The Annunciation RC Junior School

School report The Annunciation RC Junior School The Meads, Burnt Oak, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 9HQ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Leaders, managers and governors have not maintained the exceptionally high quality of the school’s work since the previous inspection.  Over recent years, leaders have not made sure that teaching is consistently strong. As a result, pupils’ achievement has declined.  Leaders do not use information about pupils’ progress effectively to check that all pupils make rapid gains from their starting points, particularly in reading and writing.  Teaching does not make sure that pupils always have suitably demanding work to do. Expectations are not always high enough to encourage pupils to produce neatly presented work.  The quality of marking is variable. The impact of teachers’ marking is diminished when pupils are not encouraged to respond to teachers’ feedback and suggestions.  The use of additional funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals does not ensure disadvantaged pupils make swift progress in

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

their learning.  Leaders do not always identify specific actions to drive improvement or measure the impact against pupils’ improved academic outcomes.  Members of the governing body do not hold school leaders sufficiently to account for the school’s performance or check how well pupils currently at the school make progress in their learning.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils make better progress in mathematics than in reading and writing.  Leaders have maintained pupils’ positive attitudes to school and secured pupils’ above average attendance since the previous inspection. Tolerance and caring attitudes are successfully encouraged.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are promoted strongly. Through assemblies, pupils are encouraged to reflect on moral issues and develop empathy for others.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They are polite and courteous, proud of their school and look after resources and the school environment carefully.  Pupils feel safe at school. They have a good knowledge of how to avoid risks and keep safe from harm in a wide range of situations.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 18 lessons, including six which were observed jointly with senior leaders. They observed teaching in all years.  Inspectors held discussions with groups of pupils, staff and members of the governing body. They met a representative of the local authority and listened to pupils reading. They looked at work in pupils’ books and the school’s information showing pupils’ progress.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation provided by the school including action plans, together with the school’s own checks on its performance and the quality of teaching. They also looked at records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  There were 10 responses to the Ofsted online survey (Parent View). Inspectors spoke informally with parents and considered the school’s own recent survey of parents’ views. The inspection considered 19 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Madeleine Gerard, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-size primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average. The proportion speaking English as an additional language is above average. Very few are at the early stages of learning English.  The proportion of pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs is average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding to give extra support to those known to be eligible for free school meals and to children who are looked after) is average.  In 2014, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school organises and manages a daily breakfast club.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in order to accelerate pupils’ progress, particularly in reading and writing, by making sure that:  teachers have high expectations of pupils’ presentation and handwriting  teachers set hard enough work to challenge pupils to make rapid progress from their starting points  pupils are encouraged to respond consistently to teachers’ marking and feedback  those eligible for additional funding achieve as well as the others.  Improve the effectiveness of leaders and managers, including governors, by making sure that:  information about pupils’ achievement is used to measure the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress, including those for whom the pupil premium provides support  development planning identifies precisely the actions that are needed in order to secure swift improvements that are measured against pupils’ better achievement  the governing body develops its skills further to support and hold the school’s leaders fully to account

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders, managers and members of the governing body have not maintained excellence in teaching and pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection. They have not made sure that pupils make consistently rapid progress, particularly in reading and writing. Leaders have not always been successful in promoting equality of opportunity. Better progress in mathematics, and leaders’ success in maintaining pupils’ positive attitudes and good behaviour, demonstrate the school’s capacity to improve.  Pupil premium funding has not always been used effectively by leaders. As a result, eligible pupils do not always make swift progress over time, particularly in reading and writing.  Information about pupils’ progress is not always used effectively by leaders and subject leaders to check that pupils make rapid and sustained progress from their starting points. Rates of learning have diminished because leaders have been slow in tackling some underachievement.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Subject leaders observe teaching in their areas of responsibility and identify further training needs for staff. Recent training has improved the quality of teachers’ marking, but has not ensured that pupils are always encouraged to use teachers’ feedback and guidance to improve their work. Changes to the way reading is taught have been introduced this year to help increase rates of progress. However, they have not secured improvement over a sustained period.  Whole-school and subject development planning does not always identify the most pressing initiatives to drive improvement. The success of key priorities is not measured sharply enough against pupils’ raised achievement.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and makes sure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. British values are promoted strongly. Pupils are elected to positions of responsibility within the school through democratic processes. They are confident that their views are listened to through the pupil

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The leadership and management requires improvement

representatives on the school council. They are pleased with improvements introduced as a result of their suggestions, for example new playground seating and an international-themed day to celebrate different cultural traditions. All this helps pupils understand how they can influence decision-making.  Year 6 pupils are particularly well informed about democracy in Britain and speak with confidence and understanding about the forthcoming general election. Tolerance and respect for others are encouraged so that pupils from a variety of different backgrounds get along very well together. Leaders foster pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development successfully. Kindness and compassion for others is encouraged consistently. The school choir is popular and pupils’ high quality artwork is on display around the school. These strengths show the school fosters good working relations and tackles discrimination strongly.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

In the school’s own recent survey, the overwhelming majority of parents confirm that they are happy with their child’s experience at the school. Parents are confident that their child is happy at the school.  Safeguarding procedures meet requirements. Leaders have made sure that the school is safe and calm. In the online survey and in the school’s own recent survey of parent views, parents were overwhelmingly confident that the school keeps their children safe. Training for staff helps them to have a secure knowledge of the school’s safeguarding systems.  The local authority has not been able to help the school to maintain the extremely high quality of its effectiveness since the previous inspection. Increased support from the local authority this year is helping the school to identify key priorities for improvement in order to boost pupils’ progress.  The primary sports funding is used successfully to increase participation rates in a range of sporting activities

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The leadership and management requires improvement

and raise standards. Training for staff, including in gymnastics and dance, helps ensure that high quality teaching is sustained. Pupils enjoy a selection of after-school sporting clubs. Older pupils appreciate the chance to take a leading role in organising sporting activities, such as skipping competitions, as members of the school’s sports council. Following suggestions made by the school council, pupils benefit from a variety of sporting equipment to use at break times.  The governance of the school:  The governing body knows how well the school performs in national assessments at the end of Year 6. Governors know that improving pupils’ progress is a prime concern. However, they do not make sure that the school’s leaders keep them well enough informed about current pupil progress, including for those pupils who are disadvantaged. Members of the governing body know how pupil premium funding is spent

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The leadership and management requires improvement

but have not looked closely at how well disadvantaged pupils make progress compared with other pupils at the school and other pupils nationally. The governing body has not checked carefully that action planning is sharply focused on driving rapid improvement. Governors are supportive, spend time in the school and visit classes. However, their knowledge of teaching quality does not take into account assessment information and other evidence of pupils’ learning and progress over time. As a consequence, the governing body’s knowledge of performance management and the links between teaching quality, achievement and salary are limited.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils enjoy coming to school, as their above average attendance shows. They conduct themselves sensibly around the school and are polite and friendly young people. They hold open doors for others, respect the school’s resources and help make sure there is no litter. They value the sporting equipment they can choose to use at break time. They line up very quickly in silence when break time comes to an end. Pupils wear their school uniform smartly.  In lessons, pupils are typically keen to learn and show respect for one another’s ideas. They work together readily. They contribute responses to teachers’ questions enthusiastically and listen carefully when adults and other pupils are talking.  Pupils’ work is not consistently neat and care is not taken to ensure that handwriting is fluent. As a result, work in pupils’ books is not always clearly presented.  Pupils who attend breakfast club behave well and feel safe. They enjoy a healthy choice of breakfast foods

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Behaviour

each day. They develop strong social skills through making friends and sharing activities with pupils in other classes.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe from harm in a wide variety of situations, including when using computers and information and communication technology. Road safety guidance, swimming lessons and cycling proficiency workshops all help pupils develop a good awareness of how to avoid risk.  Pupils show caring attitudes to one another. They have a clear understanding of different types of bullying. They confirm that there are very few incidences of bullying, as records show. They are confident that the adults will help them to solve quickly any problems that may occur.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching has not made sure that pupils achieve as well as they can from their starting points, particularly in reading and writing. Information from assessments is not always used well to set pupils suitably demanding tasks that help them to learn and progress quickly. Pupils say work in literacy is sometimes too easy and, as a result, a few lose concentration. Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ presentation and the quality of their handwriting are not high enough. Pupils are not always encouraged to correct spelling mistakes, complete their work neatly or write clearly.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly. They provide written feedback typically that suggests how pupils can improve their work, or set pupils additional tasks to complete that challenge them to think hard. However, the impact of teachers’ marking is reduced when pupils are not encouraged to respond systematically to their suggestions.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils make better progress in mathematics because carefully planned work builds up pupils’ mathematics skills and is suitably demanding.  Teachers ensure pupils have regular opportunities to read at school and encourage daily reading at home with parents. This helps pupils to develop an enjoyment of books and develop reading fluency. New approaches to teaching reading have been introduced this year but have not had time to secure a sustained improvement in pupils’ progress in reading.

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The achievement of pupils

 Leaders have not made sure that pupils continue to make exceptionally rapid progress over recent years. This is particularly so in reading and writing. From starting points that are above average, the proportions of pupils reaching the highest levels of attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 are similar to average. Pupils make better progress in mathematics. Leaders have successfully increased the proportion of the most able pupils attaining the highest Level 6 in assessments in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2.  Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those speaking English as an additional language make similar progress to the others. Their achievement also requires improvement.  The progress of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding requires improvement. Compared with other pupils nationally, fewer pupils eligible for additional funding at the school made swift progress in

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The achievement of pupils

reading and writing by the end of Year 6 in 2014. They made better progress in mathematics. Eligible pupils were one term ahead of other pupils nationally in mathematics, and half a term behind in reading and writing. Compared with other pupils at the school, disadvantaged pupils were one term ahead in mathematics, two terms behind in reading and one term behind in writing. Between 2013 and 2014, the gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and the others at the school narrowed in mathematics, but widened in reading and writing.  The achievement of the most able pupils requires improvement. They achieve well in mathematics. In reading and writing, their progress is not as consistently brisk.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational make progress that needs requires improvement overall. They benefit from additional sessions tailored to their needs and extra help in class that helps them

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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 101342 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 449365

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 227 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Luigi Grosso Headteacher Moira McManus Date of previous school inspection 29 November 2007 Telephone number 020 89060723 Fax number 020 89060377 Email address office@annunciationjnr.barnetmail.net guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

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

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School details

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

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School details

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

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School details

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School details

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

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