Four Lanes Community Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Enable a larger proportion of pupils to deepen their thinking, particularly in mathematics, by checking pupils’ understanding in lessons and providing timely challenge and support.
• Continue to build the capacity of curriculum leaders and give them opportunities to share and influence good practice across the school and in the wider community.
• Build constructive relationships between senior leaders, staff and parents, so that all stakeholders understand the responsibilities of leaders, feel that they are listened to and can play a positive role in further developing the school community.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and deputy headteacher have an accurate and comprehensive understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They responded well to actions for improvement identified in the last inspection report and have worked hard to improve the curriculum and outcomes for all pupils.
• A broad and balanced curriculum, carefully overseen by the curriculum leaders, is provided for pupils. Topics are well planned and are related to the UNCRC articles and the school values. A wide variety of cross-curricular links help engage pupils’ interest and motivate them to learn. Teachers use these links to set challenging tasks which enable pupils to apply their English and mathematics skills in their topic work.
• The headteacher has taken robust action to address any teaching that does not meet the needs of all pupils. She has built an effective leadership team that sets high expectations and has provided professional development opportunities to improve outcomes. Some newly appointed leaders have not yet had the opportunity to influence practice across the whole school, and the effects of recent changes in policy and practice cannot be seen in all classes.
• Coaching and mentoring are readily available for teaching staff, and they value the opportunity to develop further skills. Teachers at the beginning of their careers and those new to the school talk warmly about the mentoring support they receive from the deputy headteacher, and also about the induction they have received.
• Leaders make effective use of the sports premium to support staff training and to enable professional coaching to take place. Leaders carefully track the participation of all pupils in physical activity and target pupils who lack confidence in order to help them develop their skills.
• Leaders use the pupil premium funding well to improve the progress of disadvantaged pupils. The inclusion lead and class teachers make effective use of assessment to identify any needs or gaps in learning and carefully plan support and interventions for pupils and families. The careful monitoring of the progress of disadvantaged pupils shows that, overall, the funding is having a positive impact on pupils’ rates of progress.
• The school has a good relationship with the local authority, which has provided useful and timely support and guidance to the school. Priorities have been driven by the school and focus primarily on outcomes. Relationships with the wider community and other educational establishments have further supported learning. For example, a project undertaken with Winchester University helped children to fully understand the difficulties refugees face on leaving their home country.
• Parental views of the school are predominantly good, but concerns were expressed about staff turbulence and communication. The inspectors found that leaders work hard to continue to move the school forward, and decisions are made with the safety, well-being and progress of the pupils as a priority. However, leaders do not always communicate effectively the rationale or consequences of their actions. As a result, some parents express frustration with some areas of school life.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. An extensive range of educational visits and visitors to the school enrich pupils’ experiences. Pupils take part in elections for the school council and learn about democracy through topic work. Leaders are strongly committed to preparing pupils well for life in modern Britain.
• Additional funding is used effectively to support those pupils with a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This includes the employment of skilled teaching assistants who work with individual pupils to support their varying needs. The special educational needs coordinator has a good understanding of the support that pupils need and works closely with the leadership team to ensure that this is provided. This has been particularly effective in writing.

Governance of the school

• Governance is good and challenges leaders to constantly improve. Governors are rightly proud of the ethos and culture of the school and recognise the importance of the work leaders have completed on values and the UNCRC principles. They are ambitious for pupils and recognise that some statutory results are not as good as they could be.
• There have been many changes in the governing body over the last year, but governors have planned carefully to ensure that the new chair and vice-chair are well supported. All governors have access to a wide range of induction, training and development opportunities and make good use of these, keeping abreast of changes and improving their knowledge and skills.
• Governors make good use of the headteacher’s reports to challenge leaders on a range of school activities, including the progress pupils make. They have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school.
• Governors understand and fulfil their statutory duties well, particularly those relating to safeguarding and welfare. Through their monitoring work, governors ensure that the pupils are safe and that school finances are well managed. They routinely meet with members of staff. This helps governors thoroughly understand the school’s curriculum, and this helps them in their role.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Safeguarding is a priority among leaders. Governors ensure that all staff, including those who work part-time or join mid-year, receive the required training. Leaders aim for any member of staff to be able to respond to a concern that a pupil raises. This leads to the timely sharing of all concerns about pupils’ well-being.
• The designated safeguarding leaders use an effective system of information sharing, which ensures that concerns are addressed and closely monitored. The leaders vigilantly follow up any referrals that are made both internally and to outside agencies. As a result, appropriate support is put in place for pupils and their families.
• The culture of the school is caring and supportive. School leaders put pupils’ safety and well-being at the centre of all that the school does. Leaders ensure that pupils understand their own responsibility for keeping themselves safe. For example, pupils explained to inspectors how they keep themselves safe online and in their local community.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers work hard to ensure that pupils enjoy their learning. They plan lessons that are exciting and interesting. They demonstrate good subject knowledge across the curriculum. Teachers and teaching assistants ensure that pupils concentrate fully on their learning and achieve well. Pupils are very keen to discuss their learning with adults and their peers.
• Pupils read widely and enjoy reading. They are supported by the well-thought-out and well-resourced library and by the experience of the employed librarian. Teachers and leaders recognise that reading is a development point for the school. Recent changes in guided reading sessions, information shared with parents and extra-curricular clubs are supporting improvements.
• Pupils are committed to improving their work. They make good use of previous learning and can track their own progress when they look back in their books.
• The school’s assessment system is understood well by staff. Teachers use the information to plan exciting, sharply focused lessons that support most pupils’ learning. Pupils who need additional support are helped to catch up. However, sometimes pupils who could achieve better are not identified quickly enough and do not have the opportunity to deepen their thinking, particularly in mathematics.
• English teaching in some classes is inspirational and pupils are enthusiastic writers who see themselves as authors. Pupils receive the necessary support and freedom to develop a writing style that enables them to produce writing that is carefully crafted for the reader. Teachers plan small incremental steps to develop skills that pupils put to good use in longer pieces.
• Pupils are able to apply their mathematical knowledge in different situations to support their reasoning. Purposeful questioning from adults encourages pupils to discuss their ideas and think carefully about the information that they require to solve a problem. Consequently, they achieve well and remain enthusiastic throughout the lesson.
• Teaching assistants are well trained and provide a high level of support for all pupils. Pupils with SEND are often given individualised work and activities that are tailored to their needs. Teaching assistants and teachers are careful to ensure that all pupils feel included in the classroom experiences and are successful in their tasks.
• Well-presented work from across the curriculum reflects the pupils’ pride in their achievements. Displays around the school show high-quality art work and computing skills. In science, pupils regularly undertake experimental work, and subject-specific vocabulary is reinforced well by adults. Strong links to outdoor learning enhance many areas of the curriculum.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Through the UNCRC principles and a strong values system, pupils develop a sense of personal responsibility and an understanding of their role within the many communities they are part of. They show a well-developed sense of respect for each other and their environment.
• Pupils’ welfare is one of the main priorities of the school. Leaders work effectively with other agencies, including the local authority and social care, when they identify any pupils that may be at risk.
• Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe in school and in their local community. Parents and pupils are clear that the school is a safe place. Pupils say that bullying is extremely rare but, when concerns arise, they are dealt with sensitively. The work of the emotional literacy support assistant and other teaching assistants effectively supports more vulnerable pupils.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. In lessons, pupils are curious and interested and they focus well on their learning. They discuss their learning and activities in a mature and empathetic manner and are quick to support and challenge each other. Pupils are proud of their work and presentation is of a good standard
• Attendance is above that seen nationally. The school works closely with pupils and families where attendance is lower and, in many cases, this has had a positive effect. The breakfast club and after-school club provide a safe, stimulating and welcoming environment for pupils.
• Pupils are positive and interested in their learning and demonstrate a remarkable degree of self-discipline. They focus on their work and are polite and respectful towards others. Rare incidents of low-level disruption are well managed, and pupils are quickly refocused.
• The number of incidents of poor behaviour is low. When inappropriate behaviour occurs, the leadership team take swift and appropriate action. There are very few repeated incidents. Pupils look after each other and demonstrate very high levels of care and friendship. They relish the responsibilities given to them, and they play well together.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Assessment in school is accurate and carefully carried out. The statutory test results at the end of Year 6 show that, overall, pupils made lower rates of progress in 2018 than others nationally. However, assessment information and pupils’ workbooks show that current pupils are making secure progress from the point at which they enter key stage 2. Expectations are high, and leaders continuously seek to improve moderation between themselves and local infant schools.
• Attainment across reading and mathematics is in line with national standards. Pupils develop a secure understanding and knowledge that they can apply across the curriculum. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. However, some pupils are not attaining the high standards of which they are capable. The school’s leaders have accurately identified that assessment and feedback in class is not always used quickly enough to maintain challenge.
• Writing is a great strength in the school, and progress and attainment has improved over the past three years. Pupils are keen to write. They receive the necessary support and freedom in order to develop a writing style that leads them to achieve at greater depth. They produce writing that is carefully crafted for the reader.
• In most year groups, the progress and attainment of those disadvantaged pupils without SEND is in line with or better than that of other pupils in mathematics and English. Their progress is tracked with growing rigour, and the new inclusion leader is quickly developing her understanding of the importance of responding quickly to their needs.
• Among the school’s disadvantaged pupils, there is a high proportion of pupils with SEND. The support that this group of pupils receives helps most to make good progress from their various starting points, even although they do not always catch up with their peers. All pupils with SEND are carefully monitored, and precise intervention and additional support is put in place for them.
• Pupils’ work across the school shows good progress in a range of subjects, including science, history and art. Pupils apply their English and mathematics skills successfully across the curriculum. The rich, broad curriculum makes good use of the outdoor space, and UNCRC principles are carefully linked to planning. Outcomes are good and special themed events contribute well to pupils’ achievements.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 116247 Hampshire 10046106 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Junior School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 7 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 325 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Kathy Bowman Corinne Martinez 01256 816 326 www.fourlanes-jun.hants.sch.uk admin@fourlanes-jun.hants.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 4 5 March 2015

Information about this school

• Four Lanes Junior School is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The vast majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is below average. The proportion with educational, health and care plans or a statement of special educational needs is below the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is below the national average.
• The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed lessons throughout the school, some jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.
• The inspectors looked at a wide range of books from across the school, sometimes with teachers and leaders from the school.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the inclusion leader and other leaders.
• Inspectors attended breakfast club and talked to pupils in the playground at breaktime and lunchtime. The lead inspector met with the community manager and senior midday supervisor.
• A meeting was held with five members of the governing body.
• The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority.
• A number of documents were scrutinised, including the school’s own information about pupils’ learning and progress, planning and monitoring documents, minutes of governing body meetings, the school improvement plan, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and safeguarding information.
• The inspectors took account of the 122 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, including over 100 comments. They also met informally with parents.
• The inspectors took account of 97 responses to the pupils’ questionnaire and 14 responses to the staff questionnaire.
• Inspectors spoke with staff and took account of their views.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read and met with groups of pupils and took account of their views.

Inspection team

Tracy Good, lead inspector Deirdre Crutchley Doug Brawley

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector