Caister Junior School

Caister Junior School Kingston Avenue, Caister-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, NR30 5ET

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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 Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Standards at the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics have improved since the last inspection and are now above average.  Pupils of all abilities are now making good progress.  Teaching is mostly good and this enables pupils of all abilities to learn well.  Teachers use information about pupils’ progress well to identify those in danger of falling behind and give extra support when it is needed.  Pupils enjoy coming to school. Attendance is above average.  Relationships between pupils and staff are good. There is a very positive climate in the school. Pupils behave well in and out of lessons. They feel safe in school.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development well.  The headteacher and senior management team work well together. They have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and have been successful in raising the quality

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

of teaching and improving achievement.  Governors know the school well. Their good support has also helped to improve teaching and achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always make effective use of the time available in lessons to ensure all groups of pupils make good progress.  Teachers do not routinely have opportunities to observe or learn from each other’s work, in order to improve their skills.  When they mark pupils’ work, teachers do not always correct mistakes or give clear advice on how to improve it.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching in 13 lessons. Two of these were jointly observed with the headteacher and assistant headteacher. In addition, the inspectors made short visits to ‘catch up’ lessons held before school.  Inspectors observed behaviour at playtimes and attended a school assembly.  Meetings and discussions took place with the headteacher and senior leaders, governors, pupils, staff and a local authority representative.  Samples of pupils’ work were examined. Some pupils read books with the inspectors.  The inspectors scrutinised a variety of documents, including the school’s own evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses, the school development plan, checks on pupils’ attainment and progress, behaviour records, attendance data, details of the monitoring of teachers’ performance, and policies aimed at keeping pupils safe.  The views of 63 parents and carers were analysed through the ‘Parent View’ website and two

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Information about this inspection

letters received. In addition, inspectors took account of the results of the school’s recent questionnaire for parents and carers and talked to parents informally at the beginning of the school day.  The views expressed by the 37 staff who returned questionnaires were also considered.

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Inspection team

Frances Le Pla, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lynn Lowery Additional Inspector John Mason Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized junior school.  Most pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is similar to the national average. This funding is provided for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, or in local authority care.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported by school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or by a statement of special educational needs is also above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching by:  making full use of the time available in lessons to engage pupils and help all groups to progress well  creating more opportunities for teachers to share and benefit from each other’s skills  marking work carefully, correcting mistakes and giving pupils clear guidance on what they need to do to improve it  checking carefully to make sure pupils act on the advice given when their work is marked.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils join the school with skills and abilities that are broadly average for their age. The work in their books and lessons and the school’s detailed records confirm that most pupils now achieve well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement in all subjects is rising. In 2013 standards in in reading, writing and mathematics were similar to the national averages. This year, standards in Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics are on track to be above the 2013 national averages with more pupils reaching the higher levels.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Performance in the 2013 Year 6 English grammar, punctuation and spelling test was below average. As a result of better teaching and additional support for those who need it, pupils are now doing much better. Almost all of the current Year 6 pupils are on track to reach the expected standard this year, with many reaching the higher level.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because of the early identification of their learning needs and appropriate support to help them. Pupils who attend the small ‘Sealife’ nurture group benefit from additional support which helps them to gain confidence to work with others when they return to their classes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most able pupils achieve well across the school and do particularly well in writing and mathematics in Year 6. They receive good support, especially in mathematics, where they are taught by teachers who have had additional training in the subject. This year more pupils are expected to reach the highest Level 6 in their work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils read accurately, although some of the least able lack fluency and expression. When confronted by an unfamiliar word, pupils are able to use their knowledge of letter sounds to successfully read the word.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school uses the pupil premium funding wisely to provide a range of support, including catch- up classes in reading, writing and mathematics, and mentoring for those who need it. As a result, the attainment gap between the supported pupils and others is closing rapidly. In 2013, in the Year 6 tests, they were on average approximately two terms behind their classmates in mathematics and writing, and a term behind in reading. Eligible pupils now typically make progress that is similar to and often better than that of others in the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is improving and most is good. As a result, achievement has improved. Teachers have established very good relationships with pupils, show high expectations for good behaviour and manage classes well. This leads to a very calm and cooperative atmosphere in lessons.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers display good knowledge of the subjects they teach, and make clear to pupils what they are going to learn.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan activities that engage pupils’ interest, devising tasks that are linked to their own experiences. Year 4 pupils, for example, made good progress in developing their measuring and estimating skills when the teacher asked them to estimate and then check the size of objects in the classroom.  Teachers often use skilful questioning to make pupils think harder or give fuller explanations for their answers, which extends their understanding. The teacher’s questions in an English lesson prompted Year 6 pupils to reflect deeply on the arguments for and against allowing 10- and 11- year-olds to use the internet before they planned their piece of persuasive writing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Classrooms are stimulating workplaces and feature bright displays of information from a range of subjects including science and geography. These often include key words to develop the pupils’ vocabulary and support them in their extended writing activities such as descriptions of life in Africa.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers regularly review pupils’ progress, and any in danger of falling behind are quickly identified and given additional support to help them catch up. Teaching assistants work well with class teachers and are effective in enabling pupils who have additional needs to make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In some cases, teachers do not make the most effective use of available time in lessons. Some activities are not very interesting or go on too long. As a result some pupils become restless and lose concentration, and do not complete their work in their books.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ marking does not always give pupils clear enough advice on how they can improve their work. Teachers do not always correct misconceptions, especially in mathematics, or identify spelling mistakes when they mark pupils’ work. Even where mistakes are identified and advice is given, teachers do not do enough to make sure that pupils have made corrections or acted on their advice to speed up learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school is a ‘Rights and Respect’ school and these values are evident in the strong and positive relationships. The behaviour of pupils is good. They say they like their teachers, find lessons interesting and get on well with each other. They are polite and courteous to each other and to visitors to the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have good attitudes to learning. In lessons, pupils are usually fully engaged with their work, attentive and keen to do their best. They work together sensibly in pairs or small groups and regularly share ideas. Occasionally, when the lessons are not very interesting, a few pupils begin to lose interest and are more easily distracted.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils play well together at break times. The older pupils take their roles as Play Leaders and Lunchtime Marshalls seriously. They keep an eye out for any disagreements among pupils to make sure everyone is happy, and sensibly sort out the play equipment at the end of break.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. All staff have been checked as required and are trained appropriately to keep pupils safe from harm. Playtimes are well supervised by staff. ‘Pastoral mentors’ give good support to pupils who find it difficult to mix with others. Pupils have a good understanding of safety-related issues, including how to keep safe when using the internet.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Some parents raised concerns about the way the school deals with bullying. Inspectors looked into these concerns, but found no evidence to support them. Pupils say that bullying is rare and the school records support this view. Pupils have a good understanding of the various forms in which bullying can occur, such as name-calling, and they are confident that when these incidents do happen, staff will deal with matters quickly and effectively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Absences are followed up promptly. Pupils’ attendance has risen to above the national average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership team, fully supported by the governing body, focuses closely and effectively on continually improving teaching and pupils’ achievement. As a result, more teaching is now good and achievement is rising.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. As a result, the school improvement plan is well focused on the most important areas for improvement and progress towards achieving objectives is regularly checked.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders check the quality of teaching regularly and systematically using a wide range of evidence, including lesson observations, teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. They have set clear expectations, linked to the national Teachers’ Standards, of what they expect to see in lessons. All teachers are set meaningful targets to improve pupils’ progress and this is making a positive contribution to the improvements in teaching and achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders have good opportunities to undertake the responsibilities they have for managing the way their subjects are taught. They conduct lesson observations with senior managers, and have recently begun to identify elements of teaching that lead to the most effective learning in order to help colleagues sharpen their skills. However, such sharing of skills is still at an early stage of development and it is too soon to see the impact.

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The leadership and management are good

 The friendly but purposeful atmosphere of the school is maintained by all staff. Teachers meet with leaders regularly to check the latest information about pupils’ achievement so that extra support can be provided promptly for any pupils who look as though they are not doing well enough.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school provides a broad range of subjects with good opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy and numeracy skills, especially in the work they do in science, history and geography. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through subjects. They use their imagination in art lessons to picture what Mars might look like, and subjects such as religious education raise their awareness of different faiths. In history and geography, pupils find out about life in the past, for example in Ancient Greece, and life in other parts of the world such as China and Africa.

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The leadership and management are good

 The primary school sports funding is used effectively. There is now a greater range of sports available in school and external coaches have been brought in to run games sessions for all pupils. Staff have attended training courses to develop their expertise in teaching sports. All pupils are involved in sporting activities, with the consequent benefits for their health and fitness.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school ensures that all pupils have an equal opportunity to succeed. Pupil premium funding is used effectively to enhance the life experiences of eligible pupils, such as through subsidising trips and residential visits.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided a good level of support and challenge. Since the previous inspection it has included the school in the ‘Norfolk to good and great’ project, which has included visits to other schools and support from local leaders of education. This work has contributed to the improvements in teaching and achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body has an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and how much progress has been made to reach the targets for 2014. The governors visit the school regularly and report on what they have seen. They provide strong support to the school and hold leaders to account for its performance. As a result, the governing body is influential in making sure the school is improving. They are keen to improve their effectiveness and recently undertook an audit of their skills. The governors know how the additional pupil premium and primary sports funding is being spent and ask questions to check their impact. They are aware of the quality of teaching and ensure effective management of staff performance. They are involved in decisions about whether teachers should receive pay rises in relation to meeting targets linked to pupils’ progress. Governors are committed to ensuring

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The leadership and management are good

pupils are safe and meet their statutory duties, including those for safeguarding.

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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 120795 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 442046

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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 346 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dave Dibb Headteacher Coral Brinklow Date of previous school inspection 7 November 2012 Telephone number 01493 728223 Fax number 01493 728672 Email address office@caisterjunior.norfolk.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

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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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