Godolphin Junior School

Godolphin Junior School Oatlands Drive, Slough, Berkshire SL1 3HS

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have not yet ensured that teaching is consistently good across the school. There is too much reliance on pupils catching up to where they should be in Year 6.  Leaders’ evaluation of the school’s effectiveness is too positive. Their judgements are based on outcomes when pupils leave the school. They do not take enough account of whether pupils are working at the expected standard, or above, throughout their time at the school.  Teaching is variable. Leaders’ evaluation of teachers’ effectiveness focuses more on what teachers do, rather than how much pupils learn. Consequently, leaders often believe teaching is better than it is.  Disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as well as other pupils across the country.  Until recently, governors have not held leaders and teachers fully to account for the progress pupils make.  Too many pupils are not working at the expected standards for their ages in mathematics.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teachers do not have high enough expectations of pupils’ writing, in particular their punctuation. Basic punctuation errors are not tackled systematically in the younger classes, so pupils continue to make the same mistakes.  Some teaching of reading is not effective. When not reading with an adult, pupils undertake activities which fill time but do not develop their skills.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They work hard and do their best. Pupils appreciate the many extra-curricular opportunities provided. Pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is good.  Pupils are kept safe. This is recognised and appreciated by pupils and parents.  Some teaching is very strong. The most effective teachers meet pupils’ needs very well so they make rapid progress. These teachers tend to work in the older classes.  Support for, and progress of, pupils with special educational needs is effective; these pupils do well.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the effectiveness of the leadership of teaching over time by ensuring that: – leaders’ monitoring of teaching takes greater account of the impact on pupils’ outcomes – best use is made of the development opportunities available from the trust so that teachers understand the impact of their teaching on pupils’ learning – effective strategies are in place to support disadvantaged pupils.  Raise achievement for pupils across the school in reading, writing and mathematics by ensuring that: – pupils develop their reading skills so that they are fluent and understand the meaning of the texts they read – punctuation skills are taught explicitly, and errors tackled systematically – misconceptions in mathematics are consistently addressed quickly – the most able pupils are challenged to apply their learning in greater depth to more complex mathematical problems.  Ensure that leaders’ self-evaluation takes into account pupils’ achievement across the

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

school. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders, despite being committed to nurturing the whole child, have not ensured that pupils make consistently good progress throughout their time in the school. Outcomes at the end of Year 6 are strong but much of the progress happens in their final year of school. Inconsistent teaching in the past has had an impact on the progress of current pupils.  Leaders at all levels accurately identify strengths and weaknesses in the craft of teaching in individual lessons and provide useful feedback to help teachers improve. However, when evaluating the quality of teaching across the school, leaders take too much account of what teachers do in class, and not enough of the impact on pupils’ learning or progress over time. For example, in some classes where the school judged teaching to be good or better, less than half the class made expected progress last year.  Leaders routinely check the attainment and progress of pupils. They work with other

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

schools to ensure that assessments are accurate. Leaders are quick to identify when a group or a class are not making enough progress but pay more attention to specific intervention activities than whether they achieve less well because of less effective teaching.  Support and challenge for teachers who are not performing to the high standards set by the school is strong and, in recent months, good use has been made of the extensive development opportunities provided by the trust. However, teaching has not improved quickly enough because in the past weak teaching has not been linked closely enough to pupils’ progress or tackled quickly enough.  The pupil premium funding is used for a range of interventions ranging from breakfast club to additional books for the library. However, as yet, leaders are not clear about which strategies work best.  The principal’s vision for pupils means that they are encouraged to be aspirational.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

Pupils are provided with a range of activities and experiences to enable them to broaden their horizons and to commit to their academic education. Adults at the school support the principal’s ethos and commitment to pupils’ social, moral and cultural development. This is celebrated through photographs and displays which reflect the inclusive and vibrant nature of the school.  The broad and balanced curriculum is supported by a raft of extra-curricular activities, all of which contribute to pupils developing as well-rounded individuals. Pupils told inspectors that they appreciate the support they can get, before and after school, especially with reading and homework. They also enjoy the wide range of activities that support pupils and their families, for example the ‘dads in the library’ initiative to help improve reading. Parents also highlighted the aspirational science open days where pupils and parents work together to solve challenges such as designing a motor for an

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

electric car.  Pupils develop a strong understanding of life in modern Britain. Well-planned and timely lessons and discussions enable them to develop a good understanding of respect, tolerance and democracy. Leaders use current affairs effectively to extend pupils’ understanding. For example, an anti-racism group was invited to provide relevant and appropriate information to ensure that pupils understood the complexities around the rise in racist incidents at the time of the referendum on membership of the European Union.  The vast majority of staff who completed Ofsted’s survey are proud to be a member of the school and feel well supported by the leadership team and by their colleagues. Staff are motivated by the training and development opportunities they receive now as part of the trust and can see how it is improving their practice.  Additional funding for physical education and sports is spent effectively. For example,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

membership of the local schools’ sports network provides professional development for teachers and increased opportunities for pupils to participate in sports competitions.

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Governance of the school

 The school’s new academy council, which replaced the previous governance arrangements in September 2016, is already providing more effective support and scrutiny of the school’s work.  Governors have instigated a sharp and robust review of the school’s finances. They are now asking for more detailed analysis of the impact of the additional, pupil premium funding so that they can more effectively hold school leaders to account.  Safeguarding is a standing item at all meetings. Governors carefully check that the school’s procedures are robust.  Governors’ questioning of school leaders is sharper than in the past. For example, following disappointing outcomes in reading last year, they met with school leaders responsible for this to understand the steps being taken to improve this area.  The trust has a clear vision to strive for academic excellence in an ‘outward-looking, community-focused school’ which is ‘for local families in local streets’. They have a

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Governance of the school

sound understanding of the actions required for improvement.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The school carefully follows all statutory requirements for checking adults involved with the school. Records are kept meticulously.  Staff and governors are fully trained to be alert to signs of concern and aware of the range of potential risks pupils face, including exposure to extremist views. They know the processes to follow and who to speak with if they are worried. Safeguarding is part of weekly staff meetings, which helps to keep pupils’ safety at the forefront of everybody’s mind.  The school works effectively with the local authority and external agencies to keep pupils safe. Leaders closely monitor those pupils they have referred and communicate often with all involved parties to ensure that support is provided.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teaching is not yet consistently good. Lessons are planned across each year group to ensure the consistency of what is being taught from class to class. However, some planning does not make clear what pupils are expected to learn. Consequently, some teachers focus more on helping pupils to complete planned activities rather than developing their skills and understanding.  Where teaching meets pupils’ needs well, they are motivated to learn, behave very well and make good progress. The majority of this better teaching is seen in the upper school.  Most teachers check pupils’ learning in lessons but some do not respond quickly enough to be helpful to pupils. This means that pupils who are sometimes confused are not able to get on. Similarly, where teaching is weaker, pupils who complete their work quickly are not always provided with further challenge. This is particularly the case for the most able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Punctuation is not taught well enough. Pupils are allowed to make the same errors from year to year without them being explicitly tackled. Although this issue tends to be resolved by the time pupils are in Year 6, inaccurate punctuation detracts from the quality of pupils’ work and acts as a barrier to them ultimately reaching the higher levels.  Teaching of writing is variable. In many classes, teachers systematically teach the specific features of a text before pupils write a first draft which is reviewed and improved. Pupils reflect on the changes they have made and apply their skills to other writing. However, this is not consistent.  The teaching of reading is not yet good across the school. In Years 3 and 4, the activities pupils undertake while others are reading with an adult do not best support the development of their reading skills. In Years 5 and 6, pupils have time to explore the text and share their thoughts with their peers. For example, in one Year 6 lesson,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

pupils developed their inference skills by reflecting on how the author conveyed characters’ feelings without telling the reader. Pupils were able to identify specific words and phrases and their connotations. Pupils are effectively encouraged to develop a love of reading through access to a wide range of new texts in the library. Pupils who have fallen significantly behind are supported well to catch up through additional reading sessions with parents or other adults before and after school.  Leaders’ tracking of progress in mathematics last year identified that some groups of pupils were falling behind. They recently introduced a new approach to help teachers to be more effective in developing pupils’ conceptual understanding. The well-planned sequences of lessons helped lower-ability pupils to successfully develop their mathematical skills. However, the most able pupils are not currently challenged as well

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

as they could be. Some teachers skilfully address misconceptions in lessons; when this happens, pupils’ progress is furthered. However, this practice is not yet consistent.  Teaching of other subjects varies too. Physical education lessons are taught well and pupils are successfully encouraged to practise and develop their skills. In science, the use of practical experiments effectively supports pupils’ progress. Teachers’ insistence on correct scientific terminology prepares them well for secondary school.  There is a strong emphasis on supporting pupils’ personal, social and health development. For example, pupils are taught to recognise and manage times when they might feel angry. Where pupils have time to discuss and reflect, they are able to identify specific triggers and strategies which might help them to remain calm. Where they are simply given strategies with no time to think for themselves, teaching is less effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teaching in the resource base is effective. The activities planned are relevant and interesting and take account of the specific needs of the pupils. Likewise, provision for other pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is matched well to their needs. Consequently, these pupils make good progress.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are motivated to learn and usually work hard in lessons. They enjoy talking about their ambitions and aspirations; one pupil explained how his aim of becoming a computer programmer was founded after a careers’ talk at school. Pupils like the way that the school helps them to consider their futures and feel well supported.  Pupils know how to stay safe in a range of situations. They can explain about potential dangers and how to deal with them, including online. They told the inspector in great detail about their SMART code for online safety and why it was useful for everyone.  Pupils learn about the importance of staying fit and healthy through lessons in science and physical education. The whole-school drive to reduce childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles is evident in the breakfast club exercise session and healthy

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Personal development and welfare

snacks.  School groups and committees enable pupils to take part in decision-making for the whole school. Pupils who take on responsibilities, such as school council representatives, lunch monitors and playground buddies, enjoy supporting their peers and undertake their roles seriously; they are rightly proud that they have been selected.  Pupils learn to be effective citizens through serving the local community. For example, during the inspection, the school hosted their annual senior citizens’ party. The way in which pupils guided guests to the hall and talked with them before the entertainment began was impressive and delightful to see. Performances from the recorder group, Bollywood dancers and the drama club’s nativity play illustrated the wide range of extra-curricular experiences the pupils enjoy and benefit from.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils demonstrate respect and care for adults and their peers. They work and play well together without the need for reminders from adults.  Additional support at breaktime is particularly effective. The sports coach ensures that pupils have activities to participate in by organising team games. As a result, pupils play well together and there are few incidents of poor behaviour.  Pupils told inspectors that bullying almost never happens. The few who knew of any incidents were confident that teachers resolved any issues quickly and effectively. They like the ‘chatterbox’ where they can put notes for their teachers if they are ever worried about anything, but equally say they can just talk to their teachers or any adult in the school if they ever have concerns. School records show that concerns are effectively addressed and documented.  Pupils mostly behave very well in lessons. Occasionally, when pupils’ needs are not met

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Behaviour

well over a period of time, pupils become distracted and behaviour is less good.  Leaders are working hard to address a dip in attendance last year. The attendance officer has built effective links to support families. Attendance to date is better than the same period last year.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Outcomes for pupils across the school are not as good as they should be. When pupils arrive at the school, the proportion working at the expected standard for their age is broadly in line with other schools. For Year 3 pupils who have recently joined the school, this is still the case. However, in the past, this profile has not been maintained, leading to the need to catch up in Year 6.  Progress in reading, writing and mathematics is sometimes erratic. Consequently, the proportion of pupils in each year group who are working at the expected standard varies and sometimes declines. This is particularly the case in mathematics. Outcomes at the end of Year 6 are, however, typically in line with or above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because leaders use stronger teachers to ensure that pupils make rapid progress during their final year to prepare them for transition to secondary school.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 In mathematics, work in pupils’ books and the school’s information on achievement confirm that a significant number of pupils are not currently working at the expected standard for their age. In Years 5 and 6, only half the pupils are where they should be for their age.  In writing, pupils’ progress varies, depending upon the quality of teaching. Sometimes they practise skills while working on a specific piece of writing but are not given enough opportunities to apply these skills to other work. This limits progress. Pupils’ work in the younger classes shows weaknesses in punctuation. These are tackled by the time pupils leave the school. In the end of key stage 2 national assessments in 2016, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard for grammar, punctuation and spelling was high for all groups of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged. However, a lower proportion of disadvantaged pupils have high scores

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

compared with other pupils nationally.  Pupils’ attainment in reading is not as good as it could be in the upper school. Pupils enter the school with average attainment but do not build on this sufficiently through their time at the school. Pupils in Year 6 who read to inspectors did so with confidence and were able to sound out unfamiliar words. However, they lacked fluency and often did not fully understand what they had read.  In Years 3 and 4 the most able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are not always challenged as well as they could be. As with other pupils, the most able make more rapid progress higher up the school so that the proportion who achieve the higher standards by the end of Year 6 is comparable with the other pupils nationally.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils working at the expected and higher levels is similar to other pupils in the school. Consequently, many of these pupils are not where

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

they need to be in comparison with other pupils nationally, but, as with their classmates, are catching up rapidly in Year 6.  The pupils in the resource base and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities mostly make good progress. Their progress is tracked carefully and support is adjusted as required.  The achievement of pupils who speak English as an additional language, who form the vast majority, mirrors the overall picture.  The proportion of pupils achieving expected attainment in science in 2016 is slightly lower than national averages for all groups. Pupils’ achievements in other subjects reflect the quality of teaching they receive. Pupils achieve well in physical education as a result of the high-quality sports coaching they receive. For other topics, in some classes, pupils develop subject-specific skills in history and geography by using artefacts and research and through first-hand experiences. However, progress is

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

hindered in other classes where the work lacks purpose, with an over-reliance on completing worksheets rather than developing knowledge and understanding.

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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

Email address csingh@theparkfederation.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3–4 December 2014

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Information about this school

 The Godolphin Junior Academy is a larger-than-average-sized junior school.  This was the first inspection of the school since it joined The Park Federation Academy Trust in September 2016.  The principal was appointed to the substantive post from October 2016 after one year as acting headteacher. She is supported by the chief executive officer of the multi- academy trust, who is a national leader of education.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding is higher than in other schools nationally.  Overall, the proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average. The proportion with a statement of special educational needs or education, health and care plan is above average because the school has a specialist resource base for up to eight pupils with complex learning needs.  The school has a higher percentage of pupils from minority ethnic groups and who

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Information about this school

speak English as an additional language than found nationally.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors conducted 14 lesson observations and visited many other lessons for a short time. Seven of the lessons were seen jointly with school leaders.  Inspectors listened to pupils read from Year 6, looked at work in books and discussed pupils’ progress and attainment with leaders.  Inspectors spoke to many pupils informally, in lessons and at play and lunchtime. They also met with two groups of pupils to gather their views on the school. Seven pupils completed the online survey.  Parents’ views were taken into account through face-to-face informal discussions before and after school, through an email and through 122 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View.  In addition to talking to inspectors, 23 members of staff shared their views through the online survey.  Inspectors met with the senior leadership team, school governors, including the chair, and representatives from the multi-academy trust, including the chief executive officer.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including those relating to safeguarding, behaviour, minutes of meetings, staff performance management, information about pupil outcomes provided by the school, the school’s self-evaluation of its own performance and the school’s development and improvement planning.

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Inspection team

Lucy English, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Peter Wibroe 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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 .

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Inspection team

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, 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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