Juniper Hill School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 3–4 May 2012 Inspection number 378078 Juniper Hill School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 110299 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 378078 Inspection dates 3–4 May 2012 Lead inspector John Earish

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 421 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jeremy Cobbold Headteacher Hilary Nohavicka Date of previous school inspection 26 February 2009 School address Churchill Close Flackwell Heath High Wycombe HP10 9LA Telephone number 01628 523536 Fax number 01628 532952 Email address office@juniperhill.bucks.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

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. 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 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. The inspectors visited 32 lessons taught by 18 teachers, and also made a number of shorter observations. Meetings were held with groups of pupils, staff and representatives of the governing body. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at monitoring and assessment information and teachers’ planning. They listened to pupils read, and scrutinised pupils’ books. Questionnaires from staff were analysed, as well as 276 questionnaires received from parents and carers.

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Information about the school

This is a much larger than average-sized primary school and is oversubscribed. Most pupils are of White British heritage, with a small number from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs varies from year to year but is above the national average. However, the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. The school has Additional Resource Provision for 10 pupils with physical disabilities. The school has achieved a number of external accreditations, including Healthy Schools status. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Information about the school

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This continues to be a good school. The management team have built upon the school’s many strengths and developed teaching and learning, and the opportunities for pupils, especially those with physical disabilities, to be fully included and devised new systems for assessing academic progress. It is not yet outstanding because there is still some variability in the quality of teaching and learning.  Achievement and progress are good. Pupils in Year 6 are working at levels that are well above the expected standard in English and mathematics, and more pupils are beginning to attain highly. Target setting is well developed so that pupils understand what they need to do next to improve their work.  Teaching is good, with an increasing amount of outstanding practice. Teachers have raised the levels of challenge and enjoyment during lessons by increasing the opportunities for pupils of all abilities, especially higher attainers, to work

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Key findings

independently or in small groups to solve problems and explore their own ideas. However, on some occasions, teachers miss opportunities to allow pupils to work in this way, thus holding back their progress.  Pupils behave well and display positive attitudes towards their work, each other and adults in the school. They know and understand the school’s expectations and most behave extremely well. They are good learners who concentrate and persevere. Pupils are safe and happy at school, confident that any inappropriate behaviour will be dealt with swiftly and fairly. Their attendance is above average.  The senior leadership provides clear vision for driving improvement that is shared by all staff. Teamwork is strong, and the school’s partnership with parents and carers is effective in supporting pupils’ learning. The leadership of teaching and the management of performance are effective and lead to well-

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Key findings

targeted professional development. The good curriculum is designed well to help pupils, whatever their need or ability, do their best. 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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the attainment and progress of all pupils to the highest level by ensuring teachers capitalise on opportunities during lessons for pupils, especially the higher attainers, to take responsibility for their own learning by working independently to explore their own ideas and use their initiative in order to sustain their rapid progress.

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Achievement of pupils

The overwhelming majority of parents and carers rightly agree that their children are making good progress. Inspection evidence shows achievement is good for all pupils, whatever their backgrounds, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. Pupils benefit from good teaching across the school, resulting in learning that moves at a good pace. Children start in Reception with skills that are broadly typical for their age. They make good progress, particularly in developing their literacy and numeracy skills, and this continues in Years 1 and 2, so their attainment is above average by the end of this stage. A detailed analysis of school tracking data confirms that good progress is maintained in Key Stage 2. Pupils currently in Year 6 are working at levels that are well above the expected standard in English and mathematics.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils develop their reading, writing, and communication skills well. Attainment in reading is above average at the end of Year 2. By the time they reach Year 6, the vast majority of pupils read fluently and with good understanding, and reading skills are well above average. The younger children understand how to build words from sounds, and quickly make the link between reading and writing. Older pupils are increasingly confident as writers and enjoy exploring vocabulary, for example when analysing persuasive writing. They give good attention to accuracy and build on their skills when writing for other purposes across the curriculum. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, including those in the Additional Resource Provision, have well-chosen targets and make similarly good progress to their peers, and achieve well.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils are well motivated and enthusiastic to learn new skills and concepts. For example, a Year 3 class were preparing a debate about allowing pupils to play football in the playground at lunchtime. They explored and empathised with the viewpoints of a Year 3 girl, the caretaker, a neighbour and the headteacher, among others. Pupils cooperated well and enthusiastically devised speeches for a class debate. One group, who had been exploring the headteacher’s viewpoint began by saying, ‘ As headteacher, I must try and keep everyone happy as there is no right or wrong answer…There are just a lot of different points of views!’ They behaved well and listened very carefully to the arguments because the learning was interesting and challenging. On another occasion, Year 4 pupils were improving their written 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

work through editing and redrafting. They showed high levels of concentration as the teacher moved around the room, checking, explaining and encouraging them to reflect of the quality of their writing and to work out for themselves what they needed to do next. Year 6 pupils were given the task of solving a murder mystery in Bagshott Hall by working out a series of mathematical clues. They worked cooperatively in groups sharing ideas, trying out solutions and devising new methods of calculation. They made outstanding progress because the work was well matched to individual needs and there were ample opportunities for them to learn from their mistakes. Pupils from all backgrounds achieve well because the school is good at meeting their individual learning needs. There are, however, a few occasions when opportunities for maximising learning are missed.

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Quality of teaching

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly confident that the quality of teaching is good, and inspection findings support this view. An increasing amount of teaching is outstanding. Teachers usually review previous learning at the beginning of lessons to clarify any misunderstandings and consolidate new ideas. For example, pupils in Year 6 found the review of their previous work in English ‘very helpful’ as it gave them the confidence to analyse the grammatical structure of persuasive writing exceptionally well. They were responsible for setting their own targets and success criteria and worked very well together to test their own ideas. One of the pupils explained how they collected evidence to gauge how well they had reached their targets and to identify what to improve next. Another added, ‘I think I will achieve a Level 5 in my tests because I have reached all of my targets. I keep revising all that I have been

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Quality of teaching

taught ….I do this for myself rather than the teacher telling me to…because I know what I need to improve most of all.’ Another group of pupils in Year 3 were eagerly collaborating to solve mathematical problems. They used a good range of strategies and were able to record their working out and then use the information to check their answers. The teacher had explained the task clearly at the beginning of the session so they all understood what they had to do and achieve. However, inconsistencies in the quality of teaching remain. Occasionally, teachers miss opportunities for pupils, especially the higher attainers, to take responsibility for their own learning by exploring their own ideas or using their initiative in order to draw the maximum learning and progress from their lessons.

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Quality of teaching

The school successfully promotes pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development through its policies and practice. Pupils understand the consequences of their actions for themselves and others and the differences between right and wrong. As a result, they happily collaborate together, take turns, and help and support each other. Pupils are open to new ideas and are developing a greater awareness of the cultural diversity within the United Kingdom and beyond. As a consequence, the pupils are well mannered and courteous to each other.

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Quality of teaching

The new assessment and tracking procedures are enabling staff to check accurately pupils’ progress and adjust provision to meet their needs. This underpins the schools success in dismantling barriers to learning. Teaching and interventions for those who 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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Quality of teaching

need specific help, including those with physical disabilities and those with special educational needs, are effective and constantly adjusted to maximise progress. It is best when they are encouraged to be as independent as possible in their learning in classrooms and the Additional Resource Provision.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Disruption to learning due to poor behavior is rare and pupils are able to make progress in a positive learning environment. The good behaviour observed during the inspection is typical and pupils, parents and carers agree with this. Pupils have a good understanding of what constitutes unsafe situations and how to keep themselves safe. They really enjoy learning but, as one pupil said, ‘We sometimes disagree but doesn’t everyone...Its how we deal with it that really matters.’ The overwhelming majority of parents and carers who answered the questionnaire said their children are safe in school and inspectors agree. In discussions, pupils say they feel free from all forms of bullying and are confident that adults deal effectively with any concerns they may have. They are well aware of the consequences of different types of bullying and extremism such as cyber-bullying, homophobic language, racism and harassment. Attendance is above average and punctuality is excellent.

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Leadership and management

The impact of leadership is seen in the way senior leaders are successfully embedding ambition and driving improvement. Subject leaders are effective at sustaining improvements in the quality of teaching and achievement by, for example, introducing opportunities for professional development in mathematics, reading and writing and monitoring the impact on pupils’ progress. The expertise of the new management team is ensuring greater consistency in teaching and learning through well-designed staff training and checking the impact of initiatives on pupils’ progress. The governing body ensures that safeguarding procedures are of good quality and that all statutory requirements, including child protection requirements and risk assessments, are in place. It is increasingly involved in holding the school to account for its performance in order to sustain the drive for continuous improvement. As a result of these many positive features, the school has capacity to continue improving.

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Leadership and management

The school’s curriculum is broad and balanced and meets pupils’ needs well. It provides a good breadth and balance between mathematics, reading, writing, speaking and listening and is designed well to meet the wide-ranging needs of the pupils. Drama is a strong feature, and there are a number of effective ways in which the curriculum is enriched, for example through special days, visits by actors and theatre groups and through performing Shakespeare in Year 6. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is good. Pupils say the extensive range of clubs and extra activities adds very much to their enjoyment of school.

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Leadership and management

Teachers and governors have a good understanding of the school and the community it serves. They are active and effective in tackling discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity. Teachers are successful in helping those pupils, 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

for example, who need extra support because of their physical disabilities to play a full and active part in the life of the school by removing or overcoming barriers to their education. The school also works successfully with parents and carers and assists them well in supporting their children’s learning. The overwhelming majority of parents and carers who returned inspection questionnaires expressed their satisfaction with the school and they would recommend it to another parent or carer.

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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 t hat 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 about 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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Inspection of Juniper Hill School, High Wycombe HP10 9LA

Thank you for being so welcoming and helpful when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed looking at your work, seeing you in lessons and talking to so many of you. We were pleased to hear that you like your school very much and enjoy helping each other.

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Inspection of Juniper Hill School, High Wycombe HP10 9LA

Yours is a good school. You behave well, which means that your teachers can get on with teaching you new and interesting things without the distraction of any misbehaviour. We particularly enjoyed talking to you about your work and noticed how enthusiastic you are about school and how much you want to do well. The teaching in your school is good, and sometimes even better, and it means that, together with your positive attitudes to work, you make good progress and achieve well.

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Inspection of Juniper Hill School, High Wycombe HP10 9LA

You told us that you find your lessons interesting and usually challenging. To make them even better, I am asking your teachers to give you even more opportunities to use your own initiative during lessons and to work independently so that you can make even faster progress.

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Inspection of Juniper Hill School, High Wycombe HP10 9LA

Each of you can play your part in making your school even better by continuing to work hard so that you can take full advantage of all that it has to offer you.

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Inspection of Juniper Hill School, High Wycombe HP10 9LA

John Earish 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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