Rokesly Junior School

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school is well led and managed. Leaders have ensured that there has been good improvement since the previous inspection, especially in the quality of teaching.  All leaders, including governors, check provision thoroughly. Together, they have accurately identified the next steps in the school’s development.  Governors hold the school to account very effectively.  Pupils’ attainment has risen over the last five years and is above average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils make good progress because they are taught well. Teachers make learning fun and engaging. They provide good challenge to the most able pupils.  Teachers get on extremely well with pupils and help them appreciate the value of learning.  The school is very successful in ensuring pupils are kept safe and secure. Pupils say that they feel extremely safe.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and they are keen to do well. They are polite and considerate and take good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

care of each other.  Pupils enjoy school greatly. They are especially positive about the high number of visits, visitors and clubs that enrich learning.  The school promotes creativity in areas such as art and music very successfully.  The school has a strong partnership with parents. They are very satisfied with the work of the school. They feel rightly that their children are happy, safe and very well cared for.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There are a few occasions when pupils’ progress slows because teachers do not respond speedily enough if they are struggling with their work.  While the feedback given to pupils to help them improve their work is exemplary in many classes, it is not consistently strong across the school.  Pupils do not always present their work as neatly as they can.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 16 lessons, nine of which were observed jointly with the headteacher or the deputy headteacher. In addition, the inspectors made other, shorter observations of pupils at work.  Discussions were held with pupils, staff, a representative from the local authority and members of the governing body.  The inspectors took account of the views of 122 parents who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors also talked to parents at the end of the school day.  The inspectors observed the school’s work, heard pupils read and looked at a number of documents, including: the school’s own information about pupils’ learning and progress; planning and monitoring documents; the school development plan; records relating to behaviour and attendance; safeguarding information; and health and safety documentation.  The inspectors analysed 28 questionnaire responses from staff.

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Inspection team

Mike Capper, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average-sized junior school.  Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, with 37 languages represented in the school. Around two-thirds of pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is above average. This is additional government funding provided to give extra support to those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and to children who are looked after.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teachers always respond quickly when they see that pupils are struggling with their work so that the few remaining inconsistencies in progress across the school are eradicated.  Strengthen the quality of the feedback given to pupils to help them improve by building on the exemplary practice seen in some classes so that it is consistently strong across the school.  Ensure that pupils understand the importance of presenting their work neatly.

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The leadership and management are good

 Under the headteacher’s strong guidance, the senior leadership team, other staff and the governing body have ensured good improvement in the school since the previous inspection. Together they have established a culture where pupils thrive both socially and academically. This means that pupils are well- prepared for the next stage of their education.  The school’s commitment to equality of opportunity is very strong and discrimination in any form is not tolerated. The learning environment is happy and calm and this enables good behaviour and good learning to flourish.  Pupils’ attainment has been rising because leaders have successfully improved the quality of teaching so that it is now good or better nearly all of the time. All staff, including teaching assistants, benefit from training that is closely tailored to their individual needs. Newly qualified teachers are very well supported.  Middle leaders, such as teachers in charge of subjects, receive good support and training to help them

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The leadership and management are good

develop their skills. They make a good contribution to improving pupils’ learning, although some minor inconsistencies in provision, such as in the quality of marking across the school, have not been identified quickly enough.  Leaders make good use of the pupil premium to help disadvantaged pupils to make the same good or better progress as others in the school. It has a good effect on their social development and helps them have access to a full range of activities.  Leaders have established very strong partnerships with other schools as well as with parents. Parents have high levels of satisfaction with the work of the school. One parent summed up the views of others by writing, ‘Children have a thoroughly good time, get a good education and have been so well prepared for secondary school.’ Parents contribute well to the school’s success by, for example, raising funds and supporting their children with work at home.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum (the topics and subjects taught) is rich and vibrant and enables pupils to make good progress in English and mathematics. It is enriched well by exciting activities outside lessons that contribute greatly to pupil’s enjoyment of school. Creativity in music and art is promoted extremely well, as seen in the high-quality work on display in the annual art exhibition.  Sport and physical education are also given a high profile in school. Additional government funding in this area has had a positive effect on provision. Training has improved the skills of teachers. Opportunities for pupils to participate in sport have been extended through new clubs and links with outside providers.  Activities both in and out of lessons contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are very sensitive to the needs of others. For example, on their own initiative, they

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The leadership and management are good

are currently raising funds for earthquake victims in Nepal. They take responsibility through the school council with enthusiasm and this helps them to develop a good understanding of how democracy works. Pupils get on well together and are tolerant and respectful. Consequently, pupils are well-prepared for life in modern Britain.  The local authority has played a good part in school improvement since the previous inspection. They continue to monitor provision through regular visits to the school.  Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements. They are robust and are checked regularly by staff and governors. Together, they give pupils’ safety the highest priority in all that they do. This is reflected, for example, in the school’s very thorough systems for vetting new staff.  The governance of the school:  Governance is very effective. Governors provide high levels of challenge to the school. They are very

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The leadership and management are good

well organised and understand clearly their responsibilities. Because of their strong presence in school, the governing body is very informed about what is going well and what needs improving. This means that they can take a very active part in planning for improvement.  Governors have a very clear understanding of where teaching is strongest and how any potential underperformance is tackled. They ensure that only effective teaching is rewarded financially through thorough performance management arrangements. They are very clear about how well the school is performing in comparison to others because they have good systems for analysing data on pupils’ progress. They check carefully how the school is improving the attainment of disadvantaged pupils so that they can be sure that pupil premium expenditure is effective.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Parents and staff agree that pupils behave well, and inspection findings confirm this view.  Pupils participate with enthusiasm in all school activities and their behaviour is often exemplary, especially at playtime and lunchtime. Some of their comments included, ‘Every day is fun’ and ‘You know that you will do some interesting things when you come to school’.  Pupils enjoy their work, although they do not always take enough care to ensure that it is presented neatly. Nonetheless, they have positive attitudes towards learning and this contributes considerably to their good progress.  Racial harmony is strong. Pupils get on very well together and take good care of each other when working or playing. School records show that incidents of poor behaviour are very rare and are tackled well.  Pupils are keen to take responsibility and do so very sensibly. Members of the school council represent

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Behaviour

their fellow pupils successfully and are helping to improve the school. For example, they have recently been involved in choosing new caterers.  Attendance is above average. Senior leaders take effective steps to maintain the high levels of attendance of pupils.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Nearly all parents agree that the school successfully keeps their children safe. The school has very thorough safeguarding procedures. Staff liaise very closely with outside agencies to support vulnerable pupils and to keep them safe.  Pupils confirm that they feel very safe and are very well looked after by the staff. As one commented, ‘There is always someone to talk to if we have a worry’.  Pupils show a very clear understanding of bullying and the different forms it might take, such as name calling and cyber-bullying. Pupils confirm that there is no bullying but they are confident that should it happen it would be quickly resolved.  Pupils are very clear about how to avoid potential danger both in school and in later life. They are very confident that they can make informed choices when faced with challenges as they grow older because

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Safety

they have been given the skills and knowledge to do so.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of literacy, reading and mathematics is good. Teachers have good subject knowledge which means that they are able to introduce new concepts skilfully. They make good use of techniques such as questioning and discussion to check pupils’ understanding of what they are doing. Some staff are particularly skilled at using this information to change work to take account of this. However, there are a few occasions when teachers do not adapt their teaching quickly enough if any pupils are finding it too hard to complete. When this happens, pupils’ progress is slower.  Teachers have strong working relationships with pupils and widely praise their efforts, which encourages them to try even harder. They manage pupils’ behaviour extremely well and engage them fully by making work interesting and purposeful. Teachers ensure that pupils work without fear of failure.  Teachers have high expectations of what pupils should achieve in their work. They plan work carefully so

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The quality of teaching is good

that it meets the needs of pupils by, for example, providing linked but different activities that are suitable for different groups of pupils. This means that the most able are challenged well and improve skills quickly. For instance, in Year 5, the most able pupils made outstanding progress as they very quickly improved their understanding of basic algebra because the teacher had planned demanding work which built extremely well on their prior learning.  The quality of feedback given to pupils is exemplary in some year groups and helps them to improve their work. However, this practice is not consistent across the school. Consequently, in a few classes, pupils sometimes repeat mistakes or do not present their work neatly because they have not been shown what they have done wrong.  Pupils who need extra help, including pupils who speak English as an additional language, the disadvantaged, the disabled and those who have special educational needs, are given good-quality

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The quality of teaching is good

support to help them improve. They are given effective guidance from teachers and skilled teaching assistants and this helps them to make good progress.  Parents and pupils are very pleased with the quality of teaching in the school. They like homework, which pupils say is fun. Pupils particularly enjoy working with their parents on practical activities such as making ‘Rainforest Boxes’ at home.

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is good

 Pupils achieve well in all year groups and make good progress across the school. Their attainment is rising across the school. It has risen year-on-year by the end of Year 6 since the previous inspection and is above average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Achievement is not outstanding because school data and samples of work show that there are some inconsistencies in progress across the school, especially when teachers do not move learning on more quickly for pupils who are struggling with their work.  By Year 6, pupils have good literacy and numeracy skills. They use these to good effect in different subjects. They read well from a wide range of texts. They write enthusiastically and try hard to use grammar, punctuation and spelling accurately. In mathematics, Year 6 pupils have a secure understanding of numbers and calculations and solve mathematical problems speedily.  Pupils attain well in a range of subjects. In particular, pupils produce high-quality art work using a range

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is good

of skills such as knitting, weaving, collage, painting and modelling. In computing, Year 6 pupils are especially skilled at creating their own programs, for example to run animations.  The school ensures that all groups achieve equally well over time. Provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational is good and helps them to acquire new skills quickly and achieve well. They receive effective support from teaching assistants and the work they are set is well suited to their needs.  The most able pupils also achieve well. Increasing proportions reach the higher Levels 5 or 6 in national testing by the end of Year 6, especially in mathematics.  Good teaching and well-focused support help to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make good or better progress. In 2014, disadvantaged pupils were around four terms behind their classmates in reading and mathematics, and three terms in writing. However, when compared with all pupils nationally, the

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is good

attainment gap was smaller than in most schools, with pupils being around two terms behind in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language and those from different ethnic groups achieve well and make good progress in all year groups. This means that by the end of Year 6 they are attaining as well as their peers in English and mathematics.

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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 102106 Local authority Haringey Inspection number 448233

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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 347 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Nigel Leskin Headteacher Bola Soneye-Thomas Date of previous school inspection 14–15 July 2010 Telephone number 020 8348 0290 Fax number 020 8342 8410 Email address admin@rokesly-jun.haringey.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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