Carrant Brook Junior School

School report Carrant Brook Junior School

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Hardwick Bank Road, Northway, Tewkesbury, GL20 8RP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

 The headteacher, well supported by other leaders and by governors, has improved pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching. Leaders are taking effective action to bring about further improvement.  The governing body has a detailed understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and governors are playing an active part in its improvement.  Cooperation between the school and its principal partner infant school has been strengthened so that pupils settle quickly when they join the school in Year 3.  The behaviour of pupils is good in and around the school. They are proud of their school and show respect to staff and to each other.  Pupils feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe in different situations.  Pupils reach very high standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. They make good progress in different subjects across the school and outstanding progress in mathematics.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teaching is good because teachers have high expectations of what pupils can do. They make lessons interesting so that pupils enjoy their learning and want to do well.  There is very effective support for disadvantaged pupils and those who need help to catch up in their learning.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet outstanding and so does not enable all pupils to make the best possible progress in all subjects.  Occasionally work is too easy or too difficult for pupils, which means they do not then learn as much as they could. In particular, the most-able pupils do not reach the highest possible standards in their writing.  Teachers’ marking and feedback do not always enable pupils to know what they need to do to improve their work or how to do so. This gives rise to a variation in pupils’ progress in different classes.  A small proportion of parents do not have full confidence in the school’s leadership and management and are not satisfied with the information they receive from the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed parts of nine lessons, two of which were observed jointly with the deputy headteacher. They made several shorter visits to classes and visited two assemblies.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in lessons and carried out a detailed scrutiny of their written work. They listened to pupils read and discussed their reading with them.  Inspectors held meetings with two groups of pupils to hear their views on learning and behaviour in the school. They also spoke informally with pupils at breaks and lunchtimes.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, other staff with leadership responsibilities, two members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors examined a variety of school documents. These included records of current pupils’ progress, self-evaluation and improvement plans, behaviour and attendance logs. Inspectors also examined minutes

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Information about this inspection

of meetings of the governing body and records relating to safeguarding and the management of staff performance.  Inspectors took account of questionnaires completed by 15 members of staff, 24 responses to the online questionnaire Parent View, the school’s own recent parental survey and two letters from parents. They also spoke informally with parents before and after the school day.

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Inspection team

Sean Thornton, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Carrant Brook Junior School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, about one in four pupils, is average. These pupils are supported by the pupil premium which is additional funding provided for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is almost one pupil in five. This is slightly above the national average.  The proportion of pupils who join the school with above-average attainment is higher than the national figure for similar schools.  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 the quality of teaching from good to outstanding so that all pupils make rapid progress in all their classes by ensuring that:  marking, feedback and questioning have a consistently strong impact on learning across the school,  the most-able pupils reach the highest-possible standards in their writing.  Ensure that the school’s senior leaders and governors work together to improve communication with parents so that they can be fully informed about the school’s performance and any new developments.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, deputy headteacher and governors are all ambitious for the school, and are committed to ensuring that all pupils do as well as possible. They are continually seeking ways to improve what the school does. School leaders also ensure that pupils’ behaviour is good by making sure that the school’s systems for managing behaviour are followed consistently by staff.  Leaders’ assessments of the school’s strengths and weaknesses are rigorous and accurate. This contributes to a thorough school improvement plan and detailed plans for raising achievement.  The management of teaching and learning is good. Frequent checks are made on the quality of teaching and this leads to a wide range of training being provided for both teachers and teaching assistants.  Staff who have responsibility for particular areas of the school’s work make a strong contribution to raising standards. They carry out regular checks on the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning, for example

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The leadership and management are good

through watching lessons and looking at pupils’ books. They also support other teachers when this is needed.  The school’s system for setting targets for teachers is well organised, rigorous and related fully to teachers’ effectiveness in the classroom. Evidence shows that the system is leading to improvements in teaching and achievement.  The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum, giving pupils a wide range of interesting topics and experiences. There are varied opportunities for pupils to develop their writing, reading and mathematics skills through topic work. Pupils extend their learning through subjects such as science and French, and develop their creativity through music, drama and art. The school has planned well for the introduction of the new primary curriculum and for how pupils’ standards will be assessed. Pupils have many opportunities to take part in a variety of activities outside the normal school day, including a wide range of

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The leadership and management are good

sports.  The school provides well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They have many opportunities to reflect on their experiences and values. Pupils respect the views of others and are keenly aware of what constitutes right and wrong. Well-planned assemblies contribute to their personal development.  The school makes good use of the additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils. Additional teaching assistants have been employed so that good quality one-to-one and small group teaching can take place, delivered either by trained teaching assistants or class teachers. Extra learning resources, including those intended to develop pupils’ reading skills, have also been provided.  The extra primary school sports funding is being used well. A professional coach leads pupils’ sports sessions and several staff have received training to improve their skills in teaching physical education. The

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The leadership and management are good

variety of sports clubs has increased and more pupils are taking part in sporting activities that improve their fitness.  All requirements for safeguarding pupils are fully met.  The governors and headteacher ensure that the school rejects all forms of discrimination, fosters good relationships and promotes equality of opportunity. The emphasis on mutual respect and tolerance prepares pupils for life in modern Britain.  The school’s website and frequent newsletters provide parents with a wide range of information, including about the impact of the additional sports funding. Despite this, a minority of parents feel that communications with the school could be improved and do not have confidence in its leaders.  During the last three years the local authority has provided an exceptionally high level of support for the school. This has included suggesting strategies to improve teaching and achievement and checking the

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The leadership and management are good

accuracy of the school’s own assessments of pupils’ performance. The local authority also provides effective advice and support on safeguarding issues.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a good understanding of the school. They meet with key staff and contribute to improvement planning. Governors are well informed about how well pupils are doing, through reports from the headteacher and their own visits to the school. They are receiving training on analysing the school’s published performance data so that they can continue to hold the school to account. Governors ask challenging questions as well as providing commitment and support. They take an active interest in the quality of teaching and make sure that teachers’ pay increases are linked to their performance in raising achievement. Governors manage the school’s finances well. They ensure that all their statutory responsibilities are fulfilled and that safeguarding requirements are fully met.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils respond well to the school’s ‘core values’, such as ‘treat everyone with courtesy, care and respect’. Pupils are proud of their school and its achievements.  Pupils say that behaviour is typically good in lessons, around the school and in the dining hall. They understand and support the school’s behaviour code and its systems of rewards and sanctions.  In almost all lessons pupils concentrate well, showing positive attitudes and a desire to learn. Occasionally, when teaching does not engage them sufficiently, they participate less well.  Pupils are well prepared for their lessons and settle quickly to their work, so that very little learning time is lost.  Around the school, pupils open doors for others and show courtesy to each other, to staff and to visitors. They value the many displays of pupils’ work. There is no litter or graffiti of any kind.  Older pupils welcome opportunities to accept responsibility. They organise the snack and stationery shops,

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Behaviour

act as wet-play monitors, organise recycling, and help at the school’s breakfast club. The school council enables all pupils to express their views on school improvement.  Pupils’ strong social and moral development enables them to respect others and understand the consequences of their actions. This contributes to their good behaviour.  In their responses to the Parent View questionnaire, a small number of parents did not agree that behaviour was good or was well managed in school. However, no evidence to support this was found during the inspection.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils say that they feel safe in all parts of the school and that bullying is rare. There is very little name- calling of any kind, including that of a racist or homophobic nature. Pupils have confidence that staff will deal with any problems that arise swiftly.  The identities of all visitors to the school are checked carefully, including regular visitors such as sports coaches.  The curriculum supports pupils well in learning how to stay safe in different situations, including road safety. Pupils in all year groups are taught the importance of e-safety and show good understanding of how to avoid unsafe websites.  Almost all pupils are in school on time and the importance of good attendance is stressed by the school. As a result, attendance is improving and is now above average.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school’s assessment records and pupils’ progress in their books show that teaching across the school over time is typically good because it is leading to good achievement.  Lessons are well planned and start promptly, building on pupils’ recent learning. Teachers have high expectations of pupils. For example, they expect pupils to concentrate thoroughly, work hard and behave well in lessons.  Pupils’ progress is checked frequently by teachers in order to identify where they may need more support to develop their knowledge and skills. Pupils themselves are encouraged to reflect on their learning to identify where they are less confident and would like more help.  Good relationships between pupils and adults mean that almost all pupils are positive about their learning and want to do well.  Activities are usually well planned to meet the needs of pupils of different abilities. Occasionally, however,

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The quality of teaching is good

the work is too difficult for some pupils and not challenging enough for the most able.  Teachers ensure pupils learn quickly and use probing questions to check their understanding before moving on to the next part of the lesson, and are prepared to adapt their plans when needed.  Where learning is less effective, these strong features are less well developed and some pupils do not make as much progress as they could.  Teachers work closely with their principal partner infant school. They share good practice in assessment and teaching and this helps pupils to make a good start to their learning in Year 3.  Parents are encouraged to work with their children on regular homework tasks that include reading together, spellings and topic work.  The school has a detailed system for marking and feedback. However, teachers’ marking does not always show pupils how to make their work better, nor do they always have time to respond to, and act on,

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is good

 Pupils join Year 3 with above-average standards of attainment. They make good progress from their starting points and achieve well across the school.  By the end of Year 6 attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was well above average, as indicated by their performance in national tests, in 2013 and 2014. The school’s records indicate that this pattern of high attainment is continuing. In the test of English grammar, punctuation and spelling, the school’s results showed a very large increase in 2014, to well-above-average standards.  Pupils’ rates of progress are exceptionally high in mathematics and are good in reading and writing.  Although pupils make at least good progress across Key Stage 2, the progress that they make varies between classes. In some classes pupils do not make as much progress as in others.  The school’s checking systems focus on the progress of all groups of pupils towards challenging targets,

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is good

and extra support is provided promptly when pupils start to fall behind.  Reading is promoted strongly across the school. Pupils in Year 6 were able to confidently discuss their reading and answer detailed questions about it.  The most-able pupils make good progress in reading and writing, and outstanding progress in mathematics. They respond well to the more difficult work usually set by their teachers. Well-above- average proportions of pupils reached the highest Level 6 in mathematics in both 2013 and 2014. Some of the most-able pupils do not yet make as much progress as they could in writing. The school has identified this as a priority for further improvement and has already taken steps to address the issue.  The school frequently checks the progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. As a result of good support, these pupils are making good progress, equal to that of their peers.

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is good

 Disadvantaged pupils make good progress from their below-average starting points. In 2014, the attainment of disadvantaged Year 6 pupils in reading and writing was about three terms behind their classmates and two terms behind that of other pupils nationally. In mathematics the attainment of disadvantaged pupils was two terms behind that of their classmates but one term ahead of other pupils nationally. The gaps in attainment within the school decreased considerably from 2013 to 2014. The school’s records indicate that gaps are reducing further down the school. This is because of the school’s good use in all year groups of the extra funding.

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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 115750 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 444339

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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 Foundation Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 152 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Allison Booth Headteacher Maria Budd Date of previous school inspection 25–26 November 2009 Telephone number 01684 297065 Fax number 01684 292439 Email address Admin@carrantbrook.gloucs.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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