The Nettleham Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School

The Nettleham Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School Mill Hill, Nettleham, Lincoln, LN2 2PE

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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’ achievement is good. Pupils reach standards in reading, writing and mathematics that are consistently above average at the end of Year 6.  Teaching is typically good, and this ensures pupils make good progress.  Teachers encourage the most articulate pupils to share their ideas to deepen the understanding of all.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. Pupils are consistently considerate, thoughtful and respectful.  Behaviour is good throughout school. Pupils are unfailingly polite, helpful and friendly.  Attendance is above average.  Pupils say confidently that this is a safe school, and can explain why this is so. They are well looked after by staff.  The headteacher has a clear picture of the strengths of the school and the areas which could be improved. Well-thought-through plans have brought about significant improvements in writing.  Governors work effectively with senior leaders

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

to improve the quality of teaching and accelerate achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ achievement in mathematics is not yet as good as in reading and writing. Not enough pupils exceed nationally expected progress by the end of Key Stage 2.  Sometimes pupils find the work too easy and are not sufficiently challenged.  Pupils sometimes ‘switch off’ in lessons, and this is not always noticed by the teachers.  Marking does not always give pupils clear guidance on what to do to improve their work.  Leaders do not check the quality of learning taking place in lessons with enough rigour. Inspection report: The Nettleham Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School, 19–20 March 2014 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed parts of 18 lessons, two jointly with the headteacher. All classes were observed at least once.  Inspectors looked at many examples of work in pupils’ books.  Meetings were held with senior staff, subject leaders, governors, the school’s external adviser, parents, and groups of pupils.  Inspectors looked at a range of other evidence. This included the school’s website, its self- evaluation documents and development plan, reports from various external visits, governing body records, the school’s well-established assessment and tracking records, and a range of policies and documents relating to safeguarding, behaviour and the curriculum.  Inspectors considered the 36 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire for parents (Parent View), and 24 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Terry McDermott, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Caroline Evans Additional Inspector Inspection report: The Nettleham Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School, 19–20 March 2014 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 This junior school is similar in size to an average-sized primary school.  Four of the eight classes are shared by part-time teachers.  Most pupils are White British. An average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language, but very few are at the early stages of learning English.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is well below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after by the local authority, or from armed service families.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above 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 in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and achievement by ensuring that:  work is set at the right level of difficulty to challenge all ability groups  the accurate practice of measuring what pupils know and can do in mathematics when they arrive in Year 3 is extended throughout other year groups  the way pupils are informed about what they need to do next to improve through marking in English is extended to other subjects  pupils present their work in mathematics to the same standard as that expected in English.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the impact of leadership and management, by checking more rigorously on the amount and quality of new learning taking place in lessons. Inspection report: The Nettleham Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School, 19–20 March 2014 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well in each year group because teaching is good. The school’s own information is accurate and reliable. It shows clearly the good progress all pupils make in reading, writing and mathematics, irrespective of their different starting points.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment at the end of Year 6 is consistently above average in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ reading skills are very good. They read often and for extended periods during the school day. It is obvious when listening to younger pupils read that they are confident to read from previously unseen books. Pupils’ enjoyment of reading is evident from their enthusiasm in talking about their book choices. Those who may have difficulty reading are supported well to build their confidence and skills. The school’s records show that they make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The number of pupils supported through the pupil premium in Year 6 last year was too small to report on without risk of identifying individuals. The school nonetheless tracks the progress individual pupils make throughout the school, and the results show that these pupils make similar progress to their classmates.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, including those supported at school action or at school action plus, achieve well because the school provides detailed learning plans and targeted support to ensure that their additional needs are met well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has not consistently made sure that pupils receive work of appropriate difficulty in mathematics. This is why the proportion of pupils making expected and more than expected progress is not as high in mathematics as it is in reading and writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Work seen in pupils’ books, particularly in writing, shows that the large majority of pupils are now making consistently good progress, with some making outstanding progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good, and this is reflected in the good progress pupils make over their four years in the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils enjoy learning. Relationships in the classrooms are good. Inspectors saw pupils given opportunities to express different opinions and views to which other pupils gave their full attention. This allowed cooperation to flourish, new ideas to form, and deeper understanding to develop.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The most effective learning occurs when teachers use their good subject knowledge to plan lessons that challenge pupils to use the knowledge they already have to solve interesting new or extended problems. In a Year 5 English lesson, pupils were pressed to develop and link arguments around banning physical education. This sparked immediate passionate debate in the class, and inspired pupils to critically analyse the validity of their own arguments prior to writing them up. The heat of the debate was followed by the highly motivated silence of precise writing. This led to new learning and helped pupils to reach higher levels. Inspection report: The Nettleham Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School, 19–20 March 2014 5 of 9

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are often expected to review each other’s work. By assessing views different from their own against a given set of criteria, they are able to deepen their understanding of a topic or subject.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Daily reading sessions very effectively build pupils’ comprehension skills and widen their vocabulary. Pupils work in small groups reading books that are matched appropriately to their ability levels. Pupils who are less confident are well supported by teachers and teaching assistants, which helps to build the confidence of these pupils and also helps them to catch up.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers sometimes do not address, or notice, subtle and quiet inattention by pupils when they are set work which is too easy. On these occasions, pupils do not learn consistently well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of marking is variable. The best guidance on how to improve was given in English books, and included comments on handwriting. The least effective, often cursory marking, was seen in mathematics, where untidy work was sometimes left without comment.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils conduct themselves well, both in class and around the school. They are very polite to each other and to visitors alike. They can be trusted to behave well with little supervision. This ensures that the school is always a calm place.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are ambitious to do well, are proud of their school, and complete homework conscientiously.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils eat lunch in their own classrooms. This encourages tidiness and cleanliness, and reinforces the school’s strongly held high standards of mutual respect and tolerance. The quality of the social interaction between adults and pupils at these times is impressive.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Teachers have high expectations that pupils will behave well and this was evident in the large majority of lessons seen by inspectors. Pupils told inspectors very clearly about the school’s codes for behaviour, which helps them to know what they have to do to be considered to be behaving well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is not outstanding because they occasionally lose concentration and their attention wanders when the work they are set is too easy, or when the teaching is uninteresting.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Safeguarding and child protection procedures are effective and meet all current statutory requirements. Those parents who expressed their views unanimously agree that this is the case.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils know they can talk to any adult in the school if anything happens. Pupils told inspectors that that they feel safe in school, and this was endorsed by parents and staff.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils were able to tell inspectors about different types of bullying. They say it is very rare in this school. Nonetheless, they most definitely know what to do if it does occur. They understand that, in their school, there is no place for racism or discrimination of any kind.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is above average and the school is prompt in checking on reasons for absence.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. Opportunities for reflection Inspection report: The Nettleham Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School, 19–20 March 2014 6 of 9

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

are not only woven into collective worship assemblies, but also consistently into lessons, where pupils are routinely asked to consider the views and perspectives of others. This results in a very trusting and open atmosphere, where pupils are confident to explore their different views confidently and without fear of ridicule.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has developed within the school a culture which recognises and celebrates achievement beyond the merely academic. This has led to high staff morale, and the excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has an accurate view of its strengths and areas for development, and produces realistic plans to tackle these. This has been demonstrated, for example, through improvements in writing. Governors play an important part in checking progress against these plans.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has been effective in seeking to discover the root cause of slightly slower progress in mathematics. This has been tracked back to gaps in pupils’ knowledge in Year 3, and these are being successfully eradicated in the current Year 3. Leaders are not always so effective at checking the impact of teaching on learning when they monitor lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 The subjects that are taught, and the activities undertaken, are described by pupils as being ‘exciting fun’. A very wide range of activities contributes significantly to pupils’ very strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Lessons and learning are enriched very well through this wide range of visits and visitors, and through creative, cultural, musical and sporting activities. Pupils say enthusiastically that there is ‘something for everyone’.

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The leadership and management are good

 The recently acquired funding to promote pupils’ physical development and extend sporting activities is being used well. Many pupils engage in gymnastic activities before school. Support is provided to enhance teachers’ skills in teaching a range of different physical education activities.

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The leadership and management are good

 This is a very caring school where all pupils are valued and are able to access all that the school has to offer. Nonetheless, leaders have yet to ensure that the progress pupils make in mathematics is as good as it is reading and writing.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided appropriate support when required.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is effective and governors are strongly committed to helping the school to improve further. They are well informed about aspects of school life, and are fully aware of the progress being made by pupils in the school and the impact teaching has on this. They keep a close watch on the school’s performance and ask challenging questions to promote further developments. They ensure that the school meets its statutory responsibilities. They are familiar with the Teachers’ Standards, and use these to rigorously manage teachers’ performance. They oversee the spending of the pupil premium and know about the impact this has on eligible pupils’ achievement. They are involved in planning the spending of the primary school sports funding and in determining how its impact on pupils’ well-being will be measured. Inspection report: The Nettleham Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School, 19–20 March 2014 7 of 9

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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. Inspection report: The Nettleham Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School, 19–20 March 2014 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 120626 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 431211

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 240 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Simon Hardy Headteacher David Gibbons Date of previous school inspection 17 March 2009 Telephone number 01522 750376 Fax number 01522 753794 Email address enquiries@nettleham-junior.lincs.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

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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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