of pupils’ emotional and social development, to encourage their readiness for learning, is a key strength of the curriculum. This can be seen in the suitably planned personal, social and health education programme. Opportunities for pupils to learn about world faiths and

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How effective is the provision?

The school is very effective in its care for pupils. Relationships are good and there is a calm and friendly atmosphere throughout the school. There are many good examples of the school working closely with a wide range of external agencies to support vulnerable pupils and their families. Good use is made of the Extended Services Partner, social care and health services. There are several excellent cases of the school working intensely with pupils and their parents in order to provide advice and guidance. Because of the high turnover of staff in recent times, the support systems in place are not yet fully embedded across the school but through the tireless work of a core team of staff, pupils receive good care and attention.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching 3 The use of assessment to support learning 3 The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school has come through a turbulent time in terms of staffing. This has impeded the school’s ability to make inroads into raising pupils’ standards of attainment until very recently. The School Improvement Team was established early in the spring term of this year and, with an ambitious improvement plan with challenging targets, has had a significant impact on the monitoring and evaluation of pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching. As a result, higher proportions of pupils are now making good progress. The school’s safeguarding procedures are robust and there are suitable policies and procedures to promote equality and deal with discrimination. These are well monitored and enable the school to acknowledge that there is still work to be done in raising achievement in underachieving groups, for instance the pupils who join the school at different times. The school has good working relationships with different schools, including the infant school with which it shares

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How effective are leadership and management?

the site and local special and secondary schools. Many of the governors are recently elected but already provide suitable challenge and hold the school to account. The school has an appropriate programme in place to promote community cohesion but lacks clear plans for engaging with community groups from different faiths and cultures.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in communicating ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2 The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school’s engagement with parents and carers 2 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 3 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Views of parents and carers

The majority of parents who responded to the questionnaire were positive about the school. Many acknowledged the good work the school does in supporting pupils and families. A significant majority felt that their children were safe at school and that the school promoted healthy lifestyles. A significant minority expressed some concerns about how the school dealt with unacceptable behaviour.

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Views of parents and carers

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Bidbury Junior to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. If a parent has more than one child at the school, we ask them to record an answer against all the questions, for each of their children. The inspection team received 52 completed questionnaires. In total, there are 174 parents and carers registered at the school.

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Views of parents and carers

Always Most of the time Occasionally Never Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 22 25 14 2

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. In 2007-8, 15% of schools were judged to be outstanding. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. In 2007-8, 49% of schools were judged good. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. In 2007-8, 32% of schools were judged satisfactory. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves. In 2007-8, 5% of schools were judged inadequate.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, training or development. This may refer to the acquisition of skills, knowledge, understanding or desired attributes. Attributes include qualities or personal competencies which are important to the development of the pupil; for example personal, social, cultural, emotional or health.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school. 02 July 2009

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Inspection of Bidbury Junior School, Havant, PO9 3EF

Thank you for making us feel so welcome when we visited your school recently. Mrs Griffiths and I really enjoyed talking with you because you were so polite and friendly. We also enjoyed seeing you learning and looking at your work.

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Inspection of Bidbury Junior School, Havant, PO9 3EF

Here are some of the most important things we found out about the school.

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Inspection of Bidbury Junior School, Havant, PO9 3EF

 You have a good understanding about what it is to be healthy and stay safe.  The school looks after you very well and has made the ‘Magic Circle’ an interesting and calm place to learn.  You say you enjoy school and there are lots of interesting activities to do.  The staff work well with people outside of the school to make sure you move smoothly into Bidbury from the infants and feel comfortable, and also that you make a smooth transfer to secondary school.

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Inspection of Bidbury Junior School, Havant, PO9 3EF

Your headteacher, staff and governors are working hard to make things even better for you. Here are some of the things they are aiming to do.

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Inspection of Bidbury Junior School, Havant, PO9 3EF

 Help all of you learn even more about English and mathematics.  Make more of your lessons really interesting and exciting.  Help the teachers work with each other to share good ideas for lessons.  Help you learn and understand about all the different kinds of people who live in Britain and around the world.

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Inspection of Bidbury Junior School, Havant, PO9 3EF

We wish you all the very best for the future.

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Inspection of Bidbury Junior School, Havant, PO9 3EF

John Seal Her Majesty’s Inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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