Earlswood Junior School

School report Earlswood Junior School Brambletye Park Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 6JX

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 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 and governors are ambitious and have high expectations for staff and pupils. They have brought about significant improvements since the previous inspection, demonstrating that they have the capacity to improve further.  All pupils make good progress across the school and reach standards that are above average in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Teaching is now good, with an increasing proportion that is outstanding. Teachers have high expectations and they provide activities that are imaginative and inspire pupils to learn.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. This is because staff are skilled at identifying their needs and providing good support to help them to learn as well as other pupils.  Pupils behave well in lessons and when moving around the school. They feel safe in school because they are well cared for. They are

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

polite and friendly and get on well together regardless of background.  The curriculum is carefully planned to ensure that pupils make good progress and are well prepared for the next stage in their education. It is enriched by additional activities such as art, music and sports, which adds to their enjoyment of learning and contributes well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  School leaders and governors have strengthened teaching by using the skills of all staff across the federated schools. They have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development and have ambitious plans for further improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not yet make outstanding progress because there are times when teachers move on too quickly before pupils have securely mastered their skills and knowledge.  Teaching is not yet outstanding because not all teachers ask questions that deepen pupils’ understanding. Additionally there are occasions when pupils do not improve their work in response to teachers’ marking.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 21 lessons or parts of lessons, most of which were jointly observed with senior leaders. They listened to pupils in Years 3, 4 and 6 read and they looked at work in their books. They also visited a singing assembly.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, three governors, groups of pupils and a representative from the local authority.  Among the documents scrutinised were school development plans, pupils’ assessment information, minutes from governors’ meetings and the school’s procedures for safeguarding pupils.  The views of parents and carers were considered by analysing the 44 responses to the online survey Parent View and the school’s own questionnaire completed by parents earlier in the year. Inspectors also held informal discussions with parents at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Joy Considine, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Alastair McMeckan Additional Inspector Clementina Olufunke Aina Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. The school was federated with the neighbouring infant school in May 2011 and the executive headteacher has responsibility for leading and managing both schools.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is broadly average. In this school, the funding supports those pupils who are eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who are from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language is broadly average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is lower than average. The proportion who are supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There has been a significant change to the teaching team since the previous inspection.  The school provides a breakfast club and an after-school club for pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of teaching that is outstanding by:  asking pupils more demanding questions that probe their thinking and build on their responses to deepen their understanding  ensuring that pupils correct and improve their own work in response to teachers’ marking.  Raise pupils’ achievement from good to outstanding by ensuring that they have developed their skills and understanding securely before learning something new.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement has improved since the last inspection. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is above average. All pupils, including those who are more able, make good progress in these subjects consistently across the school. This is because teachers match work to their individual learning needs by planning for the different ability levels of pupils in their classes.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to their classmates. Staff understand their individual learning needs and provide additional support for them in lessons. Teaching assistants are skilled at supporting these pupils by asking questions that encourage them to participate in lessons.  Pupils eligible for the pupil premium achieve well to reach standards in reading, writing and mathematics that are in line with those of other pupils. This is because the school uses some

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The achievement of pupils is good

funding to employ additional staff to help them. Additionally, funding is used to help these pupils to access other activities such as school visits, which helps them to develop their confidence.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good, and sometimes outstanding, progress. The school trains teaching assistants so that they can provide support for those who are at an early stage of learning English to help them to join in with lessons.  Pupils’ achievement is not yet outstanding because they do not always have the time to develop and consolidate their skills before moving on to new learning and this results in some gaps in their understanding.  Pupils enjoy writing both in literacy and other lessons and consequently they write fluently and confidently. They have a wide vocabulary and a good command of spelling, punctuation and grammar that allows them to express their ideas and feelings. By the end of Year 6, they write

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The achievement of pupils is good

extensively for a range of purposes.  Pupils love reading. They say that they read often in school both in literacy lessons and other subjects and that they read both for pleasure and to find information. Year 6 pupils say they prefer reading to watching films because ‘You use your imagination to create your own pictures and characters.’  Teachers consistently challenge pupils in mathematics lessons and so they make good progress. Most teachers provide pupils with resources to help them to understand new ideas. For example, in a Year 6 mathematics lesson, pupils used plastic blocks to build up layers to help them to understand how to calculate the volume of a cube.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved since the previous inspection and is typically good, with an increasing proportion that is outstanding. Teachers have high expectations for pupils and they consistently provide lessons that are challenging and engaging and inspire pupils to want to learn and to do well.  Teachers use assessment information to plan lessons that are well matched to pupils’ learning needs. In most classes, teachers use information and communication technology (ICT) effectively to demonstrate to pupils what it is they are expected to learn. They explain the purpose of the lesson clearly and there are frequent opportunities for pupils to talk about their learning, helping them to progress well over time.  Teaching is not yet outstanding, because although teachers ask pupils questions, some of these questions do not always probe pupils’ understanding to extend their learning. Additionally, not all

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The quality of teaching is good

teachers build on pupils’ responses and this slows the progress they make.  Teaching is typically lively and proceeds at a brisk pace and this keeps pupils interested and engaged. Most teachers use imaginative methods to help pupils to learn. For example, in a Year 4 spelling lesson, pupils played a game of dominoes in which they matched suffixes to words to show how the spelling of that word changed. This enthused pupils as they tried to find as many different word endings as possible while making outstanding progress in improving their spelling.  Teaching assistants are well deployed to support disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. They explain clearly what these pupils are expected to do and they support teachers in lessons by working alongside small groups of pupils to give them the confidence to complete their tasks.  Teachers mark pupils’ work thoroughly and they provide detailed comments about what pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

have done well and what they need to do to improve their work. However, in a few classes, pupils do not always respond to these comments by correcting and improving their work and this slows their progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy school and they have very positive attitudes towards learning. They respond to the high expectations set by staff by behaving well in class, when moving around the school and during lunchtimes. The atmosphere in school is happy because pupils are kind and considerate towards each other.  Pupils get on well together regardless of background. They say there is no discrimination and that all pupils are treated fairly and equally. They help each other in lessons and they show courtesy to each other by holding doors open and sharing equipment and resources.  There are good relationships between adults and pupils and this inspires pupils to learn. Pupils respect their teachers and respond to the challenges provided for them. Just occasionally, if the pace of the lesson slows, pupils become a bit fidgety and start to chat among themselves and this is why behaviour is not better.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and say they feel safe in school. They understand

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

different types of bullying, including cyber bullying, and how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. They say that bullying rarely occurs and that adults are always on hand to sort out any minor disagreements that very occasionally arise.  Records kept by the school show very few reported incidents of poor behaviour and there have been no recent exclusions. The majority of parents and carers, staff and governors thought that pupils were safe and happy and behaved well in school.  Pupils enjoy the variety of activities available to them at both the breakfast and after-school clubs and this provides them with a settled start and end to the school day. It has also contributed to pupils’ improved attendance, which is above average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, senior leaders and governors are ambitious and have high expectations for staff and pupils. They have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for development and they have brought about significant improvements since the previous inspection. This demonstrates that they have the capacity to improve further.  Although leadership has improved, it is not yet outstanding, because although the quality of teaching has improved, there is still a little way to go to ensuring that a higher proportion of teaching is outstanding to further raise pupils’ achievement.  The dedicated team of senior leaders check the quality of teaching through formal lesson observations and informal ‘drop ins’ to lessons, as well as opportunities for teachers to observe each other’s lessons. This links to the management of teachers’ performance and a programme of professional development, allowing staff at all levels to progress their careers.

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The leadership and management are good

 Middle leaders are accountable for teaching, planning and pupils’ progress within their year teams. This ensures a consistent approach across classes so that all pupils have equality of opportunity. New teachers praise leaders for their care and attention in ensuring that they are well prepared for their roles and responsibilities.  The imaginative curriculum enables pupils to develop their skills across a range of subjects. It is well planned and, wherever possible, links subjects together to enhance pupils’ learning. For example, a Year 4 class were learning a traditional dance as part of their history topic on ‘The Tudors’. Art and music are of a very high quality and make a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  School leaders use additional funding where it has most impact. Pupil premium funding provides pupils with additional help in lessons and this has increased their progress. The quality of sports

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The leadership and management are good

is already high and contributes to pupils’ health and well-being. The school plans to use the additional sports funding by providing specialist coaching in gymnastics and outdoor games.  The school has been fully responsive to the medium-level support provided by the local authority. Since federating with the neighbouring infant school nearly three years ago, the headteacher and senior leaders have worked in close cooperation with the governors to oversee the success of the federation.  The governance of the school:  Governors have been instrumental in leading the successful federation of the two schools. They are well organised and have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They have a secure understanding of pupils’ achievement and how it compares to that of other schools. They know about the quality of teaching and that teachers’ progression on the salary scale links to their performance in the classroom. Governors ensure

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The leadership and management are good

that the school meets all statutory responsibilities for safeguarding pupils. They oversee the efficient management of resources, including the effective use of pupil premium funding. They have made a considerable impact on the school’s drive for improvement, through the support and challenge they provide to school leaders.

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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 125068 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 426509

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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 435 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Nick Pitts Headteacher Sue Winterton Date of previous school inspection 8 October 2011 Telephone number 01737765125 Fax number 01737 763306 Email address info@junior@earlswood.surrey.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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