Town End Junior School

Town End Junior School Alfreton Road, Tibshelf, Alfreton, DE55 5PB

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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.  Pupils make good progress and reach high standards in reading and mathematics and average standards or better in writing.  All groups of pupils make good progress from their different starting points, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and more-able pupils.  Teaching is mostly good with some outstanding. Teachers plan lessons that are well-structured and run at a good pace.  Teachers consistently show pupils the steps they need to take for success in lessons, and have high expectations of their pupils of all abilities.  Relationships between staff and pupils are good. Pupils get on well with each other and help each other with their work. They behave well in the playground and around school.  The new headteacher has already formed a good picture of what the school does well. She has formed good action plans to tackle any remaining inconsistencies.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The leadership team has improved standards by increasing the number of pupils achieving the very high grade in reading and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  Leaders have improved teaching through mentoring other teachers to improve pupils’ writing standards to match their high reading and mathematics standards. Pupils’ books show this is starting to take effect.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Learning is not consistently precisely matched to pupils’ individual needs to maximise their progress, especially in writing.  Teaching assistants are not always used to best effect to make sure all pupils’ progress is the best it can be throughout the whole of the lesson, especially at the beginning.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to work on their own without the direct support of teachers.  Pupils are not consistently given the time to read and respond to teachers’ marking in their books to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching in all classes during the inspection. A total of 15 lessons were observed, three seen together with the headteacher and two with the deputy headteacher. In addition, some extra teaching groups were observed.  The inspectors had discussions with the Chair of the Governing Body and three other governors, a representative from the local authority, the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other leaders, teachers, and two groups of pupils.  The inspectors looked at a range of documents and information including the school’s tracking of pupils’ progress, documents relating to safeguarding, data on special educational needs, two pupil case studies, the school’s self-evaluation document and its improvement priorities document.  A wide range of pupils’ work was scrutinised across different subjects and different age groups and inspectors heard pupils of different ages read.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took account of the 32 results recorded on the online questionnaire (Parent View), 26 questionnaires completed by staff, and met informally with a number of parents and carers at the beginning and end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Kathryn Skan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Andrew Truby Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are White British. There are no other significant groups.  There are currently few pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is average. In this school it currently applies to pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and other groups.  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 average.  There are six classes this year: three mixed Year 3 and 4 classes, one Year 5, one mixed Year 5 and Year 6 class, and one Year 6 class. The arrangement varies according to pupil numbers. The school is usually over-subscribed.  The headteacher joined the school in September this year. Last year the school was led by the

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Information about this school

deputy headteacher who was acting as an interim headteacher.  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?

 Move good teaching to outstanding by making sure that:  learning is always precisely matched to pupils’ individual needs in lessons, especially in writing  teaching assistants are utilised to maximise pupils’ progress throughout the whole lesson  pupils are given the time to read and respond to the teacher’s marking in their books  pupils have regular well-planned opportunities in all subjects to work on their own and with others without relying too much on the teacher’s direct guidance, so that they can develop their independent learning skills better, especially more-able pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils enter the school with above average standards. They make good progress and leave Year 6 with high standards in reading and mathematics. Writing has previously lagged behind with mostly average standards in national tests in Year 6, though writing standards have sometimes been above. The proportion of pupils reaching expected standards at the end of Year 6 is higher than in most schools in all subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 As a consequence of the lower writing standards in comparison to reading and mathematics, there has been a concerted effort to improve it. This is evident in lessons, in the organisation of learning, in pupils’ books and in displays around the school. The standard of most pupils’ writing throughout the school is above average this year. The initiatives brought in to help are starting to take effect.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All groups of pupils make good progress in all subjects from their different starting points. This includes disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, and more-able pupils. The proportion of pupils making expected progress throughout Key Stage 2 is better than in most schools.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The proportion making better than expected progress throughout the key stage is also above average, in both reading and mathematics. This is not yet the case in writing where not enough pupils yet achieve the very high level 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils read widely and often and communicate very well by the time they leave Year 6. Pupils are well prepared for secondary education and have good attitudes to learning. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to their peers because they are always provided for in lessons through teachers’ lesson planning and they often receive extra support from teaching assistants.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils eligible for the pupil premium all make good progress in line with other pupils according to their circumstances. Sometimes they make better progress than their classmates. The unvalidated 2013 results show that at the end of Year 6 these pupils were three terms behind their classmates in mathematics, half a term behind them in reading and about two terms behind in other aspects of English. The funding has been used to fund one-to-one tuition, small group tuition, the purchase of specific learning resources including for maths to help them with their understanding, free lunchtime sports provision and educational visits.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is mostly good across most subjects, including English and mathematics. Teaching focuses on the learning of key skills in lessons. An established system of planning the specific steps pupils need to achieve success helps pupils do so and demonstrates teachers’ high expectations of pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan lessons that are usually based on assessments from previous lessons, usually to three levels of ability. However, planning is usually around the same task for all ability groups at different levels and pupils are not stretched further by planning different tasks for different abilities that specifically meet their personal needs.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are interested and engaged by the learning and are sometimes excited by it due to the topic themes taught. However, lessons usually lack the ‘wow’ factor in most subjects. Homework is regular. It is completed in ‘learning logs’ that record the activities completed at home. Pupils show an interest in these.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading, communication and mathematics are taught very effectively across the school. Writing is beginning to catch up. Mentoring has taken place for some of the teachers to help them teach writing as well as reading and mathematics that are clear strengths of the school. ‘Response partners’ in all lessons, where pupils discuss or comment on each other’s work, ensure pupils practise their communication skills continuously. Pupils have been well coached on how to be an effective ‘response partner’ through their personal, social, health and emotional education lessons.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants mostly do a good job. However, sometimes they could be better deployed by teachers so that they maximise the progress of various groups of pupils throughout the whole lesson, especially in lesson introductions.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers set pupils level targets to work towards. They mark work regularly mostly making sure pupils know what to do next to improve. However, teachers do not consistently give pupils time to read and respond to their marking so they often repeat the same mistakes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan work to ensure that all pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs as well as the more-able pupils, make good progress. However, pupils are rarely challenged to a higher level by careful selection of learning activities that require them to learn without the direct support of teachers, which means pupils are not yet effective independent learners.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 There are good relationships between teachers and pupils. Pupils want to do well and attitudes to learning are positive. Pupils are well mannered, polite and friendly and get on well with each other. This is demonstrated particularly well in how pupils treat their ‘learning response partners’ in lessons.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour in all areas of the school is good. Monitors around school at lunchtime are used well to support other pupils. Behaviour in the lunch hall matches that in classrooms. Appropriate moral and social teaching nurtures the right attitudes in pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Bullying is exceedingly rare. Pupils know about different types of bullying, including cyber bullying, and what to do should it occur. Pupils play very well together in the playground. They feel safe and enjoy playtimes. Any isolated behaviour incidents that do occur are followed up consistently with appropriate action.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s behaviour management system is consistent and effective. Various individual rewards and team points are followed up in special weekly assemblies and are highly valued by pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents spoken to raised no concerns about behaviour or safety and unanimously felt their children were happy and safe at school. Parent View results show that other parents agree. Every parent would recommend the school to another parent.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour and safety are not yet outstanding because, although pupils’ attitudes to learning are consistently positive, their thirst for knowledge is not yet strong enough to consistently create a buzz of excitement about learning. Neither have they yet had the opportunity to demonstrate their attitude to learning in independent work in school because they rarely work without being directly overseen by the teacher.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance over three years is average. Attendance has been above average at times but at other times persistent absentees have affected results. It has not been below average at any time. Pupils arrive at school punctually, half of the pupils arriving by school bus. There have been no exclusions for four years.

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The leadership and management are good

 The new headteacher, other leaders, the school office manager and the governing body all have high expectations in all areas of the school’s work. Monitoring and evaluation is regular and is distributed amongst the senior management team according to roles and responsibilities. The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and matches that of inspectors.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ learning is well organised. It is based on a two-year cycle around topic themes. Joint planning between upper- and lower-school ensures this is broad and balanced. As a result of interesting experiences and a range of opportunities offered by the school, pupils acquire knowledge and develop their understanding well in a wide range of subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ learning focuses strongly on the school’s current priority of improving writing. This can be seen in a wide range of high quality writing on display around school and in pupils’ books. Writing is a focus within other subjects in addition to being a focus in its own right. This demonstrates leaders’ commitment to raising writing standards to match the level of reading and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has an information and communication technology (ICT) suite and there is evidence of interactive technology being used as a tool for learning in some lessons. Pupils benefit from using this creatively, for example, in film-making for which the school has won awards. Internet safety is well taught. Pupils have a very good understanding of the dangers and know how to keep themselves safe. Leaders prioritise pupils’ safety at all times.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has a very positive feel. It ensures that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The school has developed pupils’ understanding of other cultures around the world with links to Zimbabwe, France and Kenya. However, leaders could do more to ensure that pupils are fully aware we live in a multi-cultural Britain and develop more of an understanding of other cultures in the context of our own society.

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The leadership and management are good

 Physical education and sports are priorities within the school. The school’s recent audit shows evidence of the wide range of opportunities provided to encourage pupils to stay fit and healthy. The school’s action plan for the use of the imminent sports funding is appropriate. It will measure its effectiveness by increased participation in clubs and competitions, and development of pupil’s confidence levels in sport, in addition to the benefits to pupils’ health and well-being.

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The leadership and management are good

 There is already a strong sporting commitment. The school enters many competitions which the pupils talk about. The school’s grounds also promote physical development through the provision of a climbing wall and other play equipment. There is a range of after school and lunchtime clubs, including but not exclusively sport based, for example football, basketball, multi-skills, history, chess, crafts, music and drama, art, and specialist music tuition for guitar.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school makes sure all pupils have equal opportunities regardless of their background and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. All pupils are fully included. Parents are overwhelmingly and wholly positive about their child’s experience at the school and would recommend it to other parents.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority regards the school as ‘light-touch’ and consequently provides core support only. However, it provided additional support for the acting headteacher last year and for the new headteacher this year, as they were new to their roles. It has made regular visits to evaluate the school through data analysis and to hold discussions with the headteacher, including visiting classrooms to observe learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance is good. The governing body is very effective in challenging and supporting the school’s leaders. The governors have a very clear understanding of the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement compared with all pupils nationally, and they know what the school is doing to improve its performance. Governors make sure finances are used in a way that supports pupils’ learning effectively. They know how the pupil premium is being spent and how well the eligible pupils are doing in response. They use their knowledge to make decisions about staffing and to make sure pay is linked to teachers’ performance. Governors use their individual strengths well and ‘curriculum link governors’ report back to the governing body on the organisation of learning and health and safety. They ensure that statutory duties are met and the arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet current national 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 112639 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 425071

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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 190 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Julie Bradder Headteacher Lisa White Date of previous school inspection 9 October 2008 Telephone number 01773 872306 Fax number 01773 872306 Email address info@townend.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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