Barton Junior School

Barton Junior School Barton Road, Dover, Kent, CT16 2ND

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Barton Junior School is a community in which pupils feel secure and safe. This environment, together with good teaching, allows them to achieve well.  In the most recent tests at the end of Key Stage 2 pupils achieved standards which were in line with those seen nationally, having started at the academy with very low attainment. They were well supported by their teachers and study support managers.  Pupils generally behave well and are respectful of their teachers. They say they enjoy learning and have positive attitudes to the topics they study, which are based around their interests.  Teaching is typically good and occasionally outstanding. There are good relationships in the classroom which encourage pupils to be involved in their learning and develop independence.  Leadership within the academy is focused on ensuring that all groups of pupils reach their potential. Support for disadvantaged pupils helps

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

them to achieve well. Their needs are met and they benefit from the encouragement they receive.  Leaders have a clear vision. They monitor and evaluate carefully to secure this vision. This is well demonstrated by their approach to the new curriculum and to assessing the progress of the pupils.  Most teachers plan interesting activities, generally making good use of pupils’ previous learning and incorporating skills which help them to make progress in literacy, numeracy and communication.  All leaders check the quality of teaching rigorously and follow pupils’ progress closely. Teachers and study support managers regularly adapt their planning and support so that all pupils in their care make good progress.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always give all pupils work which is hard enough or ensure that tasks are understood so that pupils can settle to their work and use time effectively.  The progress of pupils is not consistently rapid in the school as not enough teaching is outstanding.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed nine lessons, five of which were seen together with members of the senior leadership team. They also carried out two learning walks. They looked at pupils’ written work and met with a group of pupils. An inspector listened to pupils reading and discussed their reading habits with them.  The inspectors held discussions with school staff, the Chief Executive Officer of the academy trust and a member of the Board of Directors.  The inspectors looked carefully at safeguarding documentation, information about pupils’ progress, self- evaluation documents and the academy development plans  Inspectors took account of the 38 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire (Parent View), informal discussions with parents and two letters received from parents.  Inspectors also considered the views expressed in a questionnaire returned by 16 members of staff.

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Inspection team

Josephine Lewis, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Barton Junior School converted to become an academy school on 1 June 2012. When its predecessor school, Barton Junior School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  It is a smaller than average academy with two classes in each year from Year 3 to Year 6.  The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage. There are fewer pupils than average who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs (mostly speech, language and communication needs) supported through school action is above average, as is the proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (extra government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children in local authority care and other groups) is above average.

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Information about this school

 The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The academy runs a breakfast club.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching and further accelerate pupils’ progress by making sure that all teachers:  use time effectively to ensure that every pupil makes very rapid progress and learns successfully in every lesson  fully stretch pupils of the highest ability and support those of lowest ability, so that work is at the right level of difficulty in order for them to achieve well.

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The leadership and management are good

 Managers and directors work closely as a team and are all involved in creating an environment in which good behaviour is the norm. They communicate their high expectations and through regular monitoring ensure that teaching is typically good.  The curriculum is broad and balanced. The profile of the arts is particularly high and is supported well by specialist teachers. Mathematics and English are taught discretely and are incorporated into specific topics which are driven by the pupils and closely relate to their interests. Teaching, together with daily reading, ensure that pupils make good progress in literacy.  The academy has been part of the government-funded ‘Social Action Project’ locally, over the past year. This has been integral to the pupils’ development in understanding British values and social action and has exposed them to talks from professionals. They have also been involved in setting up an enterprise and

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The leadership and management are good

gained knowledge of all the processes involved.  School assemblies contribute well to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. One assembly observed focused on different types of children through the medium of sweets. This helped pupils’ understanding of others and encouraged them to be respectful, kind and considerate to all.  Checks on how well pupils are doing are frequent and rigorous. There is a focus, for example, on work scrutiny in mathematics for a specific year group, and an expert from within the federation is involved. Decisions are made about improvements and immediately put into action.  Leaders and directors have an accurate understanding of the academy, recognising both its strengths and weaknesses. Their determination to improve standards and the learning for all pupils is shared by all staff. They link evidence from training, performance management, development planning and outcomes, which

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The leadership and management are good

includes feedback from staff, and have thus set up a system so that the needs of the academy and staff are matched closely. This system, together with their thorough self-evaluation, ensures that the academy’s actions are carefully planned, concerted and effective.  Middle leaders are enthusiastic and effective in their role and support new colleagues so that they all can make an impact in their subjects. They check the work of their subject teams carefully and are involved in all developments within the academy.  Disadvantaged pupils achieve well and make good progress. This is because the additional funding has been used effectively. For example, the deployment of a study support manager for each class ensures that pupils who have been absent may catch up in their learning and that groups of pupils are encouraged to concentrate and engage with what they are being taught thus securing improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The primary physical education and sports premium provides leadership opportunities and allows pupils to join with other schools. It is used to employ coaches and gives all year groups the opportunity to go swimming. It is also used to engage the least active pupils in ‘Change4Life’ which helps them to understand the importance of regular exercise.  The academy’s arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory requirements. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained in identifying pupils at risk of harm and respond appropriately.  The governance of the school:  The Chief Executive Officer works with the Board of Directors and, together with the Principal, is accountable to the Board. This ensures that their joint role is effective.  The Chief Executive Officer and the Board have been trained in the use of pupil premium funding. They also have a very clear understanding of the deployment of financial resources which results in effective

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The leadership and management are good

staff and resources deployment within the academy.  They know about the quality of teaching, the use of performance data and performance management through their weekly meetings. They are clear about the fact that they reward good performance and tackle underperformance.  The Chief Executive Officer and the Board have worked particularly hard with the local community to help those concerned to have a clear understanding of their expectations for the academy.  As a result of their systematic challenge of senior leaders, the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement have improved. The challenge has a greater impact because of the team working of the senior leaders with those to whom they are accountable.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Their positive attitudes to learning have a good impact on the progress they make.  There are no well-founded concerns expressed by parents, staff and pupils about behaviour and safety.  Pupils are respectful of their teachers. The good relationships which they develop with their teachers and other adults, particularly with the study support managers, help them to improve. It also generates a positive ethos within the academy.  When there are occasional disruptions to lessons and less than good behaviour, it is dealt with well. The academy uses a counsellor to remove barriers to learning quickly. The counsellor works with individual pupils to help remove the impact of external issues which are affecting their ability to focus and to help them to concentrate in lessons. The parent and pupil support officer works to improve communications so that expectations of good behaviour become embedded.

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Behaviour

 In most lessons pupils respond quickly to the instructions and requests made by their teacher and study support manager. This allows lessons to run smoothly and not only helps them to stay focused but also helps them to concentrate and become involved with what they are learning.  Pupils have a good awareness of different forms of bullying and they say that bullying does not occur. This agrees with the academy’s records. Pupils are also aware of risk and know who they can talk to when they are worried about something.  Overall absence has reduced over the last two years and is now within national averages. Persistent absence is low as the academy identifies this early and puts interventions in place.  There is a happy atmosphere in the breakfast club with confident children who enjoy playing with their friends.

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Safety

 The academy’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils say they feel completely safe, and their parents agree. E-safety is a regular topic at assemblies and all protections are fully in place. Pupils have an impressive understanding of how to deal with risks, especially when using the internet.  Pupils are totally confident that, if they have cause for worry, a member of staff will help them. Teachers and other adults have a very clear understanding of their responsibilities with regard to the safety of pupils and all procedures are carried out rigorously, accurately and with the necessary urgency.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching over time, particularly in English and mathematics, is consistently good. As a result of this most pupils and groups of pupils make good progress and achieve well.  Good progress is made when pupils are engaged in lively and interesting tasks and persevere with them. The pupils quickly make links with prior learning and are anxious to learn more.  Teachers have well-established, positive relationships with pupils, so that pupils are calm, settled and ready to learn.  Teachers have high expectations of their pupils and want them to do as well as they possibly can in lessons and over time. Pupils, including the most able, respond to these expectations and typically try hard to rise to the challenges set for them.  Pupils respond well to the well-established, positive relationships they have with their teachers. Pupils settle quickly when the learning environment is calm and quiet. For example, more able Year 5 pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

relished the mathematical challenge posed by the question, ‘how can this be harder?’ However, when work is not interesting and lacks challenge, pupils find it hard to concentrate. For example, Year 4 pupils found it difficult to settle down to a literacy task related to connectives.  Pupils’ work is not always either accurate or well presented. Mistakes are not always corrected and as a result pupils repeat work they have already covered.  Pupils read at home every day and complete a comprehension test before moving on to a new book. They complete topic work for homework. This gives them opportunities to carry out research over a longer period of time which they enjoy.

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is good

 Progress across year groups in all subjects is consistently strong. The highest progress is for writing and mathematics in Year 6.  From each starting point the proportions of pupils making expected progress is above the national average in writing and mathematics and slightly below in reading. In writing and mathematics all pupils made expected progress.  For disadvantaged pupils the proportion making expected progress is above that for all pupils in reading in the academy and above all pupils nationally in all subjects. In 2013 there were gaps in all outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, both in the academy and with all pupils nationally. These gaps have now closed or been reversed.  In mathematics disadvantaged pupils were one term behind other pupils in the academy and other pupils nationally. In reading the attainment of disadvantaged pupils was in line with others in the academy and half a term behind other pupils nationally. In writing the attainment of disadvantaged pupils was very

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is good

slightly better than other pupils in the academy and other pupils nationally.  The attainment of disadvantaged pupils is higher than that for all pupils across all subjects in the academy and higher compared with all pupils nationally, except in reading at Level 4.  Pupils read every day. They enjoy reading and use phonics (the sounds that letters make) skills to help them to decode words. Pupils have a wide choice of books. Boys’ reading is improving as they enjoy the comprehension tests which they take on a computer after finishing each book.  The most able pupils in the academy made expected progress across all subjects. More than half of those pupils who gained Level 5 in mathematics entered the academy with lower than average attainment.  The learning of those pupils who are disabled and those who have special educational needs is good. They are well supported in the classroom as they work on tasks which meet their specific needs.

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is good

Sometimes they do not make as much progress as they should because they spend too much time copying out sentences.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 138169 Local authority Kent Inspection number 444021

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 193 Appropriate authority Board of Directors Chair John Peall Principal David Meades Date of previous school inspection 3–4 November 2010 Telephone number 01304 201643 Fax number 01304 201643 Email address principal@barton.dfamat.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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