Lowe's Wong Anglican Methodist Junior School

Age group 7–11 Inspection date(s) 7–8 February 2012 Inspection number 380531 Lowe's Wong Anglican Methodist Junior School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 122769 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 380531 Inspection dates 7–8 February 2012 Lead inspector Susan Walsh

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Junior School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed

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Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Julie Payne Headteacher Michael Follen Date of previous school inspection 25 April 2007 School address Queen Street Southwell NG25 0AA Telephone number 01636 813432 Fax number 01636 815233 Email address office@loweswong-jun.notts.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school

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must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors visited 19 lessons led by 13 of the school’s teachers. Meetings were held with staff as well as with members of the governing body and pupils. Inspectors observed the school’s work. They also looked at development plans, records of pupils’ progress and arrangements for safeguarding as well as other documents. They scrutinised 161 questionnaires returned by parents and carers, and questionnaires from pupils and staff. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection.

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Information about the school

The school is larger than most primary schools. Relatively few pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and pupils with disabilities who are supported at School Action or School Action Plus is below the national average. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and very few are believed to speak English as an additional language. The headteacher joined the school in September 2010. There have been recent absences from and changes to the senior leadership team. The school has achieved several rewards including Sportsmark, Eco Schools status and Healthy Schools status.

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Information about the school

In 2011 the school met the government floor standards. That is, more than 60 per cent of pupils reached the expected level by the end of Year 6 and pupils made the expected progress between Year 2 and Year 6. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school that is quickly improving despite some recent absences of middle leaders. When pupils start the school their attainment is above average and by the time they leave their attainment is also above average, representing satisfactory progress and, overall, satisfactory achievement.  Pupils with complex additional needs are well supported but the small numbers of other children who find learning challenging sometimes make relatively slow progress, particularly in reading and writing. This is because their understanding of the links between letters and the sounds they make is not always secure. The school’s systems for checking pupils’ progress have improved but managers do not always make sufficient use of the information about the progress of pupils with disabilities and special educational needs.  Teaching is currently satisfactory and is improving. There are increasing

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Key findings

numbers of lively lessons that motivate pupils. Occasionally the work set is not demanding enough for more-able pupils and not enough is done to check pupils’ learning in lessons. Teachers’ marking does not always tell pupils exactly how to improve their work.  Pupils’ behaviour is good both in lessons and around school. The ‘Good Behaviour Guide’ is consistently applied in school. Pupils work hard in lessons and are keen to make progress. By the end of Year 6 pupils are confident and articulate. Some pupils occasionally exhibit challenging behaviour but this is managed well by the school.  The school provides a good curriculum that successfully promotes pupils’ good spiritual, moral social and cultural development. There are many exciting enriching opportunities together with a wide range of clubs and residential experiences.  Accelerated progress and rising levels of attainment reflects the high expectations of the new headteacher and other key leaders, including

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Key findings

governors, and illustrates the school’s good capacity to improve further

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Key findings

Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate the progress of pupils with disabilities and special educational needs and other pupils who find learning difficult by - ensuring that the teaching of phonics builds systematically on the practice in the infant school - introducing targeted phonics sessions for those pupils who need it - improving training for staff in order to ensure they have secure knowledge and skills to promote pupils’ phonic knowledge and understanding - making certain that information about the progress of pupils with disabilities and special educational needs is used effectively to swiftly identify those pupils in danger of falling behind and address the reasons why.  Improve the proportion of teaching that is good or better by - making certain that the work set is always carefully matched to pupils’ needs in order to ensure that more-able pupils are adequately challenged, including during the introductions to lessons

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

- ensuring that pupils’ learning is always rigorously checked during lessons - developing a consistent approach to marking including making sure that marking is always legible and provides pupils with very clear indications of how to improve their work.

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Achievement of pupils

Currently pupils are making satisfactory progress in lessons and over time. There are inconsistencies in pupils’ progress that reflect variations in the quality of teaching. Pupils’ progress in writing is accelerating and an increasing proportion of pupils are gaining the higher level 5. By the end of Year 6 pupils produce writing that is accurate both in terms of spelling and grammar. It is interesting and engaging and sometimes highly amusing. The quality of handwriting and presentation is variable and this sometimes has a negative impact on the quality of work produced by boys in particular. Although the more-able do not meet their full potential in every lesson the extra sessions provided for gifted and talented pupils are having a good impact. For example, these pupils were able to produce very moving poetry of remarkable quality because they were able to empathise with the experience of soldiers in World

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Achievement of pupils

War 1. Progress in mathematics is also improving because work is better matched to pupils’ needs and teachers are quicker to identify and address misconceptions. Pupils make faster progress in reading than they do in mathematics and writing. Many talk with great enthusiasm about the books they have read. The reading of ‘Goodnight Mr Tom’ in Year 6 is having a particularly good effect on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

and cultural development. Even though pupils usually make good progress in reading the school has not rested on its laurels and has improved the quality of guided reading sessions and the quality of homework.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils with disabilities and special educational needs make satisfactory progress. Parents of pupils with multifaceted needs correctly report that their children are well supported. They say that their children make good progress particularly in their personal development. A small number of pupils with less-complex needs sometimes make slow progress and find reading and writing difficult. Although the school does some work in Year 3 that encourages pupils to recognise patterns in spelling, the school lacks a systematic programme of phonics designed to meet the needs of pupils who find learning challenging. Consequently these pupils are not always able to segment words or recognise the sounds that groups of letters make.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching is satisfactory and results in most pupils making progress that is broadly in line with that made by pupils nationally. Inspection evidence indicates that teaching is swiftly improving, with an increasing number of good lessons plus a small amount of outstanding teaching, particularly in Year 6. Many parents say that teaching is good and comment positively on the way teachers help their children to make progress. A small number of parents express concerns about teaching being ‘safe’ and ‘uninspiring’. Both views were borne out by the inspection because teaching is variable in quality. Although teaching is improving, there are some remaining inconsistencies in teachers’ skills. Many teachers have improved the way they use assessment information to ensure that work is well matched to pupils’ abilities. Occasionally there is not enough challenge in lessons for higher-attaining pupils, particularly when they have to mark time during the introductions to lessons.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers are now much better at assessing pupils’ learning from previous lessons and many are careful to correct any misunderstandings in subsequent lessons. This is improving the pace of learning. Occasionally teachers miss opportunities to check pupils’ understanding during the lesson, particularly when they are working independently.

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Quality of teaching

Many recent improvements have been made to the curriculum, including the way communication skills, particularly reading, are taught and rearranging the way mathematics classes are organised. Teaching assistants make a good contribution to learning. They are good at encouraging pupils to understand what they have read. They are less proficient at helping pupils to divide up words and to identify accurately the sounds made by groups of letters. Many teachers are good at promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, for example, pupils talked enthusiastically about the lessons about Macbeth and sensitively explored social and moral themes in their writing. Relationships between teachers and pupils are very good and pupils respond very well to praise from their teachers. There is some very clear marking that gives pupils good quality guidance about how to improve their work. However some marking is merely congratulatory and some is

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Quality of teaching

rather difficult for pupils to read. Therefore pupils’ response to marking is variable. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The staff have created an ethos which promotes positive attitudes to learning and an environment that allows pupils to feel safe. Pupils’ thoughtful and considerate behaviour makes an important contribution to this well-ordered school. Teachers’ expectations of behaviour are high and they consistently apply the school’s behaviour policy which has been developed in association with pupils. Pupils have positive attitudes in lessons and are keen to get on with their work. The vast majority of parents say that their children are very happy at school and, together with many pupils, say they have no experience of bullying. When pupils do fall out it is dealt with promptly and effectively by staff. Parents are particularly impressed with the way they can see the headteacher immediately in the event of any issues arising. Both parents and pupils know that there are a few pupils whose behaviour can be unpredictable. They recognise staffing levels has been improved in certain year

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

groups and know that staff including teaching assistants are skilled at managing this testing behaviour. Consequently disruptions to learning are minimised. Pupils now have regular opportunities to work with others from different year groups and this has a positive effect on their personal development. Year 6 pupils provide particularly good role models and help with many aspects of the school’s work including supporting reading. The school provides pupils with extensive guidance about staying safe, and there is an especially strong focus on internet safety. Levels of attendance are excellent.

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Leadership and management

The new headteacher has provided very strong leadership and has made clear his vision and aspirations for the school. He is ably supported by a perceptive and highly skilled deputy head and other enthusiastic senior leaders, some of whom are in temporary posts. Together they have formed a dynamic and insightful senior leadership team. They have successfully kept the school moving forward during a difficult period for the school. The coherent programme of monitoring and evaluation is securely linked to development planning. More staff are involved in the monitoring of teaching and consequently staff now have greater awareness of what good teaching looks like. The good use of coaching has ensured that many teachers have improved their skills. Although some inconsistencies remain in the quality of teaching all staff share a determination to further enhance their skills. The establishing of a baseline measure of pupils’ attainment means that the school can be more accurate

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Leadership and management

when measuring their progress. This is now checked more regularly and teachers find the new system for tracking progress easy to access and understand. As a result staff are now able to use assessment information more successfully to inform their teaching.

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Leadership and management

Leaders and managers actively promote equality and tackle discrimination. There is an appropriate focus on ensuring that every child reaches their full potential irrespective of their level of ability or background. While the school has useful information about the progress of pupils with disabilities and special educational Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

needs it does not always make the best use of this information in order to address the variations in their rates of progress. The broad and balanced curriculum meets pupils’ needs and is very good at promoting their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Provision for extra-curricular activities such as drama and music are particularly strong and a wide range of enriching activities such as residential visits contributes well to pupils’ good social development. Pupils are highly knowledgeable about other faiths and cultures and are well prepared for life in modern Britain and a global society. Strong partnerships with other schools have a positive impact on the curriculum, for example, through the music specialism of the main receiving secondary school. Although relationships with the neighbouring infant school are good, not enough has been done to ensure that there is continuity of provision

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Leadership and management

regarding the teaching of the links between letters and sounds. School staff have a good awareness of safeguarding procedures and are vigilant in their efforts to keep children safe.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics abou t maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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NG25 0AA

It was a delight and a privilege to visit your school. All of the team really enjoyed talking to you all and listened very carefully to what you had to say. We were very impressed by your good manners and the thoughtful way you treat adults and each other. Thank you to all of those who shared your work with us. We really enjoyed reading your writing because it’s funny and interesting. We know that you have lots of exciting things to do in school and saw how enthusiastic you were about learning.

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NG25 0AA

Your standards of attainment are above average. Although teaching is satisfactory the number of good lessons is rising. You are making good progress in reading and satisfactory but improving progress in writing and mathematics. We have asked your teachers to develop some aspects of their teaching including making certain that those of you who find learning easy are always challenged in lessons, making sure that your learning is checked regularly including when you are working on your own and making sure teachers always tell you exactly how to improve your work.

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NG25 0AA

We noticed that a few pupils are struggling with reading and writing. We have asked teachers to make sure that these children are taught to recognise the sounds that groups of letters make. Teachers have lots of information about your progress. We have asked them to use this information more effectively in order to spot those children whose progress is slow and to find out why they are not doing so well. The leaders and managers at your school are doing a good job that is why your school is improving at a good rate. You can help your school to improve further by continuing to try very hard in all your lessons.

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NG25 0AA

Susan Walsh Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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