Canford Heath Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

Canford Heath Middle is a good school. Pupils make good progress, leaving with above average levels of attainment and consistently good achievement.

Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities also make good progress. Those who are known to be eligible for free school meals make slightly less progress than others, but the school is rapidly closing this gap. Pupils' personal development is outstanding; their behaviour is excellent and this contributes to their good learning and the very harmonious atmosphere found in the school.

They understand exceptionally well how to be safe and healthy in their lives and readily take responsibility for their own and others' well-being. Pupils ...are enthusiastic volunteers for buddying others, for charity fund-raising and the school council. They are confident in their dealings with adults and they champion the rights and responsibilities of individuals.

The school ensures that pupils reach excellent outcomes overall. This includes outstanding personal development and good achievement; value for money is therefore outstanding. The senior leadership team has come through a period of change during which time pupils' achievement has risen sharply.

The executive headteacher, who also leads the adjacent First School, works very closely with the associate headteacher towards shared goals for success. Their evaluation of what needs to happen now to move the school further ahead has sharpened the resolve of the whole staff team. This means the school has a good capacity for sustained improvement.

Staff contribute regularly to the professional development of their colleagues, providing valued training for one another. However, the monitoring of teaching has not always been sharp enough and not fully linked to pupils' outcomes. Good teaching and learning, based on effective planning and good subject knowledge, ensure pupils enjoy their work.

The curriculum provides good opportunities for pupils to explore the wider world, learn about its peoples, use other languages and appreciate what it is like to live somewhere else. There is an obvious feeling of cohesion in this school community and pupils' understanding in this regard supports their appreciation of the needs and rights of their own peers at school. Pupils' attendance is average and improving after several years where absences were regular occurrences.

However, the proportion of persistent absentees remains too high. Parents and carers are now fully committed to the school and are highly supportive of all its undertakings. Relationships with other school partners are strong.

Members of the governing body have a good understanding of the school and challenge it frequently, holding it to account. They ensure pupils are safe at Canford Heath Middle school.

Information about the school

This is a larger-than-average middle school, deemed primary, situated next to a First School with which it shares an executive headteacher.

There is also an associate headteacher. The proportions of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, who speak English as an additional language and who come from minority ethnic groups are lower than average. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.

There is a higher than average proportion of those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, the majority of whom have behaviour, social and emotional needs,

Also at this postcode