Lady Jane Grey Primary School

Lady Jane Grey Primary School Wolsey Close, Groby, Leicester, LE6 0ZA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher, ably supported by other senior leaders, provides outstanding leadership. The quality of teaching in Key Stages 1 and 2 is outstanding.  Pupils’ achievement is outstanding. Pupils make strong progress from their starting points and attain standards that are above average by the end of Year 6.  The leader responsible for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs ensures that these pupils are provided with high quality support. As a result, they make similar rates of progress to others in the academy.  Disadvantaged pupils make as strong progress as their classmates.  The most-able pupils are provided with sufficiently challenging work. The proportions attaining the higher levels at the end of Key Stage 2 are above average.  From when children start the academy, adults engage parents and carers well in supporting their child’s education. Parents are appreciative of the number of after-hours clubs that the academy

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

provides.  Pupils enjoy coming to the academy and this is reflected in the high rates of attendance.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and are keen to do well.  Arrangements for safeguarding pupils’ well-being are outstanding. Consequently, pupils say that they feel extremely safe in the academy because of the high levels of care and guidance offered by adults.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted. Pupils have a very good understanding of those from different faiths and cultures. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education as well as for life in modern Britain.  Senior leaders make highly effective use of the primary sports funding. Pupils have access to a wide range of sporting opportunities, especially competitive sport. The academy has a tradition of sporting excellence.  Governance is outstanding. Governors’ checks on

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the rate of improvement are detailed and regular. They are in a strong position in which to hold leaders to account. They have been successful in ensuring that standards continue to rise.  Children make a good start to their education in the Reception class due to good quality teaching. Children’s skills in writing however, are slightly less developed than those in reading and mathematics when they start Year 1.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 14 lessons taught by eight teachers.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ workbooks in a range of subjects.  Inspectors met with two groups of pupils from Year 2 and Year 6 and listened to pupils reading.  Meetings were held with: senior leaders; leaders of English and mathematics; leader responsible for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs; and members of the governing body.  Inspectors spoke informally to parents while they waited to see teachers during parents evening. Inspectors also considered the academy’s own survey of the views of parents as well as 44 responses to the online Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View.  Inspectors considered questionnaires completed by 18 members of staff.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation including: the academy’s self-evaluation; plans for improvement; minutes of meetings of the governing body; the academy’s most recent data on pupils’

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Information about this inspection

achievement; and information relating to teaching, behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

David Carter, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 The academy is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary phased academies or schools.  The large majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. A small minority come from minority ethnic groups. Few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils for whom the pupil premium provides support is below average. This is additional funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and looked after children.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  The academy is part of various networks with other academies and schools. These partnerships provide opportunities for joint staff training and professional development for leaders.

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Information about this school

 The early years provision comprises a Reception class for four-year-olds, who all attend full-time.  Senior leaders have an arrangement for alternative provision with Dorothy Goodman Special School who they send a few pupils to on a part-time basis.  The academy runs its own breakfast club that is managed by the governing body.  There has been some staffing turbulence in the last three years at senior leadership level. Due to the success of the school prior to becoming an academy, a number of senior leaders have left the academy following promotion. Consequently, the headteacher has regularly recruited new members of the senior leadership team. Also, the Early Years Foundation Stage Leader is currently on maternity leave and has been replaced by the former deputy headteacher who has returned to the academy following her maternity leave.  The Academy’s Home School Association (HSA) organises events to raise additional funds for the

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Information about this school

academy.  Lady Jane Grey Academy converted to become an academy on October 1 2012. When its predecessor school, Lady Jane Grey Primary School was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that children in the Reception class make rapid progress in all areas of learning by providing a sharper focus on developing children’s writing skills.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher, who is affectionately known to the pupils as Mr. Fitz, has been highly effective at providing staff with clear guidance on how to teach pupils the ‘Lady Jane Grey’ way. He is passionate that learning should be ‘fun’ and that pupils are given a wide range of opportunities to ensure that they achieve well. As a result, pupils’ academic, sporting and personal development are all very effectively promoted.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Teachers say that they feel a part of a team because they are fully supported in their work by the headteacher. A strong framework of performance management, underpinned by effective training programmes, has helped teachers to develop their skills so that teaching is outstanding, particularly in Key Stages 1 and 2.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Senior leaders keep a very close check on each pupil’s progress, attendance and behaviour. Adults know pupils exceptionally well, which places them in a strong position to provide bespoke support to help to meet their learning and personal development needs. The headteacher is passionate that all pupils are given equal and full access to the school’s provision; promotion of equality and tackling discrimination are at the heart of what this academy is all about.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Leaders of English and mathematics check regularly on the quality of learning in their subjects. They have a clear view of strengths and what needs to be done next to improve further. They have introduced a new system for assessing pupils’ progress, given that from September 2015, attainment levels are being removed. Consequently, systems used to assess learning are robust and is helping leaders to quickly identify pupils who are at the risk of underachieving.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted exceptionally well. Pupils enjoy being creative in music, drama, art and music and the outcomes of their work are celebrated across the academy. Pupils are encouraged to be reflective during assemblies and in discussions, which is helping them to have a clear view of ‘right and wrong’. Pupils undertake visits or receive visitors from different faith communities, and this contributes to their strong levels of understanding of and respect for, those of faiths and cultures different to their own. Pupils are very well prepared for their next stage of education and for life in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher has led on developing a curriculum which provides pupils with many opportunities to practise their skills in reading, writing and mathematics in a range of subjects. Pupils say they enjoy their learning through topics and this is a root cause of why they do so well. Pupils develop a strong understanding of democracy through the academy’s approach for pupils to apply for positions of responsibility. Pupils have to prepare speeches to say why they want to be considered to be appointed to the academy council, or for the positions of house and sports captains. This is helping to support their personal development.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The academy has used the primary sports funding to very good effect. They have appointed a sports coach who works with pupils in lessons and breaktimes. Teachers have benefited from team-teaching with the sports coach and pupils say they adore playing sport at breaktimes. Sport is given a high priority in the academy. Pupils have many opportunities to be involved in individual and team sports, including at a competitive level. Pupils and staff are proud of the academy’s heritage for sporting excellence in football, which is reflected in the number of awards displayed in the trophy cabinet that has pride of place in the foyer.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Parents are highly appreciative of the work of the academy, particularly in the way in which the academy provides a wide range of after-hours clubs. Places at the academy are highly sought after and governors have to deal with many appeals for admission; in 2014, three times the number of places available for new starters to the Reception class were applied for. This is indicative of the reputation that the academy has in its village and the local area. The Academy’s Home School Association (HSA) organises a range of social events that brings members of the academy community together. Not only is this aiding pupils’ personal development but is providing additional resources to support pupils’ learning in a range of subjects.  Senior leaders have forged partnerships with other local schools and academies to ensure that they have a network to draw upon for support and challenge. The Affinity Teaching School Alliance has provided a

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The leadership and management are outstanding

termly external view of pupils’ achievement, which has been helpful to senior leaders in challenging them to ensure that standards keep rising. The Explore Partnership of three Leicestershire schools has helped the leaders in working with others to develop systems of assessment and the moderation of pupils’ work. The Vision Trust has provided effective support to the academy business manager in ensuring that the principles of ‘best-value' are applied. The Enrich group has helped to broaden the curriculum by providing a range of sporting activities and projects that contribute to pupils’ social development.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 A member of staff always accompanies the few pupils who attend alternative provision. Senior leaders keep close check on their behaviour, attendance and achievement, which is just as strong as other pupils in the academy.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Senior leaders are using the pupil premium funding effectively to support disadvantaged pupils who are eligible for additional support. Senior leaders regularly evaluate the extent to which funding is having a positive impact on the achievement and personal development of eligible pupils. This has ensured that the support for disadvantaged pupils is appropriately targeted and has resulted in these pupils making at least similar rates of progress to others in the academy, and in many cases, faster progress.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher has been successful in quickly developing the skills of leaders of subjects and senior leaders, since the academy opened over two years ago. As a result, a number of these teachers have secured senior leadership roles in other academies or schools. The headteacher and governing body have been effective in the recruitment, induction and training of new members of staff as well as those who have returned from temporary leave, to fill the gaps left by former colleagues. As a result, despite a number of staffing changes, the headteacher has skilfully directed the academy’s continuous improvement.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Since the academy opened, governors have been highly effective at reviewing the quality of their work and in holding senior leaders to account for its performance. Following a skills audit, governors identified gaps in their skills. These were addressed through training as well as the recruitment of key governors. As a result, governors have a breadth of knowledge and skills that they bring to their role to ensure that the academy is governed extremely well.  Governors have an excellent understanding of the academy’s strengths and areas for improvement due to the robust systems they have put in place to check on the quality of the academy’s work. They have a crystal clear picture about the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ achievement.  Governors have appointed a business manager, who they work closely with to ensure that the academy’s budget is managed well. Effective use has been made of the pupil premium to support

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The leadership and management are outstanding

disadvantaged pupils to achieve well. Governors are aware of the attainment and progress of this group of pupils and the extent to which gaps are narrowing with other pupils in the academy and nationally.  Governors manage the performance of the headteacher and set ambitious targets for the performance of the academy. Governors are extremely clear about the link between teachers’ performance and pay and scrutinise documentation prior to determining whether staff are rewarded for their performance or otherwise.  Governors have robust systems in place to ensure that pupils are kept safe; safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils have excellent attitudes to their learning and undertake their tasks with enthusiasm. Pupils are able to sustain their concentration when working on their own and they get on well with each other when working in small groups.

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Behaviour

 Pupils conduct themselves very well during the academy day. In breakfast club, pupils of different ages were considerate and caring of each other while playing games. Pupils are courteous to each other and adults and excellent manners were observed at lunchtimes.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are proud to be at the academy and enjoy undertaking various responsibilities. Pupils willingly apply to become a member of the academy council, or to be a house or sports captain. This is enabling pupils to develop their personal and social skills by improving and caring for the academy community.

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Behaviour

 The headteacher checks closely on pupils’ attendance and if a child is absent it is followed up straight away. Attendance rates are high.

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Behaviour

 The deputy headteacher leads the pastoral team that have put in place a range of measures to support potentially vulnerable pupils to manage their emotions and social behaviour more effectively. As a result, the numbers of exclusions has reduced and are now rare.

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Safety

 The academy’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Parents and pupils say that the adults in the academy care for pupils very well and that they feel extremely safe. Pupils say that bullying is rare, however, ‘Mr. Fitz’ would sort it out if anything happened.

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Safety

 Pupils have a very good understanding of how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations, including when they are using the internet. Younger pupils can talk about the dangers linked to the use of roads, railways and water.

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Safety

 Systems for safeguarding pupils are extremely thorough and detailed. The named governor for child protection assiduously checks this aspect of the academy’s work and ensures that all adults have received the correct training to carry out their roles.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers and teaching assistants have very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and the quality of their learning. Teachers use information from their assessments of pupils’ learning well to ensure that they provide pupils with tasks that are suitably challenging for those of different abilities. Excellent relationships between adults and pupils underpin the culture in each classroom, where pupils are motivated to work hard to achieve their targets.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers use resources very effectively to capture pupils’ interest at the start of lessons. When pupils commence their tasks, adults use questions to very good effect to check on pupils’ understanding. Where required, pupils are provided with additional support to help them understand their learning better or are quickly moved on to more challenging activities if they are doing well.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching assistants are well briefed about their role and they are highly effective in supporting pupils’ learning. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs have particularly benefited from the targeted support that they receive.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers’ marking of pupils’ books is of a high quality. Pupils are expected to ‘reply’ to teachers’ comments and show how they are improving the quality of their work. Pupils keep records in the front of their books to show how they are moving towards achieving their targets and they know what they have to do next to improve further.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Pupils are expected to present their work neatly in each of their workbooks. Pupils take pride in the quality of the work. Displays in each classroom and in corridors showcase the high quality pieces of work that pupils are capable of producing as an example to motivate others in the academy.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers regularly provide pupils with tasks where they have to apply their mathematical skills to solve problems and undertake investigations. Pupils can see the importance of mathematics in everyday life and are provided with activities which help their ability to reason.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Pupils’ topic books show that they have a wide range of opportunities to develop their writing skills in subjects other than English. There are striking examples of pupils extended pieces of writing being of a high quality.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Senior leaders have ensured that pupils have access to a well-equipped library and a wide range of reading material in each class. Pupils keep detailed records of what they have read in their home- academy book and pupils are set homework tasks to develop their skills in literacy. Pupils in Key Stage 1 are given excellent support to help them acquire knowledge and skills in the linking of sounds and letters (phonics).

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Children in the Reception class are taught well. This is helping them to develop their skills in phonics (the sounds that letters make), reading and mathematics well, however, their skills in writing lag behind those in other areas of learning.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching in Year 1 has successfully addressed the prior underachievement of the pupils who did not reach a good level of development because of their weaker skills in writing. Due to highly focused teaching, these pupils have made outstanding progress and are attaining standards that are at least average, and for the majority, above average.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils make excellent progress from Year 1 to Year 6 and attain standards that are consistently above average by the end of Key Stage 2. Standards rose in 2014 in mathematics, reading, and writing including pupils’ skills in grammar, punctuation and spelling.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 has risen in each of the last three years and is the same as the national average in 2014. Pupils’ knowledge and skills are built upon quickly in Key Stage 2. Pupils’ progress, including that of most groups of pupils, has been outstanding in each of the last three years.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils’ knowledge and skills in phonics are well developed in the Reception class and across Key Stage 1. Pupils are encouraged to read at home and are supported well to help them decode words. The proportion of pupils, who attain the required standard at the national phonics screening check at the end of Year 1, is above average.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The most-able pupils do exceptionally well. The proportion of pupils attaining Level 5 is significantly above that found nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. More pupils attained the highest Level 6 in 2014, than was found nationally. These pupils make outstanding progress from their starting points. Pupils’ books in the current Year 6 cohort show that standards are remaining high in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make strong progress. The leader responsible for these pupils ensures that adults are providing bespoke support to help pupils with their work.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The very few disadvantaged pupils in the Year 6 cohort in 2014, made better progress than others across Key Stage 2, particularly in reading. Their combined attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was above all pupils nationally by about a term. Their attainment in reading was above other pupils nationally by four terms, in grammar, spelling and punctuation by two terms, however, it was the same in mathematics but below in writing by a term.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Disadvantaged pupils attained standards that were lower than their classmates in the 2014 Year 6 cohort. Disadvantaged pupils were behind others by: three terms in mathematics and writing; one term in grammar, punctuation and spelling. However, they were three terms ahead in reading. Current pupils in the academy are often making faster progress than others, which is helping to narrow the gaps in attainment with their peers.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils who come from ethnic minority groups are making similar rates of progress to others in the academy and are attaining standards that are at least above average.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The very few pupils who attend alternative provision at Dorothy Goodman Special School make similar rates of progress to other pupils in Lady Jane Grey Academy.

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The early years provision is good

 The quality of teaching in the Reception class is at least good and often better. Adults have high expectations of children and learning is undertaken in a calm and attractive environment. Adults have excellent relationships with children, who respond to this very well. Children get on well with each other and will confidently talk about their learning with adults. Children’s behaviour is outstanding in the setting. Children are kept safe and good arrangements are in place to ensure that their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well.

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The early years provision is good

 Due to increases in the number of children entering the academy and changes in the catchment area, children’s knowledge and skills levels on entry, can vary year-on-year. Children in the current class entered with skills and knowledge that are typical for their age, whereas, children in the current Year 1 cohort entered with skills and knowledge that were below what is typical. Children make at least good progress from their starting points, with often stronger progress in phonics, reading and mathematics.

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The early years provision is good

 Adults promote learning well across all areas of development, however, last year there was not as much emphasis on developing early writing skills as there was in reading and mathematics. This was reflected in the number of children in 2014, who solely because of their lack of skills in writing did not secure a good level of development. This was lower than the previous year and was below the national average. This is why the early years provision is no better than good.

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The early years provision is good

 This has been remedied this year. All groups of children, including the most-able and those whose circumstances make them disadvantaged, in the current Reception class are doing well. Adults know each child well and they keep detailed records on their progress and development. Activities are planned that capture children’s interest and provide the right amount of challenge. As a result, the proportion of children who are already showing a good level of development is much higher than in previous years and is above average. Consequently, children in this class are well-prepared to start Year 1.

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The early years provision is good

 The Early Years Foundation Stage has been led well. All adults work well as a team to ensure that they are providing a good start to children’s education. Strong partnerships are forged with parents and carers who make contributions to their child’s ‘learning journey’ books. From the off, parents and carers realise the ways in which they can support their child’s learning at home.

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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 138809 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 453293

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 221 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Juliet Martin Headteacher Michael Fitzgerald Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 0116 2320031 Fax number 0116 2314455 Email address headteacher@ljg.leics.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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