Ashbrook Junior School

Ashbrook Junior School Victoria Avenue, Borrowash, Derby, DE72 3HF

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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

 Teaching requires improvement. In Years 3-5 it is too variable in quality and sometimes too teacher-directed. As a result, pupils, especially the more able, do not do as well as they should in mathematics.  There is not enough good and outstanding teaching to enable pupils to make quick progress.  Progress in mathematics lags behind that in reading and writing. Standards in mathematics are rising but still not fast enough. They are not higher because too few pupils attain above-average levels. This is because there are too few opportunities for pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills to solve problems.  Opportunities are missed to use new technology effectively to enhance pupils’ learning.  Leadership and management require improvement. Plans for school improvement do not identify how success can be measured. While school leaders monitor and evaluate the school’s performance regularly, pupils’ achievement is not good because there is a

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

lack of rigour in checking pupils’ learning. Not all managers are involved in this.  The governing body is not sufficiently rigorous in checking the work of the school and its impact on pupils’ achievement.

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The school has the following strengths

 There is some good teaching, especially in Year 6, where pupils achieve well.  Reading is the most successful area of pupils’ learning. They enjoy reading and use their reading skills to help them learn in other subjects.  Rates of progress are improving across the school in all areas.  Behaviour is good. Pupils, especially the older pupils, enjoy school, feel safe in school, attend regularly and enjoy taking responsibility.  Leaders are beginning to foster better relationships with the local community and are committed to making the improvements required to raise achievement.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 15 lessons and made shorter visits to lessons across the school to see particular aspects such as reading or pupils being taught in small groups. Four lessons were observed with the two headteachers.  Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ past work and current work and heard pupils reading.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, governors, staff and with a representative of the local authority.  Documents, including school records of pupils’ progress, school development planning and self evaluation, minutes of the governing body, safeguarding documents and polices relating to behaviour, safety and attendance were inspected.  The views of 16 parents who completed the on-line Parent View questionnaire were noted. Discussions were held with 6 parents at the beginning of the second day of the inspection. The results of a recent school survey of parents views were also taken into account as were a

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Information about this inspection

number of letters sent by parents to the lead inspector.  The inspectors looked at the school’s website.  Nine questionnaires were returned by staff and taken into account by the inspectors. They received the views of pupils through both formal and informal discussions.

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Inspection team

Michael Wintle, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Roary Pownall Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average junior school. Almost all of its pupils from a White British background.  An average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional funding given to the school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action and school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is higher than average.  There have been considerable disruptions to teaching caused by long-term illness or resignations since the previous inspection.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school does not use any alternative provision (lessons that take place regularly away from school).  There are two headteachers currently leading the school jointly.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the amount of good and outstanding teaching by:  ensuring that lesson introductions are clear and concise and give pupils more opportunities to share their ideas and extend their own learning  raising teachers expectations of what all pupils can achieve so that the more able are challenged suitably and especially in mathematics  ensuring that there is more use of new technology so that lessons are lively and engage young minds.  Improve achievement in mathematics, especially in Years 3-5, by:  ensuring work is consistently demanding enough for the more able pupils  increasing opportunities for independent work, including investigations and problem solving and also make more use of the outside environment  Improve leadership and management and accelerate the pace of school improvement by:  involving more leaders at all levels in checking the quality of teaching and helping to improve

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

it  ensuring that school improvement plans have measurable points listed to indicate success so that all leaders can evaluate these actions and show the impact to staff and governors, and keep parents fully informed especially about the progress their child is making  an external review of governance should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 When they join Year 3, pupils’ skills are typical for their age. By the end of Year 6, standards reached by pupils are variable but they are broadly average overall.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The lowest standards are in mathematics. In 2012 not enough pupils reached the nationally expected standards in mathematics and especially at the higher end.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ make satisfactory progress through the school. However, pupils’ progress varies from class to class and subject to subject. In general, progress is not good. Pupils make accelerated progress at the top of Key Stage 2 where teaching is good. Across the school progress in the last six months has been faster than in the same period last year. This is a sign that achievement is improving.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Reading and writing achievement is better than in mathematics and older pupils have a range of strategies to extend their reading skills. By the end of Year 6 most pupils read fluently and speak with enthusiasm about books and authors. Pupils in the lower part of the school generally learn to blend sounds and build words confidently.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The slowest progress is in mathematics and particularly for the more able because the work given is sometimes too easy and teachers often talk for too long. Progress is also slowed because pupils do not undertake work independently enough, especially in problem solving or carrying out investigations.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those with special needs do as well as other pupils in their class. The gaps between the achievement of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium and other pupils both in the school and nationally are narrower than that usually found. This is because the funds are used effectively by providing additional support in small groups and in-class support. The school has yet to measure the impact of this work on pupils’ progress and share this meaningfully with governors and parents.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is inconsistent and there is not enough good teaching. Consequently, too many pupils do not make good progress, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. Some features of teaching are too variable. Inconsistent teaching is more often in Years 3 to 5. Here, in some lessons, teachers set tasks that are either the same or similar for all pupils. This means that work is easy for some and too hard for others. Some teachers do not expect enough of the most able pupils. On occasions they give them work that they can already do. This explains why not enough pupils reach beyond expected standards in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In some lessons pupils are busy and keen to learn right from the start. In one upper Key Stage 2 lesson focusing on how to write a good opening for a story, a variety of well chosen activities and effective support from adults meant that pupils made rapid progress. The pace of the lesson was brisk and teacher expectations were high. As one pupil said, among others, ‘I have to use more adventurous vocabulary because I have to meet my target.’

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In lessons teachers use questioning well and useful opportunities are provided for pupils to discuss their answers and other ideas with each other. This had a positive effect on developing their understanding and their speaking and listening skills.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Sometimes in lessons, while elements of good practice exist, teaching is less well planned to accelerate good progress. In some lessons, work is not accurately matched to pupils’ needs and introductions are too long and complex.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers do not make full use of new technology resources in the school to enhance and excite pupils’ learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers’ written marking has improved since the previous inspection, and especially in the constructive comments in pupils’ English books.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In most lessons teachers deploy teaching assistants well to support targeted pupils so that they achieve in line with their classmates.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are keen to learn. They show high regard for staff and this has produced positive relationships that help them get the most out of their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour is typically good in and around the school. Even in those lessons where activities fail to gain their interest, pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning usually remain good. Only on a few occasions do their efforts slacken and they start to fidget.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying, including on the Internet. They say that bullying is rare but, when it occurs, staff deal with it effectively. The school takes prompt action to tackle any form of discriminatory behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel safe in school and know and understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, they understand that any visitor not wearing a badge must be reported straight away.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour at playtime and lunch times is good. When the opportunity came to build ice igloos, the whole school was on the field showing good cooperation and enjoyment with only the minimum of fuss.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say that they enjoy coming to school. This is reflected in their above-average attendance.

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The leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders have not made sure that enough teaching is good or better in most of the year groups, although they have established systems to evaluate the quality of teaching and this has led to improvements since the last inspection.

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The leadership and management Requires improvement

 Pupils’ progress is not quick enough to lift achievement to good because the monitoring and evaluation of teachers’ performance lacks rigor, particularly in checking the effect of teaching on pupils’ learning  The joint headteachers are ambitious for the pupils. They have sound plans to tackle inadequate teaching when it is identified. Targets set for teachers have resulted in improved teaching and ensured that pupils attain average standards at the end of Year 6.

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The leadership and management Requires improvement

 Good strategies are accelerating pupils’ progress in reading. Following the test results in 2012 the school has identified mathematics as a key improvement area this year. The targets are set are the right ones to help pupils move forward. These improvements demonstrate that the school has the leadership required to make further improvements.

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The leadership and management Requires improvement

 The school’s development plan concentrates on the aspects most in need of improvement. However, some of the targets are not yet sufficiently monitored to find out the impact these have had on school improvements. This has hampered faster improvement because staff, governors and parents have not been fully informed.

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The leadership and management Requires improvement

 Other managers are at various stages of development. Training is underway to ensure all have the expertise to fully support the efforts of the two headteachers.

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The leadership and management Requires improvement

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through a range of subjects and assemblies. For example, pupils have a clear sense of what is right and wrong inside and outside school. Pupils talk excitedly about the lunchtime and after school clubs. In discussions, they said they would like to be involved more in learning outside the classroom such as in the school grounds and outside of school on a regular basis. Inspectors agree that this would add further breadth to their experiences.

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The leadership and management Requires improvement

 The school pays good attention to equal opportunities. Minor variations in the provision for the more able are being dealt with and the progress of different groups such as disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is tracked carefully. Other professionals are called on to provide extra support where necessary.

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The leadership and management Requires improvement

 The last inspection report asked for the school to work better with parents. Leaders have worked hard at this target and achieved much. Most parents are positive about the work of the school. Inspection evidence did not agree with the view of a few parents that they are not given enough information about their child’s progress. Parents’ evenings and annual reports are provided, along with the opportunity for individual consultation if requested.

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The leadership and management Requires improvement

 Staffing difficulties because of illness has meant that the leadership team’s drive to improve the quality of teaching has been disrupted but plans are in place relating to making sure that all teachers undertake good lessons in the future.

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The leadership and management Requires improvement

 The local authority has an accurate overview of the school and provides appropriate support. A range of activities is planned for this year including governor support. The school feels well supported.

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The leadership and management Requires improvement

 The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils are well organised and meet latest requirements

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The leadership and management Requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  The governing body knows what is working well in the school and what is less effective. They care about their school and making it better. It has played an important role in minimising disruption caused by staffing difficulties and has worked hard with the local authority to keep the school on an even keel. It is not so good at ensuring it has sufficient information to challenge the leaders at the school at all levels so that they check the accuracy of the impact of the schools actions, and reasons for the slower progress evident in some classes. Governors know in general terms about the management of teachers’ performance and its impact on teaching but do not ask enough questions about the impact the pupil premium funds on progress for this group of pupils. Governors would benefit from an audit of their skills and impact from an outside agency.

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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 112602 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 405407

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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 157 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Sheppard Headteacher Jenny Jaszczuk and Mell Julian (joint headteachers) Date of previous school inspection 23 March 2011 Telephone number 01332 673785 Fax number 01332 673785 Email address headteacher@ashbrook-jun.derbyshire.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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