Holtsmere End Junior School

Holtsmere End Junior School

Dates of inspection: 29 February - 1 March 2000

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Holtsmere End 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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Holtsmere End 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. Holtsmere End Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Shenley Road Woodhall Farm Hemel Hempstead Herts Postcode: HP2 7JZ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Steve Simmonds

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1996 Holtsmere End Junior School - 4

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Team members

Mrs T Chakraborti Registered inspector Mrs J Bedawi Lay inspector Mr P Mathias Team inspector

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Team members

Full Circle The Brow 35 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare Somerset BS23 2RT

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Team members

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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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Holtsmere End Junior School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school The effectiveness of the school 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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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 11

Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At The end of Key Stage 2, pupils achieve high standards in Writing. The quality of teaching is very good The provision for special educational needs is very good The school promotes very good spiritual, moral, social and Cultural development for its pupils The school is led and managed very well.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 15

Communications with parents in order to change some Parents’ perception of the school. Attendance, by improving the rate of authorised absences The roles of the new governors so that they are able to fulfil Their statutory responsibilities fully

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Number of full-time pupils: 206 (About the same as other schools)

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Pupils with English as an additional Language: 15 7.2% (High. All proficient in English)

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Pupils entitled to free school meals: 20 9.2% (Below the national average)

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Pupils on the register of special educational needs: 91 44% (Well above the national average)

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Pupils with Statements of Special Educational Needs: 3 1.4% (About same as national average)

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school serves a large housing estate, built in the 1970s and a travellers’ site, close to the school. Pupils come from a variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. The majority of pupils transfer from the infant school which is on the same site as the junior school. Six travellers’ children from the caravan site attend the school and they are settling well.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The baseline for children entering Holtsmere End Infant School is below average.

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THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SCHOOL

Holtsmere End Junior is a very effective school. It achieves high standards in all areas of the curriculum. The school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils achieve high standards in writing. • The quality of teaching is very good. • The provision for special educational needs is very good. • The school promotes very good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development for its pupils. • The school is led and managed very well. The headteacher promotes teamwork and ensures very effective monitoring of pupils’ academic progress. She is very well supported by the deputy headteacher, staff and the governors in managing the school.

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What could be improved

• Communications with parents in order to improve some parents’ perception of the school. • Attendance, by improving the rate of authorised absence. • The roles of the new governors so that they are able to fulfil their statutory responsibilities fully. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan which will be sent to all parents and carers of pupils at school. Holtsmere End Junior School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The last inspection found Holtsmere End Junior to be a good school. Since then standards continued to improve year on year. The school’s national test results show significant improvement in all three core areas of English, mathematics and science. Over the past year, the school worked hard to improve pupils’ writing skills. As a result, the 1999 test result in English has improved most significantly. The key issues identified in the last report have been addressed successfully. Effective procedures for evaluating and monitoring teaching have been implemented and teaching is even better now than it was at the last inspection. Numeracy strategies are implemented very well across the school. Good and thorough curriculum planning for teaching design and technology ensures that pupils gain and extend knowledge in this area. Good, improved provision and careful planning for information technology ensure continuity and progression across the years. The headteacher has

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

implemented a range of effective procedures for monitoring the standards and educational provision and rigorous analysis of the results of national and school’s internal tests. The school is committed to raising standards.

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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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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English C C A A well above average above average A B mathematics B A A A average below average C D science B A A A* well below average E

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STANDARDS

At 11 years of age standards are well above the national average in English, mathematics and science. The percentage of pupils reaching Level 5 is also well above the national average. This inspection team confirms these high standards for the 11 year olds. The school put particular emphasis on raising standards in writing over the past year and has successfully done so. As a result the 1999 national test results in English have risen from average, in the past two years, to well above the national average.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very positive attitudes to learning. Pupils are keen to learn, interested in what they do and proud of their achievements.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in and out of lessons is good. Pupils demonstrate respect for each other and for adults. Relationships are very good throughout the school.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils take responsibilities willingly and carry them out successfully. Holtsmere End Junior School - 8 Attendance Below the national average, due to above average authorised absences during the term time.

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Aspect Comment

Good behaviour, positive attitudes to learning and very good relationships throughout the school have a very positive impact on standards achieved by the pupils.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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 AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching was very good overall and no unsatisfactory teaching was seen. Detailed examination of teachers’ planning and assessment also confirm this. Of the limited number of lessons seen teaching was good or better in 74 per cent of lessons, of which 11 per cent was excellent and 21 per cent very good. Teaching was satisfactory in 26 per cent of lessons. Teachers follow the literacy and numeracy strategies effectively. Planning and assessments are particularly good features of teaching. The very good teamwork amongst the staff has a very positive impact on the quality of teaching. All teachers follow the school’s established planning and assessment procedures well and ensure that the learning needs of all pupils are met effectively.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum relevant to the range of abilities of its pupils. The additional literacy project has been introduced effectively and this has improved reading and writing skills of the lower attaining pupils significantly. The provision for extra-curricular activities are limited. However, the after school club supports pupils’ personal development well.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good provision. The needs of pupils with special educational needs are met effectively and they make good progress across the key stage.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Pupils who speak English as an additional language are competent in English and are achieving well.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development A strength of the school. Caring ethos and good codes of behaviour ensure that pupils develop very good understanding of moral and social responsibilities. The school’s effective provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development contributes very well to the personal development of pupils.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school has a caring ethos which promotes the welfare of its pupils well. It monitors its pupils’ academic progress very effectively. Holtsmere End Junior School - 9 The curriculum fully meets statutory requirements. The caring ethos of the school promotes academic success and good personal development.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The school is well led and managed. The headteacher, the deputy headteacher and staff work very well as a team. They are well supported by the new governing body.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body has recently been reorganised forming a separate governing body for the junior school. It is not yet operating in its full capacity. The governors have begun to develop their roles. However, the chair, who was in the previous governing body, works closely with the headteacher. The school’s evaluation of its performance The school evaluates its performance effectively, in its development plan, and also through regular analysis of the internal and national test results.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes very good use of all staff, time, material resources and its accommodation.

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Aspect Comment

The leadership and management of the school are very efficient. Adequate and well-trained staff and appropriate material resources support pupils’ learning effectively. The expenditure per pupil is high, but pupils come into the school with average levels of attainment and they are provided with very good teaching which leads to high standards of attainment in the national test results. The school, therefore, provides very good value for money.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school. • They make good progress in school. • The school helps children to become mature and responsible. • The teaching is good. • The school expects children to work hard and achieve their best. • Behaviour is good. • Some feel that there is not enough homework. • Some feel they are not well informed about their children’s progress. • Some do not feel comfortable about approaching the school. • Some feel the school does not work closely with parents. • Many feel that the school does not provide an interesting range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors endorse parents’ positive comments. The Home School Agreement ensures that homework given is consistent and in line with other primary schools and government guidelines. Homework is judged to be appropriate. Behaviour in and out of the classrooms was found to be good throughout the school. The school sends regular letters to the parents informing them of the issues relating to their children’s education and holds’ several meetings with the parents during the year. However, the inspectors feel that the communications with parents could be improved further in order to change the perception of some parents who form a significant minority. The inspectors also have taken into account Holtsmere End Junior School - 10 that only 36 per cent of parents responded to the parents’ questionnaires. The issues regarding the parents’ concern has been discussed with the headteacher. The headteacher

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

recognises the needs for improving these parents’ perception of the school. She is looking into this matter. Holtsmere End Junior School - 11

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

pupils achieve high standards in writing.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

1. Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science. The results of the National Curriculum tests and the evidence from this inspection confirm this. Against all schools nationally, and against schools which are similar in intake, Holtsmere End Junior is well above average. In science pupils achieve very high standards in comparison to similar schools. A particular strength is the high proportion of pupils attaining Level 5 in all these three subjects at the end of Key Stage 2. This is due to the good teaching which ensures that higher attaining pupils are challenged sufficiently and that the progress of all pupils is assessed consistently and effectively.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

2. The headteacher, staff and governors are committed to sustaining and raising high standards for all pupils. The standards in writing have risen significantly over the past year and consequently, the results of the 1999 tests in English have risen considerably, in line with mathematics and science. The standards in writing, at the end of the key stage, is now high. Taking 1996 to 1999 together, the results show a consistent rise in the three core areas over the years

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

3. Pupils achieve high standards in all aspects in English, particularly in writing.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

4. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and provide them with challenging activities. For example, in a poetry lesson in Year 6, the teacher’s skilful introduction to different styles in poetry led to a stimulating discussion. Pupils successfully extend their knowledge and understanding of a variety of styles in writing poems, building on what they know. Most of them know the characteristics of ‘sonnets’ and ‘ballads’ and distinguish between ‘limericks’ and ‘nonsense’ poems. They recognise the impact of rhymes and syllables on poems and, in writing their own poems, they use rhymes and similes effectively. In a literacy lesson in Year 4, the teacher’s excellent story reading skill captivated pupils’ attention for a long time leading to very good understanding of the story and effective vocabulary extension. Pupils’ behaviour was very good and their level of concentration was high throughout the lesson. At the

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

end of the key stage pupils’ writing is thoughtful, lively and interesting. They write well for different audiences and for different purposes, using a range of vocabulary imaginatively. They plan, draft and redraft their writing successfully to produce good quality final copies. Punctuation is used accurately by a vast majority of pupils. Spelling and handwriting skills are developing very well. The National Literacy Strategy has been implemented very effectively and this has a positive impact on pupils’ academic success.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

5. Successful introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy means that pupils’ skills in mental mathematics are developing very well. They are confident with fractions, decimals and percentages and undertake problem solving in mental mathematics using these. They have a good understanding of area and perimeter and identify symmetries of two-dimensional shapes. In Year 6, in a lesson on rotation of a vertex, pupils show good understanding of the rotation of a quadrant, clockwise and anti- clockwise, and use appropriate mathematical language, such as ‘hypotenuse’ and ‘vertices’. Holtsmere End Junior School - 12 6. In science, pupils have a good idea of scientific methods and can explain fair testing. For example, in a Year 5 lesson, pupils experiment on forces at work in order to establish how and why objects fall. Pupils’ work show that they are able to predict the results of their experiments, for example, predicting what will happen to seeds sown

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

under differing conditions. They learn appropriate use of scientific vocabulary, for example ‘validation,’ ‘friction’ and ‘gravity’ appropriately. They successfully use the computers to present the results of their experiment on dissolving salt.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

7. The school effectively supports pupils who need extra help. The teachers set clear targets for them that take account of their special educational needs. The work undertaken by pupils withdrawn from lessons is well linked to the work of the class and to individual targets.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

8. The quality of teaching is very good overall. Of the limited number of lessons seen teaching was good or better in 74 percent of lessons, of which 11 per cent was excellent and 21 per cent very good. Teaching was satisfactory in 26 per cent of lessons. This represents improvement in teaching since the last inspection where teaching was good.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

9. Throughout the school, teachers plan their lessons thoroughly by identifying appropriate learning objectives, grouping the pupils carefully, providing varying activities and choosing the best methods to use. They assess pupils’ effectively, judging their progress over time and identifying what they need to do next. Teachers and support staff have a good understanding of the levels of work they should be expecting of pupils. Behaviour management is very good and pupils enjoy very good relationships with teachers and support staff. All these factors contribute significantly to the high standards achieved and good progress pupils make.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

10. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the National Curriculum are good. They are competent in teaching basic skills and successfully build on pupils’ previous knowledge. Lessons are organised so that teachers can give group or individual help where it is needed. This helps pupils to acquire new knowledge and skills, develop ideas and increase their understanding. Pupils with special educational needs are supported very well and make good progress in relation to their prior learning.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

11. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and praise is used effectively as a means of encouragement. Work is marked well, with supportive comments and suggestions for improvement. As a result most pupils understand what they are doing, how well they have done and how they can improve.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

The provision for special educational needs is very good.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

12. Provision for the pupils with special educational needs is a strength of the school. A particular strong feature is the way in which some pupils are identified at an early stage as having some difficulties in learning. These pupils are given very good individual support and encouragement and, as a result, while a relatively large number of pupils in Years 3 and 4 are considered to have some degree of learning difficulties, many make good progress, for example, in learning to read. Their progress over the period of the key stage is very good and many achieve significantly higher standards at the end of it than when they entered the school. Holtsmere End Junior School - 13 13. These pupils benefit considerably from the careful way in which their progress is assessed and recorded. They are given very clear guidance about what they need to do to improve and receive good support from their teachers. Tasks are carefully

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

planned to address their individual needs.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

14. The headteacher takes overall responsibility for the management of special educational needs and provides effective support to ensure that pupils receive the help they need. For example, the headteacher works closely with individual staff to plan individual education plans for pupils and to judge the success of these plans in helping pupils to progress.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

15. Pupils with statements of specific learning difficulties are very well supported; for example, an assistant works very closely to help the learning of a pupil with visual impairment so that the pupil is made to feel that she has a full role to play in the life of the school. As a result there are good opportunities for pupils with special learning difficulties to experience the whole of the National Curriculum and they make very good progress.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are high. At the end of Key Stage 2,

16. Funds set aside to help pupils with special educational needs are used well and appropriately focused; for example, assistance through a national initiative to help pupils experiencing some degree of difficulty in learning to read is being successfully used to help raise standards for pupils in the early part of this key stage.

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The school promotes very good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development for

17. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good overall. Pupils’ spiritual development is promoted effectively in assemblies and in class discussions where they are given good opportunities to reflect upon their own responsibilities and their feelings for others.

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The school promotes very good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development for

18. Provision for pupils’ moral development is very good. There is a considerable emphasis on good behaviour and golden rules which pupils should follow in lessons and at playtimes. Pupils are regularly reminded of their own responsibilities for their actions and to appreciate the needs of others. Pupils’ behaviour is good and reflects the considerate and caring way in which they are taught.

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The school promotes very good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development for

19. Provision for pupils’ social development is very good. Many pupils are successfully encouraged to take on responsibilities is, for example, as members of the ‘Crazy Club’ to promote constructive and enjoyable playground activities and to undertake socially helpful tasks such as introducing new pupils and make them feel part of the school. There are particularly effective arrangements for pupils to help those with special educational needs to feel that they have a full part to play in the life of the school.

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The school promotes very good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development for

20. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good. The school provides a good range of innovative opportunities for pupils to learn about the ways of life in other cultures. For example, in religious education pupils not only learn about other world religions but also are able to share the views of other believers when they visit Christian places of worship. The school makes very good provision to enable pupils to appreciate the art and literature of western cultures through the literacy hour and the study of different styles of poetry. In art pupils are encouraged to look carefully at the work of well-known painters. There is also very good provision for pupils to appreciate the cultures of other countries and continents, for example, in Africa, Holtsmere End Junior School - 14 China, India and South America. Often these are closely linked with activities in design and technology, music and drama.

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supported by the deputy headteacher, staff and the governors in managing the

21. The headteacher provides clear educational direction and strong and supportive leadership. Many new strategies have been put in place since the last inspection to improve educational standards, such as implementing effective planning and appropriate assessment and monitoring procedures. Policies have been revised and schemes of work are in place. The headteacher and staff work very well together as a team. The aims and values of the school are clearly reflected in its practice. The school is committed to high achievement.

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supported by the deputy headteacher, staff and the governors in managing the

22. The school has now a new governing body which was formed in September 1999. The chair, who was a governor in the previous governing body, knows the school well. The first governing body meeting took place in September 1999. Committees for finance, personnel, curriculum and premises have been formed and terms of reference have been agreed. A detailed yearly timetable for the governing body meetings has been drawn up. However the governing body is not yet in its full complement. The roles of the governors are yet to develop sufficiently in order to take active part in the management of the school and to fulfil statutory responsibilities. The chair monitors the management of the school by receiving termly written reports from the headteacher. Teaching is monitored by the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the co-ordinators consistently and efficiently. The school’s development plan contains a strategic overview of the needs of the school and is an

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supported by the deputy headteacher, staff and the governors in managing the

effective tool for bringing about improvement.

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supported by the deputy headteacher, staff and the governors in managing the

23. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is managed very well by the headteacher. The governor for the special educational needs is an expert in this area. The teaching and non-teaching staff are suitably qualified and experienced. They are deployed effectively. The teachers and support staff work effectively as a team, contributing to the good standards of teaching and the good quality of education provided. The co-ordinators’ roles are developed well.

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supported by the deputy headteacher, staff and the governors in managing the

24. Accommodation in the school has been improved recently. It is adequate and used effectively. The parents showed concern about the muddy play area outside the school building. The school recognises this problem, but is unable to remedy this, as it is due to the absence of a drainage system around the school.

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supported by the deputy headteacher, staff and the governors in managing the

25. The school budgets well for expenditure and is clear about the financial implications of its spending decisions. Spending is focused on raising standards and addressing issues identified for priority. The large carry over fund from the previous year has been used appropriately for building work.

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supported by the deputy headteacher, staff and the governors in managing the

26. The school ensures that the principles of best value are adhered to, by getting the prescribed number of quotes on all tenders. Funds earmarked for specific purposes are spent appropriately and well monitored. The school’s finance administrator provides the headteacher with a high level of support. She deals with the day-to-day administration of the school efficiently and provides the headteacher and the governors with detailed reports to assist them with monitoring the budget. The school has bought the services of an auditor from the local education authority who checks the financial planning administration regularly. Holtsmere End Junior School - 15

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Communications with parents in order to change some parents’ perception of the

27. The vast majority of parents are very pleased with the high academic standards maintained by the school and with the progress that their children make in learning. They also feel that the quality of teaching is very good and that staff work hard for their children. They are pleased with the good attitudes and values promoted by the school, and the excellence of drama in school productions. They enjoy the ‘wonderful’ displays of their children’s work.

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Communications with parents in order to change some parents’ perception of the

28. Some parents do however, express considerable concern about the quality of parental involvement and communication overall, the quality of information about pupil progress, homework, the lack of activities outside the classroom and the muddy playground and field.

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Communications with parents in order to change some parents’ perception of the

29. One of the school’s main priorities is to improve the level of parental involvement in the school and the quality of communication with parents. The headteachers’ prime focus has been on maintaining and improving the high academic standards, and this is very successfully achieved. However, the perception of some parents of the school is less positive. These parents feel that the school is not always receptive enough with regard to opportunities for parental involvement and communication with parents are not always effective. Currently the school has a programme of termly individual parent-teacher consultations, annual open evenings and whole-school performances. The school also offer parents some other avenues of communication, such as the after school daily ‘link-up time’, coffee mornings to meet staff, year group meetings, opportunities to see the school at work with guided tours provided by

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Communications with parents in order to change some parents’ perception of the

upper junior pupils and workshops to repair resources and display pupil work. However, the timing of these are only useful to parents who are not working. Only a very few parents are practically involved in helping in the school. A small number of parents feel that approaching the school is difficult and they do not always feel welcomed. The school intends to explore ways of more open communication so that all parents feel more involved with the school.

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Communications with parents in order to change some parents’ perception of the

30. The home-school association, shared with the infant school is much more positive, providing strong fundraising support through activities such as pupil discos, and the Christmas Fair, when teachers help pupils to organise and run activity stalls, such as making Christmas decorations. Currently the money raised is being spent on computers.

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Communications with parents in order to change some parents’ perception of the

31. The quality of information provided by the school is good. The prospectus does not include national end of Year 6 test results, but otherwise is an informative document. Tests results are also not included in the last annual governors’ report due to the early timing of the annual general meeting to comply with the government requirements for the joint governing body to regroup. There is no specific mention of the next parent-governor elections. All other required information is included. The school provides many letters to parents, not only about school events, but also offering very clear information about the subjects taught in each year and arrangements for homework, often providing additional information, such as learning programmes on television. Homework is set very regularly and is of good quality. It is often tailored to meet the needs of individual pupils and includes reading. The school has established a very useful ‘Readogram’ reward system and a summer

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Communications with parents in order to change some parents’ perception of the

‘Passport’ reading scheme offering pupils small rewards such as pencils or bookmarks and for those who have maintained their reading during the holidays, Holtsmere End Junior School - 16 involvement in an Activity Day in the autumn term. This is highly effective with the pupils who all want to take part in the events. It also has the bonus of enhancing their reading skills and developing enjoyment of books.

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Communications with parents in order to change some parents’ perception of the

32. Pupil reports are of good quality overall. They are detailed and say what pupils understand and can do, indicating the progress made. There is a section providing targets for pupils to improve their learning. There is space for both pupil self- evaluation and parental comment, with parents generally in agreement with the school’s views. Parents receive their child’s Year 6 test results. However, pupils’ annual reports do not fully meet requirements because information technology is not reported upon.

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Communications with parents in order to change some parents’ perception of the

33. Parents do get opportunities to have formal meetings with staff to discuss progress in learning. The school also holds regular theme subject workshops. The most recent involved mathematics and was exceptionally well attended by parents from both junior and infant schools. This surprised both the school and the parents, who also commented that they found the work ‘challenging’. The next meeting is to be on the theme of ‘Creativity’.

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Communications with parents in order to change some parents’ perception of the

34. There are at the moment only very limited opportunities for activities outside class, such as football and volley ball. The school explains that this has recently diminished due to the increased workload on teachers with the literacy and numeracy programmes.

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Communications with parents in order to change some parents’ perception of the

Attendance, by improving the rate of authorised absences.

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Communications with parents in order to change some parents’ perception of the

35. Although almost all pupils enjoy coming to school, attendance is unsatisfactory and is below the national average for primary schools. This is largely due to the considerable number of holidays taken by many parents during the school year. These holidays often last for two weeks or longer. This prevents attendance from improving. There is also more unauthorised absence than is reported by the school. In part, this is due to the number of holidays lasting over two weeks, but also to the inconsistencies in recording unauthorised absence totals in registers.

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The roles of the new governors so that they are able to fulfil their statutory

36. Until recently the school shared the same governing body with Holtsmere End Infant School. This arrangement was terminated last year to comply with new government legislation. The school has now a new governing body since September, 1999 and it has made a good start. However, the roles of the new governors are not sufficiently developed yet to enable the governors to take active part in the successful management of the school and to fulfil their responsibilities appropriately, such as ratifying the school’s reviewed policies and monitoring safety requirements on a regular basis. The inspectors recognise that appropriate training for the governors could be necessary to fulfil this aim. Holtsmere End Junior School - 17

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

18. (1) Communications with parents to change the perception of some parents.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Attendance, by improving the rate of authorised absence.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) The roles of the new governors so that they are able to fulfil their statutory responsibilities fully. Holtsmere End Junior School - 18

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

10 21 43 26 Nil Nil Nil 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 Y 3 – Y 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/A 206

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals “ 20 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Y 3 – Y 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/A 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register “ 91

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 15

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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 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 2 Holtsmere End Junior School - 19

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Attendance

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest Year Boys Girls Total reporting year 1999 9 25 34

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 6 6 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 23 24 24

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 85 88 91 at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 6 6 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 19 22 22

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 74 82 82 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. Holtsmere End Junior School - 20

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 2 Black – Caribbean heritage Nil Nil

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 1 Black – African heritage “ “

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 3 Other minority ethnic groups “ “

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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. Holtsmere End Junior School - 21

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.7 Financial year 1998-99

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.5 : 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y3 – Y 6 Total expenditure 357770

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6.0 Expenditure per pupil 1977

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 92 Balance brought forward from previous year

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 53194

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) N/A

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher “

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff “

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Holtsmere End Junior School - 22

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 36 51 5 5 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 23 57 11 5 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 19 51 24 5 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 20 53 19 5 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 39 41 15 5 -

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 44 41 8 4 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 23 48 19 9 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 25 45 12 12 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 33 45 15 3 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 23 31 28 5 13

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Other issues raised by parents

1. Muddy playground is a health risk for the pupils. 2. Behaviour of the travellers’ pupils is unsatisfactory.

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