Jacksdale Primary and Nursery School

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

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Miss Julie Brockerton Headteacher Jacksdale Primary and Nursery School Main Road Jacksdale Selston Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG16 5JU

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Short inspection of Jacksdale Primary and Nursery School

Following my visit to the school on 21 November 2018, 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 February 2015.

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Short inspection of Jacksdale Primary and Nursery School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have successfully led the school through a turbulent time since your appointment as acting headteacher in September 2016 and your substantive appointment in January 2017. There have been many changes relating to staff in that time. You and other senior leaders have worked closely with governors and the local authority to address the weaknesses in the school’s performance. The situation is now more stable. Leaders and staff are working together effectively to make sure that all pupils achieve well and reach their potential. This ambition is shared throughout the school and is evidenced by the overall rise in pupils’ attainment compared with national averages in 2017 and 2018. Parents, too, have noticed the improvements that have been made. All parents with whom I spoke, and those who responded to the Ofsted survey,

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Short inspection of Jacksdale Primary and Nursery School

Parent View, unanimously stated they would recommend the school to other parents.

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Short inspection of Jacksdale Primary and Nursery School

The school is a bright, friendly, warm and welcoming place. Displays throughout the school clearly show how pupils’ work is celebrated, including their investigations in mathematics relating to number, shape and form, and good examples of their writing. In the early years classroom, multi-sensory and cross-curricular displays retell the story of the three little pigs. Meanwhile, further presentations teach pupils about modern British values, and how to keep safe and healthy at breaktimes, by buddying up with a pupil mentor. Pupils enjoy school and are happy there. They are kind and considerate towards others and their behaviour in and around the school is good. Changes to leadership and staffing mean that some improvements identified in the previous inspection report have only recently been resolved. A good example of this is how leaders have worked with governors and the Reception team to develop the outside

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Short inspection of Jacksdale Primary and Nursery School

resource area. This is now a stimulating, learning space, where children in the early years engage well with a range of activities, including climbing, gardening, role-play, baking and free play.

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Short inspection of Jacksdale Primary and Nursery School

Across the school, leaders have ensured that there are increased opportunities for pupils to write at length in different subjects across the curriculum. This approach is helping pupils to make good progress with their writing and improve their grammar, spelling and punctuation skills. At the time of the last inspection, inspectors identified that tasks set in lessons did not always provide enough challenge for the most able pupils. This remains the case. In key stage 2, the most able pupils do not always attain as well as they should.

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Short inspection of Jacksdale Primary and Nursery School

Despite the remaining area for development, leaders have demonstrated their capacity to make further improvements, with more effective subject leadership and better teaching standards. As a result, many current pupils are making strong progress in their reading, writing and mathematics. The approach to teaching phonics is very secure throughout the school. The progress of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs/and or disabilities (SEND) is improving overall as a result of the effective support in place for these pupils. Leaders and the governing body are working in partnership to make sure that the current approach to school improvement planning is more effective.

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Short inspection of Jacksdale Primary and Nursery School

Senior leaders carry out their safeguarding roles effectively. They have a good knowledge of external services available to help support families and pupils. Leaders employ specialist staff to liaise with families and professionals in order to provide appropriate and speedy support. If leaders are not satisfied with the response of external agencies, they challenge decisions, in the best interests of pupils. Staff understand the statutory guidance as outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education, September 2018. They know how to report and follow up any safeguarding or child protection concern. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Pupils’ records are kept securely, with leaders recording diligently all pertinent information on pupils’ case records.

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Short inspection of Jacksdale Primary and Nursery School

Pupils know about the different types of bullying, including cyberbullying. They are confident who to report this to and what to do if this happens at home or school. Pupils with whom I spoke were polite and engaging. They spoke with pride about their school. All of them told me that they felt safe, and parents and staff agreed. There is a good range of advice for parents on the school’s website regarding keeping children safe online. This is used by parents who say that they find the information useful.

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Inspection findings

 School improvement planning is focused closely on improving the quality of teaching and promoting professional development for all staff. However, these plans do not always evaluate in detail the effectiveness of leaders’ actions or identify next steps, for example to make sure that the most able pupils in key stage 2 are challenged to fulfil their potential.  Since the last inspection, leaders have successfully implemented more detailed curriculum plans that promote consistently good teaching. Work in pupils’ English, mathematics and topic books show that these new plans are having a positive impact on the progress of many pupils.  There are now more opportunities across the curriculum for pupils to practise their reading, writing and mathematical skills. As a result, pupils of middle ability and the least able pupils are now making more progress in these subjects than previously. However, this is not the case for the most able pupils, who do not achieve as well as

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Inspection findings

they could across the curriculum.  In 2018, the proportion of pupils passing the phonics screening check was below the national average, according to provisional information. Leaders have taken quick action to strengthen the teaching of phonics in Year 1. Pupils who do not pass the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 do so in Year 2 due to teachers’ close support.  The majority of disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are making good progress from their starting points. Work undertaken by the coordinator of the provision for pupils with SEND, supported by subject leaders, teachers and additional adults, is highly effective. Leaders have ensured that any barriers to learning that these pupils face are identified and resolved successfully.

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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

 their improvement plans evaluate in detail the effectiveness of leaders’ actions and identify precisely leaders’ next steps so that the school continues to improve  the most able pupils are consistently challenged to fulfil their potential in key stage 2.

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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 Nottinghamshire County Council. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I held meetings with you and the deputy headteacher, subject leaders responsible for English, mathematics, special educational needs and early years. I also had a meeting with the governors, including the chair of the governing body, two vice-chairs of the governing body and the governor responsible for finance and health and safety. I visited all classrooms in the school with you and the deputy head teacher. I examined samples of pupils’ work and scrutinised mathematics, English and topic books with you and the deputy headteacher. I spoke with pupils informally during visits to each classroom and teachers, teaching assistants, lunchtime staff and the caretaker. I also spoke formally with 12 pupils. I observed pupils’ polite behaviour in and around the school, in classrooms, during lunchtime, during physical education and at the end of the school day. I met with parents at the end of the school day and took account of the 12

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Information about the inspection

responses to the Ofsted free-text service, 13 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey and the 19 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey. I examined a range of statutory and non-statutory policy documentation, including the child protection records, safeguarding documentation and protocols and the single central record. I also studied the school development plan and the school’s self- evaluation documentation.

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