Anton Junior School

Anton Junior School is a positive and welcoming junior school where pupils behave well, enjoy learning and show kindness and respect. Personal development is a notable strength: pupils take part in a wide range of extra-curricular and leadership opportunities, learn about healthy relationships and diversity, and disadvantaged pupils benefit equally. Behaviour, attendance and safeguarding are also secure, and provision for pupils with SEND has been strengthened so that staff adapt teaching well to meet individual needs. This was the school's first routine inspection since the pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2014; almost all leaders, staff and governors are new, and an acting headteacher was in place during the inspection. No overall effectiveness grade is awarded under the current framework. The quality of education and leadership and management require improvement. The curriculum is coherent in English and mathematics, but foundation subjects are not fully developed and implementation is inconsistent, so pupils' learning and achievement are variable and some have important gaps. Recent key stage 2 results in reading and mathematics were well below the national average, although current learning is gradually improving. The school has a strong reading culture, but staff do not have the expertise to support pupils who struggle with early reading, so some do not catch up quickly. Subject leadership and governance are underdeveloped: subject leaders do not yet have an accurate view of curriculum implementation or pupil achievement, and governors have not challenged leaders sufficiently. The school's ambition for pupils to achieve well is not yet realised, and recent leadership turbulence has affected the quality of education. Overall, the school has clear strengths in behaviour, personal development and SEND support, but needs to strengthen curriculum implementation, early reading, subject leadership and governance.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, welcoming and show kindness and respect.
• Behaviour and attitudes are positive, with pupils keen to learn and care for each other.
• Personal development is strong, including healthy relationships, mental and physical health, and diversity.
• The school offers a diverse extra-curricular programme and meaningful pupil leadership roles.
• Disadvantaged pupils benefit equally from personal development opportunities.
• Provision for pupils with SEND has been strengthened, with needs identified swiftly and teaching adapted well.
• A strong reading culture exposes pupils to a broad range of engaging texts.
• High-quality staff training supports a consistent approach to positive behaviour.
• Actions to improve attendance have reduced routine absence.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Staff feel supported and recognise recent curriculum improvements.

Areas for Improvement

• The curriculum is not fully developed in foundation subjects and implementation is inconsistent.
• Some pupils do not achieve well enough because learning is variable.
• Recent key stage 2 reading and mathematics results were well below the national average.
• Pupils have gaps in foundation-subject knowledge and skills.
• Staff lack the required knowledge to teach early reading and help struggling readers catch up.
• Assessment and checks of pupils' learning in subjects other than English and mathematics are at an early stage.
• Subject leadership is at an early stage and leaders do not accurately understand curriculum implementation or pupil achievement.
• Governors lack strong enough oversight and have not challenged leaders sufficiently.
• Leadership changes have affected the quality of education.
• The school's ambition for pupils to achieve well is not yet realised.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Anton Junior School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.9% of pupils at Anton Junior School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Anton Junior School had 22.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 33.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 9.5% of pupils at Anton Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Anton Junior School received £6,345 and spent £6,464 for each of its 243 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £21,000 (£88 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Andover · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

What is Anton Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Anton Junior School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was Anton Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Anton Junior School was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does Anton Junior School have?

Anton Junior School has 243 pupils on roll.

What age range does Anton Junior School cover?

Anton Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Anton Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Anton Junior School?

Anton Junior School is at Barlows Lane, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 2HA.