Inglewood Junior School

Inglewood Junior School Arnside Road, Harraby, Carlisle, Cumbria CA1 3QA

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The headteacher, ably supported by senior leaders, has wasted no time in securing rapid improvements since the last inspection.  Middle leaders are making a positive contribution to school improvement. Their passion for their subjects enriches the strong curriculum on offer.  Pupils joining the school in Year 3 get off to a flying start as a result of teachers’ commitment to making their transition as smooth as possible.  Recent changes to the way in which writing is taught have made a positive difference to pupils’ performance in this subject.  Outcomes in reading and writing are good. From their different starting points pupils make good progress. They reach standards that are at least similar to pupils nationally.  Governors make sure they use a range of information to check how well the school is performing.  Pupils are polite and courteous. They treat each other with respect, listen attentively to their

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This is a good school

teachers and work hard.  High-quality training for all teaching staff has helped them to improve the quality of teaching and learning in mathematics. As a result, pupils are now achieving better than their peers nationally.  A well-thought-out curriculum offers pupils a wealth of sporting, cultural and musical experiences. It develops pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness well.  The vigilance of staff ensures that pupils are safe and well cared for. Leaders make sure that pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, whether online or out in the community.  The school provides parents with regular updates about how well their children are getting on. Parents are regularly invited into school so that they can be involved in their children’s learning.  Pupils, staff and parents are proud of their ‘amazing’ school. Every day is filled with a wide range of clubs, trips, visitors and activities so that

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 While governors are now giving more effective challenge and support to school leaders, they are not strong enough to drive forward their own improvement without external support. Moreover, they are not yet working in unison with senior leaders to set the vision, ethos and strategic direction for the school.  Although there are recent improvements in pupils’ story writing, teachers have not addressed other genres so that pupils achieve greater success as writers of poetry, plays and non-fiction as well.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase governors’ impact on school improvement, by: mirroring the excellent example of senior leaders in establishing networks to seek out best practice establishing effective ways of reviewing their leadership so that they continually refine and improve their performance working side-by-side with school leaders to set the strategic direction of the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build on and further strengthen the improvements in pupils’ outcomes in writing by ensuring that: teachers extend the systematic approach they have developed for teaching pupils the skills of story writing, across all aspects of writing including poetry, plays and non-fiction teachers provide pupils with more opportunities to practise and improve their writing across the curriculum teachers continue to promote a love of reading for all pupils, encouraging them to seek out books for information and enjoyment.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher has wasted no time since the last inspection. Ably supported by his senior leaders, he has brought about significant improvements in the quality of teaching. Together they have made changes to the organisation of staff. For example, by establishing year group teams and strengthening the roles of subject leaders. As a result, more staff are directly involved in improving the school’s performance.  All staff understand the high expectations of leaders. They feel well supported through the wealth of training they have received over the past two years. Middle leaders have benefited from the opportunities to meet with subject leaders from other schools. These meetings have given them ideas about where and how they can make improvements, which they have implemented to good effect in school.  Senior leaders know precisely the strengths and weaknesses of the school. This information is used well to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

map out plans for school improvement. Leaders have taken on board advice to add quantifiable milestones to their plans and so are evaluating progress and impact at set points. As a result, the school is making good progress in meeting its own targets.  Leaders have invested heavily in staff training. Governors and the school business manager ensure that finances are well managed, so that spending plans do not compromise leaders’ commitment to making their teaching team the best it can be. Many staff have taken on new roles and responsibilities in their time at Inglewood. Leaders talk to staff about their aspirations and ambitions, helping their colleagues to gain the skills and experience they need to achieve their career goals. Performance management arrangements are robust. Targets set ensure that all staff understand their role and responsibility in overall school improvement.  The curriculum is well designed. It successfully balances the importance of developing pupils’ proficiency in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

English and mathematics with promoting arts, culture and sports. The curriculum develops pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness strongly. For example, pupils in Year 5 studying the work of the sport’s artist Mark Trubisky reflected on how his use of impressionism captured the movement, drama and emotion of sports. Pupils then created their own sports painting, trying to achieve a similar effect on their audience.  The termly theme weeks are a highlight of the school year. During the inspection, pupils talked enthusiastically about the different scientific investigations they had undertaken during the recent science week including finding out which material would make the best mop and making bath bombs.  The school is a hive of extra-curricular activity. During their time at Inglewood, pupils get to take part in a wide range of clubs, activities, day and residential trips. Pupils have performed at Carlisle Cathedral, taken

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

part in the Remembrance Parade in Carlisle and Year 3 recently held a sponsored sleepover in school to raise money for their upcoming trip to The International Centre for Life in Newcastle.  Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils take up roles across the school including the good behaviour leaders at lunchtime, as helpers in the healthy tuck shop and as school councillors. Pupils helped the victims of the recent flooding in Cumbria through their donations of ‘Christmas shoe boxes’. Their annual ‘Inglewood’s got talent’ competition raises money for the Eden Valley Hospice. They have a strong understanding of democracy and the rule of law. During the inspection, Year 5 were learning about how police take witness statements when investigating a crime.  School leaders use the physical education and sports funding extremely well. Many pupils joined the gymnastics club following a visit from an Olympic gymnast and a trip to a local gymnastics club. Teachers

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

have honed their skills working alongside professional coaches to deliver physical education lessons. Pupils have achieved some notable successes in local competitions. For example, the football team won the local schools’ league.  The governance of the school The findings of the previous inspection were a catalyst for change for the governing body. They used the external review of governance to identify the improvements they needed to make to the way they were working. Governors recognised that they needed to be better informed about how well the school was doing so that they could effectively challenge and support senior leaders. Governors are more frequent visitors to school, holding regular discussions with school leaders, and accessing information about school performance. As a result, they are more knowledgeable about the school and are challenging and supporting leaders more effectively. Governors have worked hard to raise their profile around the school. They regularly support school

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

events, including parents evening and class assemblies. However, the recruitment and retention of governors is a challenge. This is proving to be a frustrating distraction from the important job they have to do. The advice and guidance provided to governors by the local authority adviser has helped them to be more effective in their roles. He has helped them to align their action plans to those of the senior leaders. However, governors have not yet taken full responsibility for their own development so that they are able to work more effectively in partnership with the headteacher and senior leaders to continue to improve the school.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff know pupils extremely well. This knowledge, coupled with a culture of vigilance and meticulous record-keeping, ensures that pupils are safe and well cared for. The school’s checks on adults’ suitability to work with children are thorough. Staff have recently taken part

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

in safeguarding training and are aware of their responsibilities. The headteacher and pastoral care worker ensure that they work closely with external agencies, who speak highly of the commitment of the school to its most vulnerable children. Staff teach children how to keep themselves safe both online and in the community, including highlighting the dangers of child sexual exploitation. Parents, staff and pupils are unanimous in their agreement that the school keeps pupils safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching, pupils’ learning and assessment have improved since the last inspection and are now good.  Subject leaders are a strength of the school. They inspire and enthuse their colleagues with their passion for their different subjects. Subject leaders support their colleagues well, increasing their subject knowledge as well as providing practical support in improving their classroom practice. As a result, pupils talk enthusiastically about their learning.  Teachers and teaching assistants create welcoming classrooms filled with resources to help pupils with their learning. Pupils use the hints and tips displayed on the wall to remind themselves about the features of grammar and mathematical facts. Teachers’ modelled writing helps pupils get ideas for their own compositions. Pupils use these displays well to improve their work.  Teachers regularly mark pupils’ work in line with the school’s policy. Teachers give pupils feedback which

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

helps pupils know how to improve their work. In mathematics, teachers set pupils tasks to check their understanding or help them catch up quickly before they move on to new learning. Pupils find their teachers’ marking and feedback helpful and their work confirms this.  The school has worked hard to improve the quality of teaching in mathematics. Teachers’ increasing confidence and competence in teaching mathematics is making a positive difference to pupils’ success in this subject. Teachers’ good subject knowledge ensures that they give clear explanations so that pupils grasp new learning more quickly. Teachers are quick to address pupils’ misconceptions so that pupils’ learning is secure.  Teachers use effective questioning to assess pupils’ knowledge and deepen their understanding. In a Year 3 lesson the teacher’s use of mathematical language reinforced pupils’ understanding of place value.  There has been a steady improvement in the quality of teaching and learning in writing since the last

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

inspection. Teachers’ use of high-quality texts to stimulate pupils’ ideas for their writing is helping pupils to enhance the effectiveness of what they write. This approach has helped pupils to get a better understanding of language, which they use to improve their own writing. Pupils are proud of the stories they have written. Teachers display pupils’ writing in classes and around the school to celebrate these achievements.  Teachers systematically teach pupils grammar, punctuation and spelling. They make these lessons interesting and relevant by linking them to learning across the curriculum. For example, during the inspection Year 5 pupils were given words which they would be using later that day to write a police crime report. They checked that they could spell the words correctly, understood their meaning, could use them in a sentence and find a synonym using a thesaurus. The school makes sure that those pupils whose word

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

reading and spelling skills lag behind their peers follow a rigorous and systematic programme, helping them to catch up quickly.  Teachers carefully consider the books they share with pupils to encourage their enjoyment of reading. The school works hard to overcome pupils’ reluctance to read for pleasure. Pupils talked enthusiastically to inspectors about how much they enjoy listening to their teachers read stories to them. However, pupils are not yet routinely making more ambitious choices in the books they read independently.  Pupils and their parents find the homework set by teachers helpful in supporting pupils’ learning. The regular events held by school to involve parents in their children’s learning are increasingly well attended. Parents are regularly invited to visit classrooms following their child’s class assemblies to look at their work in books and displayed around the classroom.  Leaders and teachers are working in partnership with other local schools to moderate teachers’ judgements

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

about pupils’ progress and attainment across year groups so that they not only stand up to internal scrutiny but also are consistent with external views. As a result, assessments, which draw on a wide range of evidence, inform teachers’ planning, making sure pupils reach their potential at the end of each year and that leaders have an accurate overview of how well pupils are performing across the school.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Staff show genuine warmth and care towards pupils. Staff take time to get to know pupils extremely well. The Year 3 team have worked hard to ensure that transition arrangements for the youngest pupils help them to get off to a good start.  Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. They work well together, listening attentively to each other and willingly sharing ideas. Everyone’s opinions are valued. Pupils are keen to please their teachers. They are proud of their own achievements but equally keen to make sure other pupils’ successes are recognised.  The school’s curriculum ensures that pupils are well informed about how to keep themselves safe. For example, a visit by the police provided information for parents and pupils about how to keep safe online and Year 6 watched a performance by a drama group which raised their awareness of grooming.

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Personal development and welfare

 The pastoral care worker, ably supported by other colleagues, offers a range of support tailored to the needs of pupils. This team helps pupils to overcome barriers to learning, for example by improving social skills.  The school prepares the oldest pupils well for their move to secondary school. They are held up as role models for younger pupils and take on responsibilities around the school. The annual residential trip gives them an opportunity to learn to be more independent and learn to overcome challenges as they take part in the outdoor, adventurous activities.  Teachers take time to recognise success. They take opportunities to share pupils’ good ideas in class, display work around the school and nominate their ‘stars of the week’.  Pupils enjoy learning about other faiths and cultures. Pupils talked enthusiastically to inspectors about the language clubs offered by school. The school ran a Polish club open to both pupils of Polish heritage and

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Personal development and welfare

other pupils and is now offering a French club which is popular with pupils.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are proud of their school. They wear their uniform with pride, speak politely to staff and each other and bring the equipment they need to lessons.  School leaders set high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and staff provide excellent role models. The school is calm and orderly. Pupils walk around the building, chat sensibly to their friends in the dining room and play happily with their friends.  Staff deal sensitively with any ‘fallings out’, making sure they take time to understand what has happened and help pupils understand how they can avoid conflict in the future. Occasional low-level disruptive behaviour in class is swiftly addressed by teachers, ensuring that pupils’ learning is not interrupted. Teachers keep a close eye on pupils to make sure they remain on task in lessons.  Pupils report that bullying is rare. When there have been incidents of bullying, pupils describe how well staff

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Behaviour

have dealt with the issues and made sure that it is stopped. Pupils are clear that there is no name-calling and that pupils are kind and considerate towards each other, respecting their individual differences.  Almost all pupils arrive punctually in the morning. They line up quickly at the end of break and lunchtimes and ensure that they are at their desks ready to learn when lessons start.  The attendance of groups who previously had higher rates of absence has improved. Unfortunately, the number of pupils taking holidays in term time has increased despite the firm line taken by the headteacher.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The quality of work in pupils’ books, learning in lessons and the school’s assessment information all provide evidence of recent improvements in writing. As a result, current pupils’ attainment in writing across the school has caught up with standards in mathematics and reading and so pupils are well prepared for secondary school.  Teachers have sustained their focus on spelling, grammar and punctuation across the school. They ensure that those pupils who have gaps in their skills receive additional support to help them catch up quickly. Senior leaders recognise that the phonetic knowledge (the sounds that letters make) of some pupils when they join the school is not secure and this is addressed quickly so that they do not fall further behind their peers.  Teachers make sure that there are frequent activities incorporated into their lessons so that they can teach pupils how to spell key words correctly, use increasingly sophisticated punctuation and learn the rules of

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Outcomes for pupils are good

grammar. As a result, the majority of pupils achieve standards above those expected for their age.  Leaders have successfully addressed the weaknesses in mathematics identified at the last inspection. Pupils’ books, learning in lessons and assessment information provides evidence that pupils of all abilities make good progress. The considerable investment in training for teachers is evident in their improved subject knowledge, use of marking and feedback to plan pupils’ next steps in learning and more effective questioning which encourages pupils to deepen their understanding and explain their reasoning.  Over the past two years more pupils are achieving above age-related expectations. Teachers’ increased expectations and better use of lesson time have ensured that pupils make good progress from their different starting points. Teachers talk about the positive difference that teaching pupils in ability sets is making for all

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Outcomes for pupils are good

the different groups of pupils.  Over recent years, leaders have put in place a range of strategies to improve writing. Although these have ensured that pupils continue to attain in line with their peers nationally, they have not helped pupils’ achievement in writing catch up to that in mathematics. Following training earlier this year, teachers have made changes to the way that they teach story writing. These changes have resulted in marked improvements in pupils’ story-writing skills. Pupils’ skills are not as strong in other aspects of writing, including poetry, plays and non-fiction. Writing attainment is now in line with reading and mathematics.  Pupils’ achievement in reading is good. Over recent years, pupils’ attainment in reading has been above that of their peers nationally. Pupils who read to inspectors were able to read their books with fluency and accuracy appropriate for their age. Frequent reading comprehension tasks linked to pupils’ topic work helps

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Outcomes for pupils are good

pupils to become more proficient in understanding different pieces of writing. Although pupils show an interest in reading and regularly take books home to read with their parents, too few are passionate about reading.  Pupils’ art work is of a high standard across the school. Pupils have opportunities to develop a wide range of skills using a range of media as well as increasing their knowledge of famous artists. In science, pupils undertake regular investigations. They are encouraged to explore and answer questions about the world around them. Pupils enjoy learning about life in the past. Last term, Year 6 enjoyed their ‘dazzling decades day’ finding out about how fashion, music and dancing have changed since the end of the Second World War.  The use of specialist teachers in subjects such as physical education and music ensures that pupils have high-quality teaching. For the most able pupils, leaders promote access to opportunities beyond school to

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Outcomes for pupils are good

develop their talents; for example, some pupils have joined the cathedral choir.  Inspection evidence and the school’s assessment information show that disadvantaged pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. Last year, middle ability disadvantaged pupils did not achieve the same levels of success as their peers. Leaders have ensured that disadvantaged pupils of all abilities have access to additional small-group support to help them accelerate their skills as writers. As a result, any gaps between these pupils and their peers are being closed.  Teachers ensure that they challenge the most able pupils, either through challenging mathematical problems which deepen their understanding or giving pupils more complex texts to develop their comprehension skills. These pupils make good progress from their starting points to reach standards above those expected for their age in English and mathematics.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The special educational needs coordinator keeps a close eye on pupils who have special educational needs or disability as well as less-able pupils. She makes sure that the achievement of these pupils is discussed in the regular year group meetings and any pupils falling behind are helped to catch up quickly. She closely monitors the quality of teaching for this group of pupils through classroom observations and by talking to the pupils themselves about their learning. As a result, these groups of pupils make good progress from their starting points.  Pupils for whom English is an additional language make progress as least as strong as other pupils and, in some cases, achieve even better than their peers. The school works well with the parents of these pupils to ensure that they feel that they are able to work in partnership to support their child’s learning.

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School details

Unique reference number 112216 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 10012117

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School details

This inspection 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 314 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Keith Abbott Headteacher David Grimshaw Telephone number 01228 595426 Website www.inglewood-jun.co.uk Email address admin@inglewood-jun.co.uk Date of previous inspection 2–3 April 2014

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Information about this school

 This junior school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils transfer from Inglewood Infant School which shares the school’s site.  The proportion of pupils who come from minority ethnic groups is lower than the national average.  The proportion of pupils for who speak English as an additional language is lower than the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is above the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, and those who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is above the national average.  In 2015, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this school

 The school’s website complies with the School Information Regulations 2012.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching, including a joint observation with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with senior leaders, members of staff, representatives of the governing body, a social worker and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors examined a wide range of documentation, including that relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance, school improvement planning and assessment information.  Inspectors spoke to pupils informally during the school day and observed them during playtime and lunch. They also met formally with a group of pupils to talk about their learning, behaviour and safety.  Inspectors heard a number of pupils read.  Inspectors took note of displays around the school.  A range of pupils’ books were checked jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors spoke to a number of parents and took into account the 26 responses to Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire).

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took account of the school’s own surveys of the views of parents and pupils.  Inspectors also took note of the 28 responses they received to the inspection questionnaire for school staff.

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Inspection team

Pippa Jackson Maitland, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Kevin Ward Ofsted Inspector Emma Gregory 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 .

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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.

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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

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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,

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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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