Lymington Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Lymington Junior School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this welcoming, inclusive school.

They understand and value the importance of equality and treating everyone with kindness. Pupils enjoy trusting, respectful relationships with staff and each other. Pupils are confident that staff will listen and act if they have any worries, which helps them feel safe.

Pupils behave well and delight in learning and working together. Bullying is rare and not tolerated by leaders, who take effective action when any concerns are raised. In class, pupils are eager to try their best because of the high expectations staff hav...e.

Playtimes and lunchtimes are pleasant, social times. Pupils look forward to coming to school and the vast majority attend regularly.

Pupils develop strong character traits during their time in school.

These include taking responsibility for their own actions and showing genuine respect for people and property. Leaders ensure that pupils who want to take part in the wide range of clubs and trips are enabled to do so, including the most vulnerable pupils. A focus on the arts means pupils learn to play instruments, perform in school concerts and participate in dramatic productions.

A strong sense of team spirit characterises the many sporting opportunities alongside celebrating individual achievements.

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

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. Each subject has clearly defined content to be learned, which is included in the 'learning journey' for each unit or topic.

Pupils use these to explain what they know and as a useful reference guide to link learning to other subjects. Regular checks are made on what pupils know and can do. However, this information is not always used effectively in order to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge.

This means that teachers do not consistently adapt the curriculum precisely for future learning. Leaders are aware of this and have plans to address this.

Ensuring that all pupils experience success is at the core of the school's work.

The inclusion leader makes sure that, whenever possible, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities can learn alongside their classmates. Leaders have prioritised this provision and it is a strength. Leaders identify pupils' needs precisely to work out with staff which strategies will support learning best.

Leaders work closely with other agencies to ensure that these pupils get the extra help they need and, as result, they achieve well.

Leaders are determined that pupils will become confident, fluent readers and capable mathematicians. The mathematics curriculum is particularly well designed and the teaching is methodical.

Teachers are adept at making sure pupils grasp what they are being taught. As a result, pupils feel a sense of accomplishment and enjoy mathematics. Work to improve the teaching of reading across the school is paying off.

Pupils who find reading more challenging read regularly to adults. They also benefit from regular phonics sessions to address gaps in their knowledge. Pupils practise their reading using books which carefully match the sounds they have learned.

As a result, pupils can access the wider curriculum, enjoy reading a range of text types and achieve well.

Leaders are committed to providing pupils with a range of wider learning opportunities and this is a strength of the school. The school's embedded values are woven through the personal, social and health education curriculum.

Pupils learn about healthy relationships, how to protect their physical and mental health and keep themselves safe in different contexts. They understand that everyone is unique and must be respected. The curriculum is supplemented by a wide range of trips and visitors which help bring learning to life.

Pupils embrace taking on roles of responsibility, such as serving on the school council, so they can contribute to improving their school.

Governors are knowledgeable and effective. Leaders have the trust and support of staff.

They lead by example with a clear moral purpose. Leaders are considerate of the well-being of staff. While many staff feel well supported, some feel that leaders could take their workload into account more while still improving the school to meet its ambitious goals.

Leaders and governors ensure that the school sustains strong relationships with parents.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The designated safeguarding leads work well as a team to look after pupils' well-being.

Leaders have prioritised this aspect of the school's work and established a culture of vigilance. They have ensured that everyone understands their responsibilities, including governors. Leaders make the right checks before staff start working at the school.

Staff are clear and confident in being able to spot potential signs of harm and know how to respond. Leaders have clear systems and processes for ensuring that actions are taken promptly. This includes liaising with other professionals to secure the right help for pupils and families.

In every year group, pupils are taught about how to keep themselves safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Assessment is not used consistently well and is not yet fully effective. This means that teachers do not always plan next steps for future teaching.

It also hinders how teachers plan to recap and review gaps in pupils' knowledge. Leaders need to establish a clearer approach to checking and closing the gaps in learning so that pupils know and remember more across the whole school curriculum.

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

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

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2018.

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