Innsworth Junior School

School report Innsworth Junior School Innsworth, Rookery Road, Gloucester, GL3 1AX

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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.  Since the previous inspection, all groups of pupils have made rapid progress in all subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics.  The proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels in writing and mathematics has increased and is now above average.  Teaching has improved and is now good, with a small proportion being outstanding. Teachers effectively inform pupils on how well they are doing and help them to know how to improve their learning.  Teachers make good use of resources such as computer technology and questioning to promote pupils’ thinking skills.  Pupils feel safe and behaviour is good. They enjoy learning and they love coming to school. This is reflected in their above average attendance.  The headteacher, alongside her leadership team, has successfully created a welcoming and inclusive school, which ensures that pupils are at the heart of it.  All leaders, including the governing body, have

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

effectively improved achievement, the quality of teaching and all aspects of leadership and management from satisfactory to good within a short space of time.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is outstanding.  There are not enough pupils reaching the higher levels in reading, as the teaching of pupils’ higher order skills such as inference and deductions are in the early stages of development.  Teachers are not yet consistently guiding pupils on how to write legibly or making sure that pupils’ recordings in their mathematics are always clear and accurate.  Teaching assistants are not always used well enough to support pupils’ learning in lessons.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 11 parts of lessons, of which four were jointly observed with the headteacher. A whole-school assembly was observed.  The inspector listened to pupils read in Year 3.  Meetings were held with key staff, two members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector looked at a number of documents, including the school’s evaluation of its own performance, the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, and documents relating to safeguarding, attendance and behaviour.  The inspector took into account the 35 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and analysed 17 questionnaires returned by staff.

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Inspection team

Sharona Semlali, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than averaged-sized school.  The majority of pupils are from a White British background.  Significant proportions of pupils leave and join the school at different times besides the usual admission time.  The proportion of pupils from a minority ethnic background and those who have English as an additional language is slightly below average and is rising.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is below average. (Pupil premium is extra funding for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those from service families and those looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is above average. The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly below average.  The school meets the current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’

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Information about this school

attainment and progress in mathematics and English.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by ensuring that: – pupils’ higher order reading skills such as inference and deduction are securely in place so that more pupils achieve the higher levels in reading – teachers give clear guidance on how pupils can make their writing legible and ensure that their recordings in mathematics are clear and accurate – teaching assistants are utilised to maximum effect to support pupils’ learning throughout the lessons.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils join the school with skills that are broadly average. Since the previous inspection, they have made rapid progress and attainment at the end of Year 6 is now above average. All different groups of pupils are making consistently good progress in all year groups and in all subjects. The proportions of the more able pupils achieving a Level 6 in writing, mathematics and the combined spellings, grammar and punctuation tests are above average.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress and their attainment in all subjects is above that of their peers nationally. This is because their needs are quickly identified; effective support from within and beyond the school is swiftly given and their progress is closely monitored.  Pupils from a minority ethnic background, those who have English as an additional language and those that join the school later than the usual admission times also make good progress

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The achievement of pupils is good

and their attainment at the end of Year 6 is above average. This is because the school has effective induction processes that help them to settle quickly into the school’s routines. These help them to feel more confident and, where necessary, swiftly learn how to speak English. The school gives pupils a good chance of achieving well despite their starting points and backgrounds, thus ensuring equality of opportunity for all pupils and that there is no discrimination.  The gap between those who are entitled to the pupil premium fund and the others is closing throughout the different year groups in the school. In 2013, they were virtually similar in mathematics, just under half a term behind in writing, two terms behind in reading and just over half a term behind in the combined spellings, punctuation and grammar test. The money is used well. This includes contributing towards their residential trips, extra teaching sessions on

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The achievement of pupils is good

Saturdays and enables them to be taught individually and in small groups.  Pupils who are at the early stages of reading effectively use the sounds that letters make to read unfamiliar words. They have good comprehension skills and read regularly both at home and at school. They are very proud of all of the entries that are recorded into their diaries by their parents and teachers. The school effectively encourages them to enjoy reading for pleasure through having different types of competitions. School leaders have taken early steps to develop pupils’ higher order skills such as inference and deduction, as these are not yet developed well enough. However, at this time, not enough pupils are achieving the highest levels in this subject.  Pupils are given good opportunities to write for extended periods of time across all subjects. Good teaching resources and the curriculum inspires pupils into writing. For example, in a Year

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The achievement of pupils is good

6 English lesson, pupils were extremely motivated to write their own opening sentences for a biography, after reading a moving extract about Anne Frank.  Pupils achieve particularly well in mathematics in comparison with other subjects. This is because the school has worked hard to develop their mental mathematical skills. Pupils are given plenty of opportunities to use and apply their mathematical knowledge to solve problems, using real life events.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The majority of teaching throughout the school is good and is improving, with a small proportion being outstanding. This has helped pupils to make good achievement.  Teachers encourage pupils to assess their own learning. For instance, in a Year 3 and 4 history lesson, the teacher gave pupils quality time to think and discuss about what they already knew about the Tudors at the start of the lesson and to say one thing that they would like to explore further at the end of it.  Teachers have successfully helped pupils to have a good understanding on what they have achieved in their learning and helped them to be clear about the next steps needed for them to improve their work. This is achieved through the school’s effective use of marking. Also pupils are given ‘Passports’ for reading, writing and mathematics which show them the next small steps on how to achieve their targets which they actively use all the time. These are written

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The quality of teaching is good

using child friendly language.  Teachers consistently use a range of open and closed questions to promote pupils’ thinking skills and to deepen their understanding.  Teachers use computer technology and the learning environment well to support pupils’ learning. This was seen in a Years 3 and 4 English lesson, where the more able pupils were given the opportunity to independently use the computer technology, a thesaurus and a dictionary to look for meanings of the unfamiliar words that they were reading about and to find alternative words for some of the common everyday words.  It is sometimes difficult to read some of the work in pupils’ books, as some of the letters are not always formed well enough or joined together properly. At times the work in the mathematics book is not always clearly logged and this causes them to make errors in their calculations.  Where teaching assistants are used well, they effectively support pupils’ learning. However, this

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The quality of teaching is good

is not consistent throughout the school, particularly when the teacher is addressing the whole class.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour and pupils attitudes to learning are good. For example, at the end of break and lunchtimes, pupils are always ready and eager to promptly start their lessons. Responses to the on-line questionnaire show that parents agree with this. There are a few pupils whose behaviour is challenging but this is dealt with well by all adults.  Pupils are friendly and polite and conduct themselves well around the school. They are very tolerant and respect each other’s different backgrounds. They respond well to all adults. Pupils who are new to the school say that they found the children in the school to be friendly when they started.  Pupils enjoy taking on the different responsibilities and feel that the adults in the school listen to their opinions. For example, members of the school council have been instrumental in ensuring that nutritious hot meals are provided for them at lunchtimes. Behaviour at lunchtimes in the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

dining hall is very calm and relaxed. Dedicated lunchtime monitors are on duty to respond to any telephone calls, which helps to develop their communication skills.  Pupils have a good understanding of bullying and say that it rarely happens. They feel safe in the school and they know how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. They feel that they can confide in all of the adults in the school if they have any concerns, although they make it clear that they prefer to try to sort it out by themselves first before going to an adult. Parents agree that the school keeps their children safe.  Attendance is above average as pupils enjoy coming to school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has been well supported by senior leaders, the governing body and the local authority, in rapidly improving achievement, teaching, and leadership and management so that these are now good.  The headteacher has successfully strengthened the skills of the senior middle and leaders to enable them to be more involved in making essential decisions and with the self-evaluation process. All of them effectively use the data system that tracks’ pupils’ progress to ensure that support is quickly given to any pupil who is not making the desired progress.  Rigorous and robust systems are in place to check the quality of teaching and learning at regular intervals throughout the school. Together they have eradicated all aspects of any inadequate teaching. All teachers and teaching assistants have challenging performance objectives that help to improve their practice and pupils’ achievements.  The school provides a well-planned curriculum that motivates and meets the needs and

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The leadership and management are good

interests of the different pupils. They enjoy a range of activities outside lessons, such as chess and gardening clubs.  The curriculum effectively promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. An example of this is where they enjoyed a week of celebrating each other’s cultures with their families. Displays around the school encompass important information about their different backgrounds. This includes having a range of clocks displayed in the hall that show the different times in some of the countries that they originate from.  The sports premium funding is relatively new and is well planned to improve the teachers’ skills and confidence to teach different aspects of this subject. It is effectively contributing to widening pupils’ experiences by showing them how to keep fit and healthy. It particularly targets those pupils who do not enjoy sport and provides activities that they do enjoy such as

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The leadership and management are good

cheerleading. Also it is helping to promote sporting opportunities through the Schools’ Sport Partnership which run additional activities such as cross-country sports.  A large majority of parents support the school’s work and have a good partnership with the school. A few come into the school to support pupils’ learning. Some parents share their cultures with the rest of the pupils. They enjoy taking part in any of the workshops provided by the school for them.  The local authority has given the school substantial and effective support such as helping to build the skills of all the leadership team and members of the governing body. It provided the school with high levels of challenge and gave it extra funding to buy any further support that they needed. This has helped to rapidly improve the school quickly. Now it is only giving it light touch support as it is a good school.  All aspects of safeguarding meet statutory requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school: – All members of the governing body have had essential and relevant training by the local authority to effectively carry out their roles and responsibilities. All governors are linked to a class and to an aspect of the school’s priority. Governors regularly visit the school to monitor their areas of responsibilities and write a detailed report about their visit, leaving the school with a few thought-provoking questions. They have a good understanding of the school’s data and are able to use this information to challenge them further. Governors have not been afraid to tackle any underperformance in teaching and are clear as to how the school rewards good teaching. They have a clear understanding of how well the pupil premium funding is spent and the impact it is having on these pupils. Plans are in place to monitor the sports premium funding. The governors are the driving force behind setting up the new

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The leadership and management are good

school website, which is very informative.

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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 115562 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 426755

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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 147 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Allen Robson Headteacher Lynfa Jenkins Date of previous school inspection 6–7 March 2012 Telephone number 01452 730377 Fax number 01452 730377 Email address office@innsworth-jun.gloucs.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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