St Ann's Heath Junior School

St Ann's Heath Junior School Sandhills Lane, Virginia Water, Surrey, GU25 4DS

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 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

 Leadership is much more effective than at the time of the previous inspection. The headteacher, other leaders and governors have successfully improved teaching and achievement, so that both are now good.  Pupils’ results in all subjects at the end of Key Stage 2 are above national averages.  All groups of pupils make good progress from their starting points.  Teaching stimulates pupils and motivates them to learn. Pupils of lower ability are given good support, and the most-able pupils are challenged well.  Pupils demonstrate good attitudes to learning. They understand why good behaviour is important and treat each other well.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe is good. Pupils learn how to avoid risk and look after themselves and others.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well. Pupils are encouraged to think about moral issues and develop their sense of responsibility towards others.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Achievement and teaching are not yet outstanding. Pupils are not always given precise targets for improvements to their work.  Teachers do not use questioning with pupils of average ability as effectively as they do with other pupils. Some marking is not as strong as the best seen across the school.  Leaders’ and teachers’ use of information about pupils’ progress to accelerate learning is not outstanding.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 15 lessons and pupils’ behaviour in the playground and at lunchtime. Six lessons were observed jointly with senior leaders.  Discussions were held with pupils, two members of the governing body, the assistant headteachers and other members of staff. A discussion was also held with a representative from the local authority. The inspectors could not speak with the headteacher, as he was not present during the inspection.  The inspectors observed many aspects of the school’s work, including support for pupils who need extra help. They heard pupils read and examined pupils’ work in their exercise books and on classroom and corridor wall displays.  The inspectors looked at a number of documents, including plans for what pupils should learn in each subject and plans for the school’s future development. They scrutinised the school’s arrangements for keeping pupils safe, pupils’ attendance records and minutes of governing body meetings. The inspectors

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Information about this inspection

also looked at records of how pupils’ learning is monitored and of how the quality of teaching is checked.  The views of parents were taken into account through the 34 responses to the online Parent View survey and five letters that were received.  Staff views were taken into consideration by looking at questionnaires completed by 28 staff members and through discussions with several members of staff.

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Inspection team

Steven Popper, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized junior school.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding for children known to be eligible for free school meals or in the care of the local authority) is much lower than the national average. There were very few disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 in 2014.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is slightly lower than in most other schools. However, there were very few of these pupils in Year 6 in 2014.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The two assistant headteachers took up their leadership positions in September 2014. The Chair of the Governing Body was appointed in September 2013.  Two Year 5 teachers joined the school this academic year.

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Information about this school

 There is currently a newly qualified teacher in one Year 3 class.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Enable the quality of teaching and achievement to become outstanding by:  ensuring that teachers use questioning as effectively with pupils of average ability as they do with other pupils  making sure that all teachers’ marking is of the same very high standard as that seen in the best examples  giving all pupils precise targets for improvements to their work.  Strengthen leaders’ and teachers’ analysis and use of information about pupils’ progress to accelerate their learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and senior leadership team have strengthened their management of teachers’ performance. They use a mixture of high expectations and good support to ensure that teaching is good across the school. Pupils’ achievement has improved as a result.  The school’s curriculum is good. Teachers engage pupils in a broad range of subjects. Leaders ensure that pupils develop key reading, writing and mathematical skills as they learn about other subjects. Pupils learn about a good range of religions and cultures. A wide range of clubs, such as chess, sewing, choir and netball, supports their education.  The school strongly promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Teachers encourage pupils to think about current events. For example, pupils conducted a mock general election during one assembly. Teachers also develop pupils’ sense of moral responsibility by discussing difficult events such as

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The leadership and management are good

the earthquake in Nepal. Such work prepares pupils very well for life in modern Britain.  The school has a very inclusive ethos. It promotes equal opportunities and guards against discrimination by teaching how people of different backgrounds and cultures can work together.  Subject leaders lead their subjects with a passion. They help other staff develop their skills and confidence and work well with senior leaders to improve the school.  The school development plan is much sharper than at the time of the previous inspection. Leaders clearly identify the actions they will take to strengthen school performance. Staff who offered an opinion complimented leaders on their increased drive to improve the school.  The school makes good use of additional funding to provide more staff to support disadvantaged pupils. Their achievement has improved as a result.  The sport premium funding is used effectively. Staff have developed their skills in teaching physical

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The leadership and management are good

education, with the result that this subject is taught well. Pupils’ participation in sports has been increased through the provision of clubs and engagement in competitive events.  The local authority has given good support to the school. It has helped leadership become more effective than at the time of the previous inspection. The local authority has provided useful training to governors and staff and checked the school’s performance carefully.  The school has developed very good relationships with parents. All parents who offered an opinion praised the leadership of the school and said they would recommend the school.  The school’s safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements. Leaders and governors regularly check safeguarding provision and training. Leaders’ careful actions make sure that pupils are properly protected from harm.  Leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance is accurate overall. Leaders have recently introduced new

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The leadership and management are good

systems of collecting and assessing information about pupils’ achievement. However, leaders and teachers do not analyse or use this information to accelerate pupils’ learning as strongly as possible.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a good impact on school improvement. The Chair of the Governing Body has reformed its approach to monitoring the school’s performance and provision. Governors now check pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching closely and systematically. They make sure that leaders’ expectations are high and that their actions to improve the school are effective. Governors ensure that leaders give staff good support that leads to better teaching, and that good performance is properly rewarded. They challenge leaders about how well different groups of pupils make progress. They also check how the school’s performance compares to that of other schools.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils enjoy their learning, especially when the level of challenge is at its highest. They contribute to discussions and listen carefully.  Pupils are polite and well behaved in classrooms, during morning break and lunchtime, and when travelling around the school. They demonstrate a good sense of responsibility towards others. For example, some pupils act as playground monitors and help other pupils feel looked after during playtime.  Pupils who spoke to the inspectors understood why it is important to behave well. They explained how this could affect future employability. Pupils also demonstrated good knowledge of different types of bullying and of strategies to avoid these.  The school manages behaviour well and has high expectations of pupils’ conduct. There have been no exclusions for poor behaviour for over two years.  Some pupils can go off task and lose concentration when they are not challenged as strongly as is

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Behaviour

normally the case. This is why the behaviour of pupils is not outstanding.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  The school promotes e-safety well. Pupils who spoke to the inspectors understood what was meant by cyber bullying and knew how to keep safe when online.  The school teaches pupils effectively about how to avoid risk and keep themselves safe. It has made good use of the NSPCC to help secure pupils’ understanding of safety and risk.  Leaders ensure that school premises are safe and that staff trained in first aid are always available.  Pupils who spoke to the inspectors said that they felt safe in school and could approach staff if they had any worries.  All parents who expressed an opinion thought that their children were safe, happy and well looked after at the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Strong performance management and support have enabled teaching to become good. As a result, pupils make better progress than they did in previous years.  All parents who offered an opinion thought that their children were taught well.  Teachers and teaching assistants give good support to less able pupils and those who have special educational needs. They explain clearly and ask these pupils questions that help clarify their understanding.  Teachers challenge the most able pupils through thought-provoking questioning. They encourage and enable pupils to explain and reflect upon their ideas.  The school’s teaching of mathematics has improved strongly since the time of the previous inspection. Pupils make good progress in the subject as a result.  The school has also revised the way it teaches reading to good effect. Pupils who spoke to the inspectors demonstrated a love of reading through the way they discussed their favourite authors.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school teaches writing well. Teachers enable pupils to practise and develop their writing skills across a range of subjects.  The best marking seen in pupils’ books is very effective. It gives pupils very clear advice about how to improve individual pieces of work. However, not all marking is of the same very high standard and effectiveness. Teachers do not always give pupils clear targets, with the result that some pupils do not know what they are trying to achieve.  Teachers’ questioning of pupils of average ability is not as effective as their questioning of other pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ results at the end of Key Stage 2 have improved over time. Their results in all subjects in 2014 were above national averages.  All groups of pupils currently in the school make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is an improvement over previous years.  All parents who voiced an opinion thought that their children made good progress.  There were very few disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 in 2014. Therefore, it is not possible to generalise about their achievement and how it compares to that of other pupils nationally. However, the school is successfully closing the gap between this group of pupils and others in the school. Disadvantaged pupils currently in the school make at least the same progress in all subjects as other pupils. They also attain as well or better in all subjects as the other pupils in the school.  Similarly, there were very few disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs in Year 6 in

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The achievement of pupils is good

2014. This means that it is not possible to generalise about their achievement compared to other pupils. This group of pupils’ attainment is lower than that of other pupils in the school. However, pupils who have special educational needs make good progress in all subjects across the school. This reflects the careful support that they receive.  The most able pupils attain highly in all subjects. Current pupils’ books show that standards of work are strong, and improving. This group of pupils makes good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ progress, while good, is not yet rapid enough for it to be outstanding.

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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 125073 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 462371

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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 Community Age range of pupils 7−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 268 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Helen Syms Headteacher Graham Bollands Date of previous school inspection 9–10 July 2013 Telephone number 01344 842900 Fax number 01344 845526 Email address head@stannsheath.surrey.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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