Winterbourne Junior Girls' School

Winterbourne Junior Girls' School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 101745 Local Authority Croydon Inspection number 355060 Inspection dates 30 September 2010–1 October 2010 Reporting inspector Susan Thomas-Pounce

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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 Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 304 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Charlie Allen Headteacher Janet Godfrey Date of previous school inspection 1 October 2010 School address Winterbourne Road Thornton Heath CR7 7QT Telephone number 020 86843532 Fax number 020 86650536 Email address office@winterbournegirls.croydon.sch.uk

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Inspection dates

30 September 2010–1 October 2010 Inspection number 355060 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.

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Inspection dates

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school 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 1234 234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection dates

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 documentation 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'. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA T: 0300 1234 234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. The inspectors visited 17 lessons taught by 14 different teachers. Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, governors and pupils. Inspectors observed the school's work, and looked at the written records for tracking pupils' progress, the school improvement plan, local authority reviews and a range of school documents. The inspection team analysed questionnaires completed by 102 parents and carers, 90 pupils and 15 staff. They also held discussions with several individual parents. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at the following.  The quality of learning and progress made by all pupils in lessons.  How effectively teaching meets the pupils' learning needs, particularly those pupils deemed vulnerable.  How effectively leaders, governors and managers at all levels monitor and evaluate

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Introduction

the quality of the education provided by the school.

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Information about the school

Winterbourne Junior Girls' is a three-form entry school and is the only maintained junior school for girls in the country. It shares a very compact site with its partner infant school and Winterbourne Junior Boys' school. An above-average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. Most pupils are from minority ethnic groups, with a large majority whose first language is not English. A higher than average proportion of pupils join the school partway through their primary education. This includes a number of pupils who arrive from other countries, who are at an early stage of learning to speak English. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who need support for their behavioural, language or physical needs, is below that typically found. The school holds a number of awards including recognition of its work to promote healthy lifestyles.

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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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Main findings

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education. The partnerships with other schools, and a range of outside agencies have positive benefits for pupils' personal development. Pupils' enjoyment of their learning and their overall achievement is satisfactory. Their attainment for the last five years has remained broadly average. Most pupils make satisfactory progress, although, given their starting points, some pupils could do better. Good care and support ensure that pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, those at an early stage of learning English, and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities make as much progress as their peers. Other good features include the way in which the school works in partnership with parents and carers, the good behaviour of pupils and their good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are friendly and considerate towards one another and they have a good understanding of how

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Main findings

to stay healthy and safe. Parents and carers are confident that the school will keep their children safe and happy. They particularly like the way that staff welcome their children into the school, which is open from 8.30 every morning. This time is used effectively by pupils to book their lunch, prepare for the day and talk informally with staff. Parents and carers have further opportunities to talk with staff at the end of the day when all staff take their pupils out to the playground. The quality of teaching is variable although satisfactory overall. During the inspection good and supportive relationships and effective management of lessons was noted. The satisfactory gains pupils make in their learning are a result of the similar work that is set for the whole class. This means that, while tasks in lessons are reasonably challenging for the average-attaining pupils, they are often too easy for the more able and too hard or

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Main findings

others. More regular monitoring of lessons is helping to ensure a consistent focus on raising achievement by planning work for all abilities, but there is still a long way to go. Strengths of the curriculum include the partnership links with other schools, the extended day provision and enrichment activities that support pupils' good personal development. Since the previous inspection the school has reinstated a school library and improved the lunchtime experience for all pupils. Changes in teaching staff and long-term staff absence have held back efforts to bring about rapid improvement. Inconsistencies remain in the quality of teaching across the school and further work is needed to ensure that all lessons are taught well with sufficient pace and challenge to meet the needs of all pupils, including the more able. There are shortcomings in how well the leaders and managers at all levels evaluate the impact of teaching and learning on pupils' progress. To help address

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Main findings

this, the roles and responsibilities of the leadership team have been reviewed with a clearer emphasis on raising achievement. Pupils' progress is now tracked more rigorously and this is helping to identify where learning is too slow. The improved attainment in mathematics noted in the previous inspection has been maintained. Although the school has evaluated accurately its own performance, recognising both its strengths and areas

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

that need attention, its capacity to improve remains satisfactory. This is because the skills of leaders, governors and managers at all levels in monitoring school and pupil performance, evaluating the quality of provision and checking on the successes of improvement initiatives are not yet fully developed. Although actions have not been as effective as they might be in bringing about sustained improvement, higher expectations of achievement and improved stability of staffing is providing the impetus needed to move from a satisfactory to a good school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils' attainment in English and mathematics to above the national average by: ensuring greater consistency in the quality of teaching so that there is increased challenge for more-able pupils improve the pace of lessons to ensure that all pupils are engaged in learning throughout and so make good progress ensuring that the content of lessons is matched well to pupils' abilities, to build on and develop pupils' interest and experience.  Develop the role of leaders, governors and managers at all levels, so they are effectively contributing to school improvement by improving and extending their skills in: reviewing information on pupils' performance evaluating the quality of provision, particularly to ensure consistently good teaching checking the success of improvement initiatives on accelerating pupil progress.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Achievement is satisfactory and pupils enjoy most lessons. Attainment by Year 6 is broadly average. This represents satisfactory progress from pupils' previous average starting points on entry to Year 3. Their progress is sometimes held back by a lack of opportunities for using and applying skills as part of their work in other subjects. Furthermore, teachers sometimes give pupils tasks that are insufficiently challenging and relevant. In one lesson where expectations were high and work matched pupils' varying capabilities, pupils' learning moved forward at a good rate. Learning slows, however, where these good practices are not consistently applied. Although more-able pupils do as well as other groups, some lessons are not sufficiently challenging to extend their capabilities fully. Pupils' work seen during the inspection indicates that the current Year 6 are attaining at similar levels. More timely and effective support has resulted in improved achievement for pupils with

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

moderate learning or behavioural difficulties. They now make satisfactory progress. Most pupils are committed to a healthy lifestyle, take plenty of exercise and eat a healthy diet. They are proud that the school has achieved Healthy School status. Pupils work together well and respect differences of opinion. They feel safe in school and know who to turn to if

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

they have any concerns. They contribute to the school community, for example by playing an active part in the school council and acting as playground pals. Attendance is average. Positive attitudes, good social skills and average attainment mean that pupils' preparation for secondary school and future employment is satisfactory.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

Taking into account: Pupils' attainment¹

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 3

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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3

Taking into account: Pupils' attendance¹

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The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4

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How effective is the provision?

In some lessons pupils were challenged to think, the pace of learning was rapid and activities were planned to address pupils' individual learning needs. Where learning and progress were good, pupils made good use of frequent opportunities to discuss their ideas in small groups to clarify their ideas; this accelerated their understanding. However, these good features, especially the good use of assessment to inform planning, were not consistently applied. In other lessons the whole class session was too long and did not take sufficient account of pupils' prior knowledge and understanding. As a result, the pace of the lesson was too slow and the activities did not challenge and extend pupils' learning sufficiently. Some teachers are not planning sufficiently challenging activities that would enable more able pupils to achieve the higher levels of which they are undoubtedly capable. The curriculum is satisfactory because the day-to-day experience for pupils needs

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How effective is the provision?

strengthening with more realistic links made and learning driven by pupil interest. The

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

curriculum supports aspects of personal development well. An example of this is how information and communications technology is used to develop pupils' understanding of safe use of the internet. The school holds special curriculum events and, where possible, links are made with local visits and speakers. An increasing number of children are provided with the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. Pupils are well cared for and all staff offer pupils good levels of care that help them grow, reflect and support each other. Pupils who are new to the school are successfully integrated. Their needs are carefully assessed so that the support they receive is effective. Productive partnerships are established with outside agencies to support those pupils whose circumstances have the potential to make them vulnerable. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive sensitive support. Initiatives to promote good

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

attendance need strengthening through more rigorous analysis to identify trends and address problems.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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The quality of teaching 3

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

Although the senior leadership team are building a team of middle leaders committed to address the issues that have held back pupils' attainment, there is a need to motivate staff at all levels to seek further improvement. The headteacher has an accurate view of the schools' effectiveness; she knows its strengths and has pinpointed necessary improvements that focus on raising attainment and accelerating progress. Improved procedures for tracking pupils' academic achievement are helping to identify where learning could speed up. Leaders, however, are still developing their procedures to evaluate fully information on pupils' progress so they can spot any variations in achievement of the school's diverse population. Thus, the school's promotion of equality of opportunity and efforts to tackle discrimination remain satisfactory. The leadership is successful in its promotion of pupils' personal development but less so in accelerating

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How effective are leadership and management?

pupils' academic achievement. Governors provide sound support and, along with other leaders and managers, are now focusing on developing their skills in reviewing how well the school is performing. They are keen to make a more effective contribution to monitoring and accurately evaluating pupils' achievement and the quality of provision, and to drive improvement. The school works hard to involve parents and carers in their children's education. They are regularly asked for their views about decisions in the school. School staff are regularly accessible to parents and carers by phone, and when pupils are brought into school in the morning and collected in the evening. Consequently, partnerships with parents and carers

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

are good. This was borne out in the generally positive responses from the questionnaires and the informal meetings with parents and carers during the inspection. Partnerships with outside agencies support the good work of the school in promoting pupils' personal development and well-being. Safeguarding meets requirements. The school's sound procedures ensure that pupils feel safe and understand how to stay safe. The school promotes community cohesion well at the local level but is developing its strategy at the national and international levels.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for leadership and management

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3

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

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Views of parents and carers

The large majority of parents and carers have a very positive view of the school. A few expressed concerns, for example about the progress their children make and the help the school gives parents and carers to support their child's learning. The inspection evidence indicates that pupils generally make satisfactory progress and the partnership with parents and carers is a strong feature of its work. Almost all parents and carers feel their children enjoy school and are kept safe there. This is in line with the inspection team's judgements on the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Winterbourne Junior Girls' school to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to recor d how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The inspection team received 102 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 304 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 60 59 39 38 1 1 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 52 51 47 45 0 0 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My school informs me about my child's progress 37 36 57 56 4 4 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child is making enough progress at this school 40 39 52 51 8 8 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The teaching is good at this school 37 36 59 58 4 4 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps me to support my child's learning 36 35 52 51 10 10 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 36 35 54 53 8 8 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 37 36 51 50 8 8 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 34 33 54 53 9 9 2 2

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 41 40 51 50 8 8 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 34 33 56 55 4 4 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 43 42 49 48 8 8 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 54 53 42 41 4 4 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils.

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Grade Judgement Description

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

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2009 to 31 March 2010 and are the most recently published data available (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). Please note that the sample of schools inspected during the autumn and spring terms 2009/10 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Secondary school figures include those that have sixth forms, and sixth form figures include only the data specifically for sixth form inspection judgements.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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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

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on 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 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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Winterbourne Junior Girls' School, Thornton Heath, CR7 7QT

On behalf of the inspection team I would like to thank you for your friendly welcome. We enjoyed meeting and talking with so many of you, sharing lunch, looking at your work and visiting your lessons. It is clear that you go to a friendly and welcoming school. Here are some of the good things we liked about your school.  Your teachers take good care of you.  Your behaviour is good and you know how to keep healthy.  You enjoy school and feel very safe.  You have good relationships with your teachers and you try hard for them. Although we think the school has some good parts, we have judged it as satisfactory. This is because most of you are making satisfactory progress in reading, writing, mathematics and science. We, and the adults in your school, want you to make good progress and to reach higher levels. To help with this we have asked your school to do a number of things.  We have asked the teachers to make lessons more challenging so you learn more in

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Inspection of Winterbourne Junior Girls' School, Thornton Heath, CR7 7QT

English and mathematics.  We have asked the school to make sure that the school leaders work together more effectively, to ensure that adults with special responsibilities and governors improve their skills in checking that you are doing as well as you can and in helping your school to improve. You can help by making sure that you always try your best in all that you do and that you come to school every day. I wish you all every success for the future.

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www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please

telephone 0300 1234 234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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