Boughton Leigh Junior School

Boughton Leigh Junior School Wetherell Way, Brownsover, Rugby, CV21 1LT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils achieve well. Standards are above average in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  All groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, make good progress.  Pupils supported by additional funding achieve well. The attainment gap between these and other pupils is closing steadily.  Teaching is improving rapidly. It is now consistently good and sometimes outstanding.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide outstanding leadership. With effective support by leaders at all levels they have significantly improved the quality of teaching since the previous inspection.  Governors have contributed very effectively to raising standards since the previous inspection.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Their great eagerness to learn helps them to get the most out of lessons.  The school provides high quality pastoral care. This ensures that all pupils, including those

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

needing extra personal or emotional support, feel very safe in school and know how to keep safe.  There is a vibrant atmosphere in the school. Very attractive displays of pupils' work stimulate the pupils' interest and motivate them to produce their best efforts.  The school provides a wide range of interesting opportunities outside of lesson, including sports, adventure activities and music that pupils say they appreciate.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teacher’s do not always adjust lessons sufficiently to take account of pupils’ responses and encourage pupils to investigate for themselves.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to explore the creative possibilities arising from their work in mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited all the classrooms and observed all the teachers teaching. They also heard pupils read and looked at the work in their books. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and other senior staff joined inspectors in most of these activities.  Meetings and discussions were held with staff, groups of pupils, governors and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors took into account the 36 responses to the Parent View questionnaires that were available and comments by a number of parents spoken to around the school.  The inspectors examined a range of documents including safeguarding policies and procedures, the school’s view of its own performance, lesson plans and records of the progress of past and current pupils.

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Inspection team

Peter Kerr, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Marion Lloyd Additional Inspector Gillian Scobie Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an above-average sized junior school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is broadly average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The school currently supports an average proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs through school action. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also broadly average  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is broadly average. In this school, this additional funding is allocated for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and looked-after children.  The school meets current government floor standards, which set minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school runs breakfast and after-school clubs.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching from good to outstanding and raise standards from above average to high by:  making sure that all staff are confident enough to change lessons as they proceed when pupils' responses indicate that they could follow up their own ideas to good advantage  ensuring that in all mathematics lessons, pupils consolidate previously learned skills and use the most efficient methods of solving new problems  enriching the pupils' creative development through the exploration of connections between different subjects, especially mathematics, art and music

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils enter Year 3 with broadly average attainment in English and mathematics though there is a wide range. They make good progress to achieve above average standards at the end of Year 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most able pupils make good progress and reach higher levels of attainment, for example by working towards the higher Level 6 in separate lessons. All pupils gain confidence in applying their skills in real-life situations.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils enjoy reading. Younger and lower attaining pupils use their knowledge of letter sounds well to tackle new words while more able and older pupils read widely and confidently.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils express themselves well. This is reflected in the good quality writing in their books and on displays. Their grammar, punctuation and spelling is good, reflecting an improvement on average attainment in 2013, and they use adventurous words and sentences in their writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils use their literacy and numeracy skills well in other subjects. They have good computer skills and use these confidently to support their learning. They respond enthusiastically to lessons on computer programming.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because their tasks are set at the right level. Very effective individualised support outside of lessons for the few pupils with the most significant needs and lowest attainment enables them to make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school uses its additional pupil premium funding well to provide wide-ranging support for those for whom it is intended. As a result, the gap in attainment between these and other pupils is reducing. In 2013 they were two and a half terms behind their classmates in English and mathematics combined. By spring 2014 this gap had reduced to less than one and a half terms.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The gap is closing more rapidly in reading and mathematics than in writing, but for pupils in this group who do not have specific special educational needs related to writing, progress is good in all three subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils whose first language is not English achieve well. They quickly settle in and learn the rudiments of English because of appropriate support and soon begin to make good progress in their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The work in pupils' books shows that occasionally they put forward interesting ideas that are not followed up. For example, a pupil had suggested in writing up a science experiment that lung capacity was linked to a person’s height, but had not gone on to test this hypothesis.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The specialised coaching and extended games activities purchased with the primary sports funding allocated to the school have led to increased enthusiasm among pupils for physical education and sport and clear improvement in their skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils taking musical instrument lessons learn well, and those joining the choir enjoy singing. Musical skills for all pupils, such as composing and performing simple pieces, are not so well developed.  Pupils talk enthusiastically about the investigative work they have done in number. For example, Year 6 pupils explained in detail how they had produced the large display of Eratosthenes’ method of finding prime numbers. They have done limited creative work with shapes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently at least good and is sometimes outstanding. This reflects senior leaders success in eradicating inadequate teaching and supporting all teachers to improve.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All teachers have high expectations and plan lessons that systematically build on the pupils’ previous learning. Good teamwork between teaching assistants and teachers make a strong contribution to the pupils’ learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers question pupils carefully to make sure they have understood what is being taught. Some outstanding examples were seen of teachers giving pupils maximum time and encouragement to fully explain their answers.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Sometimes staff do not pay sufficient attention to pupils' responses and continue the lesson as planned when pupils could learn more by exploring the ideas they have raised themselves.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All aspects of English are taught well. Teachers all convey an enthusiasm for reading and ensure that pupils read as often as possible and have any support needed to ensure that they read fluently.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers encourage pupils to speak correctly and this has a positive impact on their writing. Many examples of pupils' written work are of an exceptionally high standard in content, style and neatness.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Consistently good teaching in mathematics has brought attainment up to above average since the previous inspection. The pupils' books show a very good range of work and many pupils say they enjoy the subject because lessons are so interesting.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The work on display around the school reflects the rich variety of activities that lessons provide. Literacy is particularly well represented and number work also features prominently.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of art on display is very good, but there are few examples of art and design work that originates in mathematical ideas and this limits the pupils' creativity in both subjects.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils are lively and engaged because they enjoy school. As one pupil put it, every year is more challenging and more fun. The atmosphere in the school is always orderly and purposeful. Pupils like the fact that consistently good behaviour is rewarded through the ‘good to be green’ system.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ eagerness to learn, willingness to co-operate with and help each other and powers of perseverance help them to get the most out of lessons. They talk with great enthusiasm about the opportunities provided, including literacy and numeracy lessons. For example one boy said that the best thing about this school is literacy – ‘you get fun things to write about’.  The school’s work to keep the pupils safe and secure is outstanding and pupils feel very safe in school. When asked about bullying in the school, pupils show that they fully understand what bullying is and what forms it can take. They say that it is something that happens seldom if at all in their school and that if anyone is unkind to other pupils, the staff deal with it straight away.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Attendance is above average. A number of pupils have home circumstances that make it difficult to achieve full attendance and good punctuality. The school provides highly effective support to these pupils so that they attend school as punctually and often as possible.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Safeguarding arrangements meet requirements.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 A wide range of very effective support mechanisms meet the changing and varied needs of pupils and who find it difficult to handle their emotions. The nurture room is used very effectively. It strikes a good balance between offering a safe haven for such pupils and helping them to integrate more purposefully into the classroom. It also helps to prepare these pupils for the transition into secondary school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school provides a very homely environment for pupils. They know that the all staff care for them as individuals and this helps them to feel safe and secure.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils look after each other. The mentoring system ensures that all Year 3 pupils starting the school already have an older friend in Year 6 to look out for them. Pupils say they appreciate this.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher’s leadership is outstanding and the deputy headteacher and two assistant headteachers give outstanding support. The leaders of literacy and numeracy also make a strong contribution to school improvement.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school places a strong emphasis on equality of opportunity. Success and achievement for all are celebrated in highly stimulating displays. Staff from other local schools have visited the school to learn from its approach.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The coaching structure, led by the deputy headteacher, has been central to the school’s success in improving the quality of teaching since the previous inspection. Teachers working with senior leaders to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and plan for their professional development. Inadequate teaching has been eliminated and all teachers share an ambition for excellence. Individual teachers speak very highly of the impact of this system on their self-confidence and effectiveness in the classroom.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The leaders of literacy and numeracy have been effective in raising standards and improving the quality of teaching in their subjects since the previous inspection. This is evident in the consistency of marking in pupils' books and the upward trend in attainment and progress. Other leaders ensure consistency in the range and quality of the pupils learning across all subjects.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The local authority has worked successfully with the school since the previous inspection to build confidence and strengthen leadership systems. It now considers the school capable of sustained improvement, a view shared by the school’s independent advisor and endorsed by this inspection.  The school curriculum caters for a wide range of interests and strongly promotes the pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are encouraged to reflect. They show a good awareness of the need to value every individual equally and an appreciation of the diversity of cultural influences in the world they are growing up in.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school uses extra sports funding well to widen opportunities for the pupils to try out different sports and develop a better appreciation of the importance of physical exercise to their personal well-being. Staff appreciate learning from the expertise of sports specialists.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Very few parents completed the Parent View online survey. The returns of the school’s own questionnaire are very positive and the parents spoken to during the inspection have a good opinion of the school. They were particularly appreciative of the steps taken to limit and control traffic flow around the school at the beginning and end of the school day.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Governors have very effectively challenged and supported the school to improve since the previous inspection. They have a good understanding of data on pupils' performance and ensure that the headteacher makes improvements to progress where needed.  Through regular visits the governors check the effectiveness of actions taken. For example, they noted the increasing number of parents attending reward assemblies following the success of the good to be green awards.  Governors make sure that performance management operates effectively and that pay is linked to the performance of staff and their management responsibilities. They strongly support the new leadership and management structure and appreciate how it has improved the morale of staff and quality of teaching.  The budget is managed effectively and governors are aware of how the pupil premium is being spent to support eligible pupils’ progress and raise their attainment.

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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 125598 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 442575

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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 Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 398 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tim Dedman Headteacher Carl Thornton Date of previous school inspection 24 October 2012 Telephone number 01788 577914 Fax number 01788 571922 Email address admin2590@welearn365.com 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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