St John's CofE Primary School and Nursery

St John’s CofE Primary School Laund Nook, Belper, DE56 1GY

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Achievement is good. Pupils start in Reception with skills and understanding that are broadly typical for their age. They make good progress in all subjects throughout the school, and leave Year 6 with standards that are above average.  Teaching is mostly good, and some is outstanding.  Teachers’ relationships with pupils are excellent and pupils enjoy coming to school.  Sporting opportunities and residential visits play an important part in school life and are valued by pupils.  Behaviour is excellent. Pupils take care of each other and say bullying is non-existent. As a result they feel safe in school.  A high value is placed on the care and well- being of every pupil and this is evident in all areas of its work.  The school is well led. Parents are very satisfied with all areas of the school’s work and would recommend it to other parents.  Leaders have introduced an effective system

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

for teachers to keep track of pupils’ progress. They have also improved the teaching of writing.  Leaders have introduced short one-to-one sessions this year to teach specific pupils the skills that they lack. This has made a notable difference to the achievement of those pupils.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers sometimes give pupils work that is not exactly matched to their needs, and do not always show pupils clearly how to get to the next level in their work.  Pupils do not routinely learn through exciting activities in lessons, particularly in English and mathematics.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop their independent learning skills by making choices and decisions, working on their own, or working together in pairs or teams.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in all classes. A total of 24 lessons were observed, including two joint observations with the headteacher, as well as three one-to-one support sessions. In addition, short classroom visits were made to observe pupils at work.  Inspectors had discussions with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, a governor, a representative from the local authority, the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other leaders, teachers, and two groups of pupils.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents including the school’s tracking of pupils’ progress, documents relating to safeguarding and special educational needs, case studies of pupils, the school’s analysis of its own strengths and weaknesses, and documents relating to its improvement priorities.  A wide range of pupils’ work was reviewed in all key stages and across all subjects. Inspectors also heard pupils of different ages read.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took account of the views of 70 parents recorded on the online questionnaire (Parent View), and met informally with a number of parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors also took into account the school’s own comprehensive survey of parents’ views and four letters written to inspectors from parents and grandparents of pupils at the school.

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Inspection team

Kathryn Skan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Verna Plummer Additional Inspector Lenford White Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than the average primary school.  The very large majority of pupils are White British.  There are no pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium (additional funding for those known to be eligible for free school meals, in local authority care, or who have a parent in the armed forces) is lower than in most schools.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  A before-school club takes place on the school site every day. It is run by a private provider and governed independently of the school, and inspected separately.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Move teaching from good to outstanding, by making sure that pupils:  regularly learn through exciting, inspiring and practical activities, particularly in English and mathematics  are consistently encouraged to make choices and decisions about their work, and are able to work together more often  have more opportunities to work independently without the teacher’s direct support and input  regularly assess their own work and that of their classmates, to help them understand their own learning better.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase pupils’ rate of progress, by making sure that:  pupils are always provided with work that is precisely matched to their needs  all pupils are clear about what they need to do to move to the next step in their learning, during lessons and through teachers’ marking.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement is good. Children start in the Reception class with skills typically found for their age and then make good expected progress. By the end of the year they exceed nationally expected levels in personal, social and emotional development, and in communication, language and literacy.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils consistently reach above-average standards in mathematics and have done so for many years. They also now do well in reading and in 2012 reading results were significantly above national average. Teachers’ current assessments show that pupils are also on track to reach above-average standard in writing this year. Progress is consistent throughout the key stage.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In Key Stage 2 pupils also make good progress. By the time they leave at the end of Year 6 they reach significantly above-average standards in mathematics, and have done so for very many years. Pupils also reach above-average standards in English. There was a slight dip in the 2012 English test results but this has been addressed. The work in pupils’ books and the school’s own up-to-date assessments show that writing standards will be above, and reading standards significantly above, the national averages at the end of this year.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils make, and many exceed, the nationally expected progress over Key Stage 2. Where school analysis shows that any small group of pupils are not achieving as well as the others, specialised one-to-one support is provided to specifically meet their needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Based on the latest teacher assessments, the number of pupils expected to reach the higher levels in reading and mathematics this year is higher than schools nationally. A few are expected to reach the new very high level in mathematics. More-able pupils do very well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make as much progress as their classmates. The school links very well with external agencies such as therapists to support pupils who need specialised help. Those who only need extra support in school have individual learning programmes to meet their needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2012, the small number of pupils in Year 6 supported by the pupil premium were four terms behind their classmates in English and three terms behind in mathematics; this is similar to the gap found nationally in mathematics. This year, the number of pupils supported by the pupil premium in Year 6 is very small, so it is not possible to comment on their attainment. The funding is spent on additional staff to support one-to-one teaching according to pupils’ specific needs, and also on after-school activities and residential trips so they can take part in the full range of activities on offer to pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is mostly good, with some outstanding teaching spread throughout the school. Teachers are enthusiastic. They use their teaching skills to good effect and provide lessons that are interesting for pupils so they enjoy their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ subject knowledge is good. For example, they use their specialist knowledge about writing levels to assess pupils’ writing regularly. They know where pupils’ gaps in learning are and have used this information well to improve pupils’ writing performance this year.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers monitor pupils’ learning well in lessons. They support and guide pupils effectively and in the best lessons they use questioning to good effect to deepen pupils’ learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers keep good track of pupils’ progress using the school’s system, and then meet termly with senior managers to discuss pupils’ progress. Short one-to-one sessions are then organised by senior managers to teach specific pupils the skills that they lack.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school strives to keep up to date with new technologies, and uses computers and the internet to good effect in lessons. It has a home-school internet system with separate areas provided for parents and pupils, who can use this system to learn at home. The school employs a specialist teacher to ensure pupils and teachers stay skilled in the new technologies available in the school, and so pupils’ knowledge of computer-based technologies is high.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ marking is conscientious and up to date. It is used to help pupils improve. However, it is not consistent in style and effectiveness across all subjects. Pupils rarely have the opportunity to respond to teachers’ comments in their books, or to assess their own work or that of classmates to help them understand their work better.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Sometimes pupils are not provided with work that precisely matches their needs, and they are not always clear about what they need to precisely do to reach the next level.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Opportunities are sometimes missed to imaginatively use a range of materials from different sources to teach pupils what they specifically need, or to provide the pupils with more exciting and inspiring activities, particularly in English and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers do not give pupils regular opportunities to work independently without their direct support and input. Also, pupils do not have enough opportunities to make choices and decisions about their own work or, in all classes, to work together in pairs or groups.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Behaviour is exemplary in many respects. Pupils take care of each other and say bullying does not exist at their school. Pupils make the right choices about their behaviour, including when teachers are not directly overseeing them. They know what to do if there is a problem and are confident the school will sort out any issue that may arise.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The responses to Parent View and the school’s questionnaire indicate that parents are very happy with pupils’ behaviour, and feel that their child is happy at the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils behave well in lessons and have positive attitudes to learning. Relationships between teachers and pupils are excellent. Pupils carry out the work set in lessons with care and diligence and comply with teachers’ requests.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils enjoy taking on extra responsibilities, both in the classroom and in the playground, and look out for the younger pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils appreciate the sporting activities, sporting competition with other schools, and extensive residential programme that the school provides. Through these activities, pupils’ confidence, team-building skills and ‘self-regulating’ behaviour develop well.  A high value is placed on the well-being of every pupil. Consequently, the school is a happy place where pupils say they feel totally safe. Parents are positive that their child feels very safe in school and say they would recommend the school to other parents.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Attendance is average. Pupils enjoy coming to school. There have been no exclusions, permanent or temporary, for a considerable period of time. The school makes every effort to do everything it can to develop well-rounded individuals who will be an asset to society.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, senior management team and subject leaders work well together to sustain school improvement. The impact of this work can be seen in recent improvements to the assessment and teaching of writing, and the introduction of data tracking of pupils’ attainment levels, with pupil progress meetings to determine where one-to-one support is needed for specific pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 The data on pupils’ progress, alongside other monitoring evidence, are used to hold teachers to account for the achievement of pupils in their classes.

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The leadership and management are good

 Monitoring of key subjects across the school is carried out regularly and effectively. Leaders monitor pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching through lesson observations and checks on teachers’ planning, pupils’ work and views, and data analysis.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils are taught a wide and well-balanced range of subjects that include good opportunities to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills and understanding. They are extended by a strong programme of activities beyond the school day.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school works very well with parents. Many opportunities are provided for them to come into school and take part in activities. Most parents who responded to Parent View said that they receive valuable information from the school about their child’s progress. This includes sharing performance data on their child at parents’ evenings.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and governors make sure that all pupils have equal opportunities. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated, and all pupils are fully included in all school activities.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority regards the school as requiring only ‘light-touch’ support. It evaluates the school’s performance through checking the accuracy of its judgements about itself. It gives additional support if requested, and has previously arranged meetings with governors to discuss the attainment of pupils supported by pupil premium funding.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is effective in giving support and asking searching questions of the leadership team. Governors have developed their overseeing skills very well and take a full part in the life of the school. They use the strengths of individual members well, and they report back to the governing body effectively. Governors have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement and compare it with pupils nationally. They know what the school is doing to improve pupils’ learning, and make sure finances are used in a way that supports this. They also know how the pupil premium is being spent and how it is raising standards for qualifying pupils. The governors use their knowledge to make decisions about staffing and to make sure pay is linked to performance. They have had training on the safe recruitment of staff, and play an important role in the recruitment of teachers. Health and

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The leadership and management are good

safety are given a high priority and procedures are well established. The arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet current 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 112875 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 413189

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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 Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4-11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 448 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Simon May Headteacher Peter Blunsdon Date of previous school inspection 15 September 2008 Telephone number 01773 822995 Fax number 01773 822466 Email address headteacher@st-johnscofe.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

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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