Cavendish Junior School

Cavendish Junior School Edmund Street, Newbold Moor, Chesterfield S41 8TD

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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

 Effective leadership, including governance, has improved the quality of teaching and rates of pupils’ progress.  Leaders have established thorough systems to check the progress pupils make and to identify those in danger of falling behind.  Changes to the curriculum and training for staff have contributed to rising standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Most pupils now make good progress in a range of subjects.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They say they feel safe because the school’s work to keep them safe is effective.  Teaching, learning and assessment are consistently good. Teachers make sure that pupils enjoy their learning.  Relationships are good. Staff ensure strong pastoral care with a positive effect on pupils’ emotional and social development.  The rich curriculum and extra activities promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development as well as their personal development.

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This is a good school

 Disadvantaged pupils now do well because a good level of support is given to those who need it. As a result, they make strides in their learning.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some weaknesses remain in mathematics. In particular, some lower attaining pupils make slower progress than their classmates; and some of the most able pupils do not have the opportunities to apply what they have learned and to deepen their mathematical understanding.  Subject leaders do not yet use the school’s systems fully to analyse how well pupils are doing in their subjects.  The school’s development plans do not include milestones against which leaders can check the progress made towards their improvement targets. School report

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and outcomes for pupils in mathematics, by: providing the less able pupils with the help and resources they need to fully grasp key concepts giving the most able pupils wider opportunities to deepen their understanding maintaining a focus for all pupils on the consistent learning of number facts; and on using mathematics to solve real-life everyday problems.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management, by: ensuring that subject leaders make more effective use of assessment information so they know how well groups of pupils are doing in their subjects establishing clear milestones to measure how well the school is moving towards its priorities.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Concerted efforts by leaders have led to marked improvements since the previous inspection. Leaders have raised the expectations of how well staff and pupils should perform and have created an ethos of personal success within the school. They have carried out a thorough evaluation of the effectiveness of the curriculum. As a result, good teaching and good behaviour flourish.  The headteacher’s quiet determination to improve the school is shared by a united staff team. Together, they act on advice from external consultants to share best practice and to further improve the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils. Effective local authority support provides the right level of challenge for continuous improvement and the firm development of leadership skills.  Leaders insist on a consistent approach to the ways teachers mark pupils’ work and high expectations of the standards of presentation in pupils’ books. As a result, pupils know how well they are doing and how to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

improve and present their work well in a range of subjects. Standards of pupils’ writing are high. Leaders have improved the ways in which reading is taught, leading to consistently good teaching and current pupils’ good progress. They have also improved the teaching of mathematics. Effective training has increased the impact of the extra support provided by teaching assistants.  Subject leaders make checks on the quality of teaching, which help them to identify any areas to improve. However, they do not yet make full use of the assessment information gathered by the headteacher to analyse the rates of progress pupils throughout the school are making in their subjects.  Leaders use good systems to check how well all staff are performing and review their work regularly. They set targets for further improvement, which are well linked to the school’s priorities and effectively supported by relevant training.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leaders set clear and realistic priorities in the school development plan but have not yet established milestones to measure how well they are moving the school towards long-term targets.  At the core of the school’s work is the well-being of its pupils and equal opportunity for all to do well. New assessments systems are utilised well to check the progress of all groups of pupils and quickly identify those in need of extra support.  A review of the way in which the pupil premium funding is spent has ensured effective use of the money to meet the personal and academic needs of eligible pupils. As a result, progress for this group is good and often more rapid than that of their classmates.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, as well as their personal development, is promoted well by the interesting curriculum which provides a broad range of subjects and extra activities. Pupils

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

benefit from exciting experiences such as residential trips, links with other schools and workshops with visitors. Pupils learn about inspirational people, with a positive effect on raising their aspirations. The study of a range of faiths and cultures in lessons and assemblies promotes the values of respect and tolerance and prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.  The school makes effective use of the primary sports funding to increase pupils’ participation in sports with other schools, to improve teachers’ skills and to train pupils to become play leaders. This, together with a focus on healthy eating, aids social and physical development and helps pupils to understand the benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle.  The governance of the school Governance is effective. Governors make good use of the expertise available to them. They undergo the training they need to carry out their duties. Governors are very supportive of the school and have good

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

links with staff. They recognise what the school does well, but also the areas for improvement, because they ask relevant questions and visit the school to obtain first-hand information. They know what training staff receive and the impact it has on pupils’ progress, including those who receive extra support funded by the pupil premium. Governors speak to school leaders about the curriculum and understand the new assessment systems. They maintain links with leaders to check on provision; for example, for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They make sure that policies are up to date and reviewed regularly.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders, including governors, make good use of the information they receive from the local authority to ensure that systems are consistent and robust. Procedures to vet adults who work with children are thorough. Any concerns over children’s welfare are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

logged and followed up. Leaders know pupils and their families well and act quickly to ensure that pupils are well supported should any concerns arise.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers expect good behaviour and well-presented work. They encourage pupils to do their best and celebrate their successes. They teach well-structured lessons which promote good learning. They clearly identify the range of ability in their classes and provide a suitable level of challenge to enable pupils to make good progress in most subjects.  Teachers make sure that pupils write for a range of purposes. The regular teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling ensures that these skills are used accurately when pupils write. Pupils frequently discuss ideas before they write. For example, during the inspection, pupils in Year 4 used their imaginations well to create a setting for a story. They extended their ideas and included the appropriate punctuation following a whole- class discussion.  The teaching of reading is frequent and focuses strongly on pupils being able to understand fully what they

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

read. Staff make sure that pupils build their knowledge of phonics (the sounds that letters represent) to aid their reading. Extra support for those who need to catch up is effective and leads to good progress. Pupils select texts that are well matched to their ability and develop as confident readers who enjoy stories and reading for information.  Teachers motivate pupils to learn well through interesting topics, which are often based on the study of history and geography. For example, work in books shows pupils in Year 4 were involved in a class debate about the existence of the Yeti, linked to their study of mountains. Pupils in Year 5 carried out an in-depth look at the life of Vikings, making models of longships and researching Viking laws and punishment. As a result, pupils make good progress in learning about locations, past events and peoples.  The consistent teaching of science means that pupils make good progress over time in acquiring scientific

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

knowledge and applying their skills in testing, predicting and reaching conclusions.  In mathematics, teachers provide pupils with the strategies to calculate competently. Opportunities are found to link mathematics to other subjects. For example, in science pupils collate evidence and compare their findings. Overall, however, teaching is not fully consistent in reinforcing pupils’ use of number facts, or in providing them with regular opportunities to use mathematics to solve real-life problems. Although work is usually well matched to prior learning, some of the less able pupils do not fully understand the concept being taught because it is too difficult for them to grasp without the aid of extra resources. Occasionally, too, the most able pupils are not pushed to demonstrate their skills further in even more complex mathematical tasks. Teaching assistants play a major role in the development of pupils’ social and academic skills. They engage

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

well in lessons with work that is well pitched to pupils’ abilities. As a result, pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged, make rapid gains in developing their literacy and numeracy skills.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Care is taken to ensure that pupils are happy at school and feel safe and secure. Good support is given to those pupils whose circumstances may make them more vulnerable to ensure they settle well in school and become successful learners.  Pupils enjoy the opportunities they have to take on roles of responsibility. For example, they apply for small jobs around school through the Cavendish ‘job centre’, which raises aspirations and helps pupils to understand their responsibilities and the idea of fairness. Pupils like receiving the school’s rewards for their efforts. Those who are elected to be members of the school parliament take their roles seriously and contribute well to the school community.  Pupils play their part as ‘anti-bullying ministers’ to help other pupils to settle their differences. Pupils understand the various forms of bullying and explain well how to keep themselves safe, including when

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Personal development and welfare

using technology and social media. They receive frequent guidance during lessons and in assemblies. Pupils say that bullying is not a problem in their school.  There are good arrangements for pupils who move to the school from the infant school and to prepare the pupils in Year 6 for their move to secondary education.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils know the school’s rules and sanctions and respond well because they are consistently applied. Pupils show tolerance towards those who find it difficult to behave well. Individuals make marked improvement in their behaviour over time because they are helped to manage their behaviour and conform to the school’s expectations.  Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning which contribute strongly to the good progress they make. Pupils listen and concentrate well. They take pride in their work and present it neatly. Pupils respond well to any extra help they receive and recognise how it helps them to improve. They are proud of their achievements. Pupils maintain the same level of good behaviour with a range of adults, including when they attend early morning or after-school activities.  There are effective systems to promote good attendance, which is above average, with few pupils being

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils are now making better progress than previously. There are substantial improvements in current pupils’ attainment because of consistently good teaching. Pupils who are currently in Year 6 are better prepared for their learning in secondary school than previous Year 6 pupils.  As a result of good and consistent teaching, a higher proportion of pupils at the end of Year 6 in 2015 made and exceeded the expected progress in writing than found nationally. Current pupils make good progress, writing extensively and with increased complexity in a range of subjects.  In 2015, Year 6 pupils did not make enough progress in reading to reach the standards of which they were capable. This was due to a period of underachievement as they moved through the school which slowed down their progress. Improvements in the teaching of reading mean that the current Year 6 pupils are making rapid gains and attainment is rising.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 In 2015, the proportion of Year 6 pupils making the expected progress in mathematics was the same as found nationally, but few pupils exceeded this. Changes to the mathematics curriculum have led to current pupils making more rapid progress. Even so, some remain insecure because of lack of fluency with multiplication and division. Lower attaining pupils struggle when they do not have the resources to help them understand key concepts; and the most able pupils do not reach the highest standards of which they are capable because they do not have the opportunities to deepen their understanding.  In reading, writing and across a range of subjects, good teaching has raised the expectation of what the most able pupils should achieve and they are now making better progress and developing their skills more fully.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because the work in

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Outcomes for pupils are good

lessons and the level of support is well matched to their abilities. Their progress is reviewed frequently in order to evaluate the effect of additional support in helping to close gaps in attainment between these pupils and their peers.  By the end of Year 6 in 2015, there were gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and their classmates because they did not make the accelerated progress needed for them to catch up. In reading, disadvantaged pupils were over three terms behind their classmates and five terms behind other pupils nationally; in writing they were over three terms behind their classmates and others nationally; in mathematics, they were four terms behind their classmates and others nationally. Their progress in reading and writing was similar to other pupils nationally but a below-average percentage made good progress in mathematics. The gaps in progress and attainment between disadvantaged pupils and their classmates are

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Outcomes for pupils are good

now closing strongly because the school makes effective use of the pupil premium funding to support eligible pupils and leaders check their progress frequently. Many pupils are making more rapid progress than their classmates.  Pupils make good progress in developing their scientific skills, knowledge and understanding. They also make good progress in history and geography, accumulating knowledge and developing understanding and skills through carrying out research and interpreting the effects of events on people and places.

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School details

Unique reference number 112659 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 10009105

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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 89 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jane Hutchinson Headteacher Sue Addison Telephone number 01246 450691 Website www.cavendish.derbyshire.sch.uk Email address info@cavendish.derbyshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 9–10 January 2014

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Information about this school

 This junior school is smaller than average.  Most pupils are of White British backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is well above average. The funding is received for pupils who are or have been eligible for free school meals, and those who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.  In 2015, the school met the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Since the previous inspection, the school has experienced some staff changes.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed six lessons, all of which were carried out jointly with the headteacher. The inspector also observed an assembly. In all, four members of staff were seen teaching.  The inspector looked at samples of work in a range of subjects from all classes. She talked to pupils about their work during lessons and listened to pupils read.  The inspector held meetings with a group of pupils, governors, school leaders and staff. She held meetings with a representative of the local authority and with an external consultant.  There were too few responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, to analyse results. However, the inspector took account of parents’ written comments and the results of a questionnaire for parents carried out by the school.  The inspector observed the school’s work. She looked at progress and attendance information. The inspector looked at school improvement plans and evidence of the monitoring of teaching, and

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Information about this inspection

scrutinised documentation relating to safeguarding.

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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 .

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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

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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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