Rednal Hill Junior School

Rednal Hill Junior School Irwin Avenue, Birmingham, B45 8QY

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher have been highly effective in leading the changes that have resulted in rapid improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection. They are ably supported by knowledgeable governors and leaders at all levels.  Teaching and learning are good; some teaching is outstanding. There are good relationships between teachers and pupils.  Most pupils learn well and progress has improved so that by Year 6 most pupils reach the expected levels in reading and writing and an increasing number do so in mathematics.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school, there is no bullying and they are all treated fairly.  Pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium and those who are disabled or have special educational needs make good progress because of the good-quality support they receive.  The school has a highly positive, calm

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

atmosphere and well-developed links to the local community.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They have positive attitudes to learning and enjoy coming to school, as shown by their improving attendance.  Pupils enjoy a wide variety of exciting visits, residential stays and visitors to school throughout the year.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching. The work that teachers set is not always challenging enough for all pupils to make the progress of which they are capable.  Standards in mathematics are not as high as in reading and writing.  The recently introduced marking policy is not used consistently to improve pupils’ work.  In a few lessons the most able pupils do not have time to complete higher-level work because all pupils start at the same point, regardless of their ability.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 18 lessons involving 12 teachers.  Inspectors held discussions with school leaders, staff, governors and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at documentation, including improvement plans, the systems for tracking pupils’ progress, the arrangements for safeguarding pupils and samples of pupils’ work. They heard groups of pupils read and spoke with others about behaviour and safety arrangements at the school.  Inspectors took account of the 14 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the views expressed by parents and carers who spoke with them at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Michael Bartleman, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Enid Korn Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized junior school.  The majority of pupils come from a White British background.  The proportion of pupils who start at the school speaking English as an additional language is well below average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding for specific groups of pupils, including those known to be eligible for free school meals) is above average.  No pupils are currently educated in alternative provision away from the school site.  The governing body manages a before- and after-school club each day.  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 teaching to outstanding by making sure that:  teachers always match activities in lessons precisely to pupils’ ability levels  learning moves at a good pace and all pupils, particularly the most able, have enough time to work independently  teaching assistants are fully involved in supporting learning throughout lessons  the marking policy is consistently applied so all pupils understand how to improve their work, and have time to respond to teachers’ comments.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ achievement in mathematics by:  consolidating their basic and mental mathematical skills so they can attempt calculations with confidence  making sure that teachers plan activities that always stretch pupils, so they learn at a swift pace  providing more opportunities to use mathematics and problem-solving skills in other subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ skills when they join the school are below average. Attainment in both English and mathematics has risen rapidly over the past three years, and gaps between groups have closed. In the 2012 national tests in English at the end of Year 6, standards were broadly average and more pupils attained the expected and higher National Curriculum levels. This is because the school is now closely tracking pupils’ progress and has a clear awareness of exactly where each pupil is in their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment in mathematics has also risen, but is not currently as high as in English because some pupils, particularly in Years 3 and 4, are not making good year-on-year progress. These pupils lack confidence with basic number skills, and do not have enough regular opportunities to practise mathematics in a range of subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ progress in writing is accelerating due to improved teaching, a faster pace of learning and good opportunities to write at length in a range of subjects. Writing tasks are well structured and supported so that all pupils can achieve well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupil premium funding is used to provide additional teachers and teaching assistants who give extra support as appropriate. Due to this, the eligible pupils make at least good progress so that the gap between their attainment and that of their classmates is narrowing quickly. The 2012 test results show that the attainment of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals was similar to that of pupils who were not eligible.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported by well-trained teaching assistants. This results in good progress for most pupils. In a few lessons, there are times when the teaching assistants are not so actively involved, particularly during teachers’ introductions, and the support is not as effective.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils enjoy reading and achieve well. They are well supported by effective guided reading sessions and carefully-planned reading opportunities. By the end of Year 6, their attainment in reading is broadly average.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved since the previous inspection and is now good. An increasing number of lessons are outstanding. Teachers use a wide range of lively and imaginative activities, including good use of resources such as information and communication technology, to capture pupils’ interest and enable them to make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In an outstanding mathematics lesson the teacher planned tasks that rapidly built on what the pupils were already able to do and made them think hard. The realistic tasks chosen engaged pupils well, and probing questions from the teacher encouraged pupils to discuss the strategies used. All groups of pupils were fully engaged throughout the lesson and make rapid progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Many teaching activities develop skills across a range of subjects effectively. In a Year 6 science lesson pupils used the internet to research British animals before making notes to present to the rest of the class.  Teachers know their pupils well so their lesson planning generally matches pupils’ different abilities. However, the activities are not always precisely matched to pupils’ next steps in learning or sufficiently challenging. This is particularly the case for more-able pupils, who start with the same work as their classmates and so do not have enough time to move on to the more demanding work they are capable of.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers work closely with teaching assistants, who usually provide valuable support both in and out of the classroom. Pupils supported by the pupil premium, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive good-quality support which is managed well by the special educational needs coordinator.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers typically demand high standards of work and behaviour. The few pupils who find it difficult to control their behaviour are managed well by the teachers and adults assigned to support them. Pupils respond well to the school’s reward systems.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The recently introduced marking policy has helped most teachers to provide clearer guidance to pupils on how to improve their work. However, there are still inconsistencies in the way pupils are informed about their next steps in learning and their expected response to teachers’ comments.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading is taught well. Teachers and teaching assistants provide many interesting opportunities for pupils to read, both for enjoyment and to find information to support their topic work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in lessons and have positive attitudes to learning. Pupils are polite and well mannered. At times their conduct is outstanding around school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour and safety are not yet outstanding because attendance, although improving in response to the effective work of school’s leaders and well-managed personal support, is still no higher than average.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ respect for adults and each other, and their clear understanding of how they are expected to behave, are strong features of lessons that enable most to proceed without disruption. Pupils say they like the rewards they get for good work and behaviour. They all understand and follow the school’s ‘RESPECT’ motto.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 All staff promote a calm and positive learning environment. School records confirm that pupils’ behaviour is good on a daily basis and has improved over time.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy their homework assignments and extended research topics, and are keen to share with the teacher what they have discovered or made.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils take responsibility well. They are fully involved in supporting each other as ‘peer mentors’, playground helpers and as ‘buddies’ to help children from the feeder infant school make the transition into Year 3.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school has close working relationships with a number of outside agencies to support pupils and their families whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents and carers say their children are safe and well cared for. This view is reflected in the confidence expressed by pupils that they are safe at school and that any bullying is dealt with effectively. Pupils have a good knowledge of all forms of bullying, for example cyber-bullying, and have great trust in staff to solve any difficulties that arise.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are helped to develop a range of strategies so they are able to manage everyday risks for themselves, such as those associated with the internet, drugs and fire.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the previous inspection, leaders and managers at all levels have had an effective drive to improve teaching and raise achievement. The headteacher has managed the pace of change well so that the staff have a common sense of purpose and their morale is high.

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The leadership and management are good

 Regular lesson observations, followed by detailed feedback to teachers and a successful training programme, have ensured that virtually all teaching is good, with an increasing proportion that is outstanding.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher manages the performance of teachers effectively. Teachers are set precise targets linked to pupils’ progress. This promotes good or better teaching and ensures that staff pay rises are appropriately linked to their performance.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders carry out thorough and regular checks to find out how well pupils are achieving. Teachers and year coordinators routinely check that all pupils are on track to make good progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers ensure all staff are fully involved in planning and monitoring improvements, and have clear plans to make the school even better. The consistent improvement over time demonstrates good capacity for further improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination well. All groups of pupils achieve equally well, and no incidents of harassment have been recorded.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school works in close partnership with the local community. It has developed ‘Inspire’ workshops where parents can work alongside their children.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers plan rich and memorable topics to enhance pupils’ learning and to bring together different subjects. Visits to local places of interest, such as the Hartlebury Museum and Selly Manor, and themed days make learning active and enjoyable. The range of subjects and activities contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The leadership and management are good

 Learning is enriched extremely well through a wide range of lunchtime and after-school activities, including Tri-golf on the school’s own course. Residential visits, whole-school events such as health weeks and an annual arts week focusing on different cultures and the ‘Rednal Olympics’ further enhance pupils’ experiences.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides ‘light touch’ support and training which has helped the school to improve teaching and guide newly qualified teachers. The school works effectively with a range of other schools in the local area.

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The leadership and management are good

 The before- and after-school club is well run and greatly appreciated by pupils and their parents.  The governance of the school:  The governing body supports and monitors the work of the school very effectively and has a clear strategy to improve the school further. Governors understand the school’s performance information well, and how it has improved. They provide good support to the headteacher and senior leaders because they are not afraid to ask difficult questions about how decisions will have an impact on pupils’ learning. The governing body is regularly kept informed about how teaching is improving, which governors follow up in their regular visits. This has led to good decisions being made on the rewards that teachers receive and effective allocation of the school’s finances and the pupil premium, which it tracks through regular visits. The governing body carries out its statutory duties thoroughly. It makes sure, for example, that procedures

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The leadership and management are good

for safeguarding pupils are well managed, regularly reviewed and fully meet national 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 103248 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 400600

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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 220 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jon Allison Headteacher Graham Catt Date of previous school inspection 15 March 2010 Telephone number 0121 4532520 Fax number 0121 457 9359 Email address enquiry@rednalhill-jun.bham.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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