Audley Junior School

Audley Junior School Queens's Park Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1SE

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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 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 achievement of pupils in all subjects is good. Pupils enter school with skills well below those expected for their age. By the end of Year 6 they reach standards that are broadly in line with the national average.  The quality of teaching is good and some is outstanding. Pupils have access to high- quality equipment which makes lessons interesting.  Teaching assistants give very effective support, in particular to pupils with special educational needs. This enables these pupils to make consistently good progress.  The behaviour of pupils is exemplary. They are polite, courteous and proud of their school.  The headteacher is relatively new to her position but she has quickly made a difference in creating a determined staff team keen to work together. As a result, teaching is improving and pupils are already making more rapid progress.  The school works well with many key members

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

of the community. This is very much appreciated by parents and rightly puts the school at the heart of the community.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not yet enough outstanding teaching. Teachers do not provide enough detailed feedback to pupils and they do not make clear what the pupils have to do to improve their work.  Pupils do not take enough pride in the way they present and organise their work and, as a result, much of their work in books is untidy.  Senior leaders do not provide governors with enough detailed information to allow them to fully challenge and support the school as well as they could.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 24 lessons or parts of lessons taught by 17 teachers. An observation was undertaken jointly with the Headteacher.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and looked at pupils’ exercise books.  Discussions were held with representatives of the governing body, a representative of the local authority, senior leaders, managers responsible for leading specific subjects, and other staff and pupils.  Inspectors looked at the school’s documentation for gaining an accurate view of its performance, safeguarding information, the school development plan, minutes of governing body meetings, behaviour records and displays around the school.  Inspectors looked at ways in which the school checks the progress of pupils.  There were insufficient responses to Parent View (the online questionnaire) to consider. The lead inspector met with 10 parents representative of pupils across the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector checked 36 staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Desmond Stubbs, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Juliet Demster Additional Inspector Carol Smith Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized junior school.  Almost all pupils are Asian or Asian British, with the large majority from Indian and Pakistani backgrounds. For over 90% of the pupils English is not their first language.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above the national average. In this school the pupil premium applies to pupils eligible for free school meals. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children that are looked after by the local authority.)  The school meets the current government floor standards which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that a greater proportion is outstanding by:  providing detailed feedback and marking so that it is made clear to the pupils what they must do to improve their work  taking every opportunity to remind pupils of the importance of producing work which is well presented, demonstrating that they are taking a real pride in their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of governance by:  senior leaders providing the governing body with more detailed information about aspects of the school’s work so that governors can always fulfil their role in challenging and supporting the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils start school well below average in reading, writing and mathematics. They make good progress during their time in school and by the end of Year 6 standards are broadly in line with national expectations.  Progress in English is outstanding. The proportion of pupils making and exceeding the progress expected of them in English is, in general, high compared with national figures. This is mainly due to the progress made by pupils in writing. School data and inspection evidence confirm this rapid progress.  Achievement in reading is rapidly improving. This is because the school has invested heavily in this subject. Personal laptops for Years 5 and 6 and hand-held tablets have increased pupils’ interest in reading. Additional staff have enabled pupils to receive more targeted support.  Progress in mathematics is good. The proportion of pupils making the progress expected of them is above the national average. Progress is not yet outstanding because too few pupils are

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The achievement of pupils is good

exceeding the progress expected, although, for the first time this year, some pupils in Year 6 were entered for the higher level test.  The achievement of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is good. These pupils make good progress from their starting points and they reach standards that are equal to those of similar pupils nationally.  The pupil premium funding is used very well and results in the pupils who are entitled to it making the same good progress as the rest of the pupils in the school. Test results at the end of Key Stage 2 show that these pupils reach standards in English that are similar to those of other pupils and they reach standards in mathematics that are only a term and a half behind those of other pupils. This picture is also similar to the national picture for pupils who are eligible to receive a free school meal.  The closing of the gap between pupils eligible for a free school meal, and those with special

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The achievement of pupils is good

educational needs, and other pupils is a strong indication of the commitment that the school has to ensuring every pupil has an equal opportunity.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good over time and some is outstanding. Teachers plan interesting lessons and create high-quality equipment and supplies. This was evident in a Year 6 mathematics lesson where pupils had to solve problems using a Second World War ration book. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the lesson and made outstanding progress.  Relationships in class are a real strength of the school. Pupils have lots of opportunities to work together in lessons. This was witnessed during the inspection in English and mathematics lessons and was a significant feature in helping pupils to make good progress. .  Teachers are highly skilled in questioning pupils to extend their thinking and understanding. For example, in a Year 5 historical investigation based upon diaries of children working in the mills the teacher’s questioning encouraged pupils very well to describe the key language features of diaries of the time.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils enjoy English lessons more than mathematics. They prefer the role play, debating and variety of English lessons rather than what pupils refer to as the ‘repetition’ of mathematics lessons. The school has started to address ways in which pupils can become more enthusiastic about learning mathematics. The school is aware of the need for pupils to experience more puzzles and problems using logic and reasoning.  The support of teaching assistants is of a high standard. They give good support and work very well with small groups. They fully understand the needs of the pupils and this helps them to make good progress.  Pupils do not always receive enough detailed advice from teachers on how they can improve their work. Whilst pupils know the class targets very well, they are not always as sure of their own individual targets as they might be.  Presentation in many exercise books is not of a high enough standard. Teachers do not put

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The quality of teaching is good

enough emphasis on the need for well-organised and well-presented work.  Teachers new to the profession receive very good support from the school’s mentoring system and this ensures that their quality of teaching is at least consistently good.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is exemplary. This was particularly evident during the inspection at unstructured times. Pupils are very courteous and well-mannered. They open doors for adults and are always willing to help.  The attitudes of pupils towards their work are good across the school. Pupils are very positive about their learning, especially in English. Some pupils, however, do not show sufficient pride in how they organise and present their work, and so work in exercise books is often untidy.  Pupils cooperate well with each other, especially during the times they get to discuss their work with their peers. This has a very good effect on their social development and their language development.  Pupils say that incidents of bullying are rare and dealt with very well by the school. Pupils also have a good understanding of the different types of bullying which are taught as part of the school’s Personal, Social and Health Education.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 School behaviour records are very comprehensive and analysed in order to consistently improve the behaviour of pupils. Parents say their children feel safe at school, settle quickly when entering school and are well looked after.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe in different situations. Their understanding of using the internet is particularly good.  Attendance is above average and the number of pupils who are persistently absent is rapidly falling due to the work of the home/school liaison officer, who works closely with families and follows up any pupil who is absent.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has been in post for just over a year and is already making a significant difference to the school by building a staff team which is wholly committed to further improving the achievement of pupils and the quality of their teaching. Parents say that the headteacher has ‘a positive energy’ and that school is well led and managed.  The school has effectively addressed all the issues raised by Ofsted at the last inspection. The use of standard features to measure success has now become a strong feature of the school’s teaching.  Whilst the checking of the quality of teaching by the headteacher is rigorous and offers constructive support on how to improve, the skills of managers with responsibility to lead specific subjects are less well developed.  The school has very thorough methods for checking the progress of pupils. This information is then used well to allocate specific help where it is needed. The school is presently considering

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The leadership and management are good

ways in which its work in this area can be even more precise.  The curriculum is good. The inspection team observed many lessons where teachers used the pupils’ enthusiasm for their topic work to create interesting lessons in English and problem- solving opportunities in mathematics. Displays around the school are of a good standard and there are many examples of high-quality art work. There are well-planned opportunities for ensuring a strong social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.  The school’s work with parents is effective. The Audley Women’s Voice, in particular, is an excellent way for mothers to come to school and express their views. Many parents said that teachers are very approachable and that parents are kept well informed.  The Community Forum brings together key members of the community to discuss issues which affect the children and their community. It is also another way in which religious leaders work

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The leadership and management are good

well with the school and to help families.  The local authority provides very effective support for school leaders at all levels. It has supported leaders by advising them how best to check the performance of staff and in interpreting data to measure how well pupils are doing.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  Governors analyse standards reached by pupils at the end of Year 6 but do not receive enough detailed information about the standards pupils reach throughout the school. As a result of this, governors do not have a deep enough understanding of the achievement of all pupils in order to fully support and challenge the school. The budget is very well managed and the pupil premium funding is allocated effectively to ensure that eligible pupils are receiving appropriate support and making good progress. The governors have received a lot of training,

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The leadership and management are good

much of it related to safeguarding 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 119115 Local authority Blackburn with Darwen Inspection number 412363

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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 Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 422 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Hugh Bruce Headteacher Susan Aldred Date of previous school inspection 19 January 2010 Telephone number 01254 264294 Fax number 01254 680048 Email address susan.aldred@blackburn.gov.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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