Pickering Community Junior School

Pickering Community Junior School Middleton Road, Pickering, North Yorkshire, YO18 8AJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 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

 While attainment in English and mathematics is at least in line with national expectations by the end of Year 6, this level of performance is yet to become a feature of the school over time.  The progress made by disabled pupils and those with special educational needs varies too much between year groups.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to use their reading, writing and mathematical skills in subjects other than English and mathematics and this inhibits progress.  Not all teaching is good because expectations are not high enough and this is why pupils do not make consistently good progress as they move through the school.  Pupils’ misconceptions during lessons are not always identified quickly enough.  Phase leaders are not sufficiently involved in monitoring the performance of those staff for which they are directly responsible.

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The school has the following strengths

 The strong and decisive leadership demonstrated by the headteacher has brought about rapid improvements to teaching and learning.  A supportive, caring and dedicated staff that are committed to raising achievement.  There are examples of good and outstanding teaching within the school.  Pupils feel safe and behave well. They are developing good attitudes to learning.  Subject leaders for English and mathematics are making a valuable contribution to the drive to raise standards.  Pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding have made good progress in mathematics and English over the past year. As a result, the gap in performance with pupils nationally has narrowed considerably.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 13 lessons or parts of lessons, one of which was undertaken with the headteacher.  Pupils’ work was checked and an inspector listened to some pupils read during lessons.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, phase and subject leaders, the special educational needs co-ordinator, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative from the local authority.  An inspector met with a group of pupils and talked to pupils during lessons.  Inspectors examined a range of documentation, including the school’s data relating to pupils’ progress, the school improvement plan, records relating to the checking of teaching and learning, the performance management process and policies and relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Christopher Keeler, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Lynne Davies Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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Information about this school

 The school is an average size primary school when compared to those nationally.  Around a tenth of pupils are supported by the pupil premium which provides additional funding for children in local authority care, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and pupils whose parents are serving in the armed forces. This is well below the average for schools nationally.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage and no pupils are at the early stages of learning English as an additional language.  The percentage of disabled pupils or those with special educational needs supported at school action is below that found nationally. However, the proportion of pupils being supported at school action plus or with a statement of educational needs is above.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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Information about this school

 Following the previous inspection when the school was judged to require special measures, three experienced headteachers from within the local authority were seconded to lead the school. The current headteacher took up his appointment at the beginning of January 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of good and outstanding teaching by making sure that:  all teachers have high expectations in relation to the quality and quantity of work produced by pupils  pupils’ misconceptions are identified and addressed during lessons  teachers manage lessons more effectively so that pupils have sufficient time to engage in and complete tasks.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Provide more planned opportunities for pupils to apply their literacy skills in history, geography and science in order to develop their knowledge and understanding in these subjects further.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that pupils with disabilities and special educational needs make equally good progress throughout the school by checking more carefully the extent to which their needs are being met during lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the leadership of the school by making sure that phase leaders have a clear impact on school improvement by taking more responsibility for checking the quality of teaching and learning in the year groups for which they are responsible.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils start Year 3 with broadly average attainment, with a significant proportion having achieved the higher levels in English and mathematics.  A scrutiny of pupils’ work and an analysis of school-held data indicate that many pupils are making better progress since the previous inspection and particularly following the arrival of the present headteacher in January 2013. Pupils make particularly good progress in English and mathematics in Years 5 and 6.  Progress in writing is not as strong as it is in reading and mathematics. This is because pupils do not have sufficient planned opportunities to use their literacy skills in other subjects, for example, history, geography and science. As a result, pupils’ writing skills, including handwriting are not being fully extended and their learning in other subjects is restricted.  Pupils are able to use their knowledge of letter sounds to tackle unfamiliar words and the most-

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

able read with fluency and confidence.  Attainment is rising with the overwhelming majority of pupils throughout the school working at age-related expectations. The unvalidated results of the end of Year 6 national tests in English and mathematics in 2013 show that standards have improved on the previous year when they were broadly in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils attaining the higher levels in English and mathematics has increased notably. However, this level of performance has yet to be a consistent feature of the school.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make inconsistent progress as they move through the school. They make better progress in Years 3 and 6 than they do in Years 4 and 5. This is because the support for these pupils is not checked as rigorously as it should be.  The gap in performance between those pupils eligible for pupil premium funding and pupils

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

nationally has been eliminated due to targeted and well-delivered support programmes.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the previous inspection and this is why pupils are making much better progress. Teaching ranges from that which requires improvement to good and on occasions it is outstanding. However, if high achievement is to become a feature of this school then the overall quality of teaching needs to be consistently good in all classes.  Pupils make good progress when: teachers have high expectations of what pupils are capable of doing, good subject knowledge is used to explain, clarify and develop pupils’ thinking and lessons are well-planned and meet pupils’ learning needs. In outstanding lessons, teachers inspire pupils to learn through their enthusiasm and the provision of stimulating activities which challenge them. Good links are made between subjects and as a result, the skills pupils develop are used regularly and this opens the door to the acquisition of knowledge and understanding

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

across the curriculum.  Where teaching does not always support good progress, expectations of pupils are not high enough and pupils’ misconceptions are not always identified and addressed during lessons. In these lessons there is an imbalance between the length of time the teacher spends addressing the class and opportunities for pupils to participate in activities designed to promote learning. This restricts progress.  Teaching assistants provide good support during lessons and are making a positive contribution to pupils’ progress. This is particularly the case when they are effectively managed and directed by the class teacher. All pupils are benefitting from the work of teaching assistants because they have an increasingly clear understanding of what pupils are expected to learn and are not afraid to use their initiative to intervene in order to guide pupils or ensure that they remain focused.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of marking is generally good. Pupils know how well they are doing and how they may improve. A feature of marking is the opportunity for pupils to respond to the teachers’ comments. This works well as it allows them to reflect on the points raised. However, this practice is not uniformly applied throughout the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 One of the major reasons why pupils are now making better progress is because of the significant improvement in behaviour since the time of the previous inspection. The school leadership has set clear expectations as to what constitutes acceptable and non-acceptable behaviour. There is now a consistent approach to behaviour management which is adhered to by staff.  Pupils are developing a sense of responsibility and are courteous and polite when addressing adults and visitors to school.  The most significant aspect of pupils’ behaviour is the positive attitudes they demonstrate towards learning. They listen attentively, respond to the teachers’ questions and are keen to participate in activities during lessons, especially when they are motivated and this why they are making progress.  Pupils feel safe and enjoy school. They have an awareness of different types of bullying and know about Internet safety. Pupils commented that they are extremely confident that if bullying

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

were to take place it would be quickly and firmly dealt with.  Attendance is good because the school has established a range of procedures to check on absence and follow up on lateness.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 This is a rapidly improving school due to the clear and strong leadership provided by the headteacher. He has successfully secured the support of staff and a good sense of team work is emerging that is helping to take the school forward.  In a short space of time the headteacher has established a very clear idea of the strengths of the school as well as the areas that require improvement. This is based on accurate self- evaluation. A school development plan not only addresses the correct issues which will bring about good provision but also shows the determination of the senior leadership to secure improvements quickly.  Mechanisms are in place to check pupils’ progress accurately as they move through the school. Targets are set for pupils and teachers are held to account for their progress through regular pupil progress meetings.  The headteacher monitors the quality of teaching and learning and is acutely aware that in order

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The leadership and management requires improvement

for achievement to be good, teaching needs to be consistently good or better. However, this should not detract from the significant improvements to the quality of teaching and learning that have taken place under his leadership.  The subject leaders for English and mathematics are effectively supporting staff, checking progress and constantly evaluating the curriculum. They have developed well in a short period and while they are still learning their trade they are nonetheless, beginning to make a positive contribution to school improvement.  Pupil premium funding is well-managed. Staff are well-trained to deliver a range of intervention programmes which enable all eligible pupils to make good progress.  Phase leaders, that is those teachers responsible for overseeing a year group, are not sufficiently involved in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning. Nor are they checking that all agreed

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The leadership and management requires improvement

policies and practices are strictly followed in order to ensure that pupils receive a uniform quality of provision as they move from class to class. The role of phase leaders is not as clear as it needs to be if they are to make a major contribution to raising achievement.  Arrangements for the support of pupils with disabilities and special educational needs have changed over the past year with more responsibility for their development being placed with class teachers. However, the senior leadership team has not established sufficiently rigorous systems to check the quality of support during lessons. As a result, pupils’ progress varies from year to year.  The headteacher has reviewed the performance management process. Teachers’ targets are now linked to whole school priorities as well as being tailored to meet the needs of each individual member of staff.  Arrangements to ensure equality of opportunity and the tackling of discrimination are

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The leadership and management requires improvement

established. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is planned and developed well. As a result, pupils play and work well together and are developing an understanding of cultural and religious diversity.  The school meets requirements for safeguarding pupils.  The local authority has provided effective support for the school, particularly for the past eighteen months. The regular reviews of the school have been incisive and helpful because they have enabled the school to evaluate its effectiveness and plan accordingly.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has played a significant role in improving the effectiveness of the school. The Chair of the Governing Body has been influential in ensuring that systems are in place to check the work of the senior leadership team, particularly in relation to teaching and pupils’ achievement. The school improvement committee meets regularly and is able to see and hear

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The leadership and management requires improvement

at firsthand how initiatives designed to secure improvement are making a difference to pupils’ progress. Members of the governing body provide support and challenge in equal measure and make regular visits to school to follow up aspects of the school improvement plan. The governing body is now well-informed and as such is well-placed to ensure that the school goes from strength to strength.

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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 121356 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 420669

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 273 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andy Radka Headteacher Chris Pearce Date of previous school inspection 2 February 2012 Telephone number 01751 472873 Fax number 01751 472956 Email address admin@pickering-jun.n-yorks.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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