Springwood Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Develop the role of subject leaders so they can have more impact on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.
• Improve the quality of teaching and learning further by ensuring that the use of accurate assessment accelerates all pupils’ learning, especially for the most able.
• Secure rapid improvement to the achievement of pupils in Year 5 in English.
• Improve the quality of presentation of pupils’ work by raising what is expected of them.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The executive headteacher, appointed in September 2016, has successfully developed high expectations of what pupils can achieve within the school community. Heads of school, also appointed at the beginning of this academic year, communicate these high aspirations for all pupils effectively through their leadership.
• Senior leaders have raised standards successfully and rapidly after a decline over the last three years. As a result of accurate self-evaluation of the school, leaders have quickly implemented plans to improve teaching, learning and assessment. The progress of pupils is already accelerating because of their shared high expectations and good teaching.
• Teachers and other members of staff feel valued. Staff benefit considerably from effective support provided by the local authority. Leaders in the school also provide advice to teachers. This helps teachers to improve their teaching skills quickly. Consequently, they are motivated and part of the ambitious learning culture permeating the school.
• Pupils’ experiences have been enriched by a broad and balanced curriculum. Recent visits to the Portsmouth dockyard to see historical naval boats have stimulated many different writing experiences. In addition, teachers make the most of the extensive school grounds to help pupils learn about ecology.
• Pupils participate in sports, chess, cookery and music clubs. They also take part in specialist music classes. Pupils spoke positively about the trips and clubs that the school makes available.
• Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They have useful opportunities to discuss their views. They understand the importance of tolerance and respect for those with characteristics that differ from their own. Leaders develop the spiritual moral, social, and cultural experiences for pupils well. For example, Year 3 pupils speak confidently about democracy, while older pupils reflect on their work about apartheid in South Africa with empathy.
• Extra funding provided for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is spent well. A skilled team of teaching assistants provide carefully tailored interventions to meet the needs of these pupils. As a result, they are making better progress and the gap in their attainment is diminishing.
• Primary physical education (PE) and sport premium funding has been used to promote pupils’ physical activity effectively. For example, it has enabled gifted and talented pupils to receive expert coaching to excel at sports. Other pupils have opportunities to attend clubs, including those pupils reluctant to participate in physical activity. The school has achieved a school games gold award, as at least half the pupils take part in extra-curricular physical education.
• Newly appointed subject leaders are yet to have the same impact on pupils’ progress as those in more senior leadership positions. Although they know their subjects well and are beginning to lead new initiatives in their subjects, they have not had the time to ensure that their actions are making a difference to pupils’ learning in their areas of responsibility.

Governance of the school

• Governors hold leaders to account for the quality of provision and the progress of pupils diligently.
• They use planned visits to school so that they can focus sharply on the progress leaders are making against agreed priorities. Leaders have put in place effective performance management for staff that focuses on pupils’ progress. Governors ensure that any pay award is closely linked to successful staff appraisal.
• Governors’ careful monitoring and incisive questioning helps them to support the headteacher effectively. For example, they review the spending of the school’s budget effectively, especially the pupil premium grant and the sports premium. This has helped to ensure that the use of these grants is increasingly effective.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. This is because leaders have developed a strong safeguarding culture in the school. All staff are well trained and are kept up to date with current advice, so they are effective in keeping pupils safe.
• Leaders’ implementation of safeguarding policy is a strength. They meticulously log their communications with external agencies. Leaders’ insistence on accurate record-keeping enables effective and timely support for vulnerable pupils. Checks to ensure that staff appointed to the school do not pose a threat to pupils are robust and effective.
• Pupils report they feel safe. They are able to explain how to keep themselves safe, for example when they are using the internet. Pupils also report that adults will take action should they have a concern. Parents agree that their children are safe in school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers know their pupils well. As a result, teachers plan experiences for their pupils that match their abilities carefully. Pupils enjoy their learning and report that ‘teachers make learning fun’.
• Teachers enrich pupils’ vocabulary and deepen pupils’ understanding of grammar. As a result, pupils’ progress in writing has improved. Pupils’ vocabulary is broadened through the effective use of support materials to prepare them to do writing of a better quality. For example, younger pupils visit the school grounds prior to a piece of creative writing to discuss new vocabulary. Pupils report, ‘We went to the woods to get inspired.’
• Leaders’ strategies to increase pupils’ engagement with books, such as encouraging reading at home and targeting reluctant readers, shows a positive impact. Pupils whose reading skills are underdeveloped benefit from working in small groups or receiving individual support. This improves their confidence and skills. Pupils show a growing resilience and use self-help strategies when encountering difficult words. Teachers have selected boy-friendly texts to engage boys in reading more successfully. Teachers ensure that pupils practise wider reading skills, such as discussing their understanding of the text and predicting the next stage of the story.
• In mathematics, pupils apply their mathematical knowledge to solve problems. For example, Year 4 pupils were using reasoning skills to share a selection of coins equally. Teachers encourage pupils to reflect on the methods they have used to find solutions. As a result, pupils make rapid progress and say they enjoy mathematics.
• Across all subjects, pupils make good progress because teachers monitor pupils’ understanding and progress closely. Teachers check pupils’ written work and encourage them to respond to advice for improvement.
• Teaching encourages pupils to deepen their understanding. Pupils said: ‘We are learning to fix mistakes and persevere. If we do the same easy work again and again, we won’t learn new things.’
• Pupils say they enjoy homework. Pupils read books at home, provided by the school, and tackle mathematical problems online. Parents comment positively about homework. Pupils without internet connection at home can attend a mathematics after- school club.
• Teachers’ advice to most-able pupils sometimes does not precisely identify areas to improve. For example, inaccurate spellings or misconceptions in mathematics are sometimes left uncorrected.
• Pupils’ handwriting and presentation, at times, does not reflect the good quality of the writing.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils have a positive attitude to learning, are confident and self-assured. Pupils respond well to teachers’ high expectations. They show respect for others’ views and ideas.
• Relationships between adults and pupils are strong and respectful. Staff know pupils well and, as a result, provide good support, especially to those pupils who are anxious or vulnerable.
• Pupils feel safe in school. Staff supervise pupils well during breaktimes and encourage social activities, such as ball games. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe.
• Leaders promote healthy lifestyles, especially eating a healthy diet. Pupils understand the importance of a balanced meal. They cooperate well during lunchtimes, serving each other with their meals and sharing the tidying up afterwards.
• Pupils know about bullying and the different forms it can take. They say bullying is rare and that teachers sort out any incidents fairly and quickly.
• Parents consider their children well cared for. One parent reported: ‘I feel that staff working in the school really nurture my child and provide a safe environment to let him progress to his full potential.’
• While pupils are proud of their work, sometimes a lack of care in the presentation of their writing does not reflect their good attitudes to learning.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Leaders have established clear routines and have high expectations of behaviour. As a consequence, pupils conduct themselves well. Pupils are polite and courteous.
• The learning environment is positive and vibrant, and is used to celebrate pupils’ work and to aid learning. Pupils are proud of their school.
• Pupils’ attendance has improved significantly. Overall, their attendance is now in line with the national average. Leaders are taking steps to improve attendance and punctuality even further.
• Most parents who responded to the parent questionnaire share the view that pupils’ behaviour is good.
• While no disruption to learning was observed during the inspection, pupils report that in a small number of lessons some of their peers can be noisy. Pupils sometimes need a gentle reminder to focus on their learning.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils achieve well throughout the school. Progress is more rapid this year compared to previous years. Observations of lessons, and scrutiny of pupils’ work and of the schools’ own assessment and tracking information, all confirm that standards are rising quickly.
• Outcomes for Year 6 in 2016 were well below average and not reflective of recent improvements in the achievement and progress of pupils in the lower year groups. Leaders’ deliberate action has resulted in current pupils making accelerated progress to make up for any historical underachievement.
• Pupils’ progress in mathematics in all year groups is rapid. Pupils are becoming fluent in arithmetic, developing good strategies for calculation and manipulation of numbers. Pupils grapple with difficult mathematical concepts with confidence. They use their prior knowledge and reasoning skills. Pupils use mathematical skills across the curriculum well, for example when drawing graphs in science.
• Extra support for those that fall behind, or those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, is well planned and effective. As a result, these pupils make good progress.
• Most-able pupils, including those that are disadvantaged, make the best progress when they have a high degree of challenge, for example when provided with opportunities for extended writing or difficult problems in mathematics. They relish the opportunity to learn concepts that are more challenging.
• Pupils enjoy reading and their progress is improving. Teachers develop strategies to help them read with confidence and understanding. Pupils use inference to help them better understand the text. They are rapidly developing their comprehension skills. Their better reading skills are having an impact on their writing skills, as pupils understand how to keep a reader engaged and motivated, for example with the imaginative use of adjectives.
• Pupils’ progress in English in Year 5 is not as strong as that in other years, due to a legacy of weaker teaching. Leaders are clear about the actions needed to accelerate progress further for these pupils.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 116067 Hampshire 10024786 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Junior School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 7 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 172 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Angela Jones Executive Headteacher Susan Underwood Telephone number 02392 258011 Website Email address www.springwoodjuniorschool.co.uk/ s.aspland@springwood-inf.hants.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 27–28 November 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• There have been significant changes to both the leadership and the teaching team since the last inspection. The previous headteacher retired at the end of the summer term and since then an executive headteacher has been appointed to lead this school in federation with Springwood Infant School. Heads of school, who have responsibilities across both schools, are new to the roles and, with the executive headteacher, they form the senior leadership team. A middle leadership team are also new to post, the science lead being appointed in September 2016 and the English lead in January 2017.
• The school did not meet the government’s floor standards in 2016. These set the minimum expectations for pupils’ learning and progress.
• Most pupils are White British and few speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average, as is the proportion of disadvantaged pupils.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in every class. Most observations were undertaken jointly with the executive headteacher or the senior leadership team. Inspectors listened to pupils read.
• Inspectors carried out a scrutiny of pupils’ work, with senior leaders, across year groups and subjects.
• Meetings were held with the executive headteacher, the senior leadership team, a selection of staff, including newly qualified teachers, more experienced teachers and teaching assistants. Inspectors also considered 13 responses from staff to the online questionnaire.
• Inspectors met with governors, and a telephone conversation was held with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors listened to parents’ views at the start of the day, and considered 20 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and a further 14 written responses.
• Meetings were held with pupils and 16 online questionnaire responses were taken into account.
• Inspectors looked at a number of documents, including: the school’s self-evaluation; the school improvement plan; analysis of the school’s performance data; information on the progress of particular groups of pupils; information relating to the attendance and behaviour of pupils; safeguarding and child protection records; and minutes from governors’ meetings. Documents outlining arrangements for the use of pupil premium funding and the primary physical education (PE) and sport premium funding were also considered.

Inspection team

Susan Child, lead inspector Deirdre Crutchley Penny Orme Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector