Brighton junior school earns improved verdict from Ofsted

A Brighton junior school has been rated as good by Oftsed having previously been told that it required improvement.

Hertford Junior School, in Lynchet Close, Hollingdean, was inspected last month. The Oftsed inspectors’ report said: “This is a good school.

“Senior leaders, including governors, have successfully improved the school since the previous inspection.

“Pupils achieve well. They make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Standards by the end of year 6 have improved over time and are above average.

“All groups, including the most able pupils, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils, make good progress.

“Teaching is good. Teachers have good relationships with pupils and engage them well in their lessons.

“Pupils have good attitudes to learning. Their behaviour is good and they are polite and friendly.

“The school looks after its pupils well. Pupils feel safe and secure in school and learn how to look after themselves in and out of school.

“Parents are very positive about all aspects of the school’s work.

“Governors know the school well and are committed to its further improvement. They are fully supportive of senior leaders in their efforts to continually improve the quality of teaching.

“It is not yet an outstanding school because teaching is not yet typically outstanding and the best practice is not shared widely enough.

“Agreed, effective, whole-school approaches to teaching and learning are not consistently implemented. On occasions, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough.

“Pupils’ work in their English and mathematics books is often untidy and poorly presented.

“Measures taken by the school to improve are not always linked to measurable targets or tight enough deadlines.”

The chairman of the governors Carl Chambers praised the head Joan Marshall for her hard work and said: “This is a tremendous achievement, given that three years ago Ofsted found the school required improvement.

“All those involved in the school have worked very hard to turn the school round in this time.

“Last summer’s results were exceptional and show the school consistently performing above the national average and among the other top schools in our city.

“This is all the more encouraging as around 40 per cent of the school receive free school meals.

“Ofsted visited our school and conducted a rigorous and exhausting analysis of the school.

“We were confident we were a good school and yet now doubly pleased that this has been confirmed by the official result from Ofsted.

“The staff and children have worked extremely hard to be where they are now. And we continue to set challenges to keep improving, for the good of the children of Hollingdean.”