Staveley Junior School

Staveley Junior School College Avenue, Staveley, Chesterfield, S43 3XE

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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.  School leaders manage, and successfully improve, teachers’ performance and pupils’ learning through the thorough checks they carry out and the support and guidance they provide.  The quality of teaching is good and some teaching is outstanding. As a result, all groups of pupils achieve well and standards are rising steadily.  Pupils read well. Carefully selected initiatives have improved writing since the previous inspection.  Pupils are proud of their achievements. They enjoy school. They feel safe and well-cared for. They are eager to learn and to do well.  Behaviour is good because it is managed well. The school cares for and supports pupils and their families extremely well. This enables pupils to get the best out of their time at school.  The governing body knows the school well. It has made good use of training opportunities to sharpen its skills in monitoring the work of the

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching to enable pupils to make rapid progress on a consistent basis.  In mathematics, marking does not always show pupils how to improve, and pupils do not always do their corrections.  Mathematical skills are not promoted well enough in different subjects.  The steps to success in school improvement and subject action planning do not focus sufficiently on outcomes for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in 11 lessons. Ten of the observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher.  Play and lunchtimes were observed and discussions were held with pupils, governors, staff, and a representative of the local authority.  There were too few responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, for results to be analysed. However, account was taken of the nine paper questionnaires completed by parents and of the views of a sample of parents attending parents’ evening.  The inspector also took account of the seven responses to the questionnaire for staff at the school.  A wide range of documents was scrutinised, including information about pupils’ progress and attendance, the school improvement plan, the school’s self-evaluation document and records and policies about safeguarding.  The inspector also examined the work in pupils’ books, and heard pupils read during a guided

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Inspection team

Doris Bell, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized school. The number on roll has decreased further since the previous inspection but is rising again in Years 3 and 4.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives additional funding, known as the pupil premium, is well above average. This funding is to provide extra support for, for example, children in local authority care, and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is well above average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special education needs.  Very few pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds or speak English as an additional language.  The school has its own breakfast club. It shares its site with the adjacent infant school.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that more is outstanding by ensuring that work is well matched to pupils’ different levels of ability in all lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 In mathematics, increase the proportion of pupils making better than expected progress by:  giving all pupils more opportunities to use their mathematical skills in practical, investigative work that focuses on solving real-life mathematical problems  improving the quality and impact of marking, and ensuring pupils always do corrections to show they understand where they have gone wrong  promoting mathematical learning in different subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the impact of leadership and management by ensuring the steps to success identified in school improvement and subject action planning focus clearly on outcomes for the pupils, so that progress towards the stated priorities can be more easily measured.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Reliable data held by the school, and checked against pupils’ work, show that attainment continues to be below average at the start of Year 3. The pupils’ good progress means that attainment matches the national averages for reading, writing and mathematics by Year 6. The overall upward trend in attainment in recent years looks set to continue, although there was a slight decline in mathematics in 2013.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils read well. They enjoy reading fiction and non-fiction books and know how to search text for information. For example, pupils in Year 3 were excited about the amount of information they gleaned from books on reptiles and were eager to share it with the rest of the class.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 By Year 6, pupils learn to refine their writing skills to suit different audiences and purposes. Pupils use their writing skills well in different subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Mathematics lags slightly behind reading and writing because pupils do not use their mathematical skills often enough in problem-solving activities in mathematics, or in different subjects. They are not systematically taught to do so. Some weaknesses in presentation mean pupils do not always line up digits correctly, causing errors to occur in calculations.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding make at least the same good progress as other pupils. In 2012, their attainment was the same as other pupils in reading and mathematics. While they were one-and-a-half terms behind in writing, similar pupils nationally were over two terms behind in each. The gaps are continuing to close throughout the school, including in writing, because the additional funding for these pupils is used effectively to support individual and small group teaching. All support programmes are rigorously monitored to ensure they are working.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs also make the same good progress as other pupils. Some make outstanding progress. Skilled teaching and support staff attend to the pupils’ needs with individualised programmes that are constantly checked to ensure their effectiveness.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 More-able pupils make good progress in most lessons. This is because teachers recognise their abilities and give them increasingly harder work to do. Occasionally, however, they have to do too many repeated exercises in mathematics instead of being moved on to problem-solving activities that extend their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The very small number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds or who speak English as an additional language achieve well and make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Typical of the good teaching is the detailed and effective planning that arises from the in-depth knowledge staff have of every pupil, and from their understanding of how to meet pupils’ individual needs.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use their good subject knowledge well to extend pupils’ learning. Paired and group work is used extensively to good effect, allowing pupils to help each other and to clarify their thoughts before answering questions. Well-targeted, open-ended questioning probes and extends pupils’ learning effectively.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well and they foster good attitudes to learning. They often introduce humour into lessons, making learning even more enjoyable. Very occasionally, work is too hard for less-able pupils, or more-able pupils are not moved onto the harder work of which they are capable soon enough. This slows the pace of learning for the pupils concerned.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils who qualify for pupil premium funding are spread across groups depending on their ability. Therefore their work is always at the right level for them. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs benefit from being taught in smaller groups by well-briefed support staff who know what their needs are and help them succeed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Where teaching becomes outstanding, challenges abound for all ability groups throughout the lesson. This happened in a Year 4 mathematics lesson where pupils made rapid progress in learning about co-ordinates. Work was set at the right level for the different abilities in the lesson and this enabled them to develop confidence and master key mathematical ideas. Such excellent practice does not happen often enough to secure outstanding progress for all pupils throughout the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading is taught well using books that interest pupils, make reading enjoyable and extend reading skills. Staff model how to read fluently and with expression, and teach pupils the various techniques that will enable them to do the same.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use assessment information well in planning. Good marking, with comments that show pupils how to improve, occurs in writing but is less frequent in mathematics. Where it does occur, pupils do not systematically do their corrections. Therefore, opportunities are missed to check whether they have learned from their mistakes or need further help in mathematics.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils conduct themselves well at different times in the school day, including when they cannot get outside at break and lunchtime because of the weather. They feel safe and say the school teaches them how to keep themselves safe. Their parents agree. Pupils see rewards, sanctions and rules as necessary and fair.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils spoken to could not recall having heard of or experienced any bullying. Several said categorically that ‘bullying is not acceptable here’. They know what bullying is and the different forms it can take. They also understand the dangers associated with using the internet, social networking sites and mobile phones.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils speak highly of the ‘buddies’ who help to keep the playground safe and of the play leaders who get play equipment out at break and lunchtime. They also praise the school council for representing their views, which they know are valued, and for helping to extend the range of play equipment. All of the pupils concerned carry out their roles and responsibilities well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 A good number of pupils participate in the wide range of extra-curricular activities and visits that further extend their learning, often with new, exciting experiences. They also enjoy having visitors and appreciate the contributions they make. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed their ‘skipping day’, carried on practising the skills afterwards, and explained how it was a fun way to get fit.  Pupils are proud of their school. They enjoy learning and want to do well. They feel they are taught well and make good progress. They understand the targets they have for literacy and numeracy and can explain how they use them to improve their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is average. Despite the school’s best efforts, a small number of families still do not ensure their children attend school regularly or on time. The breakfast club gives pupils who attend it a good start to their day.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school leadership’s determination to raise achievement further is shared by all staff and governors. Leaders at different levels, including subject leaders, fulfil their roles well. The monitoring of teaching and learning is rigorous and accurate. Areas for improvement are followed up with support and guidance, internal and/or external, which staff appreciate, share and take on board.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s self-evaluation is accurate. It informs school improvement planning and the objectives set for the headteacher and staff as part of the management of their performance. However, the steps to success identified in school improvement and subject action plans do not include data against which their impact on pupils’ progress can be measured.

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The leadership and management are good

 The teamwork between teaching and support staff has a marked effect on pupils’ learning and personal development, especially for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. The provision for these pupils is managed well. The school uses the information gained from its rigorous tracking of pupils’ progress to set ambitious targets for all pupils and to implement programmes that get learning back on track should it falter.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subjects other than English and mathematics are brought together in topics that make learning exciting for the pupils and this increases their enjoyment and enthusiasm for school. Writing is promoted well in different subjects and celebrated in attractive displays around school showing. Mathematical skills are not promoted in the same way.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school provides a high level of care, guidance and support for pupils and where necessary or relevant, their families. This contributes to the pupils’ good attitudes to learning and to their good progress. The school works hard to involve parents in their children’s learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides an appropriate level of support for the school. It has helped the school to continue to improve, and the governing body to fulfil its role better. Good improvement in the recommendations from the previous inspection and the continuing upward trend in attainment show that the school has the capacity to improve further.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding procedures meet the government’s current requirements, and all training is up to date. The school promotes equality of opportunity well. It breaks down stereotypes and teaches pupils to be reflective and caring and to respect those who may be different, because of background, culture or ability.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have good knowledge of data relating to attainment and progress in every year group. They have made good use of training to sharpen their ability to challenge as well as support the school. Governors help the headteacher make decisions about pay in relation to staff performance, and support her in tackling any underperformance. They check the impact of all spending and especially that pupil premium funding is securing better progress for the pupils who qualify for it. The governing body has made sensible decisions about spending the primary schools sports funding, for example, to employ specialist sports coaches to raise staff expertise and extend the range of physical education activities and competitive sports available to pupils. It is too early to evaluate the impact of these initiatives.

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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 112627 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 425070

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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 111 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jill Brooks Headteacher Heather Ellis Date of previous school inspection 9 October 2008 Telephone number 01246 472325 Fax number 01246 472325 Email address info@staveley.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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