Fakenham Junior School

Fakenham Junior School Queen's Road, Fakenham, NR21 8BN

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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

 Through effective leadership, the headteacher, other school leaders and governors have improved the quality of teaching and raised pupils’ achievement so they are both now good.  The school looks outward, always open to new ideas that will improve the quality of education.  Key to many improvements since the previous inspection is the use of information to check how well the school is doing, spot weaknesses and make changes when necessary.  Skilled subject leaders drive many improvements in their areas of responsibility.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils have a good understanding of British values such as respect.  Pupils’ attendance is above average because it is checked regularly and action taken if necessary.  Pupils’ behaviour is good because pupils respond positively to praise from staff.  Staff are vigilant at keeping pupils safe. As a result, pupils say they feel safe in school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teaching is good because all staff take note of the effective training they receive. They respond positively to the suggestions for improvement given in regular checks of their teaching.  Pupils throughout the school make good progress in relation to their different starting points. Pupils make particularly good progress in writing.  Technology is used very effectively so good learning in school can be extended at home.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Sometimes, all pupils are expected to go through easier tasks before more difficult ones, even if they already know how to do them. This slows progress, particularly that of the most able.  Teachers’ marking does not always give pupils the precise guidance they need to help them improve.  Recent improvements in how grammar, punctuation and spelling lessons are taught and organised have not yet raised standards sufficiently.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed learning in 17 lessons, including all year groups and in a range of subjects. Most observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, members of the governing body, subject leaders, other teachers, parents and pupils. An inspector also spoke to an independent consultant and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors looked at pupils’ work and heard a group of pupils read.  The inspectors considered documents about the school’s self-evaluation, plans for improvement and arrangements to ensure that pupils are safe.  The inspectors took account of the views expressed by parents in discussions and in the 45 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. The inspectors also took account of the 24 responses to the questionnaire returned by staff.

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Inspection team

Robert Greatrex, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Carter-Tufnell Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized junior school.  There are two classes in each year group except Year 5, where there are three. There is also a class with pupils from both Years 3 and 4.  The proportion of boys is larger than average.  The vast majority of pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is broadly in line with the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are looked after by the local authority or known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  The school is part of an informal group of local schools that remain independent of one another but work

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Information about this school

cooperatively.  The school runs a breakfast club every weekday.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching and accelerate pupils’ progress by making sure that:  all tasks are of suitable difficulty to enable all pupils, particularly the most able, to make good progress  teachers’ marking always gives helpful advice and guidance so pupils know how to improve their work  recent improvements in provision for, and teaching of, grammar, punctuation and spelling are consistently and fully implemented, particularly in pupils’ general writing in other subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders and staff share a strong commitment to providing pupils with a good education. They have established a culture in which both effective teaching and good behaviour thrive, so pupils make good progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff give each pupil the support needed to give all an equal chance to succeed. Clear policies and procedures support effective action on the rare occasion of any discrimination. The school day begins with continuous and uninterrupted learning time, largely used for basic subjects, designed to maximise progress while pupils are fresh and alert.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership at all levels is good and a significant factor in pupils’ good progress and personal development. Learning, attendance and behaviour are all monitored closely by skilled staff so any problems are ‘nipped in the bud’. The headteacher has created a collaborative environment where staff all share expertise, ideas and concerns to the benefit of all, and, most particularly, the pupils’ learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leadership is highly effective. These teachers have good subject knowledge and work with colleagues from other schools to improve subject content and teaching. They regularly check pupils’ progress, and make changes if learning is not at a good rate. Their judgments are much more accurate than when the school was previously inspected.

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The leadership and management are good

 Provision for special educational needs is very well managed so that each pupil’s specific learning needs are identified and met. Innovative activities, such as the lunchtime ‘choices club’ for pupils struggling to cope, give pupils the support they need to thrive and learn. One said, ‘We go in stressed and come out chilled.’

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The leadership and management are good

 Teaching is good because teachers’ performance is well managed. Accurate, robust evaluation gives each teacher a clear understanding of their effectiveness and how it can be improved. Staff know they will receive good-quality training – often one-to-one coaching tailored to their needs – but that poor performance will not be tolerated. Adherence to school policies is much improved since the previous inspection.

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The leadership and management are good

 Self-evaluation is accurate and identifies areas for improvement. These form the basis of action plans to move the school forward.

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The leadership and management are good

 Information is equally accessible to teachers and pupils at home as in school. For example, staff can prepare lessons and pupils extend their learning and send questions to their teachers via email.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. All pupils recognise that each member of their community is unique. They respect and tolerate everyone, including those different to themselves.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizens in modern British society is good. They know how to canvass opinions of their classes, and represent these views at council. They witness democracy in action when they take the outcomes back and share them with those who elected them.

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The leadership and management are good

 A wide range of interesting learning opportunities engage pupils’ curiosity to learn and enthuses them. Visits give first-hand experiences for pupils to build on in class. The new assessment system is effective.

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The leadership and management are good

 Extra pupil premium funding is used effectively so eligible pupils do well. They benefit from extra lessons tailored to their needs, including those of the most able if they are not doing as well as they should.

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The leadership and management are good

 Primary school sports funding provides a wider range of well-taught activities, using the expertise of a sports coach. Pupil involvement is high. Additional lunchtime staff, assisted by pupils, organise a good variety of sports activities that also improve behaviour. Pupils know the importance of exercise to health.  Parents are generally positive about the school. The partnership is open, honest and frank, and makes a strong contribution to pupils’ improved progress. The proportion attending activities to work alongside their children is high. One of many successful courses involves harder-to-reach parents with children seemingly uninterested in learning. Ambitions for the child are discussed, and how learning now will enable that to happen. All work together with clear shared goals. Another innovation enables girls lacking confidence in mathematics to learn alongside their mothers. Again, the impact on achievement is good.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school benefits from good links with local schools. Much is done to support pupils when they start and leave. Expertise is shared, such as to provide good provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s improvement is testament to its success in seeking value for money from the services it buys, including those from the local authority. As a result, impact, especially on the quality of teaching, is good.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils are good. Statutory requirements and school procedures are followed closely. As a result, pupils say they feel safe in school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance is effective; each individual’s skills are used well and they form a cohesive team with clear focus and drive to providing good-quality education.  Their training is given high priority by governors. As a result, at meetings and on regular visits to the school, they are well informed to make well-considered judgments and decisions.  Governors share information very effectively through the central computer ‘hub’ to maximise the efficient use of their time; for example, to give views on documents and prepare for meetings.  Information about pupils’ achievements is carefully considered. When relevant, it is linked to other information. For example, governors check and judge the impact of financial spending, including additional funds such as pupil premium and sports funding, on pupils’ achievements.  Governors ensure that teachers’ pay rises depend on their pupils making good progress, and that

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The leadership and management are good

leaders tackle any underperformance. Governors have an accurate picture of the quality of teaching.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are very considerate of one another, respectful and polite. In class and around the school, they help create a harmonious community. The school’s rules are clear and they are consistently applied by staff and followed by pupils.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are keen to learn and have a good and growing understanding of themselves as learners. For example, they recognise which skills they have used in a particular lesson.

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Behaviour

 Pupils very willingly take on responsibility. Particularly knowledgeable pupils help others with their computer skills. The most-able mathematicians and readers visit other classes to help those who struggle.

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Behaviour

 Attendance is above average because the school, led by an effective and experienced member of staff, works closely with parents to make sure that all pupils fit for school attend. The school does all it can to explain the importance of good attendance and insists on medical evidence to explain absence. Pupils respond positively to rewards, particularly having a visit from the ‘good attendance guinea pigs’.

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Behaviour

 Pupils enjoy the popular breakfast club, where they enjoy an excellent range of healthy food and the opportunity to play a good range of games cooperatively. This also contributes to improved punctuality.

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Behaviour

 Exclusions are rare. Pupils who struggle to manage their behaviour are generally given good support to quickly return to learning.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Arrangements to ensure all adults are checked are applied fully. Pupils can give examples of when they have reported potential dangers, such as holes in the fence, and are pleased with how quickly staff respond. As a result, pupils say they feel safe and the vast majority of parents agree.

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Safety

 Pupils say incidents of bullying are rare. They are confident that staff would quickly resolve any worries they might have. Pupils, especially the eldest, clearly understand the difference between bullying and the ups and downs of normal friendship.

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Safety

 Pupils’ understanding of safety, and how to keep themselves and others safe, is good. For example, pupils can list their attributes that they feel would help in an emergency, such as ‘quick-thinker’. They role play scenarios and talk through potential hazards and solutions.

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Safety

 Pupils have a very clear understanding of the potential dangers of the internet and social media, and know how to keep themselves safe online, because they receive regular training and reminders.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are clear to pupils about the conduct expected of them, and the rewards and consequences they might expect. Pupils feel safe and secure within this framework, thrive and make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school’s key behaviours for learning are highly visible in every class, and often referred to by teachers. As a result, these are becoming automatic learning habits for more and more pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Planning is effective and gives a structure to learning. Staff generally start by figuring out what they want their pupils to learn from the lesson, and then plan the steps pupils need to take in order to achieve these learning aims.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ questions effectively encourage pupils to take their thinking further, or give groups of pupils problems to solve so they have to pool their ideas and come to a consensus. Often, teachers target questions to specific pupils to consolidate or extend their learning in an area they need to improve.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants make an effective contribution to pupils’ learning because support is closely matched to each individual’s learning needs, or to address gaps in their previous learning, so they can do well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Speaking and listening skills are taught well. Pupils are asked to explain what they are thinking, and teachers have high expectations they will use full, well-constructed sentences.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading is taught effectively. For example, staff encourage pupils to infer from the texts they read together, and to explain the thinking behind what they say.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Writing skills are generally taught well because pupils are given a good and growing number of opportunities to practise them in real and relevant activities in other subjects. However, this is relatively new and not yet consistent throughout the school. Not all teachers are ensuring that writing in subjects other than English promotes pupils’ good spelling, punctuation and grammar.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Following good support from the local authority, mathematics is taught consistently well throughout the school. Every teacher follows an identical approach so pupils know what to expect, and that each year will build on the one before. Pupils use equipment to experience the mathematics through practical activities, then representing it in the pictorial, before moving to the advanced abstract understanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Homework focuses on key skills, such as spelling, which has improved partly because it is followed up at home through the help given by parents. In other subjects, pupils can continue their learning at home. For example, extending an activity to create a virtual classroom to re-design their bedrooms.  Marking is improved since the previous inspection, but is still inconsistent. When most effective, it clearly identifies what the pupils have succeeded in, and gives them very clear guidance in the specific areas they need to improve. In some classes, however, advice is very broad and unhelpful.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Sometimes all pupils have to go through the easier tasks before moving on to more difficult ones. This wastes the time of the most-able pupils, in particular, because they know and understand this first step already.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Throughout the school, the progress of the vast majority of pupils is good, as shown by the school’s accurate and regular assessments and the evidence confirmed by inspectors. Results in 2014 improved on 2013. School information and inspection findings suggest this improvement will continue in 2015.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 School leaders and teachers check the rate of pupils’ progress and use this information in many ways; for example, to plan extra lessons for pupils falling behind, to change elements of some lessons, and to provide more staff training. This contributes strongly to pupils’ good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 School information and inspection evidence suggests that the proportion in the current Year 6 making expected progress in reading will be above both school and national figures for 2014. Likewise, in writing, where figures were already high, virtually every pupil is on track to reach or exceed the nationally expected level. In mathematics, thanks to the new whole-school approach introduced by school leaders, results are likely to be above the school and national figures for 2014. About one-third of these pupils have learning-related special educational needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress is equally good elsewhere in the school, and at a more consistent rate now than at the previous inspection, largely because of improvements in the quality of teaching.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, the disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 made progress at a faster rate than their peers in school and nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, they narrowed the attainment gap between them and their classmates. However, they came from lower starting points. As a result, they were half a term behind their peers in school in reading and writing, and nearly a term behind in mathematics. When compared to all pupils nationally, they were half a term behind in writing and one and a half terms behind in reading and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Before they get to more difficult work, the most-able pupils sometimes have to work through tasks that have no benefit for them. This is partly why the vast majority make the progress routinely expected by all pupils, instead of the faster progress of which many of them are capable. The most-able disadvantaged pupils make progress at a similar rate to the other most-able pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Middle ability pupils do well. One-fifth made greater than expected progress in reading and mathematics, and three in ten in writing. The vast majority of other pupils make the progress they should.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected level by the end of Year 6 was above the national average in writing but below in reading, mathematics, spelling, punctuation and grammar. The proportion of pupils exceeding the expected level by the end of Year 6 was above the national average in writing but, again, below in the other subjects. Reading was particularly low, but this year group had a relatively high proportion of dyslexic pupils who struggled with reading and mathematics particularly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs generally make good progress from their varied starting points. Teaching assistants are skilled at breaking difficult learning into smaller, more manageable steps so pupils understand.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ computing competence is good. They are fast, accurate and confident in accessing a good variety of computer programs. They understand how their homework tasks are stored and retrieved from the ‘cloud’, and how to write and create imaginative games to challenge one another.  Pupils’ skills in grammar, punctuation and spelling are improving rapidly because of many improvements; for example, short daily lessons aimed at particular skills, greater involvement of parents and termly spelling competitions to encourage learning. Even so, these changes are relatively new and have yet to be consistently implemented by all staff.

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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 120805 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 462065

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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 280 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ian Randall Headteacher Lesley Cook Date of previous school inspection 11 July 2013 Telephone number 01328 862188 Fax number 01328 856678 Email address office@fakenham-jun.norfolk.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

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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