Eastlands Junior School (Welbeck Federation of Schools)

Eastlands Junior School Netherfield Lane, Meden Vale, Mansfield, NG20 9PA

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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

 The headteacher, leaders and governors have worked well to raise achievement and improve teaching since the last inspection.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. The school helps pupils to understand British values and to be tolerant of others.  Pupils’ achievement has improved since the last inspection, and standards in mathematics and writing at the end of Year 6 rose in 2014. The proportions of pupils reaching Level 4 (the nationally expected level) were above average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teaching is now good and is having a positive impact on pupils’ progress.  Pupils behave well and they feel safe in school. They have good attitudes to learning and enjoy school.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve and the levels of challenge in the work set have been raised since the previous inspection.  The governing body, very well led by the chair, has

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

improved the ways through which it holds the school to account. The governors are effective partners in supporting and challenging the school to improve further.  The school has successfully introduced the new National Curriculum, while maintaining existing strengths in what is taught. Teachers prepare activities for pupils which greatly interest and enthuse them.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ progress in mathematics is less strong than in reading and writing.  At times, the adults do not keep a close enough track of how well all pupils are coping during lessons. This can slow progress for pupils of all abilities but especially the most able.  Some subject leaders do not check the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning in order to accelerate progress in the subjects for which they are responsible.  Despite a positive start, the school has not fully adapted its systems for checking on pupils’ progress, to make sure they meet the demands of the new National Curriculum.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed nine lessons jointly with the headteacher, and talked to pupils about their progress and the work in their exercise books. The inspector also looked at pupils’ work.  The inspector heard pupils read, observed pupils' behaviour during playtimes, lunchtime and at the beginning and end of the school day. He also talked to a group of pupils about behaviour and safety.  Meetings were held with members of staff, and with the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors. The inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The results of the most recent school survey of parents’ views held by the school in March 2015, when 48 parents responded, were taken into account. Too few parents responded to Ofsted’s online ‘Parent View’ questionnaire to provide useful evidence. The views of staff were also taken into account, as were the 15 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Information about this inspection

 Various school documents were examined. These included: external evaluations of the school's work; reports to the governing body by the local authority’s school improvement service and the school’s partner school. The inspector analysed data on pupils' progress and records of pupils' attendance. He considered the school’s review of its own performance, records of the school’s checks on the quality of teaching, development plans, behaviour records and safeguarding documentation.

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Inspection team

Terrance Mortimer, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Eastlands Junior school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds; a very small minority are from minority ethnic backgrounds and even fewer speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils for whom the pupil premium provides support is well above the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils known to be, or to have been, eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is around the national 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.  The school is a member of the local primary schools cluster, which provides support for schools. It also

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Information about this school

receives support from Langold Dyscarr Community School to strengthen the work of the subject leaders.  The school runs a daily breakfast club, known to the pupils as ‘The Bagel Club’, and an after-school club.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and so raise achievement, by ensuring that:  adults monitor pupils’ progress more systematically during lessons, so that any misconceptions are identified more quickly, and pupils are helped to make better progress  the improvements made recently in the teaching of mathematics are consolidated, particularly with regard to increasing opportunities for pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills in different subjects  pupils are able to apply their numeracy skills to solve problems in mathematics lessons and in other subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the leadership and management of the school by:  ensuring that subject leaders check on the quality of teaching and how well pupils learn in the subjects for which they are responsible  ensuring that the school’s new assessment system provides teachers with clear information to plan work that is at the right level of difficulty for all pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides a very clear direction to the school’s work. All the staff form an effective team which is focused on providing the best for all pupils, both socially and academically. As a result, pupils are now achieving well and enjoy school. A dip in results in national tests in 2014 in reading, due to pupils who entered Year 6 after the start of the school year, was minimised by the school’s well-judged actions. The school has ensured that results this year are on track to rise beyond 2014 and are focused on the need to accelerate progress in mathematics across the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The work of leaders, including the governing body, is concentrated on ensuring that all pupils make good progress. The school has made use of very effective systems to track pupils’ progress, so that staff immediately spot any problems and address them quickly. This contributes to the school’s good provision of equal opportunities for all pupils. However, because of changes to national requirements, including a new National Curriculum, these systems have to change. Leaders are carefully trialling, in consultation with colleagues in other schools, how this may best be done so that the data reflect the necessary changes that have been put in place, without losing the information provided by the current arrangements.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders ensure that the quality of teaching is managed well. Individual members of staff are set clear targets based on the progress of pupils, their responsibilities within the school, and their professional development needs. Their progress towards these targets is monitored regularly, and they are given good guidance and training through the school and its partner school to ensure that they succeed. Targets are appropriately linked to pay, so that good performance can be rewarded.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff make sure pupils have many opportunities through the curriculum to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness and at the same time ensure that they tackle any areas of discrimination. The school encourages pupils to show respect for each other, and to recognise that each pupil is unique and should be treated as an individual. Pupils are very proud of the fact that the school has received a Rights Respecting School award. They recognise the rights and values that they have in this country and compare their life to those of pupils in other countries of the world. In this way, they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is planned to engage and interest pupils in their learning and generally succeeds in developing pupils’ skills in different subjects in a systematic way, so that good progress is supported. The English curriculum has recently been enhanced by emphasising the development of writing, and the impact of this can be clearly seen in improved progress in pupils’ books this year. Pupils enjoy their learning and find it ‘fun’.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has incorporated the new curriculum for mathematics well. However, support for using mathematical skills in other subjects has not been strong in the past and, while this is now improving, is not yet good enough. The school has recently introduced new initiatives to improve the teaching of mathematics and to broaden pupils’ experiences of problem solving. These are beginning to prove successful, although it is too early to be able to judge their full impact. However, there are still too few opportunities for pupils to use their mathematical skills extensively across the curriculum as a whole.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders make a positive contribution to the quality of education. They provide good support and advice to colleagues in planning but have yet to develop their skills in monitoring teaching and standards and use of the new data system in their areas of responsibility.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupil premium funding has been allocated well to ensure that eligible pupils do as well as others academically, and also are able to be involved in all aspects of school life, such as visits, music lessons or after-school clubs.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have used the primary sports funding effectively to improve teaching and to extend and enhance pupils’ experiences. This has increased pupils’ involvement in a greater variety of sports, especially during lunchtimes, and improved their enjoyment and participation.  Systems to keep pupils safe are good and meet current requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides good support to the school, particularly through its monitoring and leadership support, though the school has continued to focus on the development of subject leaders and brokering partnership arrangements with other schools.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has good systems to involve parents in their children’s education. Most parents are supportive of the school and are pleased with what is provided. The school has made a number of changes to the way behaviour is managed in order to meet parental concerns. These have been effective and evidence shows that behaviour is good.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors’ support for the school and their knowledge about pupils’ performance are good. Governors are well informed, and their support is much improved since the last inspection. They make regular visits to the school, which they know well, to monitor their links with individual subjects and specific areas of the school development plan so that they are kept well informed. They have an accurate understanding of what needs to be done next and are ambitious for the school. Governors provide good support and challenge in their quest for continuous improvement, particularly in reading and mathematics.  Members understand the impact that teaching has on pupils’ achievement. They are fully aware of the quality of teaching across the school. Governors have a good understanding of the targets that teachers are set. They know that pay is linked to performance and that awards are not automatic. Governors are

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The leadership and management are good

aware of how good teaching is both recognised and rewarded. They know that any underperformance is supported and addressed.  Governors take an active role in monitoring pupils’ progress. They always ensure that the pupil premium is used appropriately to make a significant difference to individual pupils. The governing body checks on the impact that funding has on pupils’ progress in all subjects and that it has made a positive impact on the improvements made in many areas. Governors understand how the school’s achievement data compare to national data. Together with senior leaders, governors take care to ensure that the school’s arrangements for safeguarding its pupils are effective and meet all statutory requirements.

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Behaviour

 In lessons, pupils work hard and, as a result, make good progress. They enjoy their lessons and are keen to do well. Pupils are able to work without close supervision in lessons. The work in their books is neat and tidy and indicates they take pride in their work.

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Behaviour

 Around school, pupils are friendly and polite. They are keen to talk about their school and the aspects of school life they enjoy, such as the wide range of sports clubs.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are very polite and interested in other people. They work well together, help each other and show a very caring nature. Pupils are very supportive of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.

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Behaviour

 Pupils have a good understanding of what constitutes bullying. They say that such acts of unkindness are rare. If pupils do fall out, they often resolve the problems themselves but have the confidence that staff are on hand to help out if necessary.

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Behaviour

 Pupils enjoy taking part in school life. Older pupils take on roles of responsibility within the school such as play leaders, or members of the school council and the Rights Respecting School council. On a more informal basis, older pupils look after or chat to younger ones if they are sitting alone in the quieter areas of the playground.  Pupils understand the rewards system in the school. They also know the sanctions teachers will use if they misbehave. On occasions, some pupils say others can be too chatty in class and this can disturb them.

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Behaviour

 The attendance rate is average and is improving. All absences are followed up through well-established procedures.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.

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Safety

 Pupils feel secure in school and know that the adults around them will look after them and keep them safe. Pupils have a good understanding of e-safety. Pupils in Year 6 are also taught to be safe on the road on their bikes through their ‘Bikeability’ training.

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Safety

 Lessons in personal, social and health education and the Rights Respecting School values provide good opportunities for pupils to understand issues about the safety of pupils. The views of all pupils are valued and nurtured, so all feel special.

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Safety

 Pupils are confident that all visitors to the school are properly checked and do not pose any threat to them. Risk assessments are carried out meticulously.

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Safety

 Parents are confident that their children feel safe and are kept safe in school. This is reflected in their positive response to the school’s own survey.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good throughout the school and has improved as a result of effective staff training and development and the good links with other local schools. This has been recognised by external evaluations.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ work, the school’s assessment data and the inspector’s evaluations of teaching and observations of pupils’ learning, also indicate that the quality of teaching is good. Good teaching is enabling current pupils to make good progress and is leading to rising standards.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Classrooms are attractive and well organised. Teachers use displays well, both in classrooms and around the school, to celebrate pupils’ achievement and stimulate their learning. Teachers know the pupils well and have positive relationships with them. They have high expectations of their classes and are committed to raising pupils’ aspirations and self-confidence so that they believe they can achieve well. As a result, pupils usually work hard and take a pride in their work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have good subject knowledge and explain clearly what they want the pupils to learn. As a result, pupils start quickly on the activities they have been set because they know what they need to do.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make good use of teaching assistants, and additional staff make a good contribution to pupils’ learning. Targeted support by assistants often helps disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs to concentrate as well as to make progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers and teaching assistants use questioning well to check pupils’ understanding and to probe their learning. For example, in a mathematics lesson, older pupils were asked: ‘Tell me what you already know about cuboids and areas of shapes and how might that help?’ As a result, they were able to use their own knowledge to work out the volumes of cuboids.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading is good, and all teachers place strong emphasis on developing pupils’ reading skills. Guided reading sessions are targeted well so that pupils develop comprehension skills and appreciate the different authors that they read. Those who need extra help with their reading receive support in small groups. Teachers encourage pupils to read often, and pupils of all ages enjoy the challenge to read as many books as they can.  Mathematics is currently a major focus throughout the school, as a result of the school’s and national data showing that not enough pupils are achieving the higher levels. The teaching of mathematics has been reviewed and is being strengthened. Opportunities are being increased in mathematics lessons for pupils to apply their numeracy skills and to solve problems. While there are some example of pupils using their mathematical skills in different subjects, the application of mathematics is not consistently good across the

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of writing is effective. Pupils are given good guidance on how to structure their writing as was seen in a lesson in Year 6. They are encouraged to use interesting and imaginative vocabulary, and literary devices such as alliteration and onomatopoeia. In most year groups, pupils have good opportunities to apply their writing skills in different subjects. In some year groups, pupils, especially the most-able, do not write enough and so their work lacks depth.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and often praise them for what they have achieved. They give pupils comments and guidance about what they need to work on next to make faster progress. Pupils are given dedicated time to respond to teachers’ comments. Where pupils are given additional challenges and targets to work on, teachers always ensure that they have been acted on.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In many lessons, though teachers set challenges for all pupils, they wait too long before checking that pupils are successfully completing the tasks they have been set. As a result, pupils’ misunderstandings or successes are not picked up quickly enough and some pupils, especially the most-able, are not challenged further. This slows the progress they make.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils enter Year 3 with average attainment. Pupils’ achievement required improvement at the time of the previous inspection because it was too varied and not enough pupils were making good progress in Years 3 to 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are now making good progress. During the past two years, effective action has been taken by leaders and staff to accelerate pupils’ progress. Throughout the school, different groups of pupils are making good progress in reading and writing. Progress in mathematics is improving, but is not yet as good as in English.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment by the end of Year 6 in 2014 was broadly average in reading and mathematics and was above average in writing. While these pupils made good progress since the previous inspection, they had made too little progress in the earlier years because of past weaknesses in assessment and teaching.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Published data indicate that a small number of pupils made insufficient progress from Year 3 to 6 in mathematics. The reasons for this dip have been identified and quickly addressed so that both attainment and progress have improved sharply. Detailed information presented by the school provided firm evidence to show that all groups of pupils are now making expected progress across all year groups, and many are making more than expected progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ work, assessment information and learning in lessons indicate that standards in the current Year 6 are likely to be higher than last year. However, the improved progress is not yet having a full impact on attainment by the end of Year 6. While pupils in the current Year 6 have made good progress in Years 5 and 6, their progress was less strong in Years 3 and 4.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In Year 6 in 2014, disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium attained higher standards than their peers in mathematics and were about one term ahead. They attained similar standards to the other pupils in reading but lower in writing where they were just over a term behind. When compared with all pupils nationally, those supported by the funding were about one term higher in writing and in line in reading and mathematics. More recent data show that pupils supported by the additional funding are making good progress and there are no significant differences in attainment between them and other pupils.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because the work set and the support provided are well suited to their specific learning needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of the most-able pupils is improving. In summer 2014, the proportions of most-able pupils who attained the higher levels by the end of Year 6 were below average in reading and mathematics but above in writing. Improvements to teaching mean that the most-able pupils are more effectively challenged and the proportions attaining higher levels are steadily increasing, though this level of achievement is not consistent across the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in speaking and listening. Teachers provide well-structured opportunities for pupils to discuss their learning and express their ideas and opinions. Good discussion and debating skills are helping their writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils enjoy reading and make good progress in this area. They have acquired essential reading skills and apply these well to their learning in different subjects. By the end of Year 6, pupils apply more advanced skills of deduction and inference well and really enjoy talking about their favourite authors.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In writing, pupils are achieving well. Pupils write for a range of purposes. They are making good progress in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Pupils in Year 6 wrote a balanced and creative article on being shipwrecked on a desert island having being enthused by the resources used. They provided clear reasons for their argument using their knowledge of grammar to make the article exciting.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The teaching of mathematics has improved. Pupils are now making good progress in mathematics, though this is not yet consistent across the school. Pupils are increasingly applying their mathematical skills to investigate and to solve problems. For example, pupils in Year 6 made good progress in investigating volume and the circumference of a circle. Pupils are taught essential skills of calculation and the mathematical operations well. Increasing pupils’ opportunities to investigate and apply skills to solve problems has been a priority. However, the practice is not consistently good in all classes and opportunities are sometimes missed for the practical application of 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 122497 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 461982

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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 Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 117 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joanne Rush Headteacher Susan Gibbons Date of previous school inspection 19 June 2013 Telephone number 01623 842257 Fax number 01623 847381 Email address office@eastlands.notts.sch.uk 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 .

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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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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