The Grove Junior School

THE GROVE JUNIOR SCHOOL

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.

p.1

THE GROVE 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. The Grove Junior School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Dark Lane Harpenden Hertfordshire

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Ian Roderick

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 23 June 1997 The Grove Junior School - 4

p.3

Team members

22518 Barbara Darley Registered inspector 9502 Rosalind Hall Lay inspector 16408 Chris Rhodes Team inspector

p.4

Team members

Higherland Bridge 49 West Street Gargrave Skipton North Yorkshire BD23 3RJ

p.4

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:

p.4

Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

p.4

Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE The Grove Junior School - 5

p.4

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

p.5

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Grove Junior School is a community primary school of similar size to most other primary schools. There are 249 boys and girls aged seven to eleven years. The majority of the pupils are from white United Kingdom backgrounds. Ten pupils (four per cent) come from a wide range of minority ethnic groups, of which seven have English as an additional language. Their first languages include Bengali, Chinese and Spanish. Only one pupil is at an early stage of learning English. The percentage of pupils with English as an additional language is higher than in most schools. There are 65 pupils (26 per cent) on the special educational needs register and one pupil has a statement. Most pupils on the special educational needs register have either specific learning difficulties or emotional and behavioural difficulties. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is below the national average and

p.6

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

the percentage of pupils with statements is broadly in line with the national average. The percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals is below the national average. Pupils transfer to the school with standards of attainment above the national average.

p.6

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Grove Junior School is a very good school. Standards of attainment in English, mathematics and science are consistently well above the national average and the school compares favourably with similar schools. The school is so successful in maintaining its achievements that this has become a standard expectation from parents and the community. The headteacher and staff respond superbly to this challenge. The leadership and management of the school are far from complacent and are constantly seeking to improve further. Teaching staff are very committed and all work exceptionally hard to sustain high quality teaching. The school’s aims are reflected throughout its work and daily life. Effective partnership and teamwork leads to a culture where all in the school seek to achieve their best and there is a thirst for and enjoyment of learning. The school has many strengths and provides good value for money.

p.6

What the school does well

• The school is very well led. This ensures there is an exceptionally clear educational direction and very high expectations of pupils and staff. • Excellent moral and social development promotes exemplary attitudes to learning and outstanding behaviour from pupils. • Consistent good quality teaching in literacy and numeracy ensures that standards in English and mathematics are well above national average year on year. • Excellent teaching and a wide range of musical opportunities ensure that pupils attain standards well above national expectations in music.

p.6

What could be improved

• Current provision for information and communication technology is too limited to ensure full efficiency of teaching and learning across the school. • School self evaluation processes involve too few groups of people. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

p.6

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was inspected in June 1997. Since then there have been many staff changes, including a change of headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior management team. The strengths from the last inspection report have been maintained and the school has successfully addressed the key issues. From a previously strong base, there has been good improvement in the quality of teaching, leadership and management, and parents’ perceptions of the school. The climate for learning has improved from The Grove Junior School - 7 very good to excellent. The school has made good progress during this period and has good capacity to continue to improve further.

p.6

STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

p.7

Key

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

p.7

Key

For the last two years, pupils’ results in national tests have been well above the national average in all three subjects. This was also true in 1998. Pupils’ achievement of the higher Level 5 is greater than that seen nationally in all three subjects and substantially so in English, particularly reading, and in science. Two per cent of pupils achieved Level 6 in 2001 test results in mathematics, which is quite unusual. Standards have risen in line with national levels over the last five years. The school sets challenging targets each year and is on target to meet this year’s targets. Pupils enter the school with attainment above national averages. All pupils make good progress while at the school, including pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, those with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs.

p.7

Key

During the inspection, the standard of work seen in lessons in Year 6 was always above expectations in mathematics, reading, speaking and listening, music and religious education. Across the school, standards in literacy and numeracy are above national expectations and well above in Year 6. Music is a significant strength within the school. Attainment in music lessons is well above national expectations and the quality of singing for the whole school is very high. Pupils achieve well in the school due to high expectations from teachers and very good teaching, which together, promote pupils’ excellent attitudes to learning. Other contributory factors are the school’s very strong ethos and its excellent moral and social provision.

p.7

Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Excellent. Pupils are very eager to learn, highly motivated, and demonstrate very high levels of concentration and perseverance. They always strive to do their best.

p.7

Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Excellent. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary in all respects. Pupils are very clear about the school’s high expectations and live up to them. They demonstrate high levels of self discipline, and are thoughtful and polite.

p.7

Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent. Pupils are very mature and confident. They show a very high level of respect for others. Relationships between pupils and staff are excellent. Pupils work very well in pairs and small groups. The Grove Junior School - 8 Attendance Well above the national average. Parents say the school promotes good attendance and 98 per cent of the parents’ questionnaires indicated that children like coming to school.

p.7

Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Not applicable Not applicable Very good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

p.8

Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The high quality of the majority of teaching and the absence of any unsatisfactory teaching makes the overall quality of teaching very good. A very high number of the lessons observed were very good or excellent. The quality of teaching in Year 6 is consistently very high in each class and has a significant impact on pupils' learning and the standards they attain.

p.8

Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

A particular strength is teachers’ excellent management of pupils, which leads to outstanding levels of pupil interest, concentration and independence. Teachers’ high expectations, very good teaching methods, and basic teaching skills ensure that pupils learn very well in lessons and sustain very high levels of intellectual and creative effort. The quality of teaching in literacy and numeracy is very good as teachers have a very secure knowledge of the subjects and are using the national strategies well. Excellent teaching was seen in music, religious education, information and communication technology, literacy and mathematics. Through effective teaching, the school successfully meets the needs of all pupils.

p.8

Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The curriculum is broad and balanced. A good range of purposeful visits and extra curricular activities successfully extends classroom work. Music provision is very good but insufficient resources limits information and communication technology.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils receive very good support in classes from all staff enabling them to have full access to learning opportunities. Withdrawal sessions provide additional individual and small group support.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Pupils are well integrated and teachers provide good support, ensuring pupils understand the tasks and learn effectively. The school has plans to monitor the provision and attainment of these pupils in greater depth.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall. Provision for moral and social development is excellent. Pupils are encouraged to consider different viewpoints and work collaboratively. The provision for pupils' spiritual and cultural development is good.

p.8

Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Procedures to ensure child protection and pupil welfare are good. There are very good procedures for supporting pupils’ academic and personal development and for promoting good behaviour. The Grove Junior School - 9 The school has strong relationships with parents and most have positive views of the school. The Grove Junior School - 10

p.8

Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher provides very strong leadership and she is ably supported by a very competent senior management team. Curriculum coordinators and team leaders lack sufficient responsibility for improving standards.

p.10

Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are hardworking and committed. They fulfil their duties well. They know the school’s strengths and its areas for development well.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school analyses academic performance and personal development very well. The school development plan is an effective working document but responsibility for effecting change is too centralised.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources There are effective systems for managing school expenditure. Part of the contingency fund is for a computer suite. Governors are aware of ‘best value’ principles and are keen to develop further their procedures for judging the impact of spending decisions.

p.10

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

27 parents attended the pre inspection meeting. 21 parents submitted comments with their questionnaires. 114 questionnaires were returned, representing a 46 per cent return rate.

p.10

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• There is a friendly welcoming atmosphere and children like coming to school. • The headteacher gives a strong lead and ensures pupils work hard and behave well. • The school helps pupils to be mature and take responsibility. • There is a good quality of teaching from a team of hardworking and enthusiastic teachers. • Provision for music is a strength of the school and has improved since the last inspection. • Pupils make good progress in school, parents are well informed and find it easy to approach the school. • Pupils make good progress and the school is an improving school. • There is an insufficiently interesting range of activities outside lessons. • The school’s provision for homework is variable and children do not get the right amount of homework. • How closely the school works with parents and the amount of information available to parents. • Provision for extending able pupils and supporting pupils with special educational

p.10

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

needs. • The leadership and management of the school.

p.10

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors fully support parents’ positive views of the school but find no evidence to support parents’ concerns. There is a good range of extra curricular activities and a wide range of interesting visits and in school activities. Homework provision is good. The quality of information to parents is very good. The school supports more able pupils and those with special educational needs very effectively. The school is very well led and managed. The Grove Junior School - 11

p.10

The school is very well led. This ensures there is an exceptionally clear educational

direction and very high expectations of pupils and staff.

p.11

The school is very well led. This ensures there is an exceptionally clear educational

1 The headteacher provides very strong leadership and very effective management, setting a clear focus on achieving high standards. She expects all to do their best. She knows her staff and pupils well and commands their loyalty and respect. The senior management team sees her as a strong role model and they ably support her in developing and improving the school. They feel empowered to take responsibility for change and are confident to take the initiative. Together, they form a key force for change and have a pivotal role in monitoring performance, the quality of teaching and supporting new staff.

p.11

The school is very well led. This ensures there is an exceptionally clear educational

2 Staff find the headteacher very supportive and respect the fact that she asks no more of them than she expects from herself. They praise her not only for being an effective leader and manager but also for demonstrating her skills as an effective teacher. This high level of regard for the headteacher ensures there is a strong team spirit within the staff and all are committed to making the school as effective as it can be. Over the last two years a high number of staff have left and new staff joined the school. The quality of these staff and the school’s effective induction procedures has ensured standards have continued to rise. Staff regularly seek help and advice from their colleagues. Very good staff relationships and effective teamwork are key factors in ensuring consistency of approach.

p.11

The school is very well led. This ensures there is an exceptionally clear educational

3 Teachers make their expectations of pupils explicit, and pupils respond very well with excellent behaviour and outstanding attitudes to school. In classrooms, pupils work hard showing high levels of concentration and perseverance. They strive to do their best, listen intently and ask challenging questions. There is a clear focus across the school on high achievement and pupils take a pride in their work.

p.11

The school is very well led. This ensures there is an exceptionally clear educational

4 Governors fulfil their duties well. They are very committed and hard working, helping to lead and monitor change. Governors have a clear understanding of, and commitment to the school’s core purpose of raising standards. They ensure that there is careful financial management and they apply basic ‘best value’ principles rigorously. Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They appreciate the hard work of all staff in ensuring the school maintains high standards and are, in turn, valued in their monitoring role as critical friends.

p.11

The school is very well led. This ensures there is an exceptionally clear educational

5 The brochure and the home school agreement help to make the school’s expectations clear to parents. The fulfilment of the school’s aims is clearly evident in practice throughout the school. The clear, strong direction and vision for the future and success in sustaining high performance and continued challenge is realised through effective team work and the key leadership and management roles of the headteacher, governors and the senior management team. The Grove Junior School - 12

p.11

Excellent moral and social development promotes exemplary attitudes to learning

6 The school aims to help pupils gain an awareness of their own place in school and the wider community and have regard to the needs and feelings of others. There is a clear published code of conduct, which is reinforced by expectations in the home school agreement. All staff have consistently high expectations of pupils, who respond extremely positively in all circumstances.

p.12

Excellent moral and social development promotes exemplary attitudes to learning

7 The school helps pupils to consider how to implement it’s aim of never knowingly hurting someone by discussing attitudes and actions in personal social and health education sessions. For example, in Year 3, pupils discuss a ‘traffic light’ strategy for dealing with anger. They gain a clear insight into the value of stopping to think before they say or do anything that might hurt someone (red light); consider what they could or should do (amber light); and then do what they consider best (green light). Pupils successfully relate the usefulness of this strategy to potential disagreements with friends.

p.12

Excellent moral and social development promotes exemplary attitudes to learning

8 As pupils grow older, the school challenges their thinking about wider issues such as democracy, and what is fair and unfair. In Year 5, pupils discuss fairness and unfairness maturely and give examples from their experiences. They approach the discussion very seriously and thoughtfully, and make links to previous work on democracy in a history lesson. Their ideas built upon an assembly, which looked at how democracy works in different parts of the world. Older pupils are increasingly able to articulate what they think and rationally discuss why. Through religious education lessons, Year 6 pupils are challenged to explore and discuss fundamental issues about life and learn from the views of others. They explore different opinions and draw on previous learning from the study of different religions in an atmosphere of openness, trust and respect. They explore significant issues, such as the meaning of life, and

p.12

Excellent moral and social development promotes exemplary attitudes to learning

prepare a range of interesting questions for a visit by a local vicar to help them understand further. Their questions are well considered and challenging, for example:

p.12

Excellent moral and social development promotes exemplary attitudes to learning

• Why is everybody different? • Why are we here? • Why is your belief so strong? • Why do people think God is male?

p.12

Excellent moral and social development promotes exemplary attitudes to learning

Their questions were sent to the visitor in advance to help him prepare for a high level discussion.

p.12

Excellent moral and social development promotes exemplary attitudes to learning

9 There is an atmosphere of quiet, orderly calm throughout the school, which reflects high expectations of pupils’ social behaviour. In and around school, pupils respond admirably, talking quietly and behaving sensibly. They are polite and considerate; standing back to allow others to go through a door first, and holding doors open for visitors. Pupils regularly greet visitors with a warm smile and cheery ‘ Good morning’ or ‘ Good afternoon’ . Playtimes are well supervised and pupils play well together. Inspectors saw no incidents of misbehaviour or disagreement during the inspection. Similarly, lunch times are a pleasant social occasion where pupils sit chatting together in a relaxed way.

p.12

Excellent moral and social development promotes exemplary attitudes to learning

10 Teachers provide a wide range of situations where pupils are expected to work together. Pupils work very well, whether working alone, in pairs or small groups, or with the teacher. A noticeable feature of lessons is that once pupils have moved to their tasks, they work intently without disturbing others or the teacher. They sustain their high levels of concentration irrespective of what is going on in the classroom, whether the teacher is The Grove Junior School - 13 teaching a group or other pupils are engaged in discussion on a collaborative piece of work at the computer. In lessons, pupils respond well to teachers’ high expectations, demonstrating respect by listening intently, sustaining concentration and asking challenging questions to help their understanding.

p.12

Excellent moral and social development promotes exemplary attitudes to learning

11 Overall, pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are exemplary and reflect the consistently high expectations of all staff and excellent quality the school’s provision for pupils’ moral and social development.

p.13

Consistent good quality teaching in literacy and numeracy ensures that standards in

English and mathematics are well above national average year on year.

p.13

Consistent good quality teaching in literacy and numeracy ensures that standards in

12 There is a strong focus on literacy and mathematics throughout the school. The headteacher, supported by the English coordinator, has led training and development in literacy and the deputy headteacher has led on numeracy. They have been effective in ensuring a consistency of approach, which enables pupils to make good progress and leads to sustained high attainment in national tests for 11 year olds each year. In three of the last four years, the schools’ national test results have been well above the national average and in the other they were above average. During the inspection the quality of teaching in literacy and numeracy lessons was good overall and very good in Year 6.

p.13

Consistent good quality teaching in literacy and numeracy ensures that standards in

13 A key feature of all the teaching is teachers’ security of understanding and knowledge of the subjects. They make good use of the literacy and numeracy strategies and their planning is thorough and detailed. Teachers have a high level of commitment and ensure they and their resources are well prepared. This has a positive impact on the quality of the lesson and pupils’ learning. They have high expectations of pupils, and demonstrate this in the use of challenging questions and extended vocabulary. Teachers explain specific vocabulary well and encourage high standards of speaking and listening. Teachers share the learning objectives for the lesson with pupils. A consistent feature of this good practice is that pupils record them in their books at the start of the lesson. This helps them to focus on the key purpose of the task and some older pupils are encouraged to record their assessment of how well they have worked.

p.13

Consistent good quality teaching in literacy and numeracy ensures that standards in

Teachers’ effective explanations ensure that pupils understand the task. During lessons, they monitor pupils work well to ensure any misconceptions are corrected quickly. All teachers use plenary sessions well to discuss and evaluate what has been learnt. However, there are some missed opportunities to develop pupils’ self knowledge further through a self assessment of how well they understand what has been taught.

p.13

Consistent good quality teaching in literacy and numeracy ensures that standards in

14 Teachers’ enthusiasm for the subjects captures pupils’ interest and good basic teaching skills, coupled with very good behaviour management, ensure a very positive response from pupils. There are clear routines and no time is wasted on organisational detail. Pupils work well independently and together. A strength of teachers’ practice is their use of a variety of working partnerships, which range from mixed ability cooperative working, mixed ability collaborative and independent work to working in ability groups. This successfully promotes inclusion and effective learning for all pupils. In mixed ability groupings, there are some missed opportunities to remind pupils of differentiated expectations and time restraints. Teachers plan homework activities well. These successfully support learning in the classroom and teachers make good reference to them in lessons, which helps to reinforce pupils’ understanding and takes their learning

p.13

Consistent good quality teaching in literacy and numeracy ensures that standards in

15 Reading standards in Year 6 are well above national expectations. Pupils have very positive attitudes to books and have very definite views on what constitutes good authorship, explaining that it should be a balance of action and description. They The Grove Junior School - 14 confidently discuss differences between the film and text versions of a story. Pupils explain how an author can create and use mood and develop characterisation. They refer to how Dickens ‘used humour to lighten the darker elements of his writing’ . The school’s reading strategy is clearly successful in promoting reading for enjoyment and sustaining high standards.

p.13

Consistent good quality teaching in literacy and numeracy ensures that standards in

16 A significant feature in sustaining high attainment is that the staff look carefully at their practice to challenge themselves and identify areas for improvement. A recent example of this has been to look at ways of retaining a high focus on reading whilst giving more time to focus on improving writing within the literacy hour. The reading sessions have been moved to the start of the day and called ‘everyone reading in class’ (ERIC). ERIC time has also promoted sustained time for reading and brought more parental involvement in pupils’ learning. Although there has been no formal evaluation of its impact on writing, teachers are confident that test results this year will show an improvement in writing standards.

p.14

Excellent teaching and a wide range of musical opportunities ensure that pupils

attain standards well above national expectations in music.

p.14

Excellent teaching and a wide range of musical opportunities ensure that pupils

17 There was a key issue from the last inspection relating to the lack of security of teachers’ knowledge and understanding. The school has worked very hard on this and has had a strong focus on promoting music as a part of a broad and balanced curriculum. This has been very successful, as music is now a significant strength of the school’s work. Standards in singing, composition and musical performance are well above national expectations due to excellent teaching.

p.14

Excellent teaching and a wide range of musical opportunities ensure that pupils

18 Teachers have a very secure knowledge of their subjects and confidently use their skills in singing and piano accompaniment in their lessons. They make effective links with previous music sessions to enhance learning and usefully draw upon previous learning in other subjects. For example, Year 6 pupils had been learning about polysyllabic words in literacy, which included the word crescendo . They were able to use their knowledge of what the word meant and deduce its meaning as a musical notation. This led pupils to understand how notation changed the dynamics of a piece of music and guided them in how to play. Pupils learn to use crescendo symbols, and other musical notation, to alter their score and successfully improve their percussion accompaniment of a song.

p.14

Excellent teaching and a wide range of musical opportunities ensure that pupils

19 In lessons, there is a very good balance between tuition, practise and performance. There is also a good balance between singing, playing and appraising their own and others work. Lessons are well planned and have a clear structure. Fast pace and timed tasks ensure very good concentration and effort from pupils. For example, in a Year 4 music lesson, pupils were given 10 minutes to write four lines of lyrics to a tune entitled ‘Down by the Nile’ . At the end of the 10 minutes, all groups had successfully written their lyrics and confidently performed them to the class. Teachers recognise and use the knowledge and skills of pupils who play instruments outside lessons.

p.14

Excellent teaching and a wide range of musical opportunities ensure that pupils

20 Very effective teaching and practice of singing skills in whole school singing sessions supports the excellent work in lessons. Pupils clearly enjoy performing as a group and the standard of singing is consistently high across the school. When singing as a whole school, there is a strong sense of community and the power of working together towards a common goal is fully harnessed. There is a magical quality to the simple joy of singing, which leaves the audience moved by listening. There are some missed opportunities to capitalise on this further in assemblies. Parents’ views that music is a strength of the school are fully supported. The Grove Junior School - 15

p.14

Current provision for information and communication technology is too limited to

ensure full efficiency of teaching and learning across the school.

p.15

Current provision for information and communication technology is too limited to

21 There was a key issue from the last report relating to teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subject. Most teachers have had significant training in this area and now feel confident in planning the use of computers into most lessons, including literacy and numeracy sessions. Some teachers who have not had recent training lack confidence in particular aspects of the information and communication technology curriculum but the school is aware of this and plans to provide further training opportunities. 22 Teachers make the best use of available equipment in their classrooms. Not all classrooms have two computers. Teachers have good systems to ensure all pupils have opportunities to develop skills and use the computer for research and learning. With access to only two computers or less, this takes some time and means that the teacher has to remind pairs or groups of the teaching points each time that the computer

p.15

Current provision for information and communication technology is too limited to

is in use. During lessons, most pupils have to use pencil and paper exercises to complete the tasks when, for example, working out spreadsheet calculations on paper rather than using the software on the computer. The lack of opportunity for pupils to learn with the software limits their experience and inhibits quality learning. 23 There were two excellent examples of how hard teachers work to mitigate the impact of insufficient hardware. In both lessons, very good methodology ensured a high level of challenge. For example, a Year 4 teacher used an overhead projector to help pupils evaluate previous work trying to replicate drawn instructions for manipulating a screen turtle on the computer. Pupils then considered how to use a variety of angles and instructions to programme a machine to draw a complex shape. The high level of challenge and very good basic teaching skills ensured that the objective of the lesson

p.15

Current provision for information and communication technology is too limited to

was met and learning in the lesson was excellent. However, the range of what the teacher could plan, and the pupils’ experience, was limited by lack of access to sufficient hardware. This would have helped secure the learning in practical application. Similarly in a Year 6 lesson, the teacher used a range of strategies to engage all pupils in the task of writing a single procedure to instruct the computer to draw hexagonal patterns. With only two computers available, the teacher made good use of individual wipe clean boards for pupils to write and record the sequence. This was an effective and inclusive strategy, which enabled the teacher to assess individual levels of understanding and to correct mistakes or misconceptions. Again, excellent teaching led to outstanding learning. Pupils’ attainment was above expectations rather than well above because they were constrained by lack of access to the computers to secure their knowledge.

p.15

Current provision for information and communication technology is too limited to

Teachers make good use of existing computers in literacy, numeracy and across the curriculum. They are regularly in use throughout the day. 24 The school is investing in new hardware each year. The headteacher and the governors are very aware of the shortcomings of its available hardware and have this as a high priority for development. The curriculum coordinator is investigating a range of ways to help teachers overcome the problem. The school has a capital bid in place to gain sufficient funding for an extension to the existing accommodation to provide an information and communication technology suite. Money has been held in the contingency fund to help support this bid. However, there is an impact on the efficiency of teaching and learning from a lack of sufficient hardware, which has not been addressed.

p.15

Current provision for information and communication technology is too limited to

School self evaluation processes involve too few groups of people. The Grove Junior School - 16 25 The school has a number of effective strategies for monitoring and evaluating performance. These include:

p.15

Current provision for information and communication technology is too limited to

• regular reviews of teachers’ planning • reviews of samples of work from across the school by teaching staff • an annual analysis of national and local statistical data • a value added review and monitoring by governors through their committee work and through visits to the school

p.16

Current provision for information and communication technology is too limited to

These reviews involve the school development adviser, the headteacher, governors and teaching staff and ensure there is a clear focus on areas for further improvement.

p.16

Current provision for information and communication technology is too limited to

26 At the time of the last inspection, curriculum coordinators were developing the skills to judge their subject but had insufficient time for monitoring standards and teaching. Although their role has developed over the intervening time, they do not have sufficient impact on bringing about change and supporting improvements. They lack the skills necessary to develop a focused strategic view of their subject areas, and how to measure development. Currently, teachers plan together in year groups but there are no formal arrangements for year group leaders to ensure consistency of approach and quality. This is a missed opportunity to develop the best of practice across a year group.

p.16

Current provision for information and communication technology is too limited to

27 Each year the educational priorities are agreed and the finances reviewed to support these. An overall summary gives a clear explanation of where money is allocated from various budget headings. The school development plan is a useful working document and gives a structured overview of planned development. It is supported by detailed subject action plans. However, there is insufficient involvement of all groups of staff, pupils and parents in determining priorities. In the core subjects, there are clear measurable outcomes to show if the targets have been met but this is not consistent for all areas of development.

p.16

Current provision for information and communication technology is too limited to

28 A good feature of the school development plan is the governors’ and curriculum coordinators’ action plans, which detail their priorities and responsibilities for the year. The school is keen to include a wider range of ‘stakeholders’ in the consultative process but currently does not have a mechanism for this. For example, the school promotes the thinking skills of its pupils well and has been considering starting a school council. They consider this may be one way of enabling pupils’ opinions of the school and areas for improvement to be formally taken into account. Other groups of staff, pupils and parents are not currently formally involved in school evaluation and improvement and the school is keen to address this. The Grove Junior School - 17

p.16

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

29 In the context of what is already a very good school, the headteacher, governors and staff should:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Extend the school’s provision for information and communication technology to ensure greater efficiency in teaching and learning by:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• providing more hardware to give greater access for pupils to computers in the classrooms; • providing training for all new staff and any staff lacking confidence to enable them to use existing and new hardware; • training non teaching staff to support small groups of pupils to enable the use of computers around the school, for example, in the library; • extending the opportunities for teachers to access to a larger number of networked computers, interactive technology and a wider range of software. (Paragraphs 21, 22, 23, 24)

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Extend the range of people contributing to school improvement by:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• providing training on school self evaluation and managing school improvement to ensure that all participants understand improvement planning, how to set measurable success criteria and gather evidence; • ensuring that the role of coordinators includes responsibility for evaluating standards, teaching and learning and effecting improvement across all year groups; • identifying a clear team leader role in each year group to be responsible for consistency of standards and quality of teaching and learning and implementation of initiatives; • establishing clear procedures for evaluating the impact of new initiatives on standards; • strengthening the role of governors in evaluating the impact of financial decision making on achievement; • establishing more formal strategies for the school to consider the views of pupils, other groups of staff and parents when setting priorities for school development and evaluating school improvement.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 24, 25, 26,27) The Grove Junior School - 18

p.17

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 12 The number of lessons seen includes 16, which were graded, and 8, which were observations shorter than 30 minutes, and were therefore not graded.

p.18

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.18

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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 more than 6 percentage points. The inspectors’ judgement is that the overall quality of teaching is very good due to the high proportion of excellent, very good and good teaching and absence of any unsatisfactory teaching.

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 249

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 12

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 65

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 12

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 17

p.18

Attendance

% % The Grove Junior School - 19 School data 4.2 School data 0.0

p.18

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.19

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. The Grove Junior School - 20

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 38 28 66

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 35 33 36 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 23 21 25

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 88 (94) 82 (90) 92 (98) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 34 32 34 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 23 22 24

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 86 (84) 82 (86) 88 (92) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 10 Other minority ethnic groups

p.20

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. The Grove Junior School - 21

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10.9 Financial year 2000-01

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y3 – Y6 Total income 493081

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 472809

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 85.0 Expenditure per pupil 1847

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 14356

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 34628

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 5

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1.6

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. The Grove Junior School - 22

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 46 49 5 0 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 34 58 4 0 4

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 27 50 18 1 4

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 30 56 14 0 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 50 42 6 2 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 53 42 4 0 1

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 24 57 18 2 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 40 46 9 2 3

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 41 52 5 0 2

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 13 46 28 10 4

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

Where percentages do not add up to 100 this is due to software calculations which round up the figures.

p.22

Other issues raised by parents

• The headteacher gives a strong lead and ensures pupils work hard and behave well • There is a friendly welcoming atmosphere • There is insufficient provision for extending able pupils and supporting pupils with special educational needs • Provision for music is a strength • There is a good team of hardworking and enthusiastic teachers

p.22