Emmbrook Junior School

Emmbrook Junior School Emmbrook Road, Wokingham, RG41 1JR

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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 Requires improvement 3

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

 The quality of teaching is yet not good enough to ensure all pupils make good progress.  In some lessons, teachers spend too much time talking. This stops pupils from taking an active part in their learning and slows their progress.  Teachers do not consistently use pupils’ progress information to plan and fine-tune their teaching to meet the needs of different learners.  Marking is not used consistently well to show pupils how they can improve their work and move on to the next steps in their learning.  Pupils do not make the progress that is expected compared with other schools nationally in mathematics because teaching does not always challenge and engage pupils well enough. This applies also to those pupils who attract additional funding.  Middle managers are not checking the quality of teaching and learning regularly enough to accelerate pupils’ progress.  Governors do not always ensure that leaders

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

and staff are held to account for raising the achievement of pupils and improving the quality of teaching.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. They enjoy coming to school and feel safe. The above average attendance has been maintained.  Pupils make good progress in writing. They have good opportunities to write at length and the morning focus on developing reading and writing skills is helping pupils to improve their work.  The headteacher and governors know what the school does well and what needs to be improved. The headteacher is building a stronger and committed team of middle managers to support staff and improve the quality of teaching.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 17 full lessons of which five were joint observations with the headteacher. In addition, the inspection team also observed four part-lessons.  Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, the headteacher, senior and subject leaders and members of the governing body. A meeting was held with a representative of the local authority and the headteacher of the infant school, who is supporting the school as a Local Leader in Education. The inspection team also talked to parents and carers at the beginning of school.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised a number of documents, including the school’s own analysis of how well it is doing and its improvement plan, policies, monitoring of teaching, data on pupils’ achievement, pupils’ written work, minutes of the governing body meetings and records on behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors took account of the 31 responses to the online questionnaire for parents and carers,

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Information about this inspection

(Parent View) and 24 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Avtar Sherri, Lead inspector Additional inspector Lynne Kauffman Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized junior school. The majority of its pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average. The proportion of pupils whose first language is not, or believed not to be, English is also below average.  The proportion of pupils known to be entitled to the pupil premium is below the national average, but steadily increasing.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those supported at school action, school action plus and with a statement of special educational needs, is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school runs a small hearing impaired unit jointly with the infant school. There is no other alternative provision.  There have been some staff changes since the previous inspection, with an acting headteacher

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Information about this school

in 2010. The current headteacher was appointed in September 2011 and the deputy headteacher in September 2012.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is good or better by: - ensuring that all teachers use assessment information effectively to plan work that meets the - needs of different ability groups and challenges them sufficiently to help them reach - their potential - ensuring marking of pupils’ work is consistently good in all subjects, giving pupils clear next steps in their learning and encouraging them to respond to teachers’ comments - making sure all pupils know precisely what is expected of them by the end of the lesson to help them and the teacher assess progress more accurately - reducing teacher talk so that there are more opportunities for pupils to interact with each other and become more active in their learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that pupils make good progress in mathematics by: - providing more opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills across all subjects - providing activities in lessons that are engaging and challenging for all groups of pupils to move their learning on swiftly, without relying too heavily on repetitive tasks in books.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by: - developing the role of middle leaders in the use of pupil performance data and using this information to hold teachers to account for raising pupils’ achievement - helping middle leaders to monitor the quality of teaching and learning more regularly - developing the role of governors so that they hold school leaders and teachers to account for raising pupils’ achievement and improving the quality of teaching - ensuring that pupil premium funding has greater impact upon pupils’ achievement and this is evaluated more effectively.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Although there is a rising trend in attainment in both English and mathematics, progress in mathematics is below that expected nationally because of inconsistencies in teaching.  Lower attaining pupils do not always make sufficient progress in English and mathematics because learning activities are not matched closely enough to their needs. Most pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs make similar progress to other groups of pupils because of the support they receive in class and through intervention groups.  Pupils supported through the pupil premium do less well than other pupils. The school is aware of this and recognises that it needs to do more to improve achievement in this group.  Pupils enter school with levels of attainment that are typically in line with those expected for their age. By the time they leave Year 6, their attainment is broadly average in reading and mathematics but above average in writing.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils make good progress in writing. They have good opportunities to write at length in different subjects and the half-hour skills sessions in the morning are helping to improve the quality of their writing.  Girls make better progress than boys in both reading and writing and boys make better progress than girls in mathematics. The small number of children who speak, or are believed to speak, English as an additional language are fully included in lessons and make good progress.  Potentially vulnerable pupils and those with hearing impairment are given good care and support, both through the nurture unit and the hearing impaired unit. This helps to improve their confidence, emotional well-being and literacy and numeracy skills.  Just over half of parents and carers who responded to the online questionnaire (Parent View) consider that their children are making good progress at school. Inspectors find that

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because teachers spend too much time talking and there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to engage in stimulating and active tasks. For example, in some lessons some more-able pupils could move on swiftly from sitting on the carpet to their desks to do independent work when they have grasped what they exactly have to do.  Teachers do not always use the assessment information on pupils to plan and fine-tune their teaching to meet the needs of different learners. As a result some pupils, especially some of the lower and higher attainers, are not always challenged to reach their potential. Teachers do not always make it clear to pupils what they are expected to learn and opportunities are sometimes missed to bring their learning together during or at the end of the lesson.  Although there is some good quality marking in books with comments on how pupils should

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

improve their work, this is not consistent across the year groups. As a result, pupils do not always make as much progress as they could. Marking is generally better in English than in mathematics. Pupils are not always encouraged to respond to and act on teachers’ comments.  In the more effective lessons, teachers make good use of questioning to test pupils’ understanding and pupils have opportunities to interact with each other. For example, in a Year 4 poetry lesson there was a buzz of enthusiasm as all pupils were engaged in reading poetry aloud in small groups, commenting on each other’s reading and then reading it out with much expression and enjoyment to the rest of the class. Much of the good teaching that was seen was in English lessons.  Learning assistants are generally well used in lessons and provide good support for pupils who need extra help, including those with hearing impairment where the use of British Sign Language

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

and microphones in the classroom helps them to keep up with rest of the class.  Pupils say they enjoy their lessons and feel they are taught well. They interact well with each other and have good attitudes to learning. Most of the parents and carers say that their children are well taught at school. Inspectors find that improvement is needed in several areas.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour and positive attitudes to learning are a strength of the school. Pupils are polite, courteous and show respect for each other, staff and visitors.  In the classroom pupils behave well. They listen purposefully and interact well with each other. They are eager to help each other with their learning. For example, in one Year 6 mathematics lesson a pupil helped another pupil to multiply decimal numbers and insisted the pupil used a ruler! However, some become restless and lose concentration when teachers sometimes talk too much and when the pace of learning drops.  They say they feel safe and are able to approach staff if they have any concerns about behaviour and safety. They know how to keep themselves safe through learning about internet safety and cyber-bullying.  Pupils say that bullying and name-calling are rare. Racist behaviour and exclusions are also rare at the school. There are no recorded incidents of homophobic behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 They enjoy coming to school. As one Year 4 boy said to an inspector, ‘This school is brilliant – that is why we like coming.’ This enthusiasm for the school is reflected in pupils’ high attendance and good punctuality, which the school has maintained since the last inspection.  A large majority of parents and carers say that their children feel safe at the school and that children are well behaved, and inspectors agree.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because neither teaching nor achievement are yet good.  The headteacher’s and governors’ ambitions are shared by other school leaders. Subject leaders and year group leaders do not yet play a strong enough role in analysing data about pupils’ progress and monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in their areas. This is improving but it is too early to see the impact of this on pupils’ achievement, particularly in mathematics.  The headteacher and governors are taking a strong lead to improve the school. They are increasingly using data to identify any underachievement by individuals and by different groups. The headteacher’s support has already improved the quality of teaching, especially in English. The school’s self-evaluation is largely accurate and the school improvement plan focuses closely on raising achievement and improving the quality of teaching.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The headteacher monitors the quality of teaching and supports staff through coaching and by providing opportunities for staff development. Assessments of teachers’ performance are now more closely linked to the progress made by their pupils.  The school has been receiving support from the local authority’s school improvement officer. Joint observations undertaken with the headteacher and support to improve the use of data have helped to improve the quality of teaching. Further support has been arranged with the allocation of an advanced skills teacher in mathematics for next term.  Support from the headteacher of the infant school, a Local Leader in Education, has strengthened the transition arrangements when pupils move from the infant to the junior school and provided opportunities for teachers of both schools to work together to support pupils.  The creative curriculum promotes key skills and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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The leadership and management require improvement

development, with opportunities for pupils to be involved in music, art and sports and learn about different cultures and religions. The school has also implemented a morning mental mathematics session linked to weekly assessment.  The curriculum successfully encourages good behaviour, rights and responsibilities and supports pupils’ understanding of how to keep themselves safe.  A majority of parents and carers say that the school is well led and managed and that the school responds well to their concerns. The majority of school staff say that the school is well led and managed; a small minority of staff disagree. Inspectors find that improvement is needed.  The governance of the school:  Governors are committed to bring about improvements and are beginning to communicate high expectations and ambition for the school. They know the school well and have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. There is a good understanding of the

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The leadership and management require improvement

performance data, driven by the work of the assessment governor, and governors know about the performance of different groups of learners in reading, writing and mathematics. They ensure that financial management of resources is efficient, leading to effective deployment of staff and resources, for example, allocating funding to a new mathematics scheme. Governors are actively involved in the performance management of the headteacher. However, they do not always ensure that other school leaders and staff are also held to account for raising the achievement of pupils and the quality of teaching. Governors do not have sufficient understanding of how the extra government funding for the pupil premium is being spent and how it is used to overcome barriers to learning. The governing body fulfils its statutory responsibilities and meets the safeguarding requirements.

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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 109863 Local authority Wokingham Inspection number 405258

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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 229 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Mike Smith Headteacher Mrs Louisa Gurney Date of previous school inspection 12/13 January 2011 Telephone number 0118 9784940 Fax number 0118 9795006 Email address head@emmbrook-jun.wokingham.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

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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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