The Iver Village Junior School

The Iver Village Junior School High Street, Iver, Buckinghamshire, SL0 9QA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Teaching does not sufficiently challenge the most able pupils to make consistently good progress.  Marking, feedback and pupils’ targets do not give pupils enough clear guidance about how to improve their work.  There is a legacy of pupils’ insecure knowledge of basic calculation facts which slows progress in mathematics.  Spelling is a weakness of writing across all year groups.  The curriculum is not well adapted to the needs and interests of all pupils.  Some improvement plans lack sharp criteria to enable the governing body and school leaders to measure their impact.  In a minority of lessons, pupils find it hard to maintain concentration because lessons do not sufficiently engage their interest.  Not all students or parents and carers are confident that the school prevents and tackles bullying well enough.

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The school has the following strengths

 Leaders’ actions to improve the quality of teaching have been effective and the monitoring of teaching and learning is accurate.  Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 has recently improved to above average in English and close to average in mathematics.  The majority of pupils in most year groups are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress as a result of the effective support provided by teachers and other adults.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 13 lessons, of which six were joint observations with senior leaders. In addition, inspectors heard some children reading and scrutinised pupils’ work in their books.  Meetings were held with three groups of pupils, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, school staff and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 19 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and held informal discussions with parents.  They observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance as well as documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Michelle Winter, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Andrew Markham Additional inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller-than-average junior school and the number of admissions fell in September 2012.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (extra money provided to schools by the government) is lower than average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average.  An average proportion of pupils are supported at school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language are above average.  The school currently meets the government’s floor standard.  The recently-appointed headteacher took up her post in September 2012.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that all of it is good or better by: – ensuring that teachers use assessment information to plan activities which challenge pupils to achieve their best, particularly the most able pupils – ensuring that pupils are fully engaged and involved throughout lessons – ensuring that teachers explain why pupils are completing tasks and pupils have a real purpose for learning in all lessons – ensuring that pupils’ targets and teachers’ marking are consistently helpful in showing pupils how to improve their work.  Further improve attainment and progress in mathematics and writing by: – ensuring that pupils have regular opportunities to learn and practise basic calculation skills – ensuring that the teaching of spelling is effective in improving the accuracy of pupils’ writing.  Improve leadership and management by: – adapting the curriculum to meet the particular needs and interests of all pupils

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– ensuring that all improvement plans are sharply focused and include criteria by which they can be monitored for impact.  Improve behaviour and safety by: – ensuring that lessons fully engage the interest of pupils and help them to maintain their levels of concentration – ensuring that new procedures to monitor, prevent and deal effectively with bullying are followed consistently and that parents, pupils and staff have confidence in them.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The achievement of pupils is improving. Unvalidated results for most recent assessments at the end of Key Stage 2 indicate that the majority of pupils have made good progress in reading, writing and at least expected progress in mathematics from their starting points.  Most parents and carers who expressed their views feel their children are making good progress.  Attainment in reading and writing recently improved for Year 6 pupils to above national averages. Attainment in mathematics was broadly average at the end of Key Stage 2.  In lessons, particularly in Years 4 to 6, the majority of pupils make at least expected and often good progress in mathematics because the quality of teaching has improved as a result of focused training for teachers. Progress in reading and writing is also improving and is good for the majority of pupils.  Progress for the more able pupils requires improvement because in many lessons activities do

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

not provide appropriate challenge and tasks limit pupils’ ability to further improve their skills. Conversely, in one good lesson pupils were given a range of open-ended activities which allowed them to set challenges for themselves. In this and other similar lessons, all pupils were fully engaged and keen to learn.  Many of the most able pupils are not making the good or accelerated progress which their peers are achieving. Pupils themselves say that sometimes their work is too easy.  There is a legacy of under-developed basic calculation skills; for example, some pupils are using their fingers to add because they cannot quickly recall number facts to 10.  Older pupils can write for a range of purposes. The majority have mastered good sentence structure and correct punctuation; however, spelling is a common weakness across the school.  Pupils are able to choose a suitable book to read from a range of levelled books. They use

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

appropriate strategies to read unfamiliar words, including drawing on their knowledge of the sounds letters make and considering the context of the word.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are making good progress because they are well supported by teachers and additional adults within lessons. Teaching assistants often work with individuals or groups of pupils to successfully ensure they can take a full part in lessons.  Pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium, pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language are making progress that is broadly in line with expectations.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching has improved recently and much of it is now securing good progress in lessons.  In almost all lessons, teachers ensure that pupils understand what they are going to learn and how they will know if they have been successful. Missing from most lessons, however, is a real purpose for learning so pupils are unclear about why they are completing tasks. Consequently in some lessons, pupils lack a real enthusiasm for their learning or they are not highly motivated to work hard.  Good lessons feature careful and precise teaching in a supportive environment where pupils are comfortable in taking risks by suggesting possible answers. Questioning is probing and teachers regularly check pupils’ understanding in order to reshape lessons. In one English lesson, pupils were exploring the use of adjectives, adverbs and similes to set a scene. They understood the technical language of writing because it was carefully explained and

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

exemplified. Pupils had good opportunities to test their understanding when questioned by their teacher.  Where teaching requires improvement, it is often because assessment information is not used successfully to meet the needs of all pupils and tasks often lack challenge for the most able pupils. Additionally, in the main teaching part of lessons, there is too little involvement of some pupils because teacher talk goes on for too long or because not enough pupils are required to offer their answers. In the weakest lessons, teachers accept pupils’ first answers too readily and their expectations are too low.  Pupils’ work is usually marked thoroughly by teachers, whose comments are often encouraging. Marking and feedback are not helpful, however, in showing pupils the next steps in their learning or in setting further challenges for those who have completed their work successfully. There are missed opportunities, therefore, to promote better progress,

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

particularly for the more able.  Pupils’ social and moral development is promoted well in lessons when pupils work cooperatively and support each other, for instance when they are working in groups or pairs. Teachers and other adults demonstrate respectful relationships in their dealings with each other and with pupils. Assemblies and lessons give pupils good opportunities to consider moral dilemmas, promote empathy and encourage positive relationships.  Enrichment opportunities, including visits to places of worship and theatre trips, have had a limited impact on pupils’ cultural and spiritual development. Equally, pupils have a limited understanding of religious diversity in the school community or beyond because learning in religious education lessons is not secure.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The majority of parents who expressed a view believe their children are safe at school.  Pupils understand the school rules and the expectations of adults; however, not all take responsibility for their own behaviour when working independently. Pupils say that interruptions to lessons are rarer than in the past but do still occur.  There have been no recent permanent exclusions, and fixed-term exclusions are rare. Pupils are polite and friendly to visitors.  Pupils are aware of the main forms of bullying, including repeated name calling. They know what they can do if they feel they are being bullied.  The school has introduced new procedures to manage behaviour and prevent bullying. Matters are improving but some pupils’ parents are not fully confident that occasional bullying is always dealt with effectively.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are largely positive in lessons but not consistently so, and much

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

depends on their level of interest in the focus of the lesson. In a minority of lessons, pupils become restless when they are listening to teachers for too long and they are not fully involved.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe when using the internet as a result of recent and stimulating training.  The school’s efforts to improve attendance and punctuality have been effective. Attendance has improved and is now average.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The newly appointed headteacher and deputy headteacher are ambitious for the school and have a good understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. They demonstrate determination to further improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  The actions of leaders and managers to improve teaching have been effective. Underperformance is being tackled rigorously. Senior leaders are well placed to accurately monitor the quality of teaching, as confirmed through joint observations during the inspection. Leaders provide useful feedback to teachers to help them improve their practice.  Leaders’ analysis of what needs to improve is astute and improvement plans have been effective, including in improving teaching and achievement in mathematics. However, some recent improvement plans have an unrealistic number of priorities for development and lack easily measurable success criteria.  The curriculum meets statutory requirements but is not suitably adapted to meet the needs

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The leadership and management requires improvement

and interests of all learners, for instance the boys. Pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills are increasingly well developed through long-term plans. However, efforts to promote cultural and spiritual development are less effective.  The school provides a limited number of activities to enrich the curriculum and bring it to life for pupils; however, these activities have not had a significant impact on pupils’ cultural knowledge and understanding. Music, physical education, art and design lessons are popular with pupils.  The local authority has provided effective support to improve leadership, teaching and achievement. It is committed to further supporting the newly established leadership team.  The governance of the school: – has secured permanent leadership arrangements for the school – has received training in order to more clinically review progress and achievement data – has become more robust in holding the school to account but is aware that it needs to

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The leadership and management requires improvement

become more closely involved in evaluating the school’s effectiveness and in improvement planning – is managing the budget through significant challenges and has credible plans to address a deficit – fully understands the need to act quickly to support the new leadership team by taking a strategic role in managing resources, including the new hub-kitchen – meets statutory requirements, including those relating to safeguarding and the promotion of equalities – has ensured that the performance management of staff has resulted in appropriate rewards for performance, levels of responsibility and contribution to school improvement.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 110239 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 386021

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Junior School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 164 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alan Oxley Headteacher Jill Digweed Date of previous school inspection 23 June 2011 Telephone number 01753 653059 Fax number 01753 650027 Email address office@ivervillage-jun.bucks.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 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,

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School details

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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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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