Radcliffe-on-Trent Junior School

Radcliffe-on-Trent Junior School Cropwell Road, Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottingham, NG12 2FS

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Standards are significantly above average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils achieve well and make good progress because teaching is good.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.  Pupils behave well and the school provides a safe environment in which they feel valued and included. This helps them to become confident young people.  The headteacher, senior leaders, the governing body and acting deputy headteacher are taking the right actions to raise achievement, improve teaching and take the school further forward. They make sure that the school has a good capacity to continue improving.  Leaders with responsibility for subjects are increasingly effective in checking on teaching and learning in their areas and using their findings in order to help the school improve.  The governing body challenges and supports the school. Its members have a comprehensive

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not all teaching promotes pupils’ rapid progress. Teachers do not consistently match work accurately to the next steps in pupils’ learning.  There are not enough suitable resources for pupils who find some aspects of learning hard to help them get on independently and quickly.  Teachers do not regularly use their marking to tell pupils what they have done well and what to do next. They do not check that pupils have taken notice of their advice in future work.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 18 lessons, of which six were observed jointly with either the headteacher or the acting deputy headteacher.  The inspectors spoke with many pupils during lessons and break times. One inspector met formally with a group of pupils to find out their views about the school.  Meetings were held with the senior leadership team, leaders responsible for subjects and members of the governing body. The lead inspector had a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors looked at a wide range of documentation, including information about the achievement of all groups of pupils, improvement planning, pupils’ work, and policies to safeguard them.  In carrying out the inspection, the inspectors took into account the 61 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the 11 responses to the staff questionnaire.

p.2

Inspection team

Lynne Blakelock, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Martin Bertulis Additional Inspector Sarah Chadwick Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is similar in size to other schools of its type.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium (additional funding for looked- after children and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is well below average.  Most pupils are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The headteacher is also acting headteacher at Radcliffe-on-Trent Nursery and Infant School for this academic year. An acting deputy headteacher has been appointed to Radcliffe-on-Trent Junior School.

p.3

Information about this school

 The school became a Local Leader of Education in 2009. It is part of the local Teaching School Alliance and works closely with its family of schools and three nearby junior schools.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching to outstanding by ensuring that teachers:  match all activities accurately to the next steps in pupils’ learning  make resources more readily available to pupils who find some aspects of learning difficult in order to help them to learn rapidly and independently  very regularly tell pupils in their marking what they have done well, what to do next and check that their advice is taken in future work.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards have been significantly above average for several years in the proportion of pupils reaching expected and higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Although in 2012, mathematics standards fell to broadly average and pupils made expected rather than good progress in 2011 and 2012, the school identified quickly any gaps in pupils’ learning. It also provided specific training for teachers, for example, in the teaching of calculation. In 2013, information about pupils’ attainment shows that standards have risen and are again significantly above average.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 The school’s own tracking, evidence from lesson observations and examples of work show that pupils across year groups are making good progress throughout the school in reading, writing and mathematics, including more-able pupils. Furthermore, the school’s data show that standards and progress are on track to be significantly above average throughout the school by the end of this academic year, including in English, which is a strength.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Throughout each day, pupils have many opportunities to speak about their learning. They express themselves confidently and thoughtfully, with a large majority of older pupils competent in giving opinions and justifying them.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Good teaching and a little that is outstanding leads to most pupils making expected and better than expected progress throughout the school from their starting points, which vary from being in line with the national average to above average. They make good progress in a range of subjects. Pupils do not achieve outstandingly well because progress is not rapid across the school.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 All groups of pupils achieve similarly, including boys and girls, helped by their enthusiasm to achieve and to participate in lessons. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because support is carefully planned and provided promptly.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2012, pupils eligible for pupil premium funding achieved less well in English and mathematics than other groups. They were a year behind other pupils in English and five terms behind in mathematics. In 2013, only a very small number of pupils were supported by the pupil premium but the school’s information shows they made similar rates of progress to their classmates. The funding is used appropriately to support individual pupils, through extra reading, writing and mathematics support and extra-curricular activities.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Much teaching, including in English and mathematics, is good with some that is outstanding and this results in pupils’ good achievement over time.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 The good relationships between pupils and staff create a positive environment for learning.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Activities at the beginning of lessons are carefully considered and encourage pupils’ interest in learning.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils feel comfortable in offering responses that they are not sure are accurate and in asking for help if they find learning hard.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils of all abilities make good and better progress when work is planned carefully and matches accurately the next steps in their learning. In an outstanding Year 4 numeracy lesson, all pupils made rapid progress in calculating areas. A group of more-able pupils designed their own shapes and were able to divide them into numerous parts and calculate their areas.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 In a lot of the lessons seen, teachers used questions well to develop pupils’ thinking.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are accustomed to evaluating their own work and that of others. In one lesson, pupils enjoyed greatly and took very seriously the responsibility of assessing the work of pupils they did not know. In doing so, they developed well their evaluative skills and practised further the skills they had learnt in calculations.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Examples of good marking were seen in the scrutiny of work carried out jointly by the acting deputy headteacher and an inspector. Some marking, however, did not tell pupils what they had achieved and what to do next, more so in mathematics. No checks were evident on whether pupils were acting on the advice given by the teachers.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils practise their literacy skills daily in a range of activities. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils made good progress in evaluating the effectiveness of the layout of information. There are fewer regular planned opportunities for pupils to practise their mathematical skills.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants help to quicken the progress of pupils who find some learning hard by providing support that matches accurately their needs. However, resources are not always readily available to help them to make accelerated progress when they learn independently.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 In a very few lessons, the pace of learning and progress slows down, particularly for pupils capable of reaching higher levels if an activity is not carefully planned to help them learn as fast as they can.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good overall. The attitude of some pupils is exemplary in their industriousness and determination to achieve as well as they can.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. Behaviour management is consistent and pupils value the rewards they are given such as special lunches and raffle tickets. They feel they are treated equally in a school which values all of its pupils.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils get on well with each other and the school is a happy place in which pupils show support and kindness to each other. They understand the school’s motto, ‘to do the right thing’, and they try to apply this in their dealings with others.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have many opportunities to develop their personal skills, including through responsibilities such as play leaders and librarians. The pupil council ensures that all pupils have a voice in improving the school.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school is a safe place. Both pupils and parents agree. Pupils understand what constitutes an unsafe situation, and how to avoid them, such as using the internet safely. Pupils show a secure understanding of why bullying is wrong and rare incidents are dealt with firmly.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attendance is consistently above average.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour is not outstanding because in lessons which do not interest them or in which learning is too easy, some pupils become distracted and restless.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and acting deputy headteacher are able to lead the school forward confidently because they know how well it is doing and how to strengthen it. Their own tracking shows that progress over time is good. Inspectors and the school agreed that work in pupils’ books shows good progress over time.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The roles and responsibilities of the senior leadership team reflect appropriately the school’s priorities for improvement, and link closely to a very relevant programme of staff training, including for subject leaders whose skills they develop well. Links with other schools extend the opportunities for staff to strengthen and extend their skills.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Leaders responsible for subjects are increasingly helping to drive improvement, through monitoring their impact on, for example, the re-organisation of subjects and topics. Strategies to help pupils who need additional assistance with their learning are monitored thoroughly and adjusted promptly if they are not meeting pupils’ needs.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher observes teaching formally once a year and informally much more regularly. He meets with the staff regularly to discuss their performance targets and their progress towards them. Not all targets have been measurable or challenging enough but the school is addressing this. Those related to improving teaching, which the acting deputy headteacher leads very well, are measureable. Her coaching of individual staff, in particular, ensures that teaching continues to improve and any underperformance is picked up quickly. Pay rises are not awarded unless all performance targets are fully met.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The staff work well as a team. All staff are accountable for their pupils’ achievement. Termly pupil progress meetings, based on accurate data, bring leaders and the class teacher together to discuss the achievement of pupils. The minutes of the meetings demonstrate the detailed discussions and actions to be taken.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The school has tackled the areas for improvement from the last inspection and those identified since then. An analysis of pupils’ spelling skills has led to specific support for pupils and more accurate spelling. Pupils’ understanding of the multicultural society in which we live is now good because it is incorporated regularly into topics.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Parents express strong support for the school’s work. They feel well-informed and value the information they are given about their children’s achievement and the regular opportunities to express their views and to find out how to support their learning.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Pupils like learning, which offers them a good balance of activities across subjects and supports their good progress in many lessons. Their learning has broadened through the school’s focus on developing pupils’ skills. After-school activities are popular and varied. The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding well through lessons and opportunities to take responsibility and to reflect.  A large majority of pupils participate in after-school activities, including an equal proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding. The school is planning to use its additional funding for sports development to train teachers in a variety of sporting skills and to support the learning that teachers provide about the importance of healthy lifestyles. They have plans to check closely on the effects of the spending.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The local authority offers a range of training opportunities, which the school has taken-up, including in mathematics and behaviour management.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school: – The governing body is knowledgeable, because of the information provided by the headteacher, its questioning of the school’s work and governors’ independent findings. They understand what national data is saying about the school’s performance. Thus, the governors are able to challenge senior leaders and minutes of meetings show that they do so comprehensively. Leaders are invited to governing body meetings to add to their picture of the school’s performance and the governors talk with pupils and parents. The governing body understands performance management procedures, including what is done to reward good teachers and tackle underperformance, and the allocation and impact of pupil premium funding. Governors check that safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements. A specific strength of the governing body is its strategic planning, which underlines its capacity

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 122670 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 425099

p.9

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.9

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 270 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Margaret-Anne Dickie Headteacher Steve Arnold Date of previous school inspection 11 December 2008 Telephone number 0115 9110193 Fax number 0115 9110194 Email address office@rotjs.notts.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10