The Iver Village Junior School

School report The Iver Village Junior School High Street, Iver, Buckinghamshire, SL0 9QA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because:

 Teaching is not consistently good. Too often the progress of pupils is not rapid enough, particularly in writing.  The school has an agreed approach to giving pupils written feedback but this is not used consistently and too often it has little impact on pupils’ learning. Some errors are allowed to persist and this slows pupils’ progress.  Support for pupils with statements of special educational needs is not always reviewed quickly enough to check that it is effective. Consequently the progress of these pupils is not good, particularly in mathematics.  The behaviour of a small minority of pupils is challenging. While the school takes appropriate actions, these are not always recorded and evaluated. The behaviour of other pupils too often relies on reminders from adults about what is expected.  Attendance is below average. The school’s efforts to improve this mean fewer pupils are regularly away from school, but the overall

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because:

attendance has not yet increased.  Many of the senior and middle leaders are new to their roles and have not yet had enough impact within their areas of responsibility.

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The school has the following strengths:

 The headteacher has focused successfully on the most important issues facing the school: eliminating inadequate teaching and improving the behaviour of pupils.  The range of subjects has been developed so that it gives pupils interesting topics to study and the progress of pupils has improved.  Teachers have made sure that the most-able pupils have challenging work to do so the standards they reach have risen. More pupils than average reach the highest standards, particularly in mathematics.  Governors have an accurate view of the school and are supporting the school well to bring about improvements.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors spent time in 17 lessons and observed eight teachers. About a third of these observations were undertaken together with senior leaders from the school.  Inspectors talked with pupils about their learning and looked at the work they were doing in lessons and the work they have done during the year. They spoke to a group of pupils organised by the school, and to others informally during break times. Documents provided by the school were reviewed, including: records about behaviour; teachers’ information about the progress of pupils; teachers’ plans for learning; senior leaders’ plans to bring about improvements; and the school’s policies and procedures to keep pupils safe.  The inspectors held meetings with teachers, governors and with representatives of the local authority. The lead inspector met with members of the governing body and reviewed minutes from their meetings. Inspectors also looked at the school’s records about how additional funding

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Information about this inspection

is spent to benefit eligible pupils.  Inspectors spoke to parents and carers informally before school. The 49 responses to the online survey for Ofsted, Parent View, were considered, as well as the 19 responses to a survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Andrew Saunders, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Najoud Ensaff Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller-than-average size junior school with two classes in most year groups and one class in the current Year 4.  The large majority of pupils are White British. Other pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds, with the largest groups being Indian, Romany or Gypsy, and Any Other White background including Traveller of Irish heritage. There is a small minority of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion who need extra external support or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is average. The school receives additional funding known as pupil premium from the government to help these pupils make as much progress as they can.  In 2013 the school met the current government floor standards, which set the minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There is a children’s centre located adjacent to the school; this is subject to separate inspection arrangements. This centre runs a breakfast club and after-school club which pupils can attend.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching to good or better, and increase the rate and consistency of progress, particularly in writing, by:  raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do and developing pupils’ capacity to persist when they find work difficult  making sure that pupils act on the comments in their marked work and that these comments are of consistently high quality  checking that support provided by additional adults for groups and individuals they are working with is effective in developing pupils’ skills and knowledge.  Improve attendance by working with parents, carers and pupils to ensure they understand the importance of attending school regularly.  Develop the skills of all leaders in bringing about more rapid improvements within the areas they are responsible for, by:  making sure there is clearer oversight of pupils with statements of special educational needs, including monitoring their learning in lessons

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 checking more frequently that agreed actions for improvement, ensuring that pupils know what they need to do next, are being used consistently by all teachers  improving the systems to record and check the impact of the actions the school is taking to encourage good behaviour.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Progress is inconsistent across the school and previous underachievement means some pupils still have ground to make up to be in line with the expectations for their age.  Some pupils who have statements of special educational needs do not make as much progress as they are capable of, particularly in mathematics, because the support they get is not always as well focused as it needs to be. However, most disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to other pupils.  In 2013, pupils who benefit from support through the additional funding from the government reached standards which were well below those of other pupils in the school. In mathematics they were about 18 months behind their peers, in reading they were 15 months behind and in writing they were six months behind. The improved progress this year means the gap has reduced substantially. These pupils are now working at standards which are about three months

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

behind those of other pupils and some are set to reach the highest standards.  The skills and knowledge of pupils when they join the school have been variable, but below average more recently. Across different year groups, progress is inconsistent, particularly in writing. The same is true for pupils from different ethnic backgrounds. The difference in the progress of boys and girls has reduced; they now make similar progress because the work they are given to do is more interesting for all pupils.  In 2013 pupils in Year 6 reached standards which were below average. While they made better progress during Year 6, previous weak teaching meant their progress across Key Stage 2 was poor.  For pupils currently in Year 6 improved teaching means they have recently made better progress, particularly those who are most able. Consequently, almost all pupils have made the expected progress from their starting points, and a higher proportion of pupils than usual have

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

made more rapid progress. However, progress in writing is not as consistent as in reading and mathematics. These pupils are on track to reach standards which are broadly average.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language are helped to develop their confidence and they often make better progress than other pupils.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers do not always expect enough of some pupils and provide support too quickly so that pupils come to rely on the adults. This means some pupils work too slowly and lack a sense of urgency about what they are doing.  On some occasions, pupils get stuck with their work and give up trying because they find it easier to wait for the teacher. Teachers sometimes provide the answers too quickly before pupils have had sufficient opportunity to think for themselves.  The quality of marking remains inconsistent. Too many comments simply confirm what pupils can do and do not help pupils understand anything more about their learning. Some mistakes or misconceptions are allowed to continue for months before pupils understand what needs to change. However, teachers who have taken on board the need for improvement give pupils helpful comments which pupils understand and respond to.  Teaching assistants who support particular pupils or groups of pupils are not always clear how to

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

develop pupils’ skills and knowledge, particularly for those with statements of special educational needs.  Pupils find the topics they study interesting and they say that learning is fun. Teachers have worked together to improve the way they plan lessons. They give pupils a clear idea of what they should be learning during each lesson and provide a list to help them know if they have been successful. However, this is new and there are sometimes too many things included, not all of which are relevant.  Most pupils are given tasks to do which are hard enough because teachers plan for the different needs of pupils in their class. The most-able pupils are helped to know what they need to do in order to reach the highest levels, but they do not always get enough time to do harder work when they are expected to sit through the explanations they do not need.  The majority of parents and carers indicated that they feel their children are taught well. Some

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

parents and carers said that they appreciate how senior leaders have improved teaching.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. The behaviour of a small group of pupils is not good enough at times. Occasionally this disrupts learning because teachers have to spend time dealing with it.  The school has worked closely with a range of other partners to improve the behaviour of these few pupils so they understand the importance of learning themselves and not disrupting the learning of others. There have been improvements for these pupils, the number of incidents the school has to deal with has reduced, and they are more consistently working well in class.  Attendance is below average. The proportion of pupils who are more frequently away from school has reduced considerably, but the overall figures for attendance have not improved this year. The school does make it clear why being at school is important, but not all families have responded to this.  Pupils say that behaviour has improved greatly this year because adults increasingly use the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

same approach and make sure that it is fair for everyone. Those who are well behaved all the time are recognised for this and good behaviour is rewarded.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure requires improvement. Pupils say that they feel safe at school, but occasionally some pupils’ boisterous behaviour can make them feel nervous, for example on the playground. There are areas where pupils can be quieter and a club for pupils who find it difficult to play with others cooperatively to help develop their social skills. The adults who supervise break times provide good opportunities to discuss any conflicts or disagreements and this helps to make break times more positive.  Pupils understand what different forms of bullying there can be, including homophobic bullying. They say that some bullying does occasionally happen. Most pupils believe that it is dealt with effectively. While they know what they need to do about it, some pupils say that not all adults

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

make sure it stops. The school has recently started training staff and pupils how to deal with it more effectively and pupils say that it happens less often than it used to. Some parents also believe that bullying is not always dealt with effectively. Inspectors agreed that the strategies to combat bullying are improving, but need to be even more effective.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Tackling the challenging behaviour and inadequate teaching has taken much of the senior leaders’ time and this means other areas have not improved as quickly as they need to for teaching and progress to be good.  This focus on managing the behaviour of a few pupils means that the overall impact of systems to encourage good behaviour has not been evaluated and some aspects of the school’s approach have become less effective. For example, not all pupils value the token system, used after each lesson.  Senior leaders have, however, made progress in bringing about the improvements that are needed to tackle the issues facing the school. Many of the middle leaders are new to their roles. While they understand what needs to improve, they are not always effective in checking that these new methods are happening in every classroom each day. This means that some strategies that have been agreed with teachers, such as how work is marked and the

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The leadership and management require improvement

expectation that pupils should respond, are not yet implemented consistently.  The curriculum gives pupils interesting and varied opportunities for developing their skills and knowledge because teachers have chosen topics that are exciting for boys and girls. For example, pupils were enjoying doing work based around ‘Construction week’. However, teachers do not always relate pupils’ work to the targets that have been set for them.  Sports coaches provide particularly engaging lessons in a variety of sports. Teachers have developed their confidence in teaching physical education because of opportunities to teach alongside these coaches. The skills and opportunities for pupils to develop their sporting abilities have also improved because of the clubs these coaches and teachers run at lunchtimes and after school.  Visitors, trips and other experiences, including music and sports, provide well for pupils’ spiritual,

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The leadership and management require improvement

moral, social and cultural development. Homework is provided regularly and pupils say this is usually fun to do. The school makes sure that the different heritages represented in the school are celebrated and that groups of pupils have equal opportunities. Leaders are aware that there is still more to do to improve the support for pupils with more complex special educational needs.  Parents and carers have mixed views about the school. Most expressed positive views but a significant minority do not agree that they get enough information about their child’s learning. The school organises opportunities for parents and carers to come into school and see the work their children are doing. This has improved parents’ and carers’ understanding of how they can help their children learn at home. The school has been particularly effective in building links with families from a wide range of backgrounds.  The local authority has provided the school with extra support since the previous inspection and

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The leadership and management require improvement

continues to do so. The headteacher has made sure that most of the issues raised at the previous inspection have been dealt with: assessment is used more effectively to plan work for pupils; most pupils have targets to work towards; the curriculum has been improved; and the new procedures to deal with bullying are beginning to have an impact. As the more difficult issues are resolved, senior leaders are focusing more clearly on the quality of teaching overall.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a realistic view about the work of the school and are clear about the improvements that still need to happen. They provide helpful levels of support, spending time with teachers, pupils and parents and carers to find out more about the school. Governors have made sure they get the training they need to help them evaluate the school’s performance and how this compares with that of other schools.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Governors check that the requirements for keeping pupils safe are met. This includes making sure that the appropriate checks are carried out on adults who work with pupils and that the necessary policies and procedures are in place and reviewed appropriately. Together with the headteacher, they make sure that any decisions about pay awarded to teachers take into account the quality of teaching, to encourage best practice. Governors have tackled a deficit in the budget and have made good inroads towards overcoming this. They make sure that the specific funds to support particular pupils, including those who are eligible for free school meals, are spent carefully and are making a difference.

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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 110239 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 442472

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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 168 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Louise Jones Headteacher Jill Digweed Date of previous school inspection 26–27 September 2012 Telephone number 01753 653059 Fax number 01753 650027 Email address office@ivervillage-jun.bucks.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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