World's End Junior School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Allison Owens Headteacher World’s End Junior School Worlds End Lane Quinton Birmingham West Midlands B32 2SA

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Short inspection of World’s End Junior School

Following my visit to the school on 27 June 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in January 2013.

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Short inspection of World’s End Junior School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of World’s End Junior School

You have built a school where high expectations of both staff and pupils are continuing to raise standards. You have created a senior leadership team whose knowledge and skills are helping to develop expertise across the school. Despite a high staff turnover, the standard and consistency of teaching is good. You have created an inclusive culture in school where staff and pupils are highly valued and, as a result, pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are keen to do their best.

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Short inspection of World’s End Junior School

Governors provide a robust strategic direction which is focused on continuous improvement. They are proud of the school’s achievements and strengths and know the community well. Governors attend training to ensure that they have the skills needed to challenge leaders when checking progress against the identified improvement priorities of the school. Regular school visits, linked to designated areas of responsibility, ensure that governors have first-hand knowledge of the school’s work.

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Short inspection of World’s End Junior School

Pupils say they enjoy coming to school and that the work is challenging, but enjoyable. One pupil stated, ‘Our teachers make us think, but if we get really stuck we can ask for help.’ Pupils have access to high-quality practical resources which enable them to work by themselves and to self-correct their work. You have successfully addressed the areas identified for improvement at the time of the previous inspection. Leaders monitor the quality of teaching and learning carefully, and ensure that training is matched precisely to teachers’ individual development needs. Leaders have high expectations of all staff, but also provide positive support. Consequently, the quality of teaching and learning is consistently good. The teaching of writing is now a strength of the school and there is evidence that pupils have opportunities to write in a range of subjects. More pupils are now working at a higher level of learning. However, further work needs to be done to

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Short inspection of World’s End Junior School

help the most able disadvantaged pupils reach the standards of which they are capable in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Short inspection of World’s End Junior School

While behaviour across the school is very positive, pupils say that inappropriate behaviour sometimes occurs at lunchtimes. In addition to this, some parents feel that communication and access to the school could be better. You have recognised both these areas as aspects of the school which need to be improved and are taking action to address them.

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Short inspection of World’s End Junior School

The headteacher makes sure that safeguarding is a priority of the school. There are robust policies and procedures in place to keep pupils safe.

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Short inspection of World’s End Junior School

All relevant checks on staff, visitors and volunteers are carried out rigorously. The headteacher ensures that all staff and governors receive regular training and information so that they are kept up to date in all aspects of safeguarding, including the prevention of radicalisation and extremism.

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Short inspection of World’s End Junior School

Pastoral support in the school is a real strength. Leaders have employed a pastoral team and supplied a learning resource base, sensory room, and a space that provides respite for pupils who have social and emotional needs. Staff are highly skilled and work relentlessly to ensure that the most vulnerable learners and their families are well supported. Clear systems are in place for making referrals when concerns arise and links with external agencies are strong.

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Short inspection of World’s End Junior School

Pupils have a good awareness of how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations. Leaders work with parents and pupils to help them understand the importance of internet safety and the risks involved in using social media. Pupils say they feel safe but a few pupils reported that, on some occasions, bullying occurs. However, leaders have identified that these issues occur during unstructured times, such as lunchtimes, and they are already working with outside agencies to improve lunchtime supervision.

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Inspection findings

 Pupils have a wide range of writing opportunities across the curriculum which cover a range of topics, including British values. Pupils’ progress in books is evident and teachers ensure that pupils know how to improve their work. Pupils self-edit their work and take responsibility to become independent learners.  Pupils conduct themselves well in lessons and around the school. They take pride in their work and are keen to improve. Pupils welcome their peers who have additional needs and help them to succeed in school. Most pupils say that behaviour is good. However, a few pupils say that behaviour at lunchtime is sometimes an issue. Leaders are aware of this and are beginning to take action, including providing additional training for lunchtime supervisors.  Fixed-term exclusions were high last year. However, due to the highly skilled staff, and the involvement of outside agencies, pupils who have the most

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Inspection findings

complex needs are now more engaged in learning and are beginning to make progress academically.  You have devised an innovative assessment system to track and monitor pupils’ progress and achievement. Teachers assess accurately what pupils can do when they first start school. The senior leadership team and teachers use a range of assessment information to ensure that pupils have the correct challenge and support in their learning. Leaders use the information to identify any areas of underachievement across groups of pupils and subjects. They then act quickly upon these weaknesses to put in place the interventions and staff training needed to drive further improvements in pupils’ progress.  Current assessment information shows rising standards and improved progress, especially for pupils whose starting points were broadly typical. However, more work needs to be done to ensure that the most able disadvantaged pupils reach

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Inspection findings

their full potential.  Leaders identified from last year’s data that reading was an issue. You and your leadership team have introduced resources that support the least able and also ensure that all pupils, including the most able readers, are enthused. Reading for pleasure was identified by the pupil voice and staff as an area for improvement and, as a result, this is now part of the curriculum. The improved progress in reading seen in the school’s assessment information is evidence of the impact of these changes. Leaders are determined to continue to drive the encouragement of reading for pleasure forward.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well by the school. Additional adults are highly skilled in supporting these pupils to become successful learners, which enables them to make accelerated progress.  Attendance of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities was

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Inspection findings

an issue last year. You recognised this and have employed a highly skilled team to work on attendance and, as a result, rates of attendance have improved not only for this group of pupils, but for all pupils.  Governors have a thorough understanding of how the pupil premium funding is used and the impact it is starting to have on pupils’ development and achievement. This additional funding is used creatively to support the emotional needs of the most vulnerable. For example, an art therapist and various music teachers visit the school on a weekly basis. The school’s assessment information shows that disadvantaged pupils are starting to catch up with their peers. However, governors realise that more needs to be done to improve the progress of these pupils, especially the most able disadvantaged pupils.  Parents have mixed views of the work of the school. Some parents spoken to feel that, since the school has expanded, access to the school has been more

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Inspection findings

restricted. They would welcome more opportunities to be part of the school community. Parents of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities commented on how well the school has supported them, resulting in their children thriving at school. You recognise parental engagement as a priority for the school and have already identified a senior leader to drive improvements in this area.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 most-able disadvantaged pupils are supported to make the progress of which they are capable  communication with parents is further developed to improve parental engagement with the school  behaviour at lunchtime is closely monitored to ensure that behaviour is always of the highest standard and any potential for bullying is eliminated.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Birmingham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I met with you, your deputies, and members of your senior leadership team. I also spoke to your pastoral team, members of the governing body, including the chair, and a representative from the Birmingham Education Partnership. I spoke to groups of pupils, including pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, about their school experience. You, your deputies and I visited all classes. We spoke to children and looked at their work and their learning environment. In addition to this, I analysed the school’s safeguarding arrangements and records, including the school’s record of recruitment checks on staff. I evaluated the school’s documentation in relation to pupils’ performance, improvement planning, attendance, governing body meetings and monitoring records. I took account of 23 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, and spoke to parents before school.

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