Exhall Junior School

St. Giles County Junior School

Dates of inspection: 2 nd – 3 rd July 2002

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St. Giles County Junior School

Inspection number: 195528 Short 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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St. Giles County 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. St. Giles County Junior School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Hayes Lane Exhall Coventry Postcode: CV7 9NS

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19 th May 1997 St. Giles County Junior School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 17531 Mr P. M. Allen Registered inspector 11474 Mr P. Berry Lay inspector 29381 Mrs A. Brangan Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

6 Bridle Dene Shelf Halifax West Yorkshire HX3 7NR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St. Giles County Junior School - 6

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REPORT CONTENTS

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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PART B: COMMENTARY

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 19

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PART B: COMMENTARY

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 20 – 23 St. Giles County Junior School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St. Giles County Junior is an average sized primary school. It serves the community of Exhall near Coventry that includes the host community and a sizeable Sikh community, together with a small number of Muslim and Hindu families. Just over a fifth of the pupils come from outside the school’s catchment area. The pupils are drawn from eight feeder schools, although the vast majority have attended the nearby infant school. Of the 215 pupils on roll, there are slightly more boys than girls. Just over three-quarters of the pupils are of UK white heritage background. The rest of the pupils are from an Indian heritage background, except for a very small number, including some from a Pakistani heritage background. Consequently there are 49 children with English as an additional language, this proportion being above the national average. Just one child is at an early stage of English language acquisition. There are eight

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

classes, two for each year group. Ninety-one pupils are on the special educational needs register, with seven pupils having Statements of Special Educational Need. Both these figures are above the national averages. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is broadly in line with the national average. Attainment on entry varies from year to year but evidence indicates that usually it is below what could be expected. At the time of the inspection two key members of staff were absent through long term illness and one other teacher was away ill; this meant that three of the eight classes were taken by supply teachers, one of them very new to the school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Overall this is an effective school which benefits from very good relationships between the staff and the pupils. The school is inclusive for all pupils in its practices, including for those with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs. Although standards can vary from year to year, there has been significant improvement over recent years. At the time of this inspection, standards at the end of Year 6 are good in mathematics and sound in English and science. The caring headteacher provides positive leadership and is well supported by a committed staff. The quality of teaching observed during the inspection was good overall. When there is a more settled staffing situation, the school will be in a better position to continue to improve. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

♦ The very good teaching in Year 6 enables these pupils to achieve well. ♦ There is a trend of significant improvement in the National Curriculum results. ♦ There is very good provision and support for pupils with special educational needs. ♦ The school is inclusive for all its pupils. ♦ There is a very good partnership with the parents. ♦ The provision in art and design and design and technology is good and standards are good and sometimes very good across the school.

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What could be improved

♦ The monitoring of teaching and learning to promote more consistency in teachers’ expectations across the school. ♦ The arrangements for collective acts of worship. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

St. Giles County Junior School - 8 The school has made a steady improvement since the previous inspection in May 1997. The significant issues from that report have been fully addressed; the school improvement plan now encompasses long term objectives beyond the current year and the special educational needs provision continues to be very good with structured time given for the co-ordinator to monitor the work. The issue about information and communication technology has been partially addressed; whilst procedures have been developed to record pupils’ progress in this subject and many improvements have taken place, there is recognition of the need to further develop the use of information and communication technology across the curriculum. All the evidence indicates that standards in English, mathematics and science have risen significantly since the last inspection. The staff have a shared will and capacity to improve the quality of education

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 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 E C C well above average above average A B Mathematics D B B B average below average C D Science B C C B well below average E

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STANDARDS

Standards in mathematics at the end of Year 6 are good and above national averages. Standards are sound in English and science and broadly in line with national averages. These judgements are reflected in the results for 2001. They are very creditable given that two fifths of the pupils in the current year group are identified as having special educational needs. Since 1997 the results have gradually improved. Over this period, the trend in improvement in the core subjects has been above the national trend. Inspection findings are that standards for most pupils in information and communication technology have improved significantly in recent times and are now good. In religious education, pupils achieve standards which are broadly in line with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. Standards in art and design and design and technology are good and sometimes very good across the school. The school is

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STANDARDS

setting high but achievable targets to continue to improve.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils enjoy coming to school. Although the vast majority have positive attitudes, there is a very small minority, mainly boys, whose attitudes are sometimes challenging. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Levels of behaviour are generally good across the school. Pupils are polite and courteous and very welcoming to visitors. St. Giles County Junior School - 9 Personal development and relationships Personal development and relationships are very good. Pupils are usually supportive towards each other. Regardless of gender and ethnicity they mix together well. Attendance Attendance is good overall and pupils arrive promptly, eager to see their friends and to make a positive start to the school day.

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Aspect Comment

The very good personal development and relationships underpin the harmony within the school.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Years 3 – 6 Quality of teaching good overall 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

Although the quality of teaching observed in this short inspection was good overall, there is wide variation even taking into account the number of supply teachers in school at this time. In some lessons it was excellent and in a number it was satisfactory. There was consistently very good teaching in the Year 6 classes and this has a very positive impact on standards and the way the pupils are able to achieve. Some excellent teaching was observed in one of the Year 5 classes. The skills of literacy and numeracy are generally taught well. The teaching usually meets the needs of the pupils, including those who are higher attainers and those with English as an additional language. It provides very well for those pupils with special educational needs. There is some inconsistency across the classes in teachers’ expectations. In some there are high expectations in matters such as neatness, presentation and productivity,

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

whereas in others, expectations are insufficiently high as to what pupils can achieve in their work. The good quality and number of support staff has a very strong impact on the quality of teaching and the quality of learning.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Overall, the curriculum is broad and balanced. The art and design and the design and technology provision is a strong feature. The curriculum for Year 6 is enriched by French lessons. The school has firm plans to continue to develop information and communication technology so that it better supports learning in all areas of the curriculum. The curriculum is enhanced by a good range of visits and visitors and imaginative project work such as one observed on World War II. Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision is one of the school’s strengths. The very good and caring support these pupils receive, boosts their confidence and enables them to make very good progress. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The provision for these pupils is very good enabling them to fit exceptionally well into the harmonious family atmosphere.

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Aspect Comment

St. Giles County Junior School - 10 Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development There is thoughtful support for pupils’ personal development; the provision for spiritual, moral and cultural development is good and the provision for social development is very good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Pastoral care is of a high order and pupils feel safe in the school. There are good procedures for assessing and monitoring attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science with projected plans to further develop assessment in information and communication technology and the foundation subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The school enjoys a very good partnership with the parents. Parents are appreciative of what the school offers them; many appreciate the regular meetings between the teacher, the parent and the child in order to share in the setting of targets for each pupil. Statutory requirements are not met in acts of collective worship, because access is not open to all the pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The experienced and charismatic headteacher provides overall good leadership and is being well supported by senior colleagues during the absence of the deputy headteacher. The curriculum co- ordinators are making valuable contributions to school improvement. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are very supportive of the headteacher and the school. The governors are well led by a very experienced chair of governors. The governing body recognises the value in developing its role to become more involved in monitoring the work of the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance Although a very good start has been made in self-evaluation, there is a need for more rigour in the monitoring of teaching and learning. The strategic use of resources There is good strategic use of resources. Money is prudently used with finances designated to support identified priorities for

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Aspect Comment

Overall the school is well staffed with teachers and classroom support workers, including those designated to support pupils with English as an additional language. The school provides spacious accommodation with excellent playgrounds and playing fields. Some of the classroom furniture is shabby. Overall the school is well resourced. Good use is usually made of time, although teaching time is below national recommendations. A small deficit from the previous year’s budget has been eliminated so that there is now an appropriate budget surplus. The school gives good consideration to the principles of best value. St. Giles County Junior School - 11

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

♦ Children like school and are making good progress. ♦ The good standard of behaviour. ♦ The quality of teaching and the approachability of the school. ♦ Being well informed about progress. ♦ The leadership and management. ♦ The expectation that children will work hard and become responsible. ♦ The school’s partnership with parents. ♦ The extra-curricular activities. ♦ Some parents feel that the homework arrangements are inconsistent and unclear.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The staffing situation has not helped consistency in the homework provision and inspectors agree that the provision could be clearer. The school has firm plans to review and make very clear the expectations for homework. The vast majority of comments made were very supportive of the school. There is a great deal of goodwill towards the school and its headteacher. Parents value, and are valued, by the school making a positive contribution to the quality of education provided. St. Giles County Junior School - 12

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The very good teaching in Year 6 enables these pupils to achieve well

1. Although the quality of teaching observed during the inspection was variable, a good proportion of it had strong, positive features. Some very good teaching was observed in a Year 3 class and some excellent teaching was seen in a Year 5 class. The most consistent teaching was observed in the Year 6 classes where one class is taken by a senior teacher who is well established at Year 6 and the other is taken by a very experienced teacher who is relatively new to the school. This consistently very good teaching enables the children in Year 6 to achieve well relative to their abilities, including those who are higher attainers, those with English as an additional language and those identified as having special educational needs, the latter pupils making up two fifths of the year group.

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The very good teaching in Year 6 enables these pupils to achieve well

2. This very good teaching enables the Year 6 pupils to produce careful, thoughtful work as part of their imaginative project on World War II, with a range of activities, well led by the teachers and the classroom support assistants. Activities observed included making puppets out of socks (‘make do and mend’), making homemade soup and working in the ‘World War II garden’ (involving ‘digging for victory’ and spending time in a shed converted into an Anderson shelter). In a very good design and technology activity, pupils worked very co-operatively to design and make an Anderson shelter with typical 1940s contents using balsa wood and other materials. At the same time another group were creating their own still life drawings in charcoal, wax crayon and paint, of a ‘sleeping lady’ in an air raid shelter in the style of Henry Moore. In these two activities, the quality of the teaching, including the clear guidance, the

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The very good teaching in Year 6 enables these pupils to achieve well

focused questioning and the high expectations, had a clear and positive impact on the quality of the work the pupils produced.

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The very good teaching in Year 6 enables these pupils to achieve well

3. In a numeracy hour on area and compound shapes, with the middle ability group of three, the very good, clear teaching led to the pupils achieving well; the very focused questioning involving all the pupils, including the relatively reluctant ones, ensured that the pupils used their thinking skills well. They benefited from a clear demonstration of compound shapes through the teacher giving a practical illustration of adding and joining two shapes together. There was very good collaboration between the pupils, although most worked independently. All pupils were helped and encouraged in their learning, with excellent one-to- one support for a pupil at a very early stage of English language acquisition through the very good contribution of the bilingual classroom support assistant.

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The very good teaching in Year 6 enables these pupils to achieve well

4. In a literacy lesson, with excellent links to the history curriculum, pupils were helped to formulate a written argument, for or against the evacuation of children during World War II. The teacher very effectively helped the pupils to reflect on how it would feel to be separated from their families. The teacher shared with the pupils a list of useful words and phrases and a list of connectives to help them in their writing. In the written tasks there were high expectations, clear instructions and time limits. ‘You should be on your third paragraph,’ explained the teacher. ‘You need to think about concluding paragraphs.’ There was a constant focus on improvement. ‘What will make it better?’ asked the teacher. The management of the pupils was very good, as a consequence of which the pupils were well motivated and well behaved. The pupils were encouraged to work productively, staying on task so that by the end

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The very good teaching in Year 6 enables these pupils to achieve well

of the session most had written extensively, articulating ideas clearly and writing very persuasively. This work was being undertaken as preparation for a formal debate on evacuation which was to take place the next day. St. Giles County Junior School - 13 5. The debate was formally organised with speakers for and against and a chairman; many pupils had specific jobs, such as one who moved round with a microphone, taking responses from ‘the floor’. Pupils were enabled to gain insights into the democratic process. The pupils all responded very well. ‘It’s not about housing, it’s about people,’ said one pupil as she outlined a well-researched, powerful argument against evacuation. The pupils applauded spontaneously at the end of the speech, as they did whenever strong positive points were made. The teaching and the provision were very effectively promoting the vital skills of speaking and listening. ‘What

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The very good teaching in Year 6 enables these pupils to achieve well

would you rather do?’ asked one pupil with irony, ‘Stay at home with your parents or learn about cows?’ Very quickly another pupil responded with, ‘The choice is staying to face danger, risking your life or learning about cows!’ The lively debate was touched with strength of feeling, compassion and sense of humour.

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The very good teaching in Year 6 enables these pupils to achieve well

6. At the end of the debate one of the teachers gave a sensitive summary to enable the pupils to reflect on a number of wider issues, encouraging them to question historical ‘facts’. The very good teaching in Year 6 is interlinked with the very good learning which takes place. The teaching has a clear and positive impact on the progress the pupils make, the standards they achieve, their attitudes and their behaviour. The teaching is inclusive for all pupils and is the main reason why standards at the end of Year 6 have steadily risen over recent years.

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There is a trend of significant improvement in the National Curriculum results

7. All the evidence indicates that standards have improved in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science over recent years. Although attainment on entry to the school varies from year to year and, at the time of the inspection, the attainment of the Year 3 age group was higher than it has been before, attainment in recent years has been below what could be expected. When the current Year 6 entered the school, whilst a reasonable number had achieved level 2 in reading, writing and mathematics, which is the level expected for most pupils nationally, none of them had reached the higher, level 3. It is clear evidence of the good and very good progress that they make that their results at the end of Year 6 present a relatively higher level of attainment. The school’s findings and the data collected by the local education authority make very clear the ‘value’ added by the school over the pupils’ years at

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There is a trend of significant improvement in the National Curriculum results

8. Inspection evidence indicates that standards at the end of Year 6 are good and above the national average in mathematics, whilst standards in English and science are broadly in line with the national standards. These judgements are clearly reflected in the results in 2001. At that time the performance of pupils in English was in line with the national average for all schools and those of similar schools, in mathematics it was above the average for all and similar schools, whilst in science it was in line with national average and above the average for similar schools. The number of pupils achieving the expected level 4 was above the national average in each subject. Although the number reaching the higher level 5 was slightly below the national average in English and science, the number achieving level 5 was above the national average in mathematics.

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There is a trend of significant improvement in the National Curriculum results

9. The judgements on current levels of attainment at the end of Year 6 are very creditable, given that two fifths of the year group, a similar number to the previous year, are identified as having special educational needs. Simple graphs generated by national performance data indicate this upward trend in standards in English, mathematics and science since the time of the previous inspection in 1997. National data also indicates very clearly that over the five years from 1997 to 2001, the trend of improvement in the school’s average National Curriculum points for all core subjects was above the national trend. St. Giles County Junior School - 14 10. The school has analysed its results by gender and by ethnicity. Over the last three years, there is no evidence of significant differences of the performance of boys compared with girls, although boys did slightly better overall. Provision for pupils with English as an

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There is a trend of significant improvement in the National Curriculum results

additional language is good and this enables them to participate fully in lessons. All the available evidence indicates that many of these pupils are outperforming their peers, most clearly in standards achieved in the Key Stage 2 tests. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well relative to their abilities and a significant factor in this is the improving effectiveness of target setting, including the individual targets set as an outcome of close consultation between the pupil, the parent and the teacher. The school is rightly proud of these improvements with a clear, firm commitment to maintain and continue to raise standards.

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There is very good provision and support for pupils with special educational needs

11. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good and these pupils make very good progress. The school complies with the statutory requirements for the care of the 91 pupils who are on the register of special educational needs, seven of whom have a Statement of Special Educational Need; these proportions are both well above the national average.

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There is very good provision and support for pupils with special educational needs

12. Pupils are supported through the provision of differentiated carefully planned activities with appropriate individual education plans which are used very effectively. These plans, which contain clear and achievable targets to address pupils' specific needs, are regularly reviewed and parents and teachers are involved in discussions about the targets set. For example, an English target set for one pupil is to be able to construct simple sentences orally; this target is carefully addressed by the teacher and the classroom support assistant. Very detailed tracking and commenting about pupils is evident in the individual education plans. For example, one pupil was working below the expected level at the end of Year 2 but is now working at the appropriate level; detailed comments about his progress are included in the evaluation part of the plans. Very good strategies and useful materials are listed in the plans.

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There is very good provision and support for pupils with special educational needs

This high quality provision received by these pupils is a testimony to the school’s commitment to inclusion.

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There is very good provision and support for pupils with special educational needs

13. Pupils are sometimes withdrawn from lessons, but are successfully integrated into the mainstream education of the school. Pupils receive a high level of support from teachers and from the school's involvement with outside agencies. A lead teacher from the local education authority’s Learning and Behaviour Support Service is currently providing an effective level of support for pupils. This teacher liaises with the infant school and has begun to track pupils' progress from Year 2. As this is a new initiative only pupils up to Year 4 have been tracked so far. The individual support provided for pupils is very effective in enabling them to make very good progress and in giving them full and equal access to the curriculum. The very good quality and number of classroom support staff has a very positive impact on the quality of teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs.

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There is very good provision and support for pupils with special educational needs

14. Pupils benefit from the school's system of assessment that helps to identify when they need extra help. Staff provide clear and measurable targets for action in relation to literacy, numeracy and social behaviour on individual education plans. They use these plans in preparation for lessons by making clear links between the planned activities and targets for individual pupils. They keep very useful records of pupils' progress and give considerable thought as to how to best organise the support for them. Teaching is mainly characterised by firm but friendly relationships that enhance pupils' self esteem and make a considerable contribution to pupils' achievements. St. Giles County Junior School - 15 15. The co-ordinator leads this area very effectively. Her excellent organisational skills ensure that all pupils with special educational needs receive their full entitlement to the curriculum. She places priority on involving the pupils in many procedures. They are

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There is very good provision and support for pupils with special educational needs

encouraged to be involved in setting their own targets, in contributing to their individual education plans, in annual reviews and in joining in discussions about their choice of school at transfer time. The co-ordinator has weekly release time enabling her to improve the quality of the individual education plans and monitor the progress of the pupils more closely. She is always readily available to meet staff and parents to discuss the pupils' needs.

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There is very good provision and support for pupils with special educational needs

16. The school is aware of the entitlement of higher attaining pupils and a policy written this year is being used as a working document. Differentiated work is in place in the planning with firm plans to further consider the needs of these pupils. The co-ordinator has attended relevant courses and the school is purchasing more resources to cater for these pupils. The school already understands its role and responsibilities in relation to the revised Code of Practice, including its duties and the legal requirements made upon it. The headteacher and co- ordinator have attended training about the revised code.

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There is very good provision and support for pupils with special educational needs

17. Overall, pupils with special educational needs are keen to improve. Their attitudes to work and behaviour in lessons are mainly very good. This has a positive effect on their learning and progress. They are usually well involved with work and show respect for teachers and support staff. The good attitudes and behaviour of these pupils make an important contribution to the quality of education the school provides, a strength of which is the very good provision for pupils with special educational needs.

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The school is inclusive for all its pupils

18. The school serves a wide community, including a significant minority of pupils who arrive from surrounding areas on the school’s mini-bus. Just over three-quarters of the pupils are of UK white heritage background. The rest of the pupils are from an Indian heritage background, except for a very small number, including some from a Pakistani heritage background. Consequently there are 49 children with English as an additional language. The school is rightly proud of its record in successfully integrating all of its pupils, irrespective of ethnic background into one ‘family’ unit. During lessons and during the breaks, it was evident during the inspection that all pupils integrated very well, working and playing together harmoniously. In addition to the very good promotion of racial harmony within school, the pupils are well prepared for life within the multicultural society in which they will grow up. The school

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The school is inclusive for all its pupils

respects and celebrates the traditions of all faiths and cultures. Several staff have visited other countries in order to study the differing educational cultures and the school actively promotes contact with many European countries through its involvement with the ‘Comenius’ projects.

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The school is inclusive for all its pupils

19. The curricular and extra-curricular provision gives equal access and equal opportunity for all pupils. The school provides a variety of extra-curricular activities, such as Bhangra dancing, chess and violin lessons. The basketball session observed had equal numbers of boys and girls being given tuition. The personal, health and social education provided ensures that the pupils develop a clear understanding of issues beyond the standard academic curriculum. The high quality and quantity of the art and design and the design and technology displays, shows a broad range of cultural appreciation.

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The school is inclusive for all its pupils

20. The school undertakes a lot of work with its community for the support of several charities. The Year 6 pupils benefit from a residential visit to the Kingswood Centre where St. Giles County Junior School - 16 qualified instructors supervised all the physical activities. The school listens carefully to its pupils and respects their views; the School Council meets regularly and highlights to the staff any matters of concern. The very good personal development of pupils was praised by the parents.

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The school is inclusive for all its pupils

21. The school closely monitors the standards of attainment at the school and analyses its results by gender and ethnicity. This enables the school to identify any underachievement either by individual pupils, or by groups of pupils, and arrange suitable additional support, such as the booster classes. The individual target setting for pupils is one of its many strengths. There have been no significant differences in attainment by boys compared with girls. The pupils who have English as an additional language perform at least as well as, and in some cases better than, their peers. The school benefits from additional funds in support of its ethnic minority pupils and this in turn advantages all pupils by reducing the pupil-teacher ratio in classes; it also provides the effective support of the bilingual classroom assistant.

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The school is inclusive for all its pupils

22. The provision for the relatively high percentage of pupils who have special educational needs, including those with Statements of Special Educational Need, is very good. During the inspection high quality support for these pupils was observed from the conscientious classroom assistants. The division of the pupils into three ability groups in Year 6 for literacy and numeracy, enables the higher attainers to be provided with more challenging work, thus providing well for their needs.

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The school is inclusive for all its pupils

23. The caring ethos of the school is supported by suitable supervision and by good pastoral policies. These policies include appropriate procedures for child protection matters and for looked-after children. Of particular note is the comprehensive Race Equality Policy, which encompasses the importance of valuing diversity and emphasises the need for pupils to respect and celebrate differing faiths and cultures; this need is well promoted in the school.

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The school is inclusive for all its pupils

24. The previous inspection reported that the school met the needs of all its pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as a second language. This aspect has been successfully maintained and further developed to ensure that all groups of pupils are given suitable care and provision. This philosophy promotes an appropriate response from virtually all the pupils, resulting in a high level of maturity and a very good social development. The school has built an inclusive environment where every child is valued and helped to fulfil his/her potential. Inclusion is one of the school's strengths and it impacts positively to enhance the quality of the education provided.

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There is a very good partnership with the parents

25. The school has developed a very good partnership with its parents. Parents are welcomed into the school and their participation in the school's activities is encouraged and appreciated. In their comments, both before and during the inspection, many parents expressed their appreciation of the very good relationships with the headteacher; in particular, they praised his accessibility for informal discussions on any matter of concern.

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There is a very good partnership with the parents

26. The school continues to benefit from the fund-raising activities of the successful Friends of St. Giles group. Notable amongst the many events is the large community bonfire each November. Parents are welcomed into the school for various activities and a number help out voluntarily within school. The school is proud of its cross-country sports tradition, whereby all pupils participate in an event involving running around the perimeter of the (very large) school St. Giles County Junior School - 17 grounds; this activity normally attracts a significant number of parents as spectators. The attractive development of the central quadrangle into a useful curricular resource, used as a World War II garden during the inspection, has been achieved through the combined hard work of staff, parents and pupils. 27. In the inspection questionnaire, the parents were very positive in their support for the school. In 11 out of 12 questions more than 90 per cent of respondents agreed with the

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There is a very good partnership with the parents

statements, the vast majority being in ‘strong agreement’. These figures show a significant improvement over the responses to a similar questionnaire in the previous report. The only response which fell short was the 81 per cent agreement regarding the provision of the right amount of homework. Some parents reported their concern regarding inconsistencies, notably that, in some classes the teachers' expectations were not clear enough. The school has firm plans to address these concerns. The school also sends out its own questionnaires, which provide valuable communication and feedback.

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There is a very good partnership with the parents

28. Parents receive very informative regular newsletters, which are detailed and well presented. A number of curricular information sessions have been arranged by the school to ensure that parents can gain further insights into their children's education. There is a good prospectus and the governing body's annual report to parents is satisfactory.

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There is a very good partnership with the parents

29. The school has very good arrangements for discussing pupils' progress and attainment with parents. For one day during each of the autumn and spring terms, the teachers are relieved of their class duties and make arrangements to meet parents, together with their child; appointment times are extended well into the evenings for those parents who work during the day. These meetings generally last for 15 minutes and spend time reviewing the pupil's progress and setting future targets for both academic performance and personal development.

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There is a very good partnership with the parents

30. Parents are given a further opportunity for discussion with teachers after receipt of the pupils' end of year reports. These reports are good overall, having useful curricular content and some helpful commentary, although the use of a word processed format has resulted in a standard narrative by some teachers, which leads to some repetition.

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There is a very good partnership with the parents

31. Overall, the parents support the school very well and their involvement has a positive impact on their children's learning. This strong partnership enhances the quality of the education provided.

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are good and sometimes very good across the school

32. The previous report commended the standards of work in art and design and technology. These good standards have been maintained in spite of the increasingly high profile given to the core subjects of English, mathematics and science since the time of the previous inspection. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make very good progress in all aspects of art and design and design and technology; they are enthusiastic and creative young artists. The good provision and standards are reflected in the pupils’ sketchbooks, the artwork in folders, the displays around the school, teachers' planning and talking to staff and pupils.

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are good and sometimes very good across the school

33. Pupils' knowledge and understanding of both subjects, including design processes and the quality of the products they make, is very good. Pupils are pleased to talk about the products they have made, answering questions about the processes they were involved in and how they carried out the tasks to produce the work on display. They were happy to describe improvements they had made. One pupil talked about how she improved the design of her St. Giles County Junior School - 18 money container to represent a spider by making the body as an oval shape and adding legs later. A Year 3 boy talked about his 'jitterbug footballer' and demonstrated how he used a battery to make it move. He evaluated his finished work by saying he could have improved it by ‘making the body smaller so that it would jitter more’. 34. Both subjects support other subjects, such as history, mathematics and music. These are

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are good and sometimes very good across the school

made explicit in the schemes of work; for example, the planned Bayeux tapestry designs in Year 5, printing with stencils when investigating pattern in Year 3 and sketching of musical instruments using effective shading in Year 5. The use of information and communication technology within the subject of design and technology is becoming more developed. Year 6 pupils have taken part in a day's training in this at a computer resource centre.

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are good and sometimes very good across the school

35. Displays of pupils' work celebrate achievement and provide information and exemplars. The clay work is of a high standard and good use is made of the school’s kiln. The corridors and other areas contain attractive displays that convey information about particular styles and techniques. For example, an area dedicated to displays on World War II provides information about Henry Moore's work. Although Henry Moore is famous for his sculptures on human figures, pupils are aware that he was chosen as the official war artist for World War II. Year 6 pupils emulate his style and are interested in his sketching and especially the way he drapes blankets over sleeping people in Anderson shelters. Pupils achieve very well with their chalk drawings, resulting in excellent representation of the creases in the blankets.

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are good and sometimes very good across the school

36. Throughout the school pupils are developing very good knowledge and skills involving colour, shape, line and texture. Good observational skills are developed; for example, Year 5 pupils’ landscapes of Hawkesbury Junction show careful use of colour and tone along with a good understanding of perspective. During the school’s ‘Art Week’ a local artist visited the school and worked with a number of classes. He explained to pupils about his choice of subject matter and explained techniques, such as how to use watercolours and draw circles to create segments of colour.

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are good and sometimes very good across the school

37. Year 5 pupils design and make money containers; they make simple specifications and consider whether they will serve their purpose. Year 6 pupils design, make and evaluate slippers; they look at different types of slippers, disassemble them, consider suitability of fabrics and finally plan design specification and construction. Planning documents and photographs evidence Year 5 pupils designing and making bread. Year 4 pupils design and make sandwich snacks; they follow a basic recipe for bread and sandwich making and then add additional ingredients and consider how to turn the design into a finished product. All the elements of design and technology are in place from designing to final evaluation. Pupils know they have to select the materials to suit the purpose and recognise what level of planning is necessary.

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are good and sometimes very good across the school

38. High profile was given by the school to the recent ‘National Design and Technology Week’ when all pupils designed a 'jitterbug'. Pupils are able to describe each stage of the process and particularly the improvements they had made through the addition of colour and more effective materials. Pupils made very good progress in extending their making skills, knowing how to measure, mark out and shape a range of materials joining them in a variety of ways. There were good cross curricular links with science when pupils added batteries to make their 'jitterbugs' move; even the younger pupils know that an electrical circuit would not work without a battery or if there is a break in the circuit. At the end of the week all pupils' achievements were celebrated with the best 'jitterbug' from each class being awarded a prize. Each Easter an egg decorating competition is enjoyed when very imaginative creatures or

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are good and sometimes very good across the school

well-known characters are depicted. St. Giles County Junior School - 19 39. Art and design and design and technology make a very good contribution to the pupils' spiritual, moral, social, cultural and personal development as they learn how, for example, artists from different times and cultures used their art to represent the beauty of the world around them. For example, Year 4 pupils copy Aztec designs. Pupils take very good care of the materials and equipment they use and respect the work and opinions of others in their class when evaluating their work. This helps them to improve their own work and gain a deeper understanding of art.

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are good and sometimes very good across the school

40. Both subjects are well led and managed by the co-ordinators. Nationally prescribed schemes of work are followed with adaptations to the specific needs of the school. Assessment is informal and the sketchbooks are used to note progression. The school has a good range of resources that are used well to teach both subjects, the work of which represents one of the school’s strengths.

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expectations across the school

41. Although the quality of teaching observed during this short inspection was good overall, with three fifths of the lessons seen being good or better, there is wide variation across the school even taking into account the number of classes taught by supply teachers. The teaching in virtually every lesson met the required standard, but nevertheless some pupils receive overall satisfactory teaching whilst some benefit from excellent teaching thus enabling them to consistently achieve well relative to their abilities.

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expectations across the school

42. There is some inconsistency in teachers’ expectations, which is linked to this variability in the quality of teaching. An outcome of this is that in some classes, pupils work harder giving of their best, producing more work and making more progress than in other classrooms.

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expectations across the school

43. In most classes, teacher expectations of the pupils are very high, but in some they are less so. In the classes with high expectations, the pupils are more productive, often with good standards of handwriting and presentation in their work. The pupils are very well managed as a consequence of which, behaviour is very good. The teachers’ expectations are made very clear, as are the learning objectives of the lessons. Clear time targets are set so that the pupils know what they need to do in a given time. In some lessons expectations could be higher, so that the pupils stay on task better and work as hard as they could. A scrutiny of work undertaken during the inspection reflected these differences. Where there are higher expectations, there is usually more work done in the pupils’ books with better presentation and handwriting; the indications are that more progress is being made.

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expectations across the school

44. Aided by the ‘open plan’ nature of the building, the headteacher does a great deal of informal monitoring, leading to helpful discussion of teaching points. Currently, although there is some formal monitoring of teaching and learning with written outcomes, it is having an insufficient impact on teaching standards. An important area of development for the school is to bring more rigour and focus to the monitoring and begin to make use of ‘modelling’ or demonstration of the very good and excellent teaching observed during the inspection.

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expectations across the school

45. The school aspires to benefit all its pupils with the best it can offer through consistently high quality teaching with high expectations which promotes consistently high quality learning. The current monitoring of teaching lacks rigour and does not always sufficiently identify clear St. Giles County Junior School - 20 targets for improvement. More focused monitoring of teaching and learning can provide positive feedback as well as targets for improvement, targets which are monitored and reviewed. This can enhance teacher performance and have a more widespread and positive impact on pupils’ attainment and progress thus helping to make the quality of teaching more consistent across the school and lead to this effective school becoming even more effective. Additionally, the monitoring of teaching can provide very positive evidence to celebrate the very good and excellent teaching already in place and help all the teachers to be more

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The arrangements for collective acts of worship

46. In order to meet statutory requirements the local education authority and the headteacher need to ensure that all pupils take part in a daily act of collective worship. The governing body also has similar duties. On both days of the inspection, between 30 and 35 pupils, different ones on each day, missed the act of collective worship in order to undertake reading activities with the classroom support assistants. On the first day these were mainly pupils who needed extra help with their reading and on the second day they were higher attaining pupils, many with very good reading standards.

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The arrangements for collective acts of worship

47. The acts of collective worship observed were occasions which clarified and affirmed the school’s values and offered the pupils something to think about and take into the life of the school. During the collective act of worship on the second day of the inspection, a gifted young musician, due to attend the Royal Academy of Music, played the trumpet and the piano. The student explained how he came to take up music and as the pupils left the assembly he played Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’ on the piano with great sensitivity and feeling.

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The arrangements for collective acts of worship

48. A significant number of pupils missed this inspirational act of collective worship. Although the well organised arrangements for extra reading time are undertaken with the needs of the pupils in mind, there is a clear need to review the access of pupils to acts of collective worship to ensure that legal requirements are met.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The governors’ action plan will set out how the areas for improvement identified during the inspection are to be addressed.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to further raise standards and the quality of education provided, the governing body, headteacher and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

♦ Further develop the monitoring of teaching and learning through the introduction of a more formal system for monitoring which:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- involves structured lesson observation; - provides feedback and target setting; - enables the review of targets; - involves the focused scrutiny of pupils’ work; - contributes more significantly to the professional development of the staff; - makes use of modelling of the very good and excellent teaching in the school; - effectively promotes consistency in teachers’ expectations across the school; St. Giles County Junior School - 21 ♦ Review the arrangements for acts of collective worship in order to ensure that they meet statutory requirements. St. Giles County Junior School - 22

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 47

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents five percentage points.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 215

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 34

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 7

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

English as an additional language No of pupils

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 49

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 11

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 13

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St. Giles County Junior School - 23 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest Year Boys Girls Total reporting year 2001 31 30 61

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science Boys 26 29 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 26 19 29

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 85 (68) 79 (89) 98 (92) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science Boys 26 28 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 28 23 26

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 89(70) 84(75) 89(85) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – Caribbean heritage 4 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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. St. Giles County Junior School - 24 Teachers and classes Financial information Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6 Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.7 Financial year 2000/01

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.9 : 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Education support staff: Y3 – Y6 Total income 495,105

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 495,575

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 240 Expenditure per pupil 2,383

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year *- 470

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Balance carried forward to next year *- 470

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

* The small deficit from the previous year’s budget has now been eliminated so that there is now an appropriate budget surplus.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

FTE means full-time equivalent. St. Giles County Junior School - 25 Results of the survey of parents and carers

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of questionnaires sent out 212 Number of questionnaires returned 95

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of responses in each category Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

p.25

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

My child is making good progress in school. 52 43 3 1 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Behaviour in the school is good. 47 50 2 0 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 33 48 13 4 2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 46 45 6 2 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 71 27 1 0 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 71 28 1 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school works closely with parents. 46 46 2 1 5

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school is well led and managed. 75 23 0 0 2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 52 42 5 1 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 47 46 2 1 4

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