Locks Heath Junior School is graded Good by Ofsted

Locks Heath Junior School on Warsash Road won over the education regulatory body, showing “warm and genuine relationships” between pupils which make them feel safe and happy, according to a report.

When inspecting on November 5 and 6, Ofsted were impressed by the school’s “aspirational curriculum” which meets the needs of pupils and precisely identifies what they need to learn.

In terms of pupils, Ofsted believe that staff can identify barriers to learning and adapt their teaching accordingly.

The report says that the school has “high ambitions for all pupils” and that disadvantaged children do well because “expectations of what they can achieve are high.”

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The school has been graded good since June 2014.

Before that, Locks Heath Junior School was considered “outstanding” in June 2009.

Headteacher Natasha Farrell, who joined the school in September 2016, said that the staff were “incredibly proud” of their Ofsted report.

Locks Heath Junior School in Warsash. (Image: Google Maps) Mrs Farrell said: “For us, the report recognised the hard work of our teaching and support staff to make sure that all of our children achieve well both academically and socially. 

“This has been a huge team effort with school staff, our parents and children working together to make our school a great place to come and learn. 

“We are ambitious with what we hope to achieve and are already looking forward to how we can further improve and refine our practice. 

“None of what we achieve can happen without our fantastic Locks Heath children - they are who make our school such a special place to be!"

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However, the positive report did go on to note that “in a few subjects, teachers’ subject knowledge is not secure enough.”

Ofsted said that this can mean sometimes teachers do not always explain subject content clearly, and in turn pupils do not always learn as well as they could.

The regulatory body has challenged Locks Heath Junior School to ensure that they develop the expertise of teachers in subjects where they are lacking.

Locks Heath Junior School was considered good in all areas, including behaviour and attitudes.