Victoria Junior School

Victoria Junior School Victoria Road, Feltham, Houslow, TW13 4AQ

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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

 Although results and rates of progress have recently risen significantly, the school has still to show that it is able to sustain this improvement.  Some elements of teaching, such as the feedback given to pupils during lessons and through teachers’ marking, require further improvement.  Teachers’ expectations are not sufficiently high to make sure that all pupils, regardless of their ability, make consistently good progress.  The work of senior leaders and governors in evaluating the school’s success and in checking the quality of teaching and learning across the school is not yet rigorous enough.  Governors are not yet sharp enough in holding key leaders to account for the achievement of pupils and the performance of individual teachers.  Pupils are not given enough time to work independently of the teacher as lesson introductions are frequently too long and the pace of teaching not swift enough.

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The school has the following strengths

 The new headteacher is ambitious for the school and has focused the school’s work on the correct priorities for development.  Middle leaders take their subject responsibilities seriously so that the rate of pupils’ progress is showing significant improvement.  Pupils’ progress is now accelerating as a result of better teaching.  The curriculum is interesting and is helping pupils to do better as they enjoy their work and find it interesting.  Pupils get along very well together and are very respectful of one another’s cultures and beliefs.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and pupils feel safe in school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 29 lessons or parts of lessons. Five of these were jointly observed with the headteacher.  Inspectors heard pupils read and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors examined the six responses to the on-line Parent View survey and took into account the outcomes of a staff survey.  A discussion was held with a member of the local authority’s advisory staff.  One formal discussion was held with a group of pupils.  Inspectors examined records of pupils’ progress and other school documentation, including safeguarding information.  The lead inspector held a discussion with three members of the governing body.  Inspectors held discussions with parents and carers of pupils at the school and with members of the school staff.

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Inspection team

Tim McLoughlin, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Milan Stevanovic Additional Inspector Diana Shepherd Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a three-form-entry junior school with 11 classes. It is larger than the average-sized school and numbers have increased recently and continue to do so.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs supported through school action is above the national average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also above average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above the national average. Only a few pupils are in the early stages of learning English.  The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school at other than the usual times is broadly average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  A higher proportion of pupils than average is known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional funding provided for looked after children, pupils eligible for free school meals and

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Information about this school

children of service families.  The school’s headteacher took up post in September 2012 and, after a period of significant change, staffing has now stabilised.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the overall quality of teaching so that it is good or better by:  ensuring that teachers have high expectations of all groups of pupils and introduce learning clearly and succinctly  allowing pupils sufficient time to work independently of the teacher to extend their learning  improving the use of questioning to help pupils develop their thinking and reasoning skills  checking pupils have a good understanding of their learning throughout the lesson and addressing swiftly any misconceptions or problems they may have  improving teachers’ feedback in lessons and in their marking so that the dialogue between teachers and pupils brings about rapid improvements in pupils’ work.  Improve the strategic leadership of the school by:  more effective monitoring of teaching and linking it more closely to tailored training opportunities  adding greater challenge to the targets in the school’s strategic plan so that good progress is

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

made in all year groups  implementing rigorously the school’s performance management policy to hold teachers to account for the progress pupils make in their class and linking it with salary progression  ensuring that governors hold leaders to account for the performance of the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because improvements are relatively recent and the school has not yet established a pattern of sustained achievement across all year groups.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 was a significant improvement on previous years as pupils reached broadly average standards, rising from the below average trend in previous years. Most pupils in Year 6 attained the expected level in both English and mathematics and more pupils than previously reached the higher levels.  Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those speaking English as an additional language make as much progress as others.  An increasing proportion of pupils are making better progress than in previous years, including those who are new to the school and are new to learning English; although the legacy of some long-standing underachievement remains. For instance, pupils entering the school in Year 3 have

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

only recently built successfully on their learning in Key Stage 1. This meant that the school placed too great an emphasis on intervention programmes in Year 6 to close the attainment gap.  Progress is most rapid in Years 5 and 6 where teachers are more experienced or skilled in the use of feedback to pitch learning accurately and ensure that learning proceeds at a good pace. The evidence shows that progress is improving in other years, with rapid improvements in Year 3 because of good teaching.  Progress in reading, for most pupils, is supported well by good teaching, which includes phonics (the linking of sounds and letters). Pupils are confident and keen to read and the school has ensured there are sufficient opportunities to develop pupils’ literacy skills in a range of subjects and in homework activities.  Pupil premium funding is used well for one-to-one tuition, group support, extra staffing and

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

resources, and is helping to accelerate pupils’ progress. An innovative family group helps to build pupils’ and parents’ confidence. As a result, the gap in attainment, in terms of average point scores, between those for whom this extra finance is intended and other pupils in the school has narrowed, but not as successfully when compared with all pupils nationally.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make adequate progress as a result of the support they receive. The school has not yet conducted a thorough evaluation of the effectiveness of the support measures for these pupils to ensure that resources are targeted effectively at those who need it the most.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers’ expectations of pupils are not always high enough and lessons are not always planned carefully enough to enable pupils to learn independently of the teacher. Introductions to lessons are frequently too long and not all staff question pupils effectively. Opportunities are missed for pupils to discuss their thoughts and ideas and explore issues in greater depth rather than simply respond to the teacher’s narrowly-focused questions.  The quality of feedback and marking is not consistently good across the school and the discussions between pupils and teachers do not always allow the pupils to think for themselves. Marking has improved since the last inspection although it remains inconsistent. The advice given to pupils on how to improve their work is not always clear.  Teachers develop pupils’ literacy and writing skills well in different subjects. A piece of work centred around the story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory provided opportunities for pupils to

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

write at length in different ways, and showed pupils taking pride in their work.  Handwriting and the presentation of work are good across all subjects and teachers have worked successfully to create a positive climate for learning. Good quality work is evident in the Year 6 Titanic Journals, where the oldest pupils have captured the thoughts and feelings of a historical figure on board the ship’s ill-fated voyage.  More effective teaching provides opportunities for pupils to experiment and think deeply about a range of subjects. Good examples of this include a visit by pupils in a Year 4 class to a local daycare centre to interview some of the elderly people about their early memories. This was followed up with some role play and opportunities for writing, which showed great sensitivity to the subject area.  Staff in Year 3 have good skills in teaching reading and use a range of devices, including

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

modelling of shared reading, intervention groups, and the direct teaching of letter and sound combinations (spellings). This is giving pupils confidence and positive attitudes towards reading which enable them to gain access to the whole curriculum well.  Work in classes is reinforced through the setting of regular homework in all year groups.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attitudes to school are positive, demonstrated by the pupils’ good behaviour in lessons, assemblies and in the sensible way the pupils conduct themselves around the school. Pupils say that behaviour is typically like this and set high standards for one another. Pupils are proud of their school, and say that the teachers are kind and help them do the best they can in their work.  School leaders work effectively with a small number of pupils who are at risk of exclusion, and their families, to support them and help to improve their behaviour.  Attendance is good. It has improved considerably since the last inspection and continues to be slightly above the national average. Pupils are aware of the need to attend school regularly and take this responsibility very seriously. Their punctuality has also improved because of the school’s actions.  Pupils say they feel safe and say that there is very little bullying. Pupils are aware of the main

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

types of bullying, including cyber bullying. Parents are positive about the school’s approach to dealing with behaviour and bullying, noting that, since the implementation of the new behaviour policy, it had improved markedly, a view echoed by the pupils.  As a result of clear management steps to deal with pupils’ behaviour, staff morale is high and staff are confident in the school’s leadership. When lessons are less interesting, a few pupils become slightly disengaged.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher has revitalised the vision for the school and is working effectively with other senior and middle leaders to refocus the school on raising pupils’ achievement and attainment. Teachers say they feel well supported by senior leaders who have placed a high priority on training and development so that staff can perform their tasks even better.  The headteacher’s self-evaluation is accurate and priorities in the school’s strategic plan correctly focus on pupils’ achievement, the quality of teaching and leadership. This plan is updated termly and systematically evaluated to hold staff to account for its success. The targets in the plan, however, are not sufficiently ambitious to ensure that all pupils make good progress.  Although the quality of teaching is monitored regularly, systems are not rigorous enough to have ensured consistently good teaching.  The improvement in standards so far demonstrates there is secure capacity for further

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The leadership and management requires improvement

improvement. The school has received good quality and regular support from the local authority, which has helped to galvanise recent improvements.  The school takes the views of parents into account, and the headteacher and deputy headteacher are an obvious and helpful presence at the school gate each morning and afternoon. Parents are positive about the school.  The school’s curriculum is planned well and is a clear strength. This has helped pupils to make better progress than before as they clearly enjoy the opportunities that the school provides. Pupils in Year 5 talked excitedly about their Ancient Greek Day, when a theatrical company worked with them for the whole day and they were all dressed in togas and headdresses.  Music provision is outstanding. Many pupils have benefited greatly from the teaching of wind and brass instruments, as well as some good teaching of music skills.  Pupils understand that the school is a very diverse community but with core similarities. This is

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The leadership and management requires improvement

encapsulated well in a hall display that read ‘We’re all the same under the sky’. Similarly, pupils have a good understanding of the values of the Olympics, which are also displayed. Such work contributes well to pupils’ spiritual and social development as well as developing an understanding of different faiths and cultures.  Safeguarding arrangements are met and key staff suitably trained. All staff are regularly updated about child protection matters and pupils who may be vulnerable. Important documentation is up to date. The school effectively ensures that pupils are not discriminated against.  The governance of the school:  Recent changes to the committee structure have improved the effectiveness of the governing body. Governors now visit the school to gain first-hand knowledge of its work and the governing body has more specific evidence to check the school’s effectiveness. As a result, leaders and managers are appropriately challenged. Governors do not yet have a secure

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The leadership and management requires improvement

enough understanding of what the school is doing to recognise and reward good teachers through salary progression or to tackle underperformance. The governing body is starting to have a more accurate view of how well the school is performing in relation to standards nationally and in comparison with similar schools, but it is not yet sharp enough in holding senior leaders to account for the school’s performance. Financial oversight of the budget as a whole is effective. The governors have helped to ensure that pupil premium funding is used well but are not robustly monitoring its impact on narrowing the gap between pupils in the school and pupils nationally.

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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 102486 Local authority Hounslow Inspection number 404822

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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 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Margaret Bonsey Headteacher Gavin Winters Date of previous school inspection 22 March 2011 Telephone number 020 8890 9624 Fax number 020 8844 2897 Email address office@victoria.hounslow.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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