Skegby Junior Academy

Skegby Junior Academy Ash Grove, Skegby, Sutton-in-Ashfield, NG17 3FH

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy 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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Good teaching ensures that pupils make good progress in a wide range of subjects, including English and mathematics, in every year group.  Pupils show a keen interest in learning and behave well in lessons and around the school.  Staff ask pupils questions skilfully, both to assess what pupils know and to encourage them to work things out for themselves.  The Principal and Executive Principal provide strong and determined leadership that focuses on improving teaching and learning and drives the school forward.  The governors are supportive and knowledgeable about the school and contribute to the ongoing improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Pupils enjoy coming to school, and take pride and pleasure from their learning and progress. Attendance is steadily improving.  The school successfully promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Consequently, pupils have a good understanding of

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

their social responsibilities and helping others less fortunate than themselves.  The school uses effective procedures to ensure that pupils are safe and protected. Pupils feel safe at school and well looked after by staff.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some teachers in the lower school do not always provide tasks in lessons that stretch and challenge all groups of pupils to do the best they can.  Pupils’ achievement in reading is not yet as strong as in writing and mathematics.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed parts of 11 lessons, several of which were seen together with members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors listened to several pupils read and looked at samples of their recent work.  Meetings were held with the Principal, Executive Principal and representatives of the Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust. Discussions also took place with groups of pupils.  Inspectors scrutinised a variety of school documents, including: the school’s self-evaluation and resulting ‘priority plan’; behaviour records; governing body documents; and documents relating to the management of teachers’ performance.  There were very few responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). Inspectors gained parents’ views by speaking to a sample of parents as they brought their children to school and examining the results of a recent questionnaire carried out by the school. Inspectors also considered the views expressed

p.2

Information about this inspection

in eight questionnaires returned by staff.

p.2

Inspection team

Steven Cartlidge, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Skegby Junior Academy is a sponsored academy, which opened in September 2013. The sponsor, Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust, is responsible for governance and fulfilling statutory duties, and an advisory council provides non-statutory challenge and support.  Skegby Junior Academy is much smaller than the average-sized junior school.  Almost all of the pupils are White British and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for students who are known to be eligible for free school meals or looked after by the local authority, is well above the national average.  The proportion of pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs is above average.  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.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate pupils’ progress in reading by giving them more opportunities to apply their reading skills in English lessons and in other subjects.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that all teachers, particularly in the lower school, set tasks that stretch and challenge pupils of all abilities to help them reach their full potential.

p.3

The leadership and management are good

 Teachers and governors are ambitious for the school to do well. The Principal, Executive Principal and the Trust provide very determined leadership, promoting a clear focus on continual improvement. Their clearly articulated vision for the future is shared by the small staff, who share many leadership responsibilities between them.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The Principal and Executive Principal have an accurate overview of the school’s performance because pupils’ progress, their attendance and the quality of teaching are carefully checked. They are taking decisive action to make improvements where necessary. They have started to work on improving pupils’ achievement in reading and increasing the level of challenge in lessons, but realise this work has not yet had a full impact on raising standards.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The leadership of teaching is good and the school places a high priority on improving teaching through good-quality training. This is further supported by the Executive Principal, who can call upon the expertise from other academies in the Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust, so that successful teaching techniques can be shared. Checks on teachers’ performance are rigorous. Leaders use information from lesson observations and from checking pupils’ progress to set teachers’ targets for improvement. Staff clearly understand that decisions about promotion and pay are based on the impact of their teaching on pupils’ progress.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The school is well on the way to developing a new assessment system that takes full account of the changes to the National Curriculum. Pupils’ books show that teachers explain what pupils have done well and what they need to do to improve their work. In the vast majority of books teachers’ advice has clearly been followed, helping pupils to deepen their understanding.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The school provides a broad and interesting curriculum that promotes good achievement for pupils and contributes well to their personal and social development. The range of subjects and topics covered in all years recognises local, regional and global differences, including different cultures and beliefs, and promotes an understanding of others’ points of view. Fundamental British values around democracy, liberty, and respect and tolerance of faiths and beliefs are all promoted well.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Leaders use the funding for disadvantaged pupils effectively. It has helped, for example, to develop the role of teaching assistants in providing pupils with good individual support. The school evaluates the impact of its expenditure through data showing how well pupils achieve. This shows that all groups, including disadvantaged pupils, are making similarly good progress. In some classes disadvantaged pupils make faster rates of progress than their peers.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The school’s leaders ensure that different groups of pupils have an equal chance to succeed, and they tackle effectively any instances of discrimination. Pupils are clear that they do not hear discriminatory or derogatory language in the school, such as homophobic or racist comments, and that they would report any they did hear.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The school has carried out an impressive set of actions to make use of the primary sports funding. It has employed several coaches to provide extra opportunities for pupils to participate in football coaching sessions, dance, tri-golf and extra swimming classes, both during the day and after school. Pupils’ participation and confidence in physical activity have increased as a result.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 It was not possible to evaluate the views of parents from Parent View because too few responded to the online questionnaire. However, the school recently carried out a parental survey and the evidence from this indicates that parents are very positive about teaching and their children’s progress. Inspectors also met with some parents in the morning bringing their children to school and their comments were also very supportive of the school and its aims.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust provides governance as well as additional capacity and resources to make improvements. The Trust governing body is well informed and effective. The Trust board members are highly-skilled professionals who are able to understand and analyse information about the school in a way that ensures they maintain an accurate view and strategic oversight. They are aware of the need to raise further pupils’ achievement in reading. By using the data available, they compare school performance with that of schools nationally. Trust governors also strongly support the school and its leaders. They have a good insight into the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ learning. They manage the performance of staff well, ensure that any underperformance in teaching is tackled and check that staff pay rises and promotion are justified by the pupils’ achievement. Trust governors

p.4

The leadership and management are good

manage the finances of the school well. They look closely at how additional government funding is spent and have a good overview of the impact this has on the achievement of eligible pupils. They are rigorous in making sure that the school gets best value when purchasing goods and services. The governing body rigorously checks safeguarding practice and, as a result, safeguarding procedures meet current legal requirements thoroughly and effectively.

p.5

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They are very polite, courteous and friendly, and there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere around the school.

p.5

Behaviour

 Pupils’ behaviour around the school is good and disruption to learning in classes is rare. This is because of the school’s good promotion of spiritual, social moral and cultural values, and pupils’ sense of growing responsibility. The school’s clear records of incidents indicate that pupils’ behaviour is good over time.

p.5

Behaviour

 Behaviour in the vast majority of lessons is good. In some classes, pupils’ attitudes to learning are impeccable. This is particularly the case when teaching is highly stimulating and engaging. Just occasionally, behaviour is less positive in lower school lessons when the tasks set do not stretch or challenge pupils of all abilities.

p.5

Behaviour

 Pupils are respectful to their classmates and adults alike. Pupils are encouraged to take on more responsibility. For example, young leaders in Year 6 organise play activities at lunchtime for younger pupils and ‘captains’ during school assemblies monitor other pupils’ behaviour. As a result, the vast majority of pupils respond immediately to instructions and their manners are exemplary.

p.5

Behaviour

 Attendance has been below the national average. The school has worked to improve this through several initiatives, including work in conjunction with Trust agencies with pupils and their families. As a result, attendance has improved and is now above the national average.

p.5

Behaviour

 Pupils’ work is always neatly presented, and pupils take an exceptional pride in themselves, their school uniform and their school.

p.5

Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Leaders and staff take effective measures to ensure that all pupils are well cared for and protected. All members of staff have had recent training in child protection and safeguarding.

p.5

Safety

 The school has developed effective systems for checking and recording safety matters and ensuring that any concerns are dealt with promptly. All staff are appropriately checked before being appointed.

p.5

Safety

 The pupils say they feel safe and have a very good understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, they have a thorough understanding of how to keep themselves safe outside school. They have a clear sense of road safety and are very aware of the dangers of talking to strangers.

p.5

Safety

 Older pupils are particularly knowledgeable about the dangers of cyber-bullying and understand the importance of not sharing personal details online. Parents also believe that pupils are very secure in school.  Pupils say that bullying is extremely rare and if it did occur, they know staff would quickly sort it out. School records support this. Pupils describe everyone as kind and that is why they like school so much. They also know that this helps them to learn and they are proud of their learning. Such positive attitudes also help to prepare them well for adult life and work.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have a clear understanding of how to help pupils of all abilities to achieve well, including those who have particular barriers to learning. Pupils respond well to this care and guidance and make good progress as a result.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 The teachers ask questions skilfully to check pupils’ understanding of new learning and to explore their ideas and opinions. Pupils respond well and are keen to share their knowledge. This was particularly noticeable in a Year 5 mathematics lesson, where pupils had the opportunity to practise their mathematical skills in rounding to one decimal place. The pupils were extremely enthusiastic to share their responses with the teacher and their classmates. Throughout the lesson, they showed a clear understanding of the strategies needed to develop their work to reach the highest level.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers and teaching assistants work together effectively. They give help that takes good account of the accurate assessments they make of pupils’ individual learning needs. This means that pupils of all abilities, including the relatively few disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and the most able, make good progress in all subjects.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use time well in lessons, so that no learning time is lost. As a result, pupils settle quickly to their tasks, work productively and usually maintain high levels of concentration. Occasionally, particularly in the lower school, pupils of all abilities are set tasks that do not stretch or challenge them sufficiently and they become disengaged for parts of lessons.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers understand how to teach the skills of reading, writing and mathematics effectively. Consequently they help pupils to build up their knowledge systematically. This helps pupils use these skills to support learning in other subjects.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading is now good. Pupils say they enjoy reading, and many read confidently and with good understanding. Teachers have identified the reasons for the lower standards in reading in 2014 and have designed strategies to tackle this relative underperformance. Early indications are that the vast majority of pupils are now making good progress in reading and standards are rising, although staff have only recently started to develop more challenging opportunities for pupils to read in English lessons and more regularly in other subjects.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils complete homework to a good standard and this gives them a strong platform for tackling work in the following lesson. School records indicate that parents agree and are very supportive of the progress that homework helps their children to make.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers provide good-quality constructive feedback to pupils both verbally and written, in the form of marking. Teachers’ written comments show pupils what they need to do to improve their work and this contributes to the good progress that pupils make.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils start at the school with attainment in reading, writing and mathematics that is well below national averages. In the relatively small year groups, boys and girls of all abilities and from all backgrounds make good gains in their learning in all subjects.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 At the end of Year 6 in 2014, attainment was just below national averages in mathematics, writing and grammar, punctuation and spelling. It was well below in reading. The school makes accurate internal assessments of how well pupils are doing. The high quality of pupils’ recorded work in English and mathematics indicates that standards are rising this year and pupils are making consistently good progress in all year groups.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils achieve well because the staff provide additional challenge for them most of the time, and set high expectations for what they can achieve .

p.7

The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, Year 6 pupils supported by the pupil premium attained higher standards than their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics. On average these pupils were more than five terms ahead in mathematics, more than half a term in writing and one term in reading. Compared to other pupils nationally, disadvantaged pupils were less than a term behind in mathematics, two and a half terms in writing and three terms in reading. The disadvantaged pupils currently in the school are making good progress in closing these gaps in all year groups.

p.7

The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. They receive focused and specific support that meets their needs well.

p.7

The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014 standards in reading were not as high as the school had expected. Leaders have thoroughly investigated this. As a result they have introduced initiatives aimed at developing pupils’ ability to understand more from their reading, further raising attainment in this key skill. Recent school information on pupils’ progress in reading suggests a much stronger picture, with the vast majority of pupils now achieving well.

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 139941 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 450176

p.9

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.9

School details

Type of school Primary School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 152 Appropriate authority The proprietor Chair David Shelton Principal Carl Pattison Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected as an academy Telephone number 01623 460329 Fax number None Email address admin@skegbyjunioracademy.org guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.9

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.

p.10

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

p.10

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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

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

p.10