Ashbrook Junior School

Ashbrook Junior School Victoria Avenue, Borrowash, Derby DE72 3HF

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

p.1

This is a good school

 Sustained efforts by leaders, including governors, have improved the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils which are now good.  Leaders regularly check the quality of teaching and make sure that staff work towards the school’s main priorities.  Behaviour and pupils’ personal development are good. Pupils are keen to learn and get on well together.  Pupils say they feel safe and well cared for because the school’s work to help keep them safe is effective.  Teachers motivate pupils’ learning well. They provide interesting topics which help pupils to make sense of their learning and to achieve well.  The curriculum is interesting and varied. It promotes pupils’ physical development and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding effectively.  Pupils now make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics, and standards in these subjects are rising.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some of the disadvantaged pupils and the most- able pupils are not yet making as much good progress in mathematics as they are in reading and writing.  The teaching of spelling and handwriting is not thorough enough to ensure that pupils consistently spell correctly and present their work well.  Occasionally, teachers do not tell pupils what they should achieve by the end of lessons.

p.1

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes by making sure that teachers: – teach spelling and handwriting more systematically and effectively – tell pupils how long they have to complete their work and how much they are expected to achieve by the end of lessons – more consistently provide tasks in mathematics which enable pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, to grasp concepts firmly before moving on to new ones – have higher expectations of what the most-able pupils can do in mathematics.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Strong leadership by the headteacher has ensured that teaching has continued to improve during a time of staff changes at the school. As a result, it is now consistently good and staff work well together with a common sense of purpose. Consequently, pupils achieve well. The school is a calm and purposeful place where effective teaching and positive behaviour flourish.  The headteacher and school leaders are relentless in their determination to give all pupils equal chance to succeed and to close any gaps in performance between groups of pupils. They ensure that improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils is a main priority. These pupils are now making more rapid progress because of consistently good teaching. The pupil premium funding is used effectively to pay for additional support and resources to promote personal and social development and to raise academic achievement.  Leaders check the quality of teaching frequently. They make sure that staff know what pupils should

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

achieve and check regularly how well pupils are doing. They set precise targets for staff to work towards that are linked well to the school’s main priorities. Leaders provide relevant training, including for teaching assistants, to improve the teaching of English and mathematics.  The roles of middle and subject leaders have developed well since the previous inspection. Staff responsible for subjects know about the quality of teaching and how well pupils are doing. They evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and identify what needs to improve. They make good use of new assessment systems to ensure that all subjects are taught effectively.  Staff work well with those from other schools to check the accuracy of their assessments. The local authority visits regularly and provides effective support in helping the school to verify its strengths and areas for development.  The interesting curriculum is taught well and motivates learning, reflected in this comment from a parent:

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

‘Teachers make lessons fun and packed full of information to enhance the children’s learning experiences.’ The curriculum promotes British values and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. Pupils learn about important British institutions and events, past and present. They are involved in decision-making and understand the need for rules. They learn about various faiths and visit places of worship. As a result, they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  The curriculum is supported by a range of extra-curricular activities which develop pupils’ skills and talents. The primary sports funding is used well to widen the range of sports on offer to all pupils, increasing levels of participation and developing teachers’ skills. Physical education is popular with pupils who say they enjoy the opportunity to improve their expertise in games and sports.  The governance of the school

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

– Governance is good. Governors systematically hold the school to account. They ask relevant questions and have a range of ways to check how well the school is addressing the main priorities. They check information about pupils’ progress and know how the pupil premium spending and the primary school sports funding is improving pupils’ skills and achievement. – Governors maintain regular links with school leaders and know how effectively the curriculum promotes learning and pupils’ understanding of British values. They carry out the performance management of the headteacher regularly and know the effect that good teaching has on pupils’ achievement. They authorise spending to improve the school environment, with positive benefits to staff and pupils. – Governors undergo necessary training to improve their skills and provide good guidance to help new governors to understand their roles and responsibilities.

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders, including governors, make sure that training for staff is up to date and relevant. They keep themselves informed of recent legislation and make sure that the school’s systems are robust. The vetting of adults who work with children is thorough. Positive links with parents mean that there are good lines of communication should any concerns arise about children’s welfare.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers find interesting ways to introduce topics to pupils and link subjects together well. This means pupils learn quickly because they are interested and keen to find out more. For example, during the inspection, the pupils in Years 3 and 4 gathered information about the volcano, Vesuvius. Teachers linked pupils’ learning well in geography, history, design and technology, and science to enable pupils to make full use of the information they were gathering and develop a good sense of time and place.  Staff adeptly ask the right questions to check pupils’ understanding. They praise effort and build confidence. Teachers pick up misconceptions during lessons and change their teaching accordingly. They expect pupils to explain and share their ideas. They build upon pupils’ answers well to extend thinking further.  Teachers provide good verbal and written feedback which helps pupils to understand how to improve.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

They frequently give pupils the opportunity to evaluate for themselves how well they are doing. In some instances, pupils are involved in ‘peer tutoring’, allowing the most able to build their confidence in helping others to develop their skills.  Staff nurture strong relationships and create positive learning environments in their classrooms. Attractive displays celebrate pupils’ work. All staff, including teaching assistants, play an important role in building personal and academic skills. As a result, pupils, including those who have special educational needs or disability and the disadvantaged, are equipped with the skills they need in order to be successful learners.  Teachers stimulate pupils to write for a range of purposes, often by linking a popular story with topic work. For example, during a topic on the Victorians, teachers used the story of ‘Oliver Twist’ to provide examples and stimulate improvements in writing through the use of various clauses. Tasks promote

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

reading for research, comprehension and enjoyment.  Teachers’ consistent approach to the teaching of grammar and punctuation leads to pupils’ confident use in their writing. However, the same methodical approach is not so evident in the teaching of spelling and handwriting. As a result, the level of presentation in pupils’ books is variable and, sometimes, the same spelling mistakes are repeated.  In mathematics, teachers provide tasks which allow pupils to use what they know in problem-solving and investigations. Teachers consistently develop pupils’ reasoning skills so that they are able to explain how they reached their answers. In a few cases, however, some tasks do not sufficiently challenge the most able to reach their full potential. For other pupils, occasionally, tasks do not allow firm grasp of concepts before moving on to new learning.  Work in books shows that, sometimes, pupils do not finish their work. In lessons, some do not work as

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

quickly as they could. This is because teachers do not sufficiently make clear how much they expect pupils to achieve by the end of lessons and how long they have to do their work.

p.4

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Staff establish good relationships and give pupils the confidence to ‘have a go’. Pupils talk happily about how staff help them to improve and give them responsibility, for example as sports ambassadors and playground buddies. They say, ‘Teachers are really nice and do the best they can for us.’  Pupils enjoy receiving rewards for their efforts and are proud of their achievements. Election to the school parliament or the ‘Enterprise Team’ helps them to understand the idea of democracy and aids their decision-making. They like to receive the ‘Top Table’ award at lunchtimes and the school’s incentives to promote good attendance. Attendance is above average and the number of pupils who stay away from school frequently is reducing due to the school’s concerted efforts.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school and know who to speak to if they have a problem. Pupils know

p.4

Personal development and welfare

what constitutes bullying and the different forms it can take; they say it is not an issue in their school. They are confident that any issues that do arise are dealt with quickly. The school’s logs show that incidents are rare but are dealt with thoroughly. The curriculum gives pupils good guidance on how to stay safe, including when using technology and social media.

p.4

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils know the rules and sanctions and recognise their fairness because they are consistently well promoted by staff. Pupils settle quickly in lessons and pay attention. They concentrate and respond well to a range of staff, including those who run after-school sports activities which pupils say they really like.  Pupils say that they enjoy their learning, and their positive attitudes contribute well to the good progress they make. For example, during the inspection, a group of boys talked keenly about their learning on volcanoes and showed good grasp of important facts. Well-chosen topics stimulate interest and motivate pupils, including boys, to make good progress.  Pupils value their friendships and they are interested in others. They say that their school is a welcoming place and that they promote the values of respect and tolerance well because, ‘Everyone is different and

p.4

Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils are now making better progress than previously. Gaps in performance between groups of pupils are closing and standards in reading, writing and mathematics are rising. There are big improvements in pupils’ attainment in writing and grammar and punctuation.  By the end of Year 6 in 2015, pupils reached the standards expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics, but not enough made the expected progress or better from their starting points. This is because they experienced some underachievement as they moved through the school due to weaker teaching. Although they made good progress in Year 6, it was not enough to enable them to catch up.  The school’s information on pupils’ progress and work in books shows that consistently good teaching is now resulting in good progress. Leaders have raised teachers’ expectations of what pupils should achieve. Because of this, pupils in all classes achieve well and those who are currently in Year 6 are better

p.5

Outcomes for pupils are good

prepared for their learning in secondary school than in previous years.  In 2015, some of the most-able pupils did not make the expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This has now been remedied and the most-able pupils are achieving well because work is well matched to their ability. Occasionally, however, in mathematics they are not fully challenged to do their very best.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make good progress because they receive effective support, often working closely with an adult or within a small group. Staff match work well to pupils’ specific needs and help pupils to reach their personal targets. Recent additional resources and good links with external agencies promote learning well.  By the end of Year 6 in 2015, an above-average proportion of the disadvantaged pupils made good progress in reading and the expected progress in writing. They did better than their classmates and other

p.5

Outcomes for pupils are good

pupils nationally. However, not all of these pupils made the expected progress in reading or mathematics. Overall, not enough made the accelerated progress needed to reach the same standards as their peers. In reading and writing, disadvantaged pupils were over three terms behind their peers and over a term behind other pupils nationally; in mathematics, they were nearly four terms behind their peers and over two terms behind nationally. The school’s determination to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils is paying off and gaps are closing. Rates of progress are improving strongly in reading and writing and beginning to catch up in mathematics.  Pupils develop their knowledge, skills and understanding well in history and geography because these subjects are taught effectively through interesting topics.

p.5

School details

Unique reference number 112602 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 10011733

p.6

School details

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

p.6

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 144 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Marcia O’Sullivan Headteacher Mell Julian Telephone number 01332 673785 Website www.ashbrook-jun.derbyshire.sch.uk Email address info@ashbrook-jun.derbyshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 4−5 June 2014

p.6

Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British background.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is above average. This funding is received for pupils who are, or have been, eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is above average.  In 2015, the school met the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Since the previous inspection, the school has experienced changes to staffing.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 10 lessons, three of which were jointly observed with senior leaders. In all, six members of staff were seen teaching.  The inspector looked at samples of work from all year groups, spoke to pupils about their work during lessons and listened to pupils read. The inspector also observed extra-curricular activities.  The inspector held meetings with pupils, governors, leaders and staff, and representatives from the local authority.  The inspector analysed 15 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and took account of written comments submitted by parents. The inspector also spoke to parents at the start of the school day.  The inspector analysed 18 responses to the questionnaire completed by school staff.  The inspector observed the school’s work, looked at progress and attendance information, school improvement planning and evidence of the monitoring of teaching. The inspector scrutinised

p.7

Inspection team

Vivienne McTiffen, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-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.7

Inspection team

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.8

Inspection team

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.8

Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

p.8

Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspection team

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

p.8