Horndean Church of England Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Horndean Church of England Junior School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's 'TLC' values (Thinking with Thanksgiving, Learning with Love, Caring with Compassion) run through the school like the words in a stick of rock. Pupils are proud of these values and feel that they define their school well. They are evident wherever you look and whomever you speak to, and they help to make the school a very special place.

One of the ways the TLC values can be seen is in the focus on inclusivity and acceptance. Pupils recognise that everyone has their own strengths and things that they find tricky. Pupils say that even when someone has a 'bad day...', they make sure that others can still learn.

Pupils feel that the TLC values are why everyone's behaviour is so impressive at the school.

As a consequence of this strong ethos, pupils are very happy at the school. They feel safe.

They know that sometimes people make mistakes and can be unkind. They are confident that staff will sort this out quickly if they know about it.

Aligned to these high expectations for behaviour and attitudes are equally high aspirations for pupils' learning.

Pupils work really hard to realise these expectations in all that they do.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

There is a strong collaborative culture at the school. Year-group teams work exceptionally well together to provide well-sequenced learning that helps pupils develop and secure their knowledge across a broad curriculum.

Staff use assessment to carefully work out what pupils know and what they need to know next. They adapt learning activities well for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). At all times, expectations are high.

Reading is celebrated throughout the school and pupils are keen to talk about books. They adore their new library with its lovely new texts and reading areas. Leaders have identified that more younger pupils have more gaps in their reading ability than was typical before the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is particularly around pupils' knowledge of phonics. Leaders responded quickly to this challenge, training all staff in phonics and providing well-resourced phonics sessions for those who need them. However, this work is not yet consistently of the quality that leaders intend.

It needs time to fully embed so that pupils who have fallen behind quickly gain the knowledge and skills that they need to become confident, fluent readers.

The systematic focus on teaching reading and checking that pupils are gaining the intended knowledge is replicated across the curriculum. Pupils recognise that they are gaining knowledge and are keen to see what they are going to learn next.

Their behaviour and attitudes are impressive. They are proud of the way that they can use their TLC values to think about their feelings and how to manage them. They know that some pupils need more help to think about their behaviour and emotions.

Pupils are adamant that staff help everyone really well with this.

One of the reasons for this effective work is due to the relentless work of the special educational needs coordinator to make sure that all staff know how to identify pupils' needs and best meet these needs. This is particularly effective for pupils with SEND.

Pupils' wider development is prioritised. The TLC ethos helps pupils think about their choices. For example, a pupil explained 'integrity' to the inspector and why it is important.

Pupils relish the clubs and residential visits. Leaders and governors keep a keen eye on who attends to ensure that financial issues are never a reason for non-participation.

Governors and leaders are dedicated and determined to keep pushing for the highest standards.

They are persistent in reviewing and checking the impact of their work on others, including staff. Staff feel valued and motivated to keep striving for more as they can see the positive impact of their efforts on the school as a whole.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have made sure that staff have the knowledge that they need to identify any signs of worry about pupils. Staff follow the school's processes promptly. Concerns are taken seriously, and leaders take appropriate steps in response.

Leaders work well with external agencies.

Pupils are knowledgeable about how to keep themselves safe and how to identify potential risks, including when online. They are confident that adults always take the time to listen to them and will take any worry seriously.

Safer recruitment processes are followed, with information recorded properly.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• More younger pupils need help with their reading than has previously been the case. Leaders have ensured that there is a systematic synthetic phonics programme in place and that staff are trained to deliver it.

Staff are fully on board with this approach, but some need to increase their confidence with new approaches. Leaders need to ensure that this programme is closely monitored as it is embedded, so that pupils make up these knowledge gaps quickly.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2012.

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