Caister Junior School

Caister Junior School Kingston Avenue, Caister-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, NR30 5ET

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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

 Teaching is not consistently good. The new headteacher has increased opportunities for teachers to share best practice and this is now leading to faster progress rates.  The senior leaders and staff in charge of subjects have conveyed clear expectations of what staff and pupils should be aiming for. This has already led to better teaching and learning.  Although pupils’ progress is increasing across the school, it is not rising as quickly in mathematics as it is in English.  Until recently, the way the school recorded and checked on pupils’ attainment and progress was not good enough to rapidly address potential underachievement and close gaps in pupils’ learning.  Although getting better, teachers’ marking does not always clearly show pupils the next steps they need to take to improve their work.  In some lessons teachers do not demand enough from the pupils, who do not get enough chance to work on their own when the

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The school has the following strengths

 An excellent nurture room and good relationships between teachers and pupils reinforce pupils’ good behaviour, and help to make sure that they feel safe.  All the school leaders, including the governors, are committed to raising standards and back this up this by carefully and regular checking how well teachers and pupils perform.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is nurtured particularly well.  Teachers encourage pupils to want to learn by making lesson activities interesting and linking subject areas together in ‘topics’.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 21 lessons taught by 12 teachers.  They held meetings with governors, staff and groups of pupils.  Inspectors took account of the 24 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning and carrying out the inspection, and also spoke to parents and carers in the playground.  They observed the school’s work and looked at the school development plan, assessment data, monitoring and self-evaluation procedures, a range of policies and procedures, and arrangements for safeguarding. They looked at pupils’ books in lessons, and separately with senior staff.  Inspectors listened to pupils reading.

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Inspection team

Michael Sutherland-Harper, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Aileen Thomas Additional Inspector Piers Ranger Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than average.  The current headteacher joined in January 2011 after a period when there were many staff changes, including at senior leader level.  The very large majority of the pupils are White British. The proportions from minority ethnic backgrounds and/or who speak English as an additional language are below national averages.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above the national average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for additional income provided to the school (the pupil premium) is below the national average but has increased significantly since 2010.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of all teaching to good or better by making sure that:  lesson activities are consistently demanding, so pupils aim as high as possible in their work  in lessons, pupils quickly move to working on their own, then explain what they have done and how they have reached their conclusions  all feedback from marking and assessment shows pupils the next steps towards achieving their targets in each subject.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Reinforce the impact of leadership and management by:  making sure that all staff, including subject leaders and governors, make earlier and more effective use of data to identify possible areas of underachievement and close any remaining gaps more quickly.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement. The school’s own assessments show that some pupils have not yet developed secure basic skills in writing and mathematics when they start Year 3. Almost all pupils now reach nationally expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics, particularly in the older year groups, and an increasing number are exceeding expectations. Progress in lessons is improving, but it is not yet good over time.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Attainment at the end of Year 6 rose in English in 2012 following a dip in 2011. Progress rates are rising across most year groups in English following work to improve spelling, grammar and structures in writing, and to get boys more interested in reading.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Mathematics results dipped in 2012. The school has responded with initiatives to interest girls more in mathematics, and small sets that are helping to boost attainment and progress. Pupils make confident use of information and communication technology (ICT) resources to advance their skills in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The headteacher has worked effectively with all staff to establish clear and consistent expectations for behaviour. This has created the right conditions for the better learning now taking place.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Tracking and monitoring procedures have improved. Information on how well pupils are making progress is collected regularly, but not always early enough to identify any possible underachievement quickly so that the few remaining gaps in learning can be closed.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 An increasing number of pupils have special educational needs. The proportion on school action is considerably higher than in previous years and well above national averages. Pupils who are disabled and have special educational needs, and those for whom the pupil premium provides support, make similar progress to their classmates because of good individual help and guidance.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils are enthusiastic readers, who read well and with expression. They choose their own books at a level appropriate to their age and interests, but do not always match sounds to letters when confronted by unknown words. The school is aware of this, and is providing additional support to reinforce reading skills.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils say they enjoy school. They work readily with each other and with adults. When offered opportunities and encouraged to do so, they take an enthusiastic lead in lessons. In some lessons where the teacher spends too long talking to the whole class, not enough is expected of them and they do not get enough chance to develop their independence by working on their own.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The proportion of good teaching is rising, and some was observed in all year groups. No inadequate teaching was observed during the inspection. Sharing of best practice in teaching is increasing across the school. Despite these strengths, teaching is not yet consistently good enough to promote good progress throughout pupils’ time in school.  The very large majority of the few parents and carers who replied to Parent View feel their children are taught well, and pupils agree. Inspectors found that teaching in a few lessons is still not demanding enough to get the best out of the pupils, and that they do not always have enough opportunities to develop the skills they need to research and carry out investigations on their own.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers plan lessons carefully so that pupils develop an increasing range of skills. Work is broadly matched to pupils’ learning needs by ability group, but plans occasionally focus only on what the teacher will do, rather than what pupils are expected to learn. For example, reviews at the end of each lesson are typically given by the teacher, when the pupils could develop their confidence and critical skills by playing this role.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers display good subject knowledge and use carefully-chosen questions to probe pupils’ understanding and make them think harder. In a Year 5 mathematics lesson the teacher made his expectations clear, insisted on a reason for answers and reinforced pupils’ skills with rapid mental mathematics drills. As a result, this group of pupils with wide-ranging needs and abilities remained fully attentive.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In most lessons, learning support assistants help to ensure good progress for all groups, including pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs, in tandem with the teacher’s efforts. Senior leaders are working with teachers to make sure that the impact of their work is consistently good across the school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers mark work regularly and some pupils critically assess their own work, but not all pupils are clear about their targets or the next steps towards them. The school recognises that presentation is variable and is starting to tackle this by regularly checking pupils’ books.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They are well motivated and know that nothing less than good behaviour is tolerated. The school places great emphasis on taking responsibility for your own actions and making things right, and insists that rights come with responsibilities. The excellent ‘Sealife’ (Self-esteem accelerates learning in friendly environments) nurture group reinforces good behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The ‘pupil voice’ group are proud of their contributions to the behaviour policy. Pupils supplement this work in Year 6 by looking after younger pupils at breaks and lunchtimes.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Good behaviour in lessons and around school is celebrated in assemblies. Pupils are polite, friendly and courteous, and relate well to adults. In the few lessons where the pace is slower and activities are less demanding, pupils still behave well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs behave well because pastoral care and building self-confidence are central to the school’s work. In several lessons observed during the inspection, the close, trusting relationship between these pupils and the learning support assistant resulted in pupils maintaining their concentration and producing good-quality work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel safe. Parents and carers agree in school surveys and Parent View. Pupils know there is always an adult they can turn to if they have problems, and that any concerns will be quickly sorted out.  Pupils are aware of the different forms bullying can take, including cyber-bullying and name- calling. Incidents of bullying or racism are rare because the school goes to great lengths to make sure that pupils of all backgrounds and abilities have an equal chance to succeed, and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is above average. The school follows up absence with a telephone call to parents and carers on the first day, and regular reminders in newsletters. Exclusions are rare. Pupils usually arrive at school and in lessons on time. They said that interesting activities, nice friends and kind teachers draw them into school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has worked closely with staff and governors to realise the school vision to ‘challenge, achieve and celebrate’. The school development plan focuses sharply and appropriately on raising attainment. Following successful work to establish a good climate for learning and then to improve English last year, the school is now rightly focusing on improving performance in mathematics. The senior leaders’ accurate awareness of the school’s strengths and weaknesses puts them in a good position to make sure that it continues to improve.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers who have particular responsibilities, such as leading key subjects, meet regularly with school leaders to review monitoring procedures and how to improve teaching. As a result, teaching is now more consistently good. Better collection and use of data is allowing them to keep a closer track of pupils’ progress and quickly provide support where it is needed.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers are held accountable for test results, and their own performance is assessed against the national ‘Teachers’ Standards’. Pupils’ progress is the determining factor in teachers moving up pay scales.

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The leadership and management are good

 The good range of subjects taught is enriched by visits, visitors and clubs to extend pupils’ experiences. ‘Curriculum challenge’ days focus on important matters like climate change, reflecting the world in which pupils live. Pupils suggest what they would like to learn about in each topic.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Work since the last inspection has led to a United Nations award on rights and respect, and International School status. Pupils work well with each other and have a clear sense of right and wrong. Topics like life in ancient Egypt develop their imagination, and there are good links with local churches and schools in other countries. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the recent India Day activities, which reinforced their understanding of different cultures.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding policies and procedures meet current national requirements, and are supported by regular staff training.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides good support. The adviser has a good understanding of the school’s needs, including improving use of data and further challenge to increase the rate of pupils’ progress, and has arranged for additional staff and resources to address these areas.  The governance of the school:  Governance is good. An experienced team of governors bring a variety of relevant skills. Governors make regular, supportive visits and are visible to the school community. They hold the senior leaders to account because they are increasingly well informed, so they know about the strengths and weaknesses in teaching and how well pupils are performing compared to pupils in junior schools nationally. Governors have a good understanding of how the school budget is spent and keep a close eye on how specific funding is used. For example, they know how pupil premium money helps to improve pupils’ progress, and how

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The leadership and management are good

teachers are rewarded for good performance.

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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 is

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Grade Judgement Description

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 120795 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 401969

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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 355 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Martin Brocklebank Headteacher Coral Brinklow Date of previous school inspection 21 October 2009 Telephone number 01493 728223 Fax number 01493 728672 Email address head@caisterjunior.norfolk.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, please

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School details

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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