Riders Junior School, located in Leigh Park, Havant, Hampshire, underwent an inspection on May 21 and 22, 2024. The overall effectiveness of the school was rated as requiring improvement, a continuation from the previous inspection. The quality of education, as well as behaviour and attitudes, were also marked as requiring improvement, while personal development and leadership and management received a good rating.
The school is characterized as a caring and inclusive environment, with a vision focused on community engagement and student achievement. Pupils express happiness and feel valued, recognizing the school's commitment to their safety. Staff demonstrate kindness and dedication, although the high aspirations for student success have not yet been fully realized. Many pupils, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, do not achieve at expected levels. While there have been improvements in behaviour, expectations for learning behaviour are inconsistent, leading to disruptions in lessons.
Leadership has faced challenges, particularly in recent years, but current leaders are making strides toward improvement. Their shared vision is fostering a positive environment, and personal development initiatives are a notable strength of the school. The school offers impressive pastoral care, including various mental health and well-being programs, and promotes responsible citizenship through extracurricular activities. Inspirational visitors with disabilities contribute to empowering students to overcome challenges.
The school effectively supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, tailoring assessments and resources to meet individual needs. Improvements have been noted in teachers' subject knowledge, enhancing the delivery of the curriculum. However, the quality of teaching remains inconsistent across subjects. In mathematics, for instance, more pupils are meeting age-related expectations, while other subjects, such as religious education, have not been taught consistently well, resulting in gaps in knowledge.
Reading has been prioritized, with efforts to foster a positive attitude towards books. The school library offers diverse texts, and staff training has been provided to enhance phonics instruction. However, phonics teaching is not uniformly strong, and additional support is needed for pupils struggling with reading fluency and comprehension.
Staff are skilled in helping pupils manage their emotions, which positively impacts well-being and behaviour. Nonetheless, some pupils exhibit low engagement, distracting others from learning. Attendance has historically been low, but recent efforts have led to improvements, with leaders prioritizing attendance and reducing persistent absence through effective pastoral work.
The school promotes understanding of modern Britain through assemblies and curriculum activities, fostering respectful relationships and opposition to discrimination. Cultural development is enriched through celebrations and leadership roles for pupils, ensuring high involvement in extracurricular activities, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.
Leaders are committed and reflective, showing genuine care for the school community. Their focused efforts are beginning to yield positive results, and governors provide appropriate support. Despite past leadership uncertainties, staff feel supported and proud of their school, recognizing the benefits of recent improvements in curriculum and pastoral care.
To improve further, the school must enhance the consistency of phonics teaching and reading support to ensure all pupils can read fluently by the end of Year 6. Variability in teaching quality across subjects needs to be addressed to help pupils learn and retain key content effectively. Continued efforts are required to improve attendance, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, and to establish consistently high expectations for learning behaviour in the classroom.
