Bilton CofE Junior School

Bilton CofE Junior School Plantagenet Drive, Bilton, Rugby, CV22 6LB

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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.  Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has been above the national averages for the past 3 years.  Pupils make good progress in all subjects during their time at the school and leave with standards that are consistently above average.  Teacher’s plan and deliver imaginative and interesting lessons that enable all pupils to be successful learners.  Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. Teachers plan activities which are stimulating. Pupils are highly motivated to try their best. They are effectively engaged in their learning.  Pupils feel safe in school and they are polite and courteous to each other. The school makes sure they understand risk and know how to keep themselves safe.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are identified quickly and appropriate support is provided to remove any barriers to learning.  Most pupils behave very well in classrooms and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

in other areas of the school. Pupils are courteous and polite to each other. Attendance has risen consistently and is above average.  The headteacher has a clear vision for improving the school further. Leaders hold teachers fully to account for the quality of their teaching and consequently, pupils’ achievement is good and improving.  Governors have a very good knowledge of how well the school is performing and they are developing their ability to challenge leaders to improve the school further.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers sometimes do not adapt activities when pupils show they can do the work. Their learning is not always moved on at a fast enough pace.  Marking is not always clear about what pupils’ need to do to improve. Pupils are not given enough time to correct mistakes or improve their work.  Very occasionally, behaviour slips below the high standards the school expects. Communication between the school and parents is not always good enough to resolve parents’ concerns quickly.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 18 lessons or parts of lessons. A number of these lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  Meetings and discussions took place with the headteacher and deputy, pupils, subject leaders, leaders in charge of special educational needs, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, and the Learning Improvement Officer from the local authority.  Inspectors scrutinised a variety of school documents including: the school’s self-evaluation and improvement planning; behaviour records; risk assessments; and documents relating to the work of the governing body and the management of teachers’ performance.  They also examined the safeguarding procedures and records relating to fire practices, accidents to pupils and first aid training.  The views of the 62 parents, who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View, were taken into account together with two letters and two telephone messages.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors also considered the views expressed in 22 questionnaires returned by school staff.  Samples of pupil’s work from all classes and year groups were examined.  Some pupils read books to the inspectors.

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Inspection team

Michael Appleby, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Heather Phillips Additional Inspector Kerrise James Additional Inspector Judith Tulloch Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Bilton Junior is a larger than average three-form entry junior school.  Most pupils are White British.  The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those speaking English as an additional language are below average.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium is below average. A very small minority of pupils are eligible for this additional funding, which is made available for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported at school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Eliminate the very small proportion of teaching which is occasionally less than good, and secure more outstanding teaching by making sure that:  all teachers adapt activities in lessons in response to pupils’ current levels of understanding, so that work is suitably challenging and secures rapid progress over time  all teachers ensure that pupils’ written work in all subjects is always to the highest standard of which they are capable  the guidance given to pupils through marking is clear and shows them how to improve  pupils act on the advice they are given in marking and that teachers check that they do so  teachers use the school’s behaviour management systems consistently to ensure all behaviour is at least good.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve communication with parents so that they are confident that the school will respond positively to any concerns that they raise and act quickly to resolve the problem or worry.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils start Year 3 with results in reading, writing and mathematics from their infant schools that are often above average. Their subsequent progress is good in each year group and attainment is above average when they leave the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The proportions of pupils making and exceeding expected progress, in English and mathematics compare favourably with national figures.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has risen in the last three years and continues to be above national averages. Writing has been improved by pupils being given regular opportunities to practise their writing skills in other subjects and sensible use of well-planned topic work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2013 the proportion of pupils who reached the higher levels in reading and mathematics was above average at the end of Key Stage 2, and attainment in writing was average. Current work in pupils’ books shows that pupils are on track to reach these high standards again.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils made slower progress in writing than they did in reading or mathematics last year. However, their progress in writing is now rapidly improving. Evidence from this inspection shows that more-able pupils are currently making better than expected progress in writing, as well as in their other subjects, across the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar skills are taught very effectively which is evident in the good writing seen across the year groups. The school’s results for the test of grammar, punctuation and spelling in 2013 were significantly above the national average at both level 4 and 5.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ reading skills are good. They have a keen interest in books and are knowledgeable about different authors and the types of book available for them in the school. Pupils of all abilities read with fluency and accuracy.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2012 and 2013 only a very small number of pupils in Year 6 were eligible for support through the pupil premium. At that time they were approximately two terms behind in mathematics and a term behind in reading and writing. School data for 2014 and the inspectors’ scrutiny of books show that, across the school, this group of pupils currently makes similar progress to their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupil premium funding is used well and has been effective in narrowing the gap between these pupils’ attainment and that of their peers this year.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The Sports Premium funding is being used creatively and is having a measureable impact on pupils’ progress and enjoyment in physical education through raised participation levels. It has also been used to improve teachers' skills through training.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs has been significantly revised over the last two years. Identifying and providing for their needs has been improved across the school. Most disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are now making good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most parents and carers who responded to Parent View, or who spoke with inspectors during the inspection, believe that their child makes good progress at the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good teaching has resulted in good progress and attainment for pupils of all abilities. There is some variation in teaching quality between classes but the work seen in most pupils’ books for this year shows that teaching has led to most pupils producing work of a high standard in all year groups.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teachers make consistently good use of questioning to check and extend pupils’ understanding and give clear instructions at the start of activities to ensure pupils know exactly what is expected of them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers create a positive and purposeful climate for learning in their classrooms. Pupils talk positively about how they enjoy lessons and how the teachers ‘support us’ and are ‘kind and help us learn’. They especially enjoy educational events, such as the visits to the Forest school, Lunt Roman Fort and the Leamington Music Festival that took place during the inspection.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lesson activities are frequently imaginative and well-planned. In a Year 6 lesson pupils were engaged and enthused by a writing task about their recent residential trip to France. Pupils of all abilities enjoyed sharing and discussing their ideas together and then used the teacher’s good modelling to guide their own writing. The pupils who needed it received good support through appropriately targeted questioning and well-chosen resources which enabled them to make good progress. More-able pupils were encouraged to write detailed and well-phrased accounts and responded to the challenge they had been set very well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In all classes there is a positive climate for learning. Pupils are engaged by the activities they are set, contribute readily to what is discussed and are realistic in their assessments of how well they are doing. In a Year 5 English lesson the teacher’s high expectations of the pupils and good use of carefully crafted questions enabled pupils of all abilities to accurately evaluate their work in drama.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the most effective teaching, teachers and support adults kept the pupils interested through careful monitoring of their progress, good feedback and positive encouragement. An example of this was an impressive Year 4 music lesson where some pupils were playing brass instruments while others played percussion instruments to a piece of music on a CD. The teacher made sure every pupil knew exactly how well he or she was performing and how to improve their performance.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is not yet outstanding because teachers do not always adapt the lesson activities when pupils show they can do the work and need to move on. When this happens, a few pupils lose interest in their lessons and their behaviour falters. The standard of presentation in most pupil’s books is excellent for all subjects, but this is not the case for all pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Although a new marking policy has been introduced there are inconsistencies in its application in different classes. There is good quality marking in some classes but not all teachers give pupils enough clear guidance about how to improve their work or encourage pupils to respond to the marking. This means they do not always learn from their mistakes and misunderstandings quickly enough.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Relationships between pupils and adults are positive. Pupils are polite, kind and courteous. Most pupils behave well, which ensures little learning time is lost in lessons.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. A very large majority of parents who responded to the on-line questionnaire, Parent View, agree that pupils are safe and well cared for. Pupils unanimously told inspectors that they enjoy school and feel very safe.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils show good attitudes to learning in most lessons and are keen to improve and complete their work. Behaviour between pupils observed in lessons, around the building and at break- times was calm, considerate and harmonious. However, not all pupils take enough care with the way they present their work, which is not always as neat as it should be.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a good knowledge of different types of bullying, including cyber bullying. They know what to do in the event of any incidents and feel that they would be quickly addressed. There is a very good understanding of e-safety across all the year groups. Although a large majority of parents feel the school deals effectively with bullying some parents do not agree. The pupils inspectors spoke to in meetings and break-times said there was very little or no bullying.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The Home-School Support worker, funded by the pupil premium, has had a considerable impact on the behaviour, engagement and attendance of pupils who have barriers to their learning. Attendance, consequently, is above average overall and rising.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of pupils is a core part of the school’s curriculum and the importance the school gives to it is evident in the good behaviour and attitudes shown by the vast majority of pupils. Pupils are given many opportunities to work in pairs and small groups requiring co-operation to complete a task. They learn about different cultures and faiths. They take part in a good variety of inter-school events.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 A small amount of behaviour needs improvement in upper Key Stage 2. Pupils reported that sometimes learning is affected by a few pupils who misbehave and this was also the view of some parents who responded on Parent View. The school has put support and guidance in place and are reviewing its behaviour management systems to ensure that behaviour is dealt with consistently well in all classes.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides clear and purposeful leadership which is having a positive impact on the school’s drive to accelerate pupils’ progress in reading, writing and in mathematics. There is comprehensive collection of data which enables the senior management team to assess how much progress is being made by individual pupils, classes and year groups.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is supported by a strong leadership team and an active governing body who all share a commitment to improve the progress and attainment of all pupils. The performance of staff is managed well. All teachers are set targets which relate to the progress made by the pupils in their class. Teachers are held accountable for the progress of their pupils in order to achieve the next salary level.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leaders of English and mathematics have a clear picture of standards in their subjects. They are fully involved in using attainment data, work scrutiny and visits to lessons to identify areas in need of improvement and to give advice and support when needed.

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The leadership and management are good

 Monitoring of teaching is rigorous. Aspects of teaching that are not good are followed up in further observations and through the scrutiny of pupils’ work to make sure that improvements are quickly made.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is broad and interesting, and pupils benefit from a range of rich experiences in school and through visits. The school takes advantage of the natural links between subjects which has improved standards of writing in particular. Teacher’s’ curriculum planning is discussed with pupil ‘Learning Ambassadors’ who give their ideas and views on proposed activities and visits.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership by the two leaders for special needs is strong. They accurately assess and make provision for these pupils, which removes the barriers that adversely affect their learning. The special needs leaders meet regularly with the class teachers to monitor provision and give advice. Links with parents and outside agencies have been improved and this has resulted in these pupils making better progress than in previous years.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school makes very good use of its pupil premium funding and provides very effective intervention and support to pupils and their families. The success of these actions is evident in the improved progress and attendance of pupils eligible for this funding.

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The leadership and management are good

 Most parents who replied to Parent View indicated they are fully supportive of the school and believe it takes great care to ensure their children are happy and safe and achieve well. A number of parents, however, feel that the school does not communicate quickly enough with parents or respond to their concerns when difficulties arise.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides good quality guidance and advice to the school, helping to ensure that the school is able to access support if required.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body knows the strengths of the school and how well it is performing when compared to similar schools and to schools nationally. Governors are working closely with the headteacher to set high expectations for the whole school community. They are keen to develop pupils as high-achieving, rounded individuals who are ready for the next stage of education. They are developing their skills to challenge and question the school over the progress made by pupils. They make appropriate use of the school’s self-evaluation to decide on the use of funding, including that for pupil premium and primary sports, and makes sure that allocated funding is having a positive effect on eligible pupils’ learning. Governors have a sound knowledge of the quality of teaching in school and visit lessons regularly. They ensure that the school’s performance management systems are used to reward good teachers and to

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The leadership and management are good

tackle weaker teaching. The governor with responsibility for special needs support plays a significant role in monitoring and supporting the quality of support for these pupils. Governors ensure all safeguarding requirements are met in full.

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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 125682 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 442570

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Junior School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 411 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Simmonds Headteacher Andrew Edwards Date of previous school inspection 07 November 2012 Telephone number 01788 810675 Fax number 01788 522576 Email address office@biltonjuniorschool.co.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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