Mundesley Junior School

Age group 7–11 Inspection date(s) 31 May–1 June 2012 Inspection number 380146 Mundesley Junior School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 121000 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 380146 Inspection dates 31 May – 1 June 2012 Lead inspector Norma Ball

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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 Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 148 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Griffin Headteacher Julian Humphreys Date of previous school inspection 11 September 2008 School address Trunch Road Mundesley NR11 8LE Telephone number 01263 721139 Fax number 01263 722633 Email address office@mundesley-jun.norfolk.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 inspector visited eight lessons and observed a range of small teaching groups. A total of eight teachers were observed and short observations were made of learning support assistants teaching small groups. The inspector visited classes to look at displays and observe individual pupils and groups at work, and to listen to pupils read. Parents and carers were met informally during the inspection. Meetings with the headteacher, teaching staff, members of the governing body and pupils also took place. The inspector scrutinised samples of pupils’ work, teachers’ planning, the school’s systems for tracking pupils’ progress and documentation relating to management, curriculum and safeguarding. In addition, the inspector noted the responses to questionnaires from 52 parents and carers, 13 staff and 139 pupils.

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Information about the school

This is a very small village primary school. Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds and none speak English as an additional language. A larger than average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported at school action plus or have a statement of special educational need is much larger than found in most primary schools and their needs are varied. The school has met the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectation for progress and attainment. Pupils join the school in Year 3 and there are five classes. There is one class for Year 3 pupils, three mixed-age classes, and one class for Year 6 pupils. The school holds the Investors in People award.

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Information about the school

The governing body manages a breakfast club. The Sure Start Nursery shares the school site but is not managed by the governing body and is subject to a separate inspection. The headteacher was appointed in September 2011.

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Key findings

 Mundesley provides a good quality of education. All pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, make good progress in their time in the school. Mundesley is good rather than outstanding because teaching is not outstanding and attainment in writing, although now above average, is not as strong as in reading and mathematics. Attendance is not as good as it should be and assessment and its use aren’t strong enough.

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Key findings

 Good teaching ensures that pupils work well and are enthusiastic about their learning. Lessons are interesting but assessment information is not used in all lessons to plan tasks that closely match pupils’ ability. Pupils are not sufficiently involved in setting and monitoring their targets in English and mathematics to help encourage their independence and full involvement in their own learning.

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Key findings

 Pupils’ progress is tracked carefully through the school but, in some lessons, teachers do not use what they know about pupils’ progress to plan tasks that match the needs of different ability groups. This limits the progress pupils make in a few lessons.

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Key findings

 Behaviour is good and pupils feel safe in the school. Attendance is improving strongly but remains broadly average.

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Key findings

 The headteacher provides ambitious leadership which has ensured good teaching and united all staff in a strong ambition to improve the school further. The school’s performance has been accurately evaluated and effective initiatives have been implemented to secure good achievement for all groups of pupils. Parents and carers are provided with good information about their children’s progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement further by ensuring that assessment information is used consistently in all classes to:  match work closely to pupils’ ability  set targets with pupils that identify clearly what they need to learn next.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attendance by working more closely with some parents and carers to reduce unauthorised absences.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils’ achievement is good. The majority of pupils join the school with skills that are in line with expectations for their age. They make good progress, as shown in the school’s own tracking information, in pupils’ books and in lessons. Pupils make better progress in mathematics than in English but this gap is closing rapidly as a result of carefully selected strategies to improve pupils’ attainment in writing. At the end of Years 6, attainment is the equivalent of a term ahead of national expectations in both English and mathematics. Reading skills at the end of Year 6 are further ahead of writing because pupils’ progress is very carefully monitored and there are regular opportunities to read to teachers and community volunteers. Attainment in writing is improving and is now above average because of the successful whole-school initiative to provide more creative writing opportunities and improve pupils’

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Achievement of pupils

vocabulary. Pupils’ progress is tracked accurately through the school. This information is used effectively to plan tasks that motivate and challenge pupils new to the school in Year 3 and older pupils in Years 5 and 6, but its use is inconsistent in Year 4.

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Achievement of pupils

In lessons, pupils show a love of learning and they work with enthusiasm. They settle quickly to their own tasks but also enjoy lively class discussions and sharing their ideas with their classmates. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs also make good and sometimes better progress from their individual starting points. Their needs are quickly and accurately assessed and they receive a range of carefully planned and flexible support, both in and out of class. They are encouraged to develop their skills and confidence well. A very large majority of the parents and carers who replied to the pre-inspection questionnaire are justifiably pleased with the progress their children make.

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Quality of teaching

Good teaching underpins the good progress that pupils make. The purpose of lessons is explained clearly and teachers use questioning well to encourage pupils to explain their ideas and also to assess their understanding. Teachers have good subject knowledge and most use this well to plan interesting lessons that engage and motivate pupils. For example, in a Year 3 English lesson, pupils worked enthusiastically to draft an exciting opening to an adventure story. They enjoyed finding exciting adjectives and interesting connecting words to create the mood for their story, and reflected with empathy on their writing. The work was matched well to the different ability groups in the class and they made good progress in developing their writing skills. A review of reading books and the replacement of old stock by more exciting texts, together with regular reading sessions with community volunteers and teachers, has sustained the good achievement in reading.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching assistants are deployed well and provide very effective support in class and in small teaching groups to support disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. Work is adapted carefully and pupils are encouraged to join in class discussions confidently. Pupils listen respectfully to their teachers and to their classmates, and so share their ideas confidently. Pupils’ work is marked regularly. Marking both praises pupils for their efforts and guides them as to how they can improve their work further. Targets are set in writing for pupils, and they know and refer to them in their lessons. Target setting in mathematics is not consistent with that in writing as it is more generalised and is less personalised for pupils. Pupils’ independence is encouraged as they mark some of their own work and that of their partner. However, they are less well involved in setting and reviewing their targets in

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Quality of teaching

mathematics. Parents, carers and pupils value the good teaching. One pupil, typical of many, said, ‘I really love my school. Lessons are good and teachers make learning fun.’

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Pupils meet the high expectations set by staff to behave kindly to each other. They understand what is right and wrong and how their behaviour affects others. As a result, playtimes are happy and harmonious and, in lessons, there is a lively learning ethos which encourages pupils to work co-operatively. Through the work of the school council, playground friends and the eco council, pupils show care for the whole school community. The questionnaire returns from a small minority of parents and carers, and from pupils, indicated that behaviour was a concern. School records indicate that behaviour is typically good. During the inspection, a number of pupils were consulted about behaviour and bullying. They were unanimous in stating that their school was a happy place, and that incidents of name-calling and unacceptable behaviour were rare. A few pupils can present challenging behaviour but this is well managed by

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

staff and any small incidents are dealt with quickly.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Attendance is broadly average but improving annually as a result of the rigorous monitoring carried out by the school. The school follows up on attendance issues quickly but a few families do not assign a high priority to regular attendance and require stronger support from the school.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher provides incisive leadership and has quickly established a united ambition amongst staff to drive the school forward and improve achievement further. Self-evaluation is accurate. Clear priorities for improvement have been identified and all staff are involved by the headteacher in school development planning. Effective action has been taken to improve pupils’ achievement in writing, and the headteacher and literacy leader regularly review the new strategies to ensure they are fully effective. Close monitoring has ensured that good quality teaching has been maintained since the last inspection and this underpins the improving progress and good achievement of all groups of pupils. The school is free from discrimination and all pupils are treated fairly and equally. Pupils respect this and are confident that they can confide their concerns in staff. The governing body offers a well-judged

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Leadership and management

balance of support and challenge. The good committee structure supports their careful monitoring of all aspects of the school’s work. All safeguarding requirements are met and supported by clear policies and procedures. Pupils’ achievement is good and improving, they behave well and this, together with the high quality of leadership and management, means the school is well placed for further improvement.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is very broad and provides a wealth of learning experiences for pupils in lessons and in the good extra-curricular activities provided for them. Mathematics and physical education remain strengths in the curriculum and pupils’ enjoyment and progress in writing are accelerating. Through linking curriculum subjects, good opportunities to develop pupils’ basic skills in interesting topics are made more enjoyable. There is a good range of well-attended clubs and pupils’ participation in local sporting and creative events add to their social skills as well as extend learning. Pupils are proud of the sporting achievements of their school in the county. The curriculum makes a positive contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development alongside the extension of their academic skills. During the inspection, in assembly, pupils reflected on relationships and especially moving on to form new

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Leadership and management

relationships as they grow and then move to their new secondary school. The breakfast club provides good care for pupils before school and a chance for pupils to play, work on their homework or socialise.

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Leadership and management

A small minority of parents and carers who expressed their views did not feel they were kept well informed by the school. Some did not feel that the transition from their infant school to Year 3 was well managed. The inspection evidence did not substantiate these views. Parents and carers receive valuable information from the school prior to their children’s admission and in all year groups. Regular drop-in sessions and two more formal consultation evenings provide parents and carers with good opportunities to discuss their children’s progress. Termly curriculum information and regular newsletters from the school and governing body add another dimension to the good range of information provided. Parents’ and carers’ views are valued and regularly canvassed by the school.

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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 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 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 to 31 December 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

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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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 Mundesley Junior School, Mundesley, NR11 8LE

Thank you for making me welcome when I visited your school. I enjoyed seeing how you work in lessons, talking to you and hearing some of you read. I also read the questionnaires some of you filled in. A number of you told me how proud you are of your school and, especially, about the exciting sports clubs you have and their success in local sports fixtures.

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Inspection of Mundesley Junior School, Mundesley, NR11 8LE

You told me that you learn a lot at school and enjoy your work. Your headteacher, other staff and the governing body work well together to make your school a happy place in which to learn. You get on together and behave well. You know a lot about being safe and healthy and you are well cared for by all adults.

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Inspection of Mundesley Junior School, Mundesley, NR11 8LE

Mundesley provides you with a good quality of education. As a result of good teaching, you make good progress and your attainment at the end of Year 6 is above average. I have suggested two things which would help to make your school even better.

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Inspection of Mundesley Junior School, Mundesley, NR11 8LE

 To ensure that you make even better progress I have asked your teachers to always make sure that they give you tasks in lessons that are not too easy and not too hard but really make you think and work hard.  I have also asked your teachers to talk to you about the targets they are setting for you in English and mathematics so that you are very clear about what you have to learn next.

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Inspection of Mundesley Junior School, Mundesley, NR11 8LE

You can all help by attending school regularly, behaving well and working hard in lessons. It was a great pleasure to visit Mundesley and I wish you every success for the future.

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Inspection of Mundesley Junior School, Mundesley, NR11 8LE

Norma Ball 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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