Jesson's CofE Primary School (VA)

Jesson's C.E.Primary School (VA) School Street, Dudley, DY1 2AQ

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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 achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics throughout the school because they are taught well.  Children get off to a good start to their learning in the Nursery and Reception classes because they receive good-quality support that helps them to succeed.  Good teaching is the key to pupils’ good achievement. The quality of teamwork between teachers and adults who support pupils is exceptionally good.  Behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. Pupils feel very safe and are proud of their school.  Pupils are valued as individuals and their wide range of cultural backgrounds is celebrated particularly well.  The school provides a wealth of opportunities for pupils to develop into mature individuals.  Performing arts are a very important part of school life. They make a major contribution towards pupils’ excellent spiritual and cultural development.  Attendance has improved because pupils love

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

coming to school.  Leadership, management and governors work together effectively and have played a major part in raising pupils’ achievement and improving the quality of teaching in the current year.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Until recently, not enough pupils reached higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics because they lacked the skills needed to reach these levels.  The quality of pupils’ writing and presentation varies too much and shows some careless mistakes.  Not enough teaching is outstanding because teachers sometimes do not demand enough of their most-able pupils.  Teachers do not give pupils enough information on how to improve when they mark their work, especially in mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 25 lessons, four of which were shared with senior leaders.  Meetings were held with pupils, representatives of the governing body and staff, including senior and subject leaders. There was also a meeting with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of 17 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). They also looked at the school’s own parental questionnaires and spoke informally to parents and carers.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including: the school improvement plan, its policies, information about pupils’ progress and attainment, and how the school sets targets for teachers to improve their work. They also looked at child protection and safeguarding procedures.

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Inspection team

Kath Campbell, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Patrick Walsh Additional Inspector Chris Webb Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  Over three-quarters of pupils come from minority ethnic groups and a high proportion speaks English as an additional language.  A well-above average proportion of pupils are supported by the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free schools meals and those looked after by the local education authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is high.  The school provides care for pupils before and after school that is overseen by the governing body.  More pupils than usual joined the school during Year 6 in the last academic year.  The local authority provides a consultant headteacher to advise and support the school.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the proportion of pupils reaching higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics throughout the school by making sure that:  pupils build up secure basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics as they move through the school so that they are not held back from gaining the more advanced skills they need to reach higher levels  teachers provide even greater challenge for the most-able pupils so that they do not waste time doing work that is too easy for them .

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make teaching outstanding by requiring teachers to:  share and learn from the excellent practice that exists within their own school  use marking consistently well to tell pupils how to improve their work and make sure they act on the advice given  insist that written work is of a consistently good standard and well presented, with no basic spelling mistakes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement of pupils from all ethnic backgrounds is good because leaders are highly focused and successful at accelerating pupils’ progress and raising their attainment. However, in 2013, attainment dipped in both key stages. Results were influenced by more pupils than usual joining the school during Year 6, many of whom had learning and language difficulties, and who did not have time to take full advantage of the good education provided by the school prior to the national tests. The progress of the Year 6 pupils who had attended the school from the start was good.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The downturn in attainment in 2013 prompted swift action by leaders. The school greatly improved the ways in which it monitors pupils’ progress, so that underachievement is identified even earlier. Pupils in most need rapidly receive more help to accelerate their progress in literacy and numeracy and all abilities benefit from well-directed help. Consequently, current attainment has risen and pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Not all most-able pupils consistently reach the levels of which they are capable. However, initiatives, such as the introduction of specialist teaching for talented mathematicians in Year 6, are having an impact on the progress and attainment of these pupils, who are highly motivated by the level of challenge provided.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start the Nursery with low levels of skills, knowledge and understanding. Early language, literacy and social skills are particularly weak. Despite making good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes, many do not reach the expected levels of understanding for their age by the time they move into Year1.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment in reading in 2013 was lower than in writing and mathematics in both key stages. The school responded by more-focused teaching of letters and sounds (phonics) and this has had a very positive impact on pupils’ attainment and progress. Other initiatives involved better resources and the help of volunteers (reading buddies) who regularly hear pupils of all ages read. As a result of the school’s efforts, pupils’ achievement in reading is currently good. Younger pupils, particularly those who speak English as an additional language, have greater confidence to work out unfamiliar words and read without adult support. Older pupils read widely and develop a mature enjoyment of books.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Raising attainment in writing, particularly for the most-able pupils, is a school priority. Senior leaders have worked successfully with staff to raise the proportion of pupils on track to reach higher levels at the end of Key Stage 2. Both pupils and staff have higher expectations of what can be achieved and pupils are now far more confident to use their writing skills in different subjects. Most writing seen during the inspection was of good quality. However, pupils do not always present their work well. Some spell simple words incorrectly and make careless copying mistakes, which prevent them from reaching higher levels.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In order to raise attainment in mathematics, leaders revised the way in which mathematics was taught and monitored learning more closely. Consequently, more pupils are reaching higher levels in Key Stage 2 and achievement in both key stages is good. However, some pupils are still catching up lost ground because they have gaps in their knowledge and struggle with simple calculations.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Adults make sure that any barriers to learning are removed so that every pupil has an equal chance of success. The school has been very successful at closing the gap between its least able pupils and the rest. The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good and tightly monitored. The support provided for individual pupils is of good quality and helps these pupils to achieve well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school uses pupil premium funding very effectively to give eligible pupils more support in their learning. Throughout the school, these pupils are achieving as well as others. In 2013, although some of the pupils eligible for pupil premium funding in Year 6 were working nearly a term behind other pupils in mathematics, the gap had closed completely in reading and writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school uses its sports funding to positive effect on pupils’ achievement. Specialist staff work alongside teachers to develop their expertise as part of teachers’ professional development. Pupils value this input because it not only develops their physical skills, but also contributes to their well-being and healthy lifestyles.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have good subject knowledge and teach literacy and mathematics well because they focus on making sure pupils get exactly the right level of help they need to succeed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Relationships between adults and pupils are positive and contribute greatly to good learning. Pupils want to succeed because they enjoy what they are doing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils with particular needs, especially those who speak English as an additional language, are helped to make rapid progress through well-directed support. The support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good and helps these pupils to enjoy equal success with others.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, staff focus right from the start on developing children’s early language and literacy skills. They take every opportunity to talk with children, particularly with those who speak English as an additional language, about their learning. They provide a wealth of rewarding experiences within an attractive indoor and outdoor learning environment.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The way in which teachers and other adults work together is outstandingly effective. A good example of this was seen in a Year 3 mathematics lesson on multiplication where the teacher carefully assessed pupils’ levels of understanding and the adult who was supporting targeted individual pupils to make sure all pupils improved their work. Pupils were encouraged to try ever- more demanding work as the lesson progressed. Both adults skilfully questioned and guided pupils of all abilities to make good gains in their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 This level of challenge is not there in all teaching. Some teachers do not consistently demand enough from pupils, particularly what they expect of the most-able. Sometimes work is too easy and these pupils do not make as much progress as they could because they waste time on work they already know how to do. Very occasionally, pupils do not respond to teachers’ comments about their written work and repeat the same simple spelling mistakes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of marking has improved, but it is not yet consistently good. Most work is carefully marked and pupils know their targets for improvement. Although there are many examples of helpful marking, some does not give pupils enough guidance on what they need to do to improve their work. Teachers do not always check that pupils respond to the guidance they receive in marked work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils know they are part of a very harmonious and caring community. Pupils’ positive attitudes towards learning also contribute greatly to their good personal development.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are keen and eager to learn. They want to do well and particularly appreciate the wide variety of activities on offer, the out-of-school clubs and the rewards they receive for doing well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage learn to share and wait their turn. They enjoy exploring and playing together because learning is fun and have developed secure social skills by the time they move into Year 1.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Adults and pupils get along well because they like each other. Pupils enjoy talking with their partners in lessons and pupils from different cultures work together well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Occasions, such as assemblies and other gatherings, are uplifting and moving spiritual experiences. Pupils gain much from coming together as a community. They enjoy each other’s company, they sing with quality and enthusiasm and are motivated and inspired to do well. Playtimes are good social occasions.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils who attend the breakfast club enjoy the activities as well as the food on offer. They show respect for the adults who care for them and pupils of different ages and backgrounds get on well together.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Leaders make sure that access to the school is secure and that staff are rigorously checked prior to appointment.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are very aware of what they need to do to keep safe, including when using computers and the internet. In discussion, pupils are clear about different kinds of bullying. Parents and pupils are adamant that incidents of bullying are rare and that any are dealt with swiftly and effectively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The improvement in attendance this year has been a major success for the school. The school keeps a careful check on the attendance of any pupil who may be at risk of falling behind. It continues to work on reducing the numbers of pupils it excludes and there has already been a marked reduction in exclusions this academic year.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong leadership. She has ensured stability over many years and this has allowed the school to thrive and flourish from good teaching and achievement. She is regarded highly by staff, parents and pupils and she has been able to move the school forward at a brisk pace to overcome the difficulties of last year because adults share her strong commitment towards improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Members of the senior leadership team complement each other’s skills well and provide a strong partnership that has improved the quality of teaching. Senior leaders are good role models who increasingly mentor and work alongside their colleagues. Staff say they are supported well in their work by senior staff and know that the quality of this support has led directly to a rise in pupils’ achievement and attainment. However, staff do not have enough opportunity to learn to improve their practice from observing the best teaching in the school.  Teachers have been made more accountable for the standards pupils achieve. Systems for assessing whether pupils are making good progress are effective. Senior leaders monitor pupils’ progress very carefully to make sure teachers are only rewarded with a pay increase if pupils achieve well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school improvement plan and raising-attainment plan, are well directed at key priorities and provide a secure framework for future development.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders have a more accurate view of how well pupils are progressing in their subjects. They know what needs to be done to bring about improvement. The leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage ensure that adults monitor the progress of individual children particularly effectively so that all achieve well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The wide range of rich and diverse learning experiences pupils receive makes a strong contribution to their enjoyment of school. Creative opportunities through music and art feature strongly. Great emphasis is placed on pupils’ personal development and, to this end, a wealth of visits, visitors and out-of-school activities are provided that broaden pupils’ understanding of the wider community and celebrate the different cultures that exist within the school. There are many good examples of literacy and numeracy skills being effectively developed in different subjects, most notably in science and history work.

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The leadership and management are good

 Strong links with parents are an important part of school life. Staff share expertise with other schools, particularly in their performing arts’ work. Parents have many opportunities to participate in their children’s learning. A good example of this can be seen in the ‘Working Together’ initiative which welcomes parents into school to work alongside their children.

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The leadership and management are good

 The primary school sports funding has been used effectively to provide, for example, new paralympic sporting activities, so that the school can make sure all pupils have an equal opportunity to be involved.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority consultant headteacher knows the school well and reviews its work at regular intervals. She has provided strong support for the school during the current academic year in, for example, helping the school to raise attainment levels.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school: – The Chair of the Governing Body is experienced, knowledgeable, well informed and very supportive of the school. Governors monitor the work of the school effectively through, for example, links with subject leaders, reviewing pupils’ work and analysing information about progress. They have a secure knowledge of what is working well and what needs to be improved. They keep up to date with training and make sure that the school meets all statutory safeguarding and other requirements. They are not afraid to challenge leaders or take difficult decisions. Governors know what the quality of teaching is across the school and support the headteacher in making sure that teachers are not rewarded unless their targets for improvement have been met. Currently, they are keeping a very careful check on how effectively pupil premium funding has been used to close the gap between the attainment of

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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 103845 Local authority Dudley Inspection number 439832

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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 Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 595 Appropriate authority The local authority Chair Andrew Wickens Headteacher Lucy Griffiths Date of previous school inspection 23 September 2009 Telephone number 01384 816825 Fax number 01384 816826 Email address info@jessons.dudley.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 and 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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