Banstead Community Junior School

BANSTEAD COMMUNITY JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24 - 28 January 2000

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BANSTEAD COMMUNITY JUNIOR SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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BANSTEAD COMMUNITY JUNIOR SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Banstead community Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: The Horseshoe Banstead Surrey Postcode: SM7 2BQ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs. A. M. Fraser

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1996 Banstead community Junior School - 4

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Ian Pratt Registered inspector Mathematics What sort of school is it?

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Physical education The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Provision for pupils with special educational needs The quality of teaching and learning Leadership and management What should the school do to improve further? Mary Bebo Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development Care, support and guidance of pupils Partnership with parents and carers Val Emery Team inspector English Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Religious education Art Music David Benstock Team inspector Science Curriculum and assessment Information technology Design and technology Geography History Equality of opportunity Banstead community Junior School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Banstead community Junior School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

The school’s results and achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Banstead Junior School is a mixed school of average size, serving 266 pupils aged between 7 and 11 years of age. There are almost equal numbers of boys and girls in the school as a whole. The school roll has grown in size by 33 pupils since the previous inspection, partly due to its popularity in the area, and partly due to an increase in its admission number, set by the local education authority (LEA) The nature of the school’s population has not changed since the last inspection. Pupils enter the school in Year 3 with standards of attainment well above the national average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The social and economic background of many pupils is moderately advantaged. The school is situated near the centre of Banstead and serves an area of mainly private housing, although there is a little local authority housing nearby. A large majority of pupils come from the immediate area, and have attended the local infant school up to the age of seven. Four per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals; below the national average for junior schools.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school community reflects the racial characteristics of this area; 99 per cent of pupils are white. An extremely small proportion of pupils come from a home where English is an additional language, and none are at the early stages of learning English. Sixteen per cent of pupils have special educational needs; a figure close to the national average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Banstead Junior is a very effective school. It provides a very good, all round education for its pupils and serves its community well. The pupils achieve high standards because the teaching is consistently good. The headteacher provides excellent leadership, and in full partnership with the staff and governors has significantly raised standards of achievement and improved the education provided since the previous inspection. The school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Excellent and decisive leadership of the headteacher, in partnership with the deputy headteacher, has set a clear educational direction for the school and has improved the school at a rapid and sustained pace. • Attains consistently high standards in the National Curriculum tests in relation to all schools nationally and similar schools. • Enables the pupils to attain very good standards of work in English, mathematics, science, information technology and religious education. • Achieves very good attitudes and behaviour, and excellent standards of personal, moral and social development. • Provides good teaching in a large proportion of lessons. • Provides a rich, stimulating and balanced curriculum, including excellent provision for moral and social development, and very good extra-curricular activities. • Has excellent provision for information technology. • Cares for its pupils very well. • Has a strong partnership with the parents.

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What the school does well

• Very good support from the governing body who are highly involved in the leadership of the school.

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What could be improved

• The school does not consistently provide sufficient challenge for the very highest attaining pupils to make the progress of which they are capable. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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What could be improved

The school has many significant strengths that very heavily outweigh its few weaknesses. Banstead community Junior School - 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has improved greatly since its last inspection in June 1996. It has significantly improved its results in the National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2 and has markedly improved the quality of teaching provided. All issues for action identified in the last report have been resolved very well, and improvements in information technology standards and the quality of management have been excellent.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

English A A A A well above average above average A B Mathematics B A A A average below average C D Science A A A A well below average E

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Key

The high standards that pupils attain are a very significant strength of the school. Results in the 1999 tests for 11 year olds, show standards in English, mathematics and science are well above both the national average and that of similar schools. Standards in English have risen steadily, at a rate similar to that of the national picture, and in mathematics and science standards have risen at a rate faster than the national trend. Boys and girls attain equally high standards in the tests, and work seen during the inspection confirms this picture. The school’s targets for improvement over the next two years are challenging, and if attained will strengthen standards still further. Standards of literacy and numeracy are high, and pupils attain very well in IT because of the very good provision for the subject. Almost all pupils achieve well in relation to their previous attainment levels, although the very highest attaining pupils are not always sufficiently challenged, and do not

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Key

make the progress of which they are capable.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good; pupils strive to do their best and are very enthusiastic.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good; pupils have exceptional self-discipline and this helps to create the orderly community and positive climate for learning.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent; pupils are mature, helpful to staff and show sensitivity to the feelings and beliefs of others.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good; unauthorised absence is well below the national average. Banstead community Junior School - 9

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall not applicable not applicable good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

The quality of teaching is good overall. During the inspection, teaching was satisfactory or better in 98 per cent of lessons, good or better in 76 per cent of lessons and very good or excellent in 32 per cent. Very little unsatisfactory teaching occurred.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

The quality of teaching in English and mathematics is consistently good, and the basic skills of literacy and numeracy are taught effectively across the subjects of the curriculum. The methods used by teachers are a particular strength, including whole class teaching at the start of all literacy and numeracy lessons, and the very effective sharing of lesson plans that motivates the pupils to learn what is intended. Pupils are organised and managed very effectively, so very little time is wasted. Other good aspects of teaching include the teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subjects, their high expectations of work and behaviour, their use of assessment to guide their planning and the effectiveness with which they deploy resources and learning support assistants. Whilst teachers plan work effectively for pupils of differing abilities, and make good provision for pupils with special educational needs, they do not consistently challenge the very highest attaining pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good; a rich, stimulating and well planned curriculum promotes learning well; particularly strong provision for information technology.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good; pupils’ needs are identified early and they receive effective support from teachers and learning support assistants.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language No provision made or required.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good; provision for moral and social development excellent; spiritual development very good; cultural development good. Pupils consistently provided with opportunities to take responsibilities, show initiative, work independently and help others; adults provide excellent role models.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good; learning in a caring community is fundamental to the aims and work of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school works in very close partnership with parents and this greatly benefits the pupils’ learning. Involvement in the ‘Anytime, Anywhere Learning’ laptop computer project has greatly enriched the information technology curriculum of the school and has led to high standards in the subject. Very good extra- curricular opportunities are provided in sport and music. All staff provide very caring support for the pupils and know the individual needs of pupils very well. Banstead community Junior School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Excellent; clear educational direction and effective management has brought about very good improvements since the last inspection; the school has excellent capacity for further improvement.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good; well informed and well led, governors play a major role in the leadership and management of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Excellent; a highly self-evaluative school that takes decisive action to improve its work.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good; funds and other resources used well to promote high standards of attainment.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher provides excellent leadership for the educational direction of the school. The excellent teamwork between the headteacher and the deputy head has enabled the school to rapidly improve standards and the quality of education. A particular strength in management is rigorous monitoring and evaluation of the school’s work by senior staff and governors, that enables strengths and weaknesses to be identified and action to be taken. Governors are very supportive of and involved in the work of the school. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are in good supply. The school applies the principles of best value well when it purchases goods and services.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The children like the school. • The high standards attained by the pupils. • The progress that the pupils make. • The quality of teaching. • The school’s high expectations of their children. • The pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to school. • The extra-curricular activities provided • How easy it is to approach the school with questions and concerns. • The leadership and management of the school. • The way the school fosters maturity and responsibility in the children. • The amount of challenge offered to high attaining pupils. • The large class sizes in Years 3, 4 and 5. • The consistency with which homework is set.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team fully agrees with parents’ positive views about the school. Inspection findings also support their concerns about the level of challenge provided for the very highest attaining pupils. Inspectors disagree with parents’ concerns about class sizes, and find that it does not adversely affect the quality of education provided. Homework is consistently set and is progressive from year to year, but does not sufficiently challenge the very highest attaining pupils. Banstead community Junior School - 11

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The school’s results and achievements

1. In judging the standards attained by pupils in the National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2, the school’s average National Curriculum points scores are used. These provide a more accurate picture of the pupils’ attainments than simply calculating the proportion of pupils attaining the expected Level 4.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. The high standards that pupils attain are a very significant strength of the school. In relation to their attainments on entry to the school, the rate of pupils’ learning is good, and they achieve high standards by the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils achieve well because of the good quality of teaching they receive, and because of their own very positive attitudes to learning.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. At the end of Key Stage 2, the pupils’ attainments overall, taking test results and the pupils’ work into account, are well above the national expectations in English, mathematics and science. This is a very significant improvement since the last inspection in 1996, which judged that standards were in line with national expectations in these subjects. Results in the 1999 Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests show that the average points score gained was well above the national average in English, mathematics and science, and also well above average in comparison to schools with pupils from similar backgrounds.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Results have been above average in English, mathematics and science for the past 4 years. Standards in English have risen steadily, at a rate similar to that of the national picture, and in mathematics and science standards have risen at a rate faster than the national trend. The results of the last three years also show that both boys and girls attain equally high standards in the tests, and work seen during the inspection confirms this picture.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. The performance targets that the school has set itself for the next two years are challenging and, if achieved, will maintain standards at a well above average level.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. Work seen during the inspection shows that at the end of the key stage, the standards pupils attain are well above the national expectations in English, mathematics, science and information technology, and above expected standards in art, design and technology, geography, history, music, and physical education. Standards are well above the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus in religious education.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. Literacy standards are well above expected levels at the end of Key Stage 2, and pupils achieve good standards in relation to their attainment on entry to the school. Pupils read very well, are fluent, expressive and accurate. Their skills of research are well developed, and are used well in subjects such as history. The pupils’ high levels of reading skill is used fully in literacy lessons, but is not sufficiently used in their own personal reading, because they receive too little guidance and direction from teachers to tackle books with challenging content. Writing skills are developed very well by the end of the key stage. Pupils use punctuation accurately, paragraph their work and write in different styles to match the needs of the audience. Handwriting is mainly joined and neat, and high attainers are developing their own distinctive style. Speaking and listening skills are well above the national expectation. Pupils listen very attentively to

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The school’s results and achievements

teachers and each other and are confident and articulate when they speak.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Work seen during the inspection shows that at the end of the key stage, standards in mathematics are well above the national expectations. Pupils achieve good standards in relation to their attainments when they entered the school. Numeracy skills are very well developed because pupils have daily opportunities to use mental strategies to manipulate numbers. These mental skills are applied well in their written work where they make good progress in developing strategies for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Pupils use and apply their mathematical understanding well during investigations and in science and design and technology, where accurate measurements are needed. The rate of learning in mathematics has slowed this year due to ‘teething troubles’ with the new curriculum, based on the National Numeracy Strategy. Currently, middle and high attaining pupils are not being sufficiently challenged by the

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The school’s results and achievements

curriculum that is planned, and this is slowing their learning over time. Banstead community Junior School - 12 9. Standards in science are well above the national expectation by the end of the key stage. Pupils develop good understanding of how to carry out investigations and experiments, showing increasing confidence in designing and carrying out work that tests their predictions in a fair and valid way.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. Attainments in information technology are well above the national expectation by the end of the key stage. Pupils are confident in using computer equipment and programs to assist their learning in other subjects. This is because teachers consistently plan for pupils to use information technology across the subjects of the curriculum, because teachers are confident in the use of the technology themselves and because there is a very good supply of high quality equipment. Standards are particularly high in Years 5 and 6, because of the school’s involvement in the ‘Anytime, Anywhere Learning’ laptop computer project. Around 50 pupils have high specification laptops that they bring daily to school and share with their classmates. The pupils’ confidence, knowledge and understanding develops very well because of their excellent opportunities to use computers, although their level of keyboarding skills hinders learning because of its slow pace.

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The school’s results and achievements

11. At the end of the Key Stage the pupils’ attainments in religious education are well above the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. The rate of learning is very good because the skills of reflection, empathy, respect and interpretation are very strongly emphasised in all the teaching, and are taught very effectively, alongside knowledge and understanding of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Pupils gain confidence in expressing their own ideas as these skills develop.

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The school’s results and achievements

12. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs is good in relation to their previous learning and their assessed needs. Their rate of learning is good.

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The school’s results and achievements

13. In the school as a whole, the achievements of pupils are good. They make consistently good progress across all subjects within the curriculum, as a direct result of the good teaching they receive, their very good attitudes to learning, and the good quality of the curriculum that is provided for them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils throughout the school respond very well in lessons and have very good attitudes to their work. They are eager to come to school and they strive to do their best in every aspect of school life. Pupils are very enthusiastic and get involved well. For example, in a Year 4 history lesson with a visiting theatre group, pupils were very forthcoming with ideas during a role play simulation of ‘going into a Victorian mine’. Overall, pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development have made very good improvement since the last inspection, particularly pupils’ personal and social development.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The pupils’ behaviour in lessons, in the playground and around the site is very good, contributing to an orderly and secure environment that supports learning and personal development. Pupils respect and follow the school’s expectations on behaviour. They have exceptional self control and self discipline. For instance, pupils come into assembly in a very orderly way with very little need for control by adults. Pupils are very polite, helpful and friendly to each other and to adults. They show great respect for property and are careful, for example, when handling books and expensive computer equipment. There is no evidence of graffiti or litter. Lunchtimes are pleasant, social occasions, and pupils are very well mannered in the dining hall. They respond well to the bell at the end of play, lining up sensibly. No bullying or harassment was seen during the inspection. The school has had one fixed term exclusion in the past twelve months,

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Overall, the pupils’ personal development and relationships are excellent. Pupils notice what needs to be done and get on with it unobtrusively. For example, a large number of children volunteer to come into school early each morning to help get their classrooms ready for the day. Year 6 pupils show exceptional maturity as they pair with younger pupils in the lunchtime reading club, suggesting books they might enjoy and really helping them to make progress with their reading. In the community, older pupils were fantastic in helping pupils in a local infants school to develop their computer skills. The pupils show respect for other people’s feelings, values and beliefs. This is particularly evident in religious education lessons. For example, when studying Judaism in Year 5, as Jewish pupils sensitively shared their beliefs and feelings with their peers. As they get older, pupils are starting to understand how their actions can

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

affect others. For instance, in a Year 4 personal and social education lesson on friendships and working well with others, they appreciated the impact of paying each other compliments. Relationships between the Banstead community Junior School - 13 pupils are excellent and they show real care and concern for each other. They offer good support to each other in class and work very well together in mixed gender groups and paired activities, sharing resources very well when required. For example, in a Year 5 art lesson, the more artistic pupils deliberately included the less able in their groups and fully collaborated over the decision making when working on collage pictures of ‘Good Queen Bess’. The pupils’ relationships with both teaching and support staff are excellent. The pupils know they are valued and cared for, and there is a very high level of mutual respect.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Attendance levels at the school are good and are above the national average. Unauthorised absence is well below the national average.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The quality of teaching in the school is good overall, with a very significant proportion of teaching very good and occasionally better. Teaching was satisfactory or better in 98 per cent of lessons, good or better in 76 per cent of lessons, and very good or excellent in 32 per cent of lessons. Teaching was unsatisfactory in only two per cent of lessons. The quality of teaching has improved well since the previous inspection when it was judged as satisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Parents at the pre-inspection meeting expressed their satisfaction at the good quality of teaching that occurs, and inspection findings fully support their views. The good, and frequently very good quality of teaching contributes very strongly to the pupils’ learning and their overall high level of attainment. Particular strengths in teaching include the well-selected methods and strategies used in the classroom. For example, in mathematics the lively and demanding mental maths sessions at the start of most lessons fully engage all pupils in thinking, answering questions and practising their numeracy skills. Particularly effective is the use of number fans that enable all pupils to answer a question by holding up the answer to show the teacher. This enables the teacher to check on the understanding of every pupil and give support where needed. Other effective methods used across the curriculum are clear explanations and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

demonstrations, and good use of the board to organise ideas. Teachers use whole class teaching very effectively in most subjects. However, the use of short spells of small group tuition, to teach a particular point whilst the rest of the class is engaged in independent work, is mainly confined to literacy lessons, and is not used as fully as it might be in other subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teachers settle their classes quickly, have clear, high expectations of the pupils’ behaviour, and by their calm and efficient manner, consistently set a positive atmosphere in which learning can take place effectively. Because of the good management of pupils, very little time is lost, pupils concentrate well and maintain interest in their work. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ academic work. They expect pupils to work quickly and accurately, and as a result, much gets done in the time available. Tight time limits are used effectively by some teachers to inject a real sense of urgency in learning. High expectations and consistent reminders ensure that the pupils’ written work is usually neatly presented. Teachers have good knowledge of the subjects they teach, and this, linked with their enthusiasm, results in many interesting and lively lessons, in which pupils make rapid gains in knowledge, understanding and skill.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The quality of the teachers’ planning is good. The school’s recent staff development work, to ensure that teachers are explicit about their learning objectives for lessons, has been highly successful. Almost all lesson plans clearly define the learning that is expected, and this enables teachers to evaluate very accurately whether the pupils have achieved everything that was set out to be learned. Occasionally, teachers are unclear about what they expect pupils to learn, and describe learning objectives in terms of the activities that pupils will do. This prevents them from evaluating the extent of learning accurately, and does not provide them with good information on which to plan the pupils’ next steps in learning. All teachers share the learning objectives with the pupils at the start of the lesson, and this motivates and involves the pupils well in their own learning. Many teachers spend a few minutes at the end of the lesson

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

to check with pupils whether the objectives have been achieved, and this is highly effective in reinforcing the main learning points. Whilst teachers frequently identify in their planning how they will meet the needs of both lower and high attaining pupils, they are not sufficiently clear about how the needs of very high attaining pupils will be met, and as a result, these pupils are at times not sufficiently challenged, and therefore do not make the progress of which they are capable. Banstead community Junior School - 14 22. Parents at the pre-inspection meeting, and those returning the questionnaire, expressed some concern about the consistency with which homework is set. The inspection finds that homework is set with a reasonable degree of consistency, is progressive from year to year, but that it is not always sufficiently challenging for the very highest attaining pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The quality of teaching is good overall in English, mathematics, science, information technology, religious education, art, history, music, physical education, geography, design and technology, and in all these subjects almost all pupils make consistently good gains in their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The teaching of literacy is very effective. The school has implemented the literacy hour very well. The teaching of numeracy is very effective. The school has fully implemented all parts of the numeracy hour and is particularly effective in providing good quality mental mathematics sessions at the start of each daily lesson. Quick-fire questions and other mental maths tasks are helping to give the pupils more confidence with numbers, although the daily practice of multiplication tables is not sufficiently emphasised in some classes.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. The teachers’ confidence in using information technology within the curriculum, and the many opportunities they plan, enable the pupils to attain very well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. The quality of teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good overall, and this enables them to make good progress throughout the curriculum. Teachers frequently plan different tasks that are well- matched to meet the needs of these pupils, and provide them with extra attention, to enable them to succeed. Learning support assistants are particularly effective in helping pupils develop basic literacy and numeracy skills.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

27. The school provides a very good, rich and stimulating curriculum for the pupils. The curriculum has very good breadth and balance, covering all National Curriculum subjects, religious education and personal, social and health education. The basic curriculum is enhanced well for pupils in all years by French week, which provides a wide range of opportunities for pupils to learn about French culture and the language. In addition, Year 6 pupils are taught the French language for a block of six weeks during the summer term.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

28. Curriculum planning is good, with much of the content being influenced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority schemes of work. Good medium term plans are developed from these schemes, and these provide teachers with good guidance to plan work that builds progressively on the pupils’ previous learning. The curriculum gives due emphasis to literacy and numeracy development, and the school has very successfully implemented the recommendations of the National Literacy and Numeracy strategies, and now all pupils have a well structured daily lessons in both subjects. The literacy strategy is contributing well to the high standards that are found in reading and writing. The curriculum for mathematics has been adapted to match the recommendations of the National Numeracy Strategy, and in doing so, has run into some problems related to the level of challenge provided for some pupils. The curriculum is too tightly constrained by the strategy’s recommendations for each year group, and does not

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

take sufficient account of the assessed levels at which pupils are working. For example, many pupils enter the school, already achieving Level 3 in mathematics, so do not need to be restricted to the Year 3 curriculum that is recommended by the strategy, for the entirety of their time whilst they are in Year 3. The school is aware of this issue and is taking the necessary steps to ensure that pupils of all attainment levels are suitably challenged.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

29. A particular feature and strength of the curriculum is the provision for information technology. Two years ago, the school became involved in the ‘Anytime, Anywhere Learning’ laptop computer project, which provides good quality laptop computers to pupils at competitive prices. Around 50 pupils and all staff have laptops which are brought into school daily, and this massive availability of computers contributes greatly to the standards achieved, which are well above expectations in the school as a whole. Parental concerns about inequality of opportunity, because some parents cannot afford the laptops, are not supported by the inspection findings, which judge that all pupils have considerably greater access to information technology equipment and expertise than they would if the project was not in school. The school is highly sensitive to Banstead community Junior School - 15 the concerns of parents and has definite plans to make it far easier for all parents to be able to afford a

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

30. There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs. Their needs are assessed well, supported by teachers and learning support assistants, and their progress reviewed regularly. The school has developed individual education plans for all pupils, but as the school knows, targets are not sufficiently specific to enable progress towards them to be easily judged.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

31. A very good range of extra curricular activities is provided, particularly in sport and music, and these contribute greatly to the richness of the curriculum and pupils’ learning. Parents at the pre-inspection meeting were full of praise for the school’s sporting provision, and inspection findings fully endorse their views. A large proportion of the pupils participate in activities before school, at lunchtimes and after school, and there is a good mix of individual and team sports on offer. Inter-school sport flourishes. There are reading and computer clubs, both attended well. Music is very well established, with the choir and orchestra attaining high standards. External resources are used well, for example, a visiting theatre group that enables pupils to gain greater understanding of history through role-play. Regular educational visits are made to places of interest to support learning in a wide variety of subjects, for example to Hampton

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

Court and local farms. Each year a group of Year 6 pupils visit a country in Europe.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

32. Provision for personal and health education is good. Sex education is delivered in Year 5, using discussion and an appropriate video that parents have had the opportunity to see first. Pupils have good opportunities to discuss issues of importance to them, for example, relationships and bullying during personal and social education lessons. The school has regular visits from the ‘Life Bus’, and the police introduce topics such as ‘Keeping Safe’ in Year 3, and peer pressure in relation to alcohol and drugs misuse in Year 6.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

33. Good links are in place with the neighbouring infant school, including discussions about how the curriculum in the two schools can enable the pupils’ learning to be continuous. There are equally good links with the main secondary school.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

34. Central to the ethos of the school is the very good provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There are particular strengths in the excellent promotion of moral and social development. All adults in the school provide excellent role models through their relationships with each other and with the pupils, that are characterised by respect, honesty and sensitivity. They treat pupils consistently and fairly, giving high regard to building self discipline and consideration for others.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

35. Very good provision is made for spiritual development. The consistent high quality Acts of Collective Worship, which take place three times a week, make a strong contribution to this very good provision. These are very well planned, of broadly Christian content, providing valuable opportunities for prayers and moments of stillness and reflection on religious and moral themes. At the same time, a very important contribution is made by religious education, where pupils hear stories, express feelings and emotions within relationships and reflect on such issues as ‘who we are’ and ‘why we are here’. Pupils have good opportunities to reflect on life’s fundamental questions on such occasions as the death of a pet or the birth of a brother or sister, using this first hand experience in a valuable way. Teachers are also aware of the potential for spiritual awareness through other curricular experiences in art, music and the natural world.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

36. Provision for moral development is excellent. Pupils are encouraged to develop self discipline, take a pride in good behaviour and show the care and respect for others, that they would like themselves. They are given a very clear understanding of the principles that separate right from wrong through a well understood code of conduct, which is consistently applied by all adults in the school. Pupils are encouraged to develop a strong sense of moral responsibility through Personal and Social Education. Issues are dealt with sensitively, both in planned lessons and on informal occasions as they arise.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

37. Another very strong feature of the school is the excellent provision for social development. On an individual basis, for example, pupils are expected to take responsibility for their own musical equipment and for the games equipment they use in the playground at lunchtimes. When such topics arise, that need special resources, there is an expectation that pupils will plan and collect these as far as possible for themselves. A topic concerning a collage of Queen Elizabeth is a good illustration of this. A wide number Banstead community Junior School - 16 of school responsibilities are established by the school in the form of monitors for classrooms, collective worship and physical education equipment. On a wider basis, there are a number of important opportunities available in the form of class captains, prefects and being members of the school council. A good number of charities are very well supported and pupils take responsibility for organising events and

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

raising funds. Clubs such as the reading club, provide a valuable opportunity for Year 6 and Year 3 pupils to read together for mutual enjoyment and help.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

38. Provision for cultural development is good. In art and music, there are opportunities to gain useful insights into the achievements of celebrated artists, local artists and composers. The Literacy hour is providing a broad and varied experience of a range of poetry, fiction and non-fiction work. There is much work in history and geography which provides opportunities to study the culture and people from other countries, for example India and Jamaica. The good links fostered between the school and the local church provide a valuable range of visitors from all over the world, fostering empathy and respect for cultural differences and reinforcing the cultural diversity of British society. A strong contribution to pupils’ cultural development is provided by a wide range of opportunities to visit theatres, musical concerts, cathedral services, picture galleries and local places of interest such as Hampton Court. Drama groups such as the

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

one visiting during the time of the inspection, provide good opportunities to explore historical themes and work with professional actors. Additionally there is a good provision for Year 6 pupils to visit either Holland or Belgium on an annual basis.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Learning in a caring community is fundamental to the aims of the school. It places great importance on caring for its pupils in personal, social and intellectual terms, and provides very good support and guidance for all pupils. This work enhances the quality of life in school and has a positive impact on standards. The school has successfully maintained the caring environment identified during the last inspection, and has made further improvement, in particular developing procedures for monitoring pupils’ academic progress.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. All staff provide very close caring support for pupils; they have a very good knowledge of the pupils’ individual needs. For example, small language support groups are held regularly to tackle any problems, such as if a pupil has difficulty following instructions. Parents appreciate the support given to their children and pupils feel confident to consult staff when they have concerns.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Arrangements for child protection are good and staff are well aware of the procedures to be followed. The school has very good arrangements for promoting the health and safety of pupils through safe working practices. Governors are diligent in carrying out their responsibilities. For example, they recently monitored the evacuation procedures of a termly fire drill to see at first hand their effectiveness. First aid arrangements are good. For instance, staff are very conscientious about contacting parents if their child has had even a minor bump to their head. Pupils are very well supervised during playtimes and the headteacher personally oversees the collection arrangements at the end of the day, which also provides an informal opportunity for liaison with parents.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The procedures for recording and reporting attendance are very good. Registers are completed carefully and monitored weekly. The school makes a quick response to absence if it has any concerns. Procedures for following up any unauthorised absences are very thorough. Measures to promote discipline and good behaviour are very effective. The comprehensive behaviour policy emphasises the reinforcement of positive encouragement rather than the imposition of sanctions. Teachers make good use of praise and rewards to raise pupils' confidence and self-esteem and to encourage achievement and good behaviour. Assemblies and personal and social education lessons reinforce these positive messages. Pupils and parents do not consider bullying an issue in school. Pupils are happy to tell staff of any minor incident and are confident that the matter will be handled appropriately.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The monitoring of pupils’ personal development is good. Class teachers know their pupils very well and monitor their personal development effectively through their own detailed knowledge and informal records. Teachers who take religious education lessons keep formal records which make a positive additional contribution to the monitoring of personal development in areas such as pupils’ abilities to empathise and show tolerance. Banstead community Junior School - 17 44. Assessment procedures are good and are improving rapidly because the school has assessment as one of the priorities in its school development plan. The school uses the optional National Curriculum tests in Years 3, 4 and 5, to keep track of the pupils’ progress and uses this information effectively to keep teachers up-to-date about how the pupils are doing. The school analyses the results of the tests exceptionally well to identify strengths and weaknesses in the attainments of boys and girls and to monitor

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

the school’s performance in relation to other schools both nationally and locally. It also uses the results to identify strengths and weaknesses in its curriculum, and modifies the curriculum if necessary. Assessment information is used well to identify pupils who would benefit for additional help with language, literacy and other learning, and to group pupils by ability for mathematics teaching. The quality of teacher assessment is an issue currently being addressed by the school, through the development of portfolios of work, assessed at different National Curriculum levels. However, these are in their early stages of development, and are not effective in guiding teachers currently. The school has also identified the need to develop better procedures to track the pupils’ progress throughout their time in school, and inspection findings support the need for this development.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The school maintains many very good links with its parents and carers, helping them to contribute positively to pupils’ learning and social development. There has been a very significant improvement in this area of the school’s work since the last inspection. The parents as a whole are very satisfied with the provision the school makes for their children and what it achieves. Parents at the meeting, and those returning the questionnaires, express a very high degree of satisfaction that their children like school, that it is approachable, that it promotes hard work and that it is well led and managed. They appreciate the quality of teaching and feel that the school’s approach encourages maturity in the children. Most parents are pleased with the good progress their children are making. Inspection findings support these very positive views. The main concerns expressed by parents were about inconsistency in homework

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

arrangements both within year groups and across them, and the challenge for high attaining pupils. Concerns regarding homework were not borne out by inspection evidence, but inspectors found some evidence that the very highest attaining pupils are not always consistently challenged.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. The quality of information provided for parents and carers is very good. They are very well informed about day to day events through, for instance, regular newsletters from the headteacher. Curriculum information is also very good. Parents appreciate the information the school provides on how they can help with their children’s learning at home, for example the detailed booklet for new parents and the literacy and numeracy evenings. The on-going workshops for parents and pupils on the laptop computer scheme have ensured an increased knowledge and understanding in the use of information technology within the families. The annual written report for each child is good and gives clear information on attitude, effort, attainment and progress. Short term goals are identified and parents are invited to comment on the support they will give at home to help their children improve. Very good opportunities are provided for parents to

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

discuss their children’s progress through formal and informal meetings. Of particular note is the fact that the headteacher goes out onto the playground to meet with parents at the end of every day, and this provides excellent opportunities for communication.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Parents’ and carers’ involvement in the school is very good. They are much encouraged and they feel very welcome to become involved. They find it very easy to approach staff informally to discuss any questions or problems regarding their children. Parents are involved with the work of the school in a number of ways. For example, they are consulted annually about aspects of the school development and improvement plan, such as the behaviour and discipline policy. A large number of parents make an important contribution to standards through help with school activities, for example in lessons, opening the library at lunchtimes and helping with transport to numerous sports fixtures. In addition, the parent teacher association is very active in supporting the school to improve the educational opportunities of all pupils. It organises regular social and fundraising family events, which raise substantial funds, as well as providing

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

labour for major school projects, such as establishing the library and refurbishing the food technology room. Parents are actively encouraged to become involved in their children’s learning at home, in line with the home-school partnership agreement, and they respond well to this request. They are also very supportive of events involving their children, such as productions and sports events. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are well involved in their child’s education. Banstead community Junior School - 18

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The leadership and management of the school provided by the headteacher, senior staff and governors is excellent. The headteacher, appointed three years ago, has been instrumental in bringing about very many improvements in the school’s work. He has a clear vision of what the school needs to achieve, and the educational direction of the school is firmly focused on the achievement of high standards, very positive relationships, equality of opportunity and high quality education for its pupils. In addition to knowing what the school needs to achieve, the headteacher also has excellent management and leadership strategies to bring this vision about. He has enthused the staff, governors, parents and pupils with his innovative methods, and despite vast improvements in a short period of time, still sees the need for further development. The headteacher and deputy headteacher form an excellent team. They have brought about

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

rapid change, whilst at the same time, have ensured that all staff remained fully motivated, involved in and committed to improving the work of the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The headteacher’s careful analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, detailed action planning and decisive action, has been crucial in the development of the school over the last three years. Instead of spending time updating and upgrading policies, the school has given priority to improving teaching and learning in classrooms, and this has brought about very positive changes in the standards that pupils achieve and their quality of learning.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The monitoring and evaluation of the school’s work is very good. The school is highly self-evaluative, and uses the findings of evaluation to identify areas for further improvement. The headteacher formally observes all teachers every term, and the observations are used to provide feedback and to help set targets for development. Through this rigorous monitoring, the quality of teaching has been improved greatly, to a position where it is now good overall, but with very good or better teaching in almost a third of lessons. Subject and other co-ordinators fulfil their monitoring, supporting and planning roles very effectively. They monitor the planning of their colleagues carefully in order to ensure that pupils build continuously and progressively on their previous learning. Co-ordinators are supported in their role very well, through the provision of non-teaching time during which they can work with other teachers, evaluate the standards

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

of the pupils’ work, develop the curriculum and monitor the quality of provision in their subject. As a result, the curriculum has developed rapidly in the last three years; new initiatives, for example, the ‘Anytime, Anywhere, Learning’ laptop computer project have been fully integrated into the work of pupils in Years 5 and 6, and has very significantly improved the pupils’ learning and attainments in information technology.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The very good monitoring of the school’s work enables it to identify highly relevant priorities for development, and there is little that the school does not know about its strengths and weaknesses. The school has a high degree of success in achieving its educational priorities because its action plans are of good quality, it provides sufficient funding to support the developments, and because it rigorously monitors the effectiveness of the changes that have been made. For example, the implementation of the school’s numeracy and literacy strategies has been managed very effectively. Staff have received good quality training, have been monitored and supported in their development of new classroom strategies and appropriate additional resources have been purchased. Governors are involved well in the implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategies; they meet with the co-ordinators, observe lessons, and provide

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

feedback to teachers and the co-ordinator.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. Governors are enabled to be fully involved in all aspects of the school’s leadership and management because of the high quality information that they receive from the headteacher and other senior staff. This was exemplified well in a meeting of the governors’ Curriculum Committee, when detailed analysis of the school’s National Curriculum test results was explained to governors to help them understand the action that the school needs to take in order to make very good results even better. Because the governors are so well informed about the work of the school through the information provided, by observations in classrooms and by discussions with staff, they understand its strengths and weaknesses well, and are therefore in a very good position to work in close partnership with the school in shaping its educational direction. Governors fully meet their statutory and other responsibilities and make a very valuable

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

contribution to the work of the school. Banstead community Junior School - 19 53. The school achieves an excellent match between its stated aims and values, and its everyday work. This is due to a very high degree of commitment from all staff to implement policies and to promote learning in a positive way. For example, the excellent provision for the pupils’ academic, personal, social and moral development enables them to become active members of a caring community, fosters self-discipline and provides them with the skills to benefit the society in which they live, and themselves. There is also a very high degree of shared commitment to further improvement and an excellent capacity to succeed.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. Quality of financial planning is good. Educational priorities are supported with appropriate funding, although the financial details within the school development plan are rather limited, a point already acknowledged as in need of improvement by the school. The funds that the school receives as special grants, for instance the Standards Fund, is spent in accordance with requirements and accounted for properly. The school is quick to respond when needs are identified, for example, by the appointment of extra learning support assistants when the number of pupils on the school roll increased. The quality of financial control is excellent. The finance officer works to very clear guidelines and provides a highly effective and efficient service to the school. The presence of the finance officer on the Finance Committee of the governing body ensures that it has up-to-date financial information upon which to base its decisions.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

The governors, headteacher and finance officer regularly scrutinise the level of the school’s spending against its planned budget and are therefore able to make adjustments, moving funds from one budget heading to another, as needs dictate. The school operates the principles of best value very effectively, ensuring that it purchases goods and services at competitive rates. The school also makes very good use of administrative staff and the premises manager, all of whom make a very good contribution to the work of the school. The school makes excellent use of new technology. All teachers have a laptop computer, and use this extensively in their day-to-day planning and administration. Administrative staff also use technology well and therefore are efficient in their work.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school has good accommodation for the number and age of pupils present. Whilst the number of pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 results in rather crowded classrooms, the quality of education does not suffer, because of the good and often very good quality of teaching provided. Classrooms are bright, with well- organised resources. There are attractive, displays of pupils’ work and useful resources to help pupils in their learning. Specialist accommodation for music, art, design and technology and food technology, all enhance the learning opportunities for pupils and contribute well to their learning. The hall provides good accommodation for physical education, assemblies and other whole school activities. The attractive library, developed through the efforts of the headteacher, parents and premises’ manager, provides a very valuable resource that enhances pupils’ learning well. There are sufficient hard surface areas outside for physical

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

education and play, and the school field is of good size and is in good condition. The outdoor swimming pool provides good facilities, both within the physical education curriculum, and is used very well both before school and at lunchtimes during the summer. As a result it is very rare for a pupil to leave the school without achieving the minimum requirements of the National Curriculum for swimming.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. There are a good number of teachers to meet the demands of the curriculum. All are suitably qualified and experienced, and they are deployed very effectively to promote high standards and a good quality of education. There are sufficient teachers and learning support assistants to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs. There is a satisfactory number of learning support assistants to meet the needs of the curriculum and to support pupils with special educational needs. They are deployed effectively, properly briefed and make a very valuable contribution to the pupils’ learning. The arrangements for the development of all staff are very good, and are closely linked to the school development plan. Whilst teacher appraisal is in abeyance currently, awaiting guidance from the local educational authority, the very regular observation of teaching by the headteacher and very regular staff development interviews, ensure

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

that the quality of teaching is monitored very closely, that targets for individual development are set, and that the performance of individual teachers is managed highly effectively. There are good arrangements in place for the induction of new teachers.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. There is a good supply of resources to assist the pupils in their learning. Of particular note is the very good quality and supply of information technology equipment, and the fact that all computers have the same software helps pupils to learn in a continuous and progressive way. Resources in the library are satisfactory overall, although there is a need for more challenging texts to meet the needs of high-attaining pupils. The supply of musical instruments is very good, enabling, for example, at least one percussion Banstead community Junior School - 20 instrument per pupil in whole class lessons, and this gives pupils good experience of playing the instruments and assists in their overall good attainments.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

58. In their work to further raise standards and improve the quality of education at the school, the governors and staff should now consider the following key issue, which relates to weaknesses identified in the report paragraphs shown:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the level of challenge for the very highest attaining pupils by: (paragraphs 8, 22, 61, 73, 77, 79)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- rigorously identifying the highest attaining pupils in English, mathematics, science and in other aspects of academic, creative and physical development;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- setting challenging targets for pupils’ attainments, and monitoring their progress towards the targets closely;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- ensuring that all schemes of work provide teachers with sufficient guidance to address their needs;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- ensuring the teachers plan to meet their needs in lessons and through homework, and carry this through in their daily work;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- improving the monitoring and assessment of the pupils’ personal reading and ensuring that the pupils receive sufficient guidance and encouragement to tackle challenging texts;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- improve the stock of challenging books in the school library.*

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

59. Other points to consider for inclusion in the governors action plan:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensure that the content of the mathematics curriculum enables pupils of all attainment levels to make good progress. (paragraphs 8, 28, 70)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensure that the teaching groups for mathematics enable the pupils to build continuously and progressively on what they have already learned. (paragraph 70)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Use assessment information even more than it is already used, to track the attainments and progress of individual pupils, and to set individual targets. * (paragraphs 44, 67)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensure that the pupils’ keyboarding skills do not hinder their work when using information technology. * (paragraphs 10, 81)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* Already identified for development in the school development plan. Banstead community Junior School - 21

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 43

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

2 30 44 22 2 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery Y3 – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 266

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 11 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Y3 – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 42

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8 Banstead community Junior School - 22

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

National comparative data 5.4% National comparative data 0.5% Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 34 22 56

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Boys 26 26 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 21 20 22

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 84 (84) 82 (78) 89 (84) At NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 21 23 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 17 16 20

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 68 (71) 70 (72) 80 (80) At NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Banstead community Junior School - 23

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.23

Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10.0 Financial year 1998/1999

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Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26.6

p.23

Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Education support staff: Y3 – Y6 Total expenditure 420474

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Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Total number of education support staff 5 Expenditure per pupil 1642

p.23

Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Total aggregate hours worked per week 61 Balance brought forward from previous year

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Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Balance carried forward to next year 26415 FTE means full-time equivalent. Banstead community Junior School - 24

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Number of questionnaires sent out: 266 Number of questionnaires returned: 115 Percentage return 43% Responses (percentage of answers in each category) :

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know My child likes the school 55 44 1 0 0 My child is making good progress in school 38 58 2 0 2 Behaviour in school is good 40 58 2 0 0 My child gets the right amount of work to do at home 29 50 18 2 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The teaching is good 42 57 0 0 2 I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on 26 56 15 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or problems 70 27 3 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best 59 36 3 0 3

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents 46 43 10 0 0 The school is well led and managed 68 31 0 0 1 The school is helping my child become mature and responsible 50 48 2 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides and interesting range of activities outside lessons 43 41 11 0 4 Banstead community Junior School - 25

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ENGLISH

60. The results of the National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2 have risen steadily over the last four years at a rate similar to the national picture. In the 1999 tests, the average points score is well above the national average both in comparison with all schools and in comparison with similar schools. Inspection evidence confirms this judgement as standards in English are well above average by the end of the key stage. The school has a clearly focused commitment to raising the standards of attainment of the pupils in English, and this is confirmed by the very high proportion of pupils who reach the higher Level 5 in the tests. At the time of the last inspection, standards were judged to be average. The present standards attained, represent a considerable improvement since the last inspection. Although the school previously recognised differences between the attainments of girls and boys, they have addressed this issue well, and

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the boys and girls now both attain equally high standards. The pupils achieve good standards in relation to their attainments on entry to the school, which are well above average overall.

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61. Pupils’ standards of reading are very good when they enter the school in Year 3. These standards are maintained and the rate of learning is satisfactory. The good fluent levels of reading are used well to explore and discuss a wide range of fiction and non fiction books. Research skills are strengthened and used for other areas of the curriculum, history for example. Through well focused work in the Literacy hour, pupils gain knowledge of significant ideas, events and characters. By the end of Year 6, a good proportion show an understanding of a wide range of texts by selecting points and using inference and deduction appropriately. Pupils overall, gain a high level of reading skills, which they use competently in literacy lessons. Their own personal reading is generally not at such a high level, and is not monitored or challenged sufficiently by teachers. Personal reading records do not have sufficient detail and do not

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ENGLISH

indicate how pupils can improve. There are insufficient books in the library, to provide sufficient challenge for the highest attaining pupils.

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62. The rate of learning and the development of writing skills is good throughout the school. There are indications that the school is improving its performance in this area from the value added data which is carefully scrutinised. Pupils come into school with above average writing skills and by the time they leave the school in Year 6, their attainment is well above average. Pupils develop their ideas logically in well punctuated sentences, using paragraphs. Writing is varied and in different forms for different audiences. From the scrutiny of work for example, pupils write engagingly about ‘An argument between Susan and her foster parents’, detailing what happened and using words which are chosen adventurously and for effect. On other occasions, they write in a reflective style about ‘My thoughts about the Doll’s House’, or write a diary or a poem.

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63. The pupils use of the spoken word is very well above average. A good number of pupils have well developed speaking skills when they enter the Junior school and the rate of progress is good. All lessons require pupils to be attentive listeners and the skilled use of questioning by the teachers ensures that there are frequent opportunities for pupils to give their opinions, develop ideas and take account of others views. When writing in ‘explanation style’, for example, pupils discuss and review from previous work the purpose, structure and specific style of the language they will use. By the end of Year 6, pupils talk and listen confidently in a range of situations and are starting to choose vocabulary carefully to engage the listeners’ interest. They ask questions to develop their own ideas and use standard English in formal situations.

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64. Pupils’ behaviour is good and their attitudes to English are very good. Teaching is well focused towards personal development and relationships, these being very good. Pupils have well developed respect and empathy for each other’s views in discussions. When discussing a range of poetry for example, they understand that response to poetry is very personal, and they show respect for each other’s views. Expectations of teachers are often high and the amount of work expected often challenges pupils in the literacy hour. Pupils are hard working, on task and respond well to their challenges. Their ability to work collaboratively is well developed, for example they work well in pairs and small groups. A good Banstead community Junior School - 26 illustration of this was when pupils worked to find agreed solutions on the genre of a range of different books they were studying.

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ENGLISH

65. The rate of learning is good throughout the school. This is mainly due to the high proportion of good and very good teaching seen during the inspection. A strong feature of all lessons is the time taken at the start of the lesson to discuss with pupils what they will be learning. This motivates the pupils well and gives them a sense of involvement in their own learning. Similarly, at the end of the lesson time is set aside to review, with pupils, what they have learned and assess this against the original intentions of the lesson. A good level of questioning is another strong and consistent strength of the teaching. The questions require pupils to make personal responses, based on their own observations and involves them in a good level of discussion and participation in the lesson. For example, in a lesson where pupils were studying fables, questions by the teacher concerning ‘Why are fables special?’ developed pupils’ understanding of the

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ENGLISH

deeper meaning of the text. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour and work, and in the very good teaching, expectations of the rate of work and response are very high. The rate of progress of the pupils with special educational needs is also good in relation to their prior attainment. An added strength is the good provision for Additional Literacy Support in Years 3 and 4, which is very effectively providing pupils with essential skills for reading and writing.

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ENGLISH

66. The recommendations of the National Literacy Strategy are fully implemented. A well constructed, detailed plan of action and review has been drawn up and put into practice. The quality and consistency of the literacy hour is making a good contribution to the good quality of teaching and the very high standards attained by the pupils. Literacy is used particularly well across the whole curriculum, especially in history, religious education and science. Information technology is used very well, for example to support work in writing, although keyboarding skills are rather slow, an issue already being addressed by the school.

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ENGLISH

67. The subject is very well managed. The co-ordinator is providing effective leadership and support through close liaison with the teachers, monitoring the present situation and drawing up plans to improve the practice to raise standards even further. Both medium and short term planning are good, firmly based upon the National Literacy Strategy. Wide ranging assessment procedures are in place, and results of these are kept on a computerised data base and made available to all teachers. Individual tracking of pupils’ progress through the National Curriculum is appropriately planned by the school as the next assessment development.

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MATHEMATICS

68. Standards of attainment are well above the national expectation at the end of Key Stage 2. This is a significant improvement on standards reported by the last inspection, which were in line with the national picture.

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MATHEMATICS

69. The results of the 1999 National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2 indicate that the school’s attainment is well above the national average and that of similar schools. The results over the last four years show that the school’s performance is consistently above the national picture and that standards are rising at a rate faster than the national trend. The results also show that boys and girls attain equally high standards, and this was confirmed by work seen during the inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

70. Work seen during the inspection indicates that by the end of the key stage, the pupils’ attainments in all aspects of mathematics, are well above the national expectation. Pupils achieve good standards in relation to their attainments when they enter the school. Whilst pupils in Year 6 attain high standards and make good progress, this is not currently the case for all pupils in years 3, 4 and 5. Year 6 pupils are divided into ability groups for all of their maths teaching and, to a very large extent, the work that they are provided is suitably challenging for pupils of all attainment levels. The only exception to this are the relatively small number of very high attaining pupils, who are not always sufficiently challenged. In years 3, 4 and 5, pupils experience a combination of mixed ability class teaching for mathematics, and one lesson a week of teaching in a ‘setted’ ability group. This teaching arrangement is not working well

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MATHEMATICS

because the work in one group does not allow pupils to build continuously and progressively on their previous learning when they are taught in the other group. A further factor that is inhibiting progress for pupils in years 3, 4 and 5 is the newly adopted curriculum that is too strictly based on the recommendations of the National Numeracy Strategy. Whilst the strategy ensures good coverage of all Banstead community Junior School - 27 aspects of mathematics, it does not provide sufficiently challenging work for middle and high attaining pupils. Therefore, these pupils are not learning at the rate of which they are capable and when they reach the end of the key stage, they are unlikely to attain the same high standards that have been attained over the past four years, and those that are currently being attained by pupils in Year 6.

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MATHEMATICS

71. At the end of Key Stage 2, standards in numeracy are high, as a result of daily mental mathematics sessions in which pupils manipulate numbers. The large majority of pupils use place value to multiply and divide by 100 and 1000, use four operations of number with two places of decimals, calculate fractional and percentage parts of quantities and measurements and have very good understanding of the language of mathematics, for example, square root, factor and prime number. Pupils use and apply mathematical understanding well during investigations and in subjects such as science and design and technology, where accurate measurements are needed. Information technology is used effectively to support the pupils’ learning, particularly in handling data. Pupils are skilled at entering data, producing the data in different graphical forms and interpreting the results. Knowledge and understanding of shape, space and measure

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MATHEMATICS

72. The pupils have very good attitudes to mathematics. They eagerly participate in whole class mental maths sessions, are keen to answer questions, and are confident when they are asked to explain the mental strategies that they use. They quickly start independent work, thereby wasting very little time, and they sustain concentration in their work very well. Much of their work is neatly presented, showing that pupils have pride in their work. Behaviour is very good and relationships between pupils and with adults are excellent.

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MATHEMATICS

73. The quality of teaching is good overall. Teaching is almost always satisfactory or better, and is very good or excellent in around two out of five of lessons. The good quality of teaching is a significant factor in promoting the pupils’ good learning. A significant strength of teaching includes sharing learning objectives with pupils at the beginning of the lesson. This motivates pupils because they know what it is they are meant to learn, it enables them to recognise when they have achieved the learning. All lessons start with a lively an interesting mental maths session, which involves all pupils very well in thinking and providing answers to questions. Particularly good use is made of number fans, where pupils hold up the answer to a question to show the teacher, and this enables the teacher to check the understanding of all the pupils. The transition from whole class to individual work is managed very well, because teachers ensure

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MATHEMATICS

that the pupils already have the resources they need on their desks at the beginning of the lesson. As a result, the rapid pace of learning that is established so well during the mental maths sessions is maintained at a good rate. Teachers use their good subject knowledge well, as they lead whole class teaching sessions. Their confidence in teaching specific aspects of mathematics and their fluent use of mathematical language, rubs off on the pupils, enabling them to use mathematical language confidently themselves. Teachers use the board well to organise ideas, and this helps pupils to understand strategies for tackling work in numeracy and ideas, such as, that there are 90 degrees in a right angle and 180 degrees in a straight line. Teachers circulate well to help individual pupils with their work, ensuring that those experiencing difficulties gain the support that they need in order to make progress. Insufficient use is

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MATHEMATICS

made of ‘group teaching’, whereby the teacher teaches a particular point to a group of pupils whilst the others get on with independent work. The teachers’ use day-to-day assessment satisfactorily in planning work to match the needs of pupils of different levels of ability, however, the very highest attaining pupils are not always sufficiently challenged. Very occasionally, the quality of teaching is unsatisfactory because not enough is demanded of pupils in the time given, and consequently the pace of learning is slow.

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MATHEMATICS

74. The breadth and balance of the curriculum is good but, in strictly following the guidance of the National Numeracy Strategy, its planning does not take sufficient account of the already high attainments of pupils when they enter the school. For example, many pupils entering the school in Year 3 are already attaining Level 3 in mathematics and therefore do not need to be restricted to the curriculum suggested by the National Numeracy Strategy for pupils in Year 3. The school fully appreciates this point raised by the inspection team and intends to use its previous, highly successful curriculum in conjunction with the National Numeracy Strategy to ensure that pupils make good progress throughout the key stage.

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MATHEMATICS

75. The co-ordination of the subject is very good. The implementation of the school’s numeracy strategy has been managed highly effectively and has enabled teachers to conduct daily numeracy hours with a good degree of effectiveness. The monitoring and evaluation of the numeracy hour is good and has involved the Banstead community Junior School - 28 co-ordinator, headteacher and governors in formal observations. The outcomes of these observations have been used well to identify strengths and weaknesses and to bring about improvements. Assessment in mathematics is good. The school analyses assessment information very well to identify aspects of the curriculum and pupils’ learning that needs to be improved. The good level of resources available promotes learning well.

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SCIENCE

76. Standards in science are high, and are much better than at the time of the last inspection, when pupils were performing in line with the national expectation. In the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests of 1999, the average point score of pupils is well above the national average, and also well above the average for similar schools. The percentage of pupils gaining the higher Level 5, is also well above the national average. There is no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls, either in the tests or in work seen during the inspection. Over the past three years, standards achieved have risen at a rate faster than the national trend.

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SCIENCE

77. In work seen during the inspections, the standards of achievement at the end of Key Stage 2, are well above the national expectations and reflects closely the test result of the past three years. Pupils attain high standards in experimental and investigative aspects of science, and become increasingly skilled at designing their own strategies for carrying out tests in a fair and valid way. Pupils learn to make reasoned predictions in their experimental work, for example, they use their knowledge of reflection when making predictions about the images produced by two inclined mirrors. The pupils make accurate and detailed observation of what they see, which are recorded, and analysed with thought and care, well above that expected nationally. Pupils show good levels of knowledge of living things, materials and of physical processes. Pupils with special educational needs, reach the standard appropriate to their abilities, as in

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SCIENCE

most instances, they have received good support through the teaching. However, those few pupils with exceptional aptitude and ability, are not always sufficiently challenged to reach the standards of which they are capable.

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SCIENCE

78. The attitudes of pupils to their work in science are good. They work diligently and carefully, asking sensible questions when they are unsure. They have respect for personal safety and scientific equipment. Behaviour is excellent, and considerable regard is given to others when working in groups or teams on investigations. They show initiative, and are clear about what they need to do in order to learn.

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SCIENCE

79. The quality of teaching is good overall and is never less than satisfactory. Lessons are very carefully planned, with clear progression from previous work. A nationally recommended scheme of work is adopted, and this ensures breadth, balance and relevance of the topics. Resources are used well, notably the use of information and communications technology, which has a major impact on the learning. Pupils readily use computers and software in the course of the lessons to write, record data from experiments and analyse results. Pupils’ work is regularly assessed and marked, although the extent of developmental comments is not sufficiently detailed to inform pupils how to improve different aspects of their work. Pupils are managed very well, to establish the good behaviour and purposeful activity, however the two hour sessions sometimes lead to a slow pace of working. Teachers often provide work at three levels of

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SCIENCE

difficulty, to match the differing attainment levels of pupils in the class, and this is effective in promoting the pupils’ learning. The only exception to this is for the few very highest attaining pupils, where work is not always sufficiently challenging. Homework is used effectively to complete or extend the work started in lessons.

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SCIENCE

80. The subject is co-ordinated well. Teachers are provided with much good support and guidance in their planning, to ensure that the pupils build progressively on their existing learning. The pupils’ work is monitored effectively and resources are regularly reviewed and extended.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

81. The attainment of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 in information technology is well above the national expectations, a very significant improvement from the standards reported by the last inspection. Pupils achieve very good standards in relation to their attainment levels on entry to the school because their rate of learning is rapid. Year 6 pupils are very confident in using computers in a wide range of situations and Banstead community Junior School - 29 know which programs are suitable for the work they wish to complete. They are confident in handling the equipment, for example using the mouse quickly and accurately. The pupils’ knowledge and understanding of using a sophisticated word processing program are very good. Pupils enter text, alter its style and enhance the presentation of their work by using, for example, pictures and borders. Pupils are skilled at editing their work, moving text and checking spellings. Their use of word processing is inhibited, however,

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

by slow keyboarding skills, a point already identified and being tackled by the school. Pupils are confident in using a complex spreadsheet to record and analyse data, and present their findings in a wide range of graphical forms. Standards in other aspects of information technology are developed equally well. Pupils use CD-ROMs and the Internet very effectively to aid their research, for example, in history, geography and science. Some pupils in Years 5 and 6 use a ‘presentations’ program, combining, text, graphics, movement and sounds to create interesting and powerful images in the computer screen.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

82. Pupils attain high standards and make rapid gains in their learning because teachers consistently plan for them to use information technology across the subjects of the curriculum, and because there is a very good supply of high quality equipment. In addition, all teachers have a laptop computer, are confident in the use of the technology themselves and inspire confidence in the pupils. Standards are particularly high in Years 5 and 6, because of the school’s involvement in the ‘Anytime, Anywhere Learning’ laptop computer project. Around 50 pupils in Years 5 and 6 have taken advantage of the opportunity to buy high specification, reasonably priced laptop computers. They bring the computer to school with them every day, share the them with their classmates, and both they and their parents receive specialist tuition in how to get the most out of the technology. This massive exposure of pupils to the use of information technology has a

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

profound positive impact on their levels of confidence, knowledge and understanding.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

83. The attitude of pupils towards the use of information technology is exceptionally positive. Concentration and motivation levels are high when pupils work with computers and they show much willingness to experiment in order to find solutions to any problem they may have. Pupils share equipment willingly and are keen to help others when the need arises. Behaviour is always very good.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

84. The pupils have discrete lessons to teach information technology skills and at other times are taught aspects of word processing or data handling as the need arises in a variety of subjects. The quality of teaching is consistently good and it is frequently very good. All teachers have undergone training so that the level of expertise is high and they are effective in passing on knowledge and understanding to the pupils. Teaching methods are selected and used very effectively, as for example in a Year 3 lessons introducing the topic of collecting, storing and using information in a card data base. The teacher’s very good questioning enabled pupils to learn at a good pace and appreciate the value of storing information in this way. Teachers explain ideas and procedures clearly, give good demonstrations of how to use a wide variety of programs and plan the use of information technology into very many lessons.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

85. The management and co-ordination of the subject and its overall development in the school is excellent. The headteacher, in close partnership with the co-ordinator, has been instrumental in introducing the laptop computer project to the school, and this has been a major factor in embedding the use of information technology into the whole curriculum and raising standards. Staff are supported in their use of information technology very well, through training and informal guidance. The school’s adoption of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority scheme of work ensures that all aspects of the subject are taught and that the pupils’ learning is both continuous and progressive. Assessment procedures are not sufficiently developed to establish the pupils’ levels of attainment in the various aspects of the subject, although this is a priority already identified by the school. Pupils do, however, keep a log of their experience and some examples of

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

their work in a portfolio. The management of resources is very good. Not only is there a good supply of school owned computers, but the school’s decision to have the same high quality software on all computers greatly aids the progression of pupils’ learning from one year to another.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

86. Since the last inspection all aspects of the subject, including teaching, the curriculum and resources have improved greatly and this has had a marked impact on the pupils’ learning and the standards they attain.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

87. Religious education has a high profile in the school and this is reflected in the high quality provision which is being achieved. The rate of learning is very good and by the time the pupils leave the school, Banstead community Junior School - 30 standards are well above expected levels. This is particularly evident in the way that many pupils are able to communicate their ideas about the underlying meaning of the Bible Stories they are taught and in their understanding of the cultures and traditions of Christianity and other faiths. Inspection findings represent a good improvement on those of the last report.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

88. The teaching of religious education is consistently good and because of this, the pupils’ attitude to the subject is very good. The skills of reflection, empathy, respect and interpretation are very strongly emphasised in all the teaching and are taught very effectively, alongside knowledge and understanding of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Pupils gain confidence as these skills develop, and become confident in contributing their own ideas. Their personal development and relationships are excellent. They show a sensitive and respectful attitude towards the customs and practices of faiths other than their own, as for example, when a pupil from the Jewish faith told the class of the special feasts and practices within Judaism. Other pupils showed great curiosity and asked relevant questions, but always showed respect. It is on occasions such as this, that the very good rate of learning in religious education is evident. Teachers

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

have high expectations of pupils, both in aspects of knowledge and understanding of religious education and in the development of skills. This is particularly noticeable in the challenging level of questioning. Pupils are enabled to investigate by asking relevant questions and interpret by drawing meaning from artefacts. They suggest their own meaning of religious texts and religious language. Pupils discussed their own interpretation of Christian beliefs and the creation, for example. Lessons are always well prepared and teachers have a secure understanding of the subject. A good variety of teaching methods are used and there is good use of a wide range of resources. During a lesson exploring faiths in the context of family life, for example, pupils learned about “Shabbat” and learned the names of Jewish artefacts by observing them first hand and exploring their uses.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

89. The curriculum for religious education is planned well and closely matches the requirements of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. Relevant strategies for assessing pupils’ achievements have also been constructed. The co-ordinator gives very good leadership to the development and management of the subject, based on her own very good knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment. Good support is given to religious education by the good quality of Collective Worship which is well planned and closely aligned to the Locally Agreed Syllabus. Very good links with the local churches are another good feature, which enhance provision substantially through regular visits from clergy, sometimes including their own visitors from a range of different cultures. The Christian Union Club meets regularly and is well supported by good numbers of pupils, giving further support to a well developed subject.

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ART

90. Standards throughout the school are variable and although some are above the expected standard, there is equally, work which represents the normally expected levels. The reason for this is the variable level of knowledge and understanding of the subject by teachers through the school. Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are higher than expected, because of the good teaching and good knowledge and understanding of the subject by teachers in Years 5 and 6.

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ART

91. The rate of the pupils’ learning is satisfactory overall. In a good number of classes, skills are taught well and reinforced during the lessons. The skills of line, form and proportion were taught very well, for example, by a local artist when pupils were studying portrait drawing. During following lessons, these skills were carefully revised and reinforced by the class teacher.

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ART

92. Expectations of behaviour are high and the quality of teaching is generally good. Expectations of standards in work are more variable as the scrutiny of work confirms. High levels of attainment are reached, for example, when pupils in Year 6 were working in ‘Black and White exploded squares’ Their work indicated a good use of imaginative design. In Year 5, collage work, linked to a portrait of ‘Good Queen Bess’, is also of above expected levels. Some of the other work linked to other areas of the curriculum further down the school, does not reach these higher than expected levels, although it is at a satisfactory level.

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ART

93. An appropriate range of opportunities is experienced by pupils, which includes the use of clay. Pupils have good attitudes towards their work, absorbing themselves in their tasks and making good use of a variety of Banstead community Junior School - 31 resources. Where the teaching is good, this impacts on pupils’ responses considerably. During a lesson which grouped pupils in threes for collaborative collage work, for example, evaluation and collaborative skills reached a commendable level. Pupils made decisions about choices of resources, based on mutual agreement and evaluative discussion about suitability and effect.

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ART

94. Teachers make suitable use of a range of works of famous artists and this contributes positively to pupils’ cultural development. The co-ordinator has a clear vision for the development of the subject, within the time constraints of the present curriculum and gives a good level of help and support to colleagues. The inspection findings represent good improvement on those of the last report.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

95. Standards in design and technology at the end of Key Stage 2 are above the national expectation, an improvement since the last inspection. The pupils learn skills and techniques at a good rate, and they achieve well in relation to their attainments on entry to the school. Pupils show a very secure understanding of the designing, making and evaluating processes used in the subject, and use it well in their work. Pupils in Year 3, for example, design free standing picture frames from card, consider the properties of the material, the needs of the consumer and desirable specifications. They incorporate features in their designs and products that add to the stability of the frame. They show good skills in cutting and joining the material and are able to evaluate their finished product and suggest improvements. In Year 6, pupils show much awareness of the need to produce an article that is ‘fit for purpose’, carefully

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of using different materials and show well developed skills when joining materials together. Pupils are skilled in accurate measuring and cutting.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

96. Pupils enjoy the practical activity and collaborate well in the small teams. They are highly attentive when the teacher is speaking and show good levels of concentration when required to work independently.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. The quality of teaching is never less than satisfactory and is good overall, an improvement since the last inspection. Teachers plan lessons very carefully, are very clear about their learning objectives, and share these with the pupils. This motivates the pupils well and enables them to fully understand what they should achieve by the end of the lesson. Teachers explain tasks clearly and prepare resources well, enabling the pupils to get on with the practical work without wasting time. The pace of learning is good, and much is achieved in the time available. The management of pupils is very good. A quiet word or glance is all that is needed to remind pupils to concentrate, and this low level of intervention adds greatly to the positive learning climate that is present in the lessons.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. The curriculum is suitably broad and balanced, and is based on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority scheme of work. The subject is well co-ordinated and resources, although limited in range, are maintained to a good standard. Since the last inspection the accommodation for the subject has been greatly enhanced by the refurbishment of the design and technology room and the addition of a very good food technology room. These contribute well to the pupils’ learning. Overall there has been good improvement in the subject since the previous inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

99. Work seen during the inspection, including lessons and the scrutiny of the pupils’ past work shows that the standards attained by pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 are above the national expectations, an improvement since the last inspection when standards were in line with expectations. Pupils show good levels of awareness of the key features of countries in European Union and Central America, such as their main resources, economy, population and climate. They compare and contrast these features with the characteristics of different regions of the United Kingdom. Pupils in Year 5 recognise the main features of a map of Jamaica and easily identify features on the landscape. Pupils in Year 6 understand very well, how peoples lives are influenced by the places in which they live, how human activities affect the environment and how people try to manage their environment and improve it. The scrutiny of the pupils’ work shows

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GEOGRAPHY

100. In the lessons seen, the pupils were highly attentive and motivated to work hard. They were keen to learn, answered questions enthusiastically and applied what they had learned in independent work. Behaviour Banstead community Junior School - 32 was very good. In the lessons seen the quality of teaching was good. The teachers’ secure subject knowledge was shown in the information given to pupils and in their good questioning skills which were highly effective in extending the pupils’ learning. Pupils were interested and motivated to work hard because the teachers shared the learning objectives with the pupils, giving them a sense of involvement in their own learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

101. Curriculum planning is good. Schemes of work are firmly established and provide a good, balanced curriculum for pupils and good guidance for teachers. Resources are extensive, match the schemes and include impressive range of maps, charts and books. The subject is co-ordinated effectively.

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HISTORY

102. During the inspection, two history lessons were observed, including a Year 4 lesson that was taught by a visiting Theatre Group to support the pupils work on the theme of The Victorians. The pupils work in these lessons, the scrutiny of their past work and brief discussions with the pupils indicate that by the end of Key Stage 2, standards of attainment are above the national expectations. This represents a good improvement since the last inspection when standards were reported to be in line with expectations

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HISTORY

103. Pupils in Year 4 show very good understanding of the contrasting lives of rich and poor people in Victorian times, and show empathy towards the poor people and their conditions they endured. Their ‘role play’ work, during the visit of the theatre company shows that they have a clear understanding of the lives of poor children, and how their lives contrast with our own. Pupils show a clear understanding of the measures taken during this period of history to improve social conditions, such as child labour and education. Year 6 pupils, in their study of the Vikings, use sources of evidence well to extract information about how people lived at that time, and how the invaders altered the lives of the inhabitants. They are aware of primary and secondary evidence sources, using these well in their research to prepare reports and newspaper articles. Pupils use information technology skills well to publish newspaper articles about an

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HISTORY

104. The pupils enjoy history very much and the attitudes and behaviour seen in the two lessons observed was excellent. They are keen to listen, follow instructions well and apply themselves willingly to the tasks they are set. Their excellent response in the Year 4 lesson with the theatre group added greatly to their learning. Pupils in Year 6 were keen to use information technology to aid their learning, and worked hard to produce a good quality finished product.

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HISTORY

105. The quality of teaching overall is good, and in the two lessons seen it was very good. Planning clearly identified the learning objectives of the lessons and tasks were very well matched to enable all pupils to achieve these aims. Staff having good subject knowledge that they use well to stimulate interest in history. The management of the pupils is excellent because pupils are enthused to learn by the teachers.

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HISTORY

106. Resources are very good, with a rich range of artefacts, pictures, modern reference books and video recordings. Good use is made of external resources, including the visiting theatre group and visits to museums and places of historical interest, for example Hampton Court. The co-ordination of history is good. Teachers are supported well in their work and are guided effectively in their planning by the scheme of work. Good links are established between history and other subjects, as for example in Year 5, when the study of the Elizabethans in history was reinforced by work in art, to create accurate collage portraits of ‘Good Queen Bess’. Whilst it has been necessary for the time allocation to be reduced, to allow for the literacy and numeracy initiatives, time is still sufficient to provide a varied and stimulating range of work. Overall, good progress has been made in developing the subject since the previous inspection.

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MUSIC

107. The strong tradition of good music standards, which were above the national expectations at the time of the last inspection, have been maintained. This is especially commendable, as the music teaching at present is not exclusively undertaken by a music specialist, as it was at that time.

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MUSIC

108. Evidence from the inspection indicates consistently good teaching and some that is very good, supporting a good rate of learning and good attitudes towards music. The very good teaching challenges and Banstead community Junior School - 33 motivates pupils to want to do their best and to learn, and gives a clear focus on the development of pupils’ appraisal of their own and each other’s work. The consistently good teaching has a lively pace, with a good review of what has been learned in previous lessons. Learning objectives for each lesson are made clear to the pupils, and they are well organised and managed. All lessons are planned to have a high level of participation by the pupils and this not only helps to keep them very interested and motivated throughout lessons, but also enables them to achieve good standards when playing. Teachers place high value on pupils’ efforts and they in turn, place very good value on the efforts of others.

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MUSIC

109. The good accommodation in the form of a dedicated music room and the effective use of a very good level of resources, give a high level of support to the good standards attained. By the end of Year 6, pupils have well managed control of a wide range of musical instruments and a large number have a well developed understanding of formal notation. They compose and appraise music regularly at a higher than expected level. Pupils have a particularly well developed ability to work in small groups, composing music with a good level of collaboration and a very effective empathy towards the performance of others in the group.

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MUSIC

110. The management of music is good, based on a very good knowledge of the subject and a commitment to maintaining high standards. Good support has been given to non-specialist teachers and the success of this is to be seen in the consistently good teaching during the inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

111. During the inspection, only two lessons of physical education were observed in Year 4 and Year 6. On the basis of this evidence, and through discussion with the co-ordinator regarding swimming and extra- curricular standards, it is judged that at the end of the key stage, standards of attainment are above the national expectations, as they were at the time of the last inspection. Pupils achieve good standards in relation to their previous learning.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

112. Pupils in Year 6, whilst playing a ‘rounders type’ game, field, throw and catch a small ball accurately, strike a ball with a good degree of accuracy and power, and in their running, show a good level of control, pace and balance. The co-ordinator states that it is very rare for a pupil to leave the school without being able to meet the minimum national curriculum requirements for swimming. Clearly the school’s outdoor swimming pool, that is used extensively before school, at lunchtimes and during the lesson time during the summer months, is a major factor in enabling these standards to be achieved. Pupils in Year 4 show a good degree of co-ordination as they run, jump, skip and throw and catch balls.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

113. Pupils’ attitudes to physical education are good. They are keen to participate, listen well to instructions, and show a mature, sensible attitude when they are organising into groups and when handling equipment. Pupils behave well and sustain concentration in their work. Pupils show good competitive attitudes and fair play.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

114. Teaching in the two lessons seen were of satisfactory quality. Pupils were organised effectively, given a good level of encouragement and their performance was analysed effectively, with suggestions for improvements given.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

115. The curriculum for physical education is very good. Particular strengths are the good opportunities for swimming and the very good provision for extra-curricular sporting activities. Parents at the pre- inspection meeting, and a high proportion of those returning the questionnaire, were very pleased with the amount and range of extra-curricular sport. Pupils have good opportunities to be involved in individual activities such as running and swimming, and have very many opportunities to participate in competitive team games such as football and netball. The school has a very full programme of inter-school competitions, frequently participating in local and county leagues, for example, football. The learning opportunities for pupils are further extended by visiting sports coaches, for example, a Premiership Football club provides coaching for over sixty pupils; the County Cricket Club gives indoor coaching to

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

twenty pupils, and there is specialist coaching for basketball. The school has developed very good relationships with the local tennis club, who provide coaching during the summer term. Banstead community Junior School - 34 116. The co-ordinator leads the subject well, giving guidance and support to staff when needed. The school has good accommodation that promotes the pupils’ learning well, especially the swimming pool and the large school field. Resources are plentiful and again, help pupils well in their learning.

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