Minet Junior School

P R O T E C T – I N S P E C T I O N School report

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Minet Junior School Avondale Drive, Hayes, Middlesex, UB3 3NR

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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

 The progress pupils make varies between year groups and is not consistently good.  Pupils do not make sufficient progress in reading and writing.  There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to read to adults and they do not always have enough guidance on how to improve their reading. Some books are not challenging enough for some readers.  Pupils do not always have sufficient opportunities to write at length across the curriculum. Some boys do not write enough and make mistakes with their work.  There is not enough good teaching across the school to ensure that pupils make consistently good progress.  Higher ability pupils are not always stretched in lessons to enable them to reach their full potential.  There are not enough opportunities for pupils to be more actively involved in their learning.  Teachers’ marking does not always explain how pupils can improve their work. There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to respond

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

to comments made by teachers in their marking to help them improve their work and deepen their understanding.  Leaders and managers have yet to ensure that the quality of teaching is bringing about good progress across the year groups.  Middle leaders do not have sufficient opportunities to make checks on the quality of teaching in their areas and to hold teachers to account for the progress pupils make.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils enjoy coming to school and their attendance is high.  Pupils behave well, have good attitudes towards their work and feel safe at school.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language do particularly well because of the good support they receive from adults.  Morale in the school is high and there is strong support for leadership by staff and parents and carers.  Pupils are well cared for, and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted effectively.  The school knows its community well and works effectively with parents and carers.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 30 lessons, of which 10 were joint observations with both the headteacher and the deputy headteacher.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, and inspectors listened to pupils read and discussed their reading with them.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject coordinators and the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body. A short telephone conversation took place with an external consultant who supports the school. In addition, inspectors spoke to parents and carers in the playground at the start of the school day.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and examined a range of documentation including the school’s own performance data, an analysis of its strengths and areas for development, improvement plans, records of the monitoring of the quality of teaching, and records relating to attendance, behaviour and safeguarding.  Pupils’ work was also scrutinised to look at their progress, the quality of marking and feedback

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Information about this inspection

and the coverage of the curriculum.  The inspectors considered 36 questionnaires completed by staff.  The inspectors took account of the school survey on views of parents and carers. The online questionnaire for parents and carers, Parent View, could not be accessed because of insufficient responses received.

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Inspection team

Avtar Sherri, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Fatiha Maitland Additional Inspector Dr (Lady) Kanwaljit Singh Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is larger than the average-sized junior school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well above the average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language. The majority of pupils are from Asian or Asian British background, mainly from Indian and Pakistani heritage, with pupils from Black or Black British African background forming the next sizeable ethnic group.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority and children of service families) is well above average. The school currently has a few children who are looked after by the local authority. There are no children of service families.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are

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Information about this school

supported by school action is well above average; the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision for its pupils.  The deputy headteacher also acts as a co-headteacher at the school for two days per week.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better in all lessons by:  ensuring higher ability pupils are always provided with work that stretches them to enable them to reach their full potential  reducing the amount of time teachers spend talking in lessons so that pupils can be more actively involved in their learning  ensuring that teachers always make comment on pupils’ work with guidance on what they need to do to improve and the next steps in their learning  providing pupils with sufficient opportunities to respond to teachers’ written comments to help them improve their work and deepen their understanding.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the consistency in rates of pupil progress across year groups, especially in reading and writing, by:  hearing pupils read more regularly so that they become more confident readers and improve their reading skills  giving pupils clear reading targets so that they know what to do to improve their reading  providing pupils with more challenging books to read  giving pupils, especially less able and some boys, sufficient opportunities to write at length across the curriculum.  Increase the impact of middle leaders by:  providing them with more opportunities to monitor and improve the quality of teaching in their areas across the school  holding teachers to account for the achievement of pupils.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils enter school with attainment that is significantly below the national average in English and mathematics. By the time they leave in Year 6, their attainment is still significantly below average. This includes pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. In 2012, attainment was significantly below average in English, but broadly average in mathematics.  In 2013, pupils’ attainment dropped markedly in reading but it was similar to 2012 in writing and improved in mathematics.  Pupils’ progress, including that of those from minority ethnic backgrounds, is variable across the year groups. Pupils tend to make better progress in Years 5 and 6 where teaching is sometimes stronger.  Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to read regularly to adults in the school. As a result, some pupils are not always confident with their reading and their reading skills are less well developed.  Although pupils have opportunities to write, they do not always get sufficient opportunities to

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

write at length and improve their writing in subjects other than English. Lower attainers, particularly boys, sometimes write too little and make more mistakes in their grammar, punctuation and spellings compared to girls.  Most pupils are able to use their knowledge of phonics (the links between letters and sounds) to blend sounds to read difficult words. However, some of them are not always challenged to read more demanding books. In some lessons, opportunities are missed for pupils to read out loud. There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to read to adults regularly and pupils do not always know how to improve their reading.  Pupils are given good opportunities for speaking and listening and building their vocabulary in lessons. This is particularly beneficial for pupils who speak English as an additional language who make better progress than their peers.  Pupils make better progress in mathematics than in English. Teachers have good mathematical

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

knowledge and pupils are given opportunities to practise their number facts and use mental mathematics at the start of lessons. Higher attainers in mathematics are supported well through additional lessons, with seven pupils in Year 6 attaining the higher Level 6 in their end of year test.  Current school data show that disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to other pupils overall. This is because of the effective additional and good quality support they receive from teachers and teaching assistants in and out of lessons. This reflects the school’s commitment to promoting equal opportunities.  In the 2012 Year 6 tests, pupils who benefited from the pupil premium funding did not do as well as other pupils in the school. They were just over one third of a National Curriculum level behind in English and one third of a National Curriculum level behind in mathematics. The

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

current school data show that eligible pupils are now making similar progress to their peers in mathematics but better progress in reading and writing. This is because of the improvements in monitoring of their progress, well-targeted support and better provision.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is not yet consistently good and the weaker teaching observed means it is not yet strong enough to promote good progress across the school.  Sometimes teaching and classroom activities are pitched too low and mainly at the less able and average ability pupils. In a number of lessons observed, more-able pupils found some of the work too easy and had to wait for some time before tackling some challenging work. For example, in a number of lessons more-able pupils had to sit through teachers’ lengthy introductions and explanations to the whole class before they were given appropriately challenging work to do by themselves to extend their learning.  Effective tracking of pupils’ progress is used well to target additional support to those pupils who fall behind, and adults are deployed successfully in and out of lessons to work with small groups and individuals. As a result, those pupils who are vulnerable to underachievement, including

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

those with special educational needs and those entitled to the pupil premium, do well.  In lessons, teachers make use good use of questioning to test pupils’ understanding. They often model sentences for pupils, promote the correct use of vocabulary and provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to talk with their partners. However, in some lessons teachers talk for too long and so opportunities are missed for pupils to be more actively involved in their learning and to work by themselves.  Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent and does not always give sufficient guidance on how they can improve their work and the next steps in their learning. Pupils are not always given opportunities to respond to teachers’ marking so they can improve their work and deepen their understanding.  In an effective Year 5 mathematics lesson on adding and subtracting, the teacher had very high expectations of a class of lower-ability pupils and provided them with a good level of individual

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

challenge. As a result, pupils were able to solve problems and sequence numbers to reinforce the understanding of place value with confidence.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are very courteous, friendly and respectful. They engage well with each other and adults, including visitors to the school. Their behaviour in the classroom, in the playground and around the school is consistently good.  Good behaviour is well rewarded with appropriate letters to homes and through giving pupils merit badges, house points and stickers. There have been no exclusions at the school over the last three years.  Pupils display positive attitudes to their learning and have a real appetite to do well in lessons. They are eager to complete the regular homework they receive. However, they occasionally become restless and lose concentration when they have to listen to teachers for too long in some lessons and so have too little opportunity to work at their own pace.  Pupils say that behaviour is good overall and the school keeps them safe by teaching them about the potential risks of the internet and about internet safety. However, some pupils’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

understanding of cyber-bullying is less secure. Pupils are also given appropriate opportunities to learn about fire and road safety.  Pupils from all backgrounds, including boys and girls, get on well with each other and pupils say that any bullying, or racist and homophobic behaviour are rare.  The school council meets regularly and holds discussions about behaviour and safety issues and shares any concerns emerging with senior leaders. Pupils enjoy the responsibilities they are given around the school, for example by being prefects, monitors and playground buddies.  Pupils enjoy coming to school, and this is reflected in their high attendance.  Almost all parents and carers who responded to the recent school survey, including all those who spoke to inspectors during the inspection, agree that behaviour and safety in the school are good.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The leadership and management of the school is not yet good because there are insufficient checks on the quality of teaching to bring about good progress across the year groups.  Although middle managers are increasingly involved in monitoring the work in their areas of responsibility, they do not have sufficient opportunities to make checks on the quality of teaching in their areas and to hold teachers to account for the progress pupils make.  The headteacher, the co-headteacher/deputy headteacher and governors have been successful in creating a stable staff who share their commitment to bringing about improvements. There is strong support among the staff for leadership and the morale in the school is high.  There are good professional development opportunities for teachers to develop their skills to improve the quality of teaching. Senior leaders also provide good feedback to teachers on how

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The leadership and management requires improvement

to improve the quality of teaching. There is a good link between teachers’ progress on the upper pay scale and the quality of their teaching.  The school has effective systems in place to monitor pupils’ progress and to identify and target those falling behind, so that appropriate support can be provided to close attainment gaps. For example, the pupil premium funding has been used effectively to close the gaps significantly between eligible pupils and their peers. This information is appropriately shared with the governors who take a keen interest in the impact of this funding.  The school has prepared for the allocation for the new primary sport funding and has detailed plans in place for physical education and sports activities to better promote pupils’ healthy lifestyles, for example, with the introduction of swimming for Year 3, improvements to the playground and the use of sports coaches offering a range of after-school clubs.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 There are good transition arrangements with both the infant school and secondary schools to prepare pupils for their next stage of education. Good links with special educational needs coordinators enables pupils with particular needs to settle down quickly when they start school and when they move to their new school after Year 6.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and engages pupils in their learning. The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strong feature of the school. Pupils participate in music and singing, art work, sports and extra-curricular activities. They value cultural diversity and have opportunities to visit different places of worship. The school knows its community well, links well with different schools and promotes community cohesion effectively.  There are effective links with parents and carers. Nearly all of the parents and carers who

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The leadership and management requires improvement

responded to the recent school survey felt the school is well led and managed.  There is no current support provided to the school by the local authority. An external consultant provides support to senior leaders and governors on school improvement priorities.  The governance of the school:  Governors know the school reasonably well, including both its strengths and weaknesses. They are aware of how pupils perform at the school. They are aware of how the school is performing compared to other schools nationally. They meet regularly and provide appropriate support and challenge to senior leaders to bring about improvements. They play an active role in allocating resources to support pupils who are deemed to be vulnerable to underachievement. They ensure the efficient management of financial resources and know how the pupil premium is spent on narrowing the gaps between eligible pupils and their peers.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

They know about the quality of teaching in the school and how pay and promotion are linked to teachers’ performance through the information they receive from the headteacher. Governors are keen to see the school sharing its good practice with other schools, particularly on how best to support learners who speak English as an additional language and the use of phonics. They attend training to update their skills, for example on the use of data and safeguarding issues. All statutory duties are met, including arrangements for safeguarding.

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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 102391 Local authority Hillingdon Inspection number 425545

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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 465 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Roy Hill Headteacher Stephen Foot Date of previous school inspection 1–2 December 2011 Telephone number 01895 671973 Fax number 020 85736647 Email address office@minetjunior.org.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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