Junior school keeps 'good' mark from Ofsted inspectors

Wildground Junior School has again been rated ‘good’ by Ofsted, highlighting its “happy and safe environment” and “strong curriculum”.

The school has 210 pupils aged seven to 11 years old at its site in Armitage Avenue, Dibden Purlieu.

Inspectors who visited in October gave it the second highest of four possible ratings. They said leaders and teachers had high expectations for pupils who enjoyed school because of the welcoming environment.

Pupils were well behaved, they said, and the school motto, "Nothing is impossible", underpinned all aspects of the school’s work.

The inspection report highlighted careful planning of subjects and said: “One of the strengths of the school is the way that leaders have developed the curriculum so that pupils receive a wide, rich set of experiences that support their broader development.

“For example, there are plenty of trips and visits where pupils develop their social skills and cultural understanding.

"Teachers also allow time for pupils to work on tricky topics that help to develop resilience and independence. Leaders see reading as a high priority. Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) do equally as well as other pupils."

The report highlighted that some younger pupils did not read as well as they should when they joined the school and did not have a secure enough grasp of phonics to read fluently and confidently. However, leaders were concentrating on further developing staff’s skills to teach early reading.

Although some pupils needed more support to manage their own behaviour, staff provided this well and learning was not disrupted. Staff dealt well with the rare occasions of bullying.

Since the last inspection in 2016, there have been several changes at the school, including two new teachers joining in September. There is also now a specialist resource provision for nine pupils who have social, emotional and mental health needs.

Wildground Junior School executive headteacher Amanda Mullett told the A&T: “We are really pleased that Ofsted recognised the strength of our curriculum development, as this has been a focus of the school over the last few years.

"We are very proud of the wide and rich experiences that we offer to our pupils.

“I am very proud of all the pupils who demonstrated how much they enjoy their learning and showed the inspector how polite and respectful they are.

"I would like to thank the Wildground team who work tirelessly to enable the very best for all our pupils.”