St Jude's Church of England Junior School

ST JUDE’S C OF E JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 25 th and 26 th February 2002

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ST JUDE’S C OF E JUNIOR SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 St Jude’s C of E Junior School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Bagshot Road Englefield Green Egham Surrey

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body, St Jude’s CEJ School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Revd A Taylor

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: September 1997

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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 Jude’s C of E Junior School - 3

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Team members

1776 Eira Gill Registered inspector 19693 Sally Hall Lay inspector 19897 Arthur Evans Team inspector 13754 Judy Morris Team inspector

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Team members

Phoenix Educational Consultants “Thule” 60 Joy Lane Whitstable Kent CT5 4LT 01227 273449

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Jude’s C of E Junior School - 4

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school educates boys and girls aged between seven and 11 years. There are 320 pupils on roll altogether. This is larger than other schools of this type and the number on roll has dropped from 370 at the time of the last inspection There are 14 more girls than boys. The school has 73 pupils on its register of special educational need, which is broadly the same as the national average. Pupils with moderate learning difficulties are the largest single group of pupils with special educational needs. Six pupils have statements of special educational needs and this is above the national average. About four per cent of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and this is lower than in most schools. There are three pupils from Traveller families. Fifteen pupils speak English as an additional language. This number is higher than in most schools. Around eight per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals and this is lower than the national average. During the last school year 18 pupils

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission and 34 left. This is above average for a school of this size. Attainment on entry is usually average with a wide range of ability. However, this does vary and the attainment of the present Year 6 group of pupils on entry to the school was judged to be below average based on the data provided by the Local Education Authority.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

St Jude’s Church of England Junior School is a very successful school with significant strengths. Pupils attained well above average standards in English and above average standards in mathematics and science in the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2001. This is due to the very good teaching they receive that helps pupils to make, good and often very good, progress. The very good leadership and management of the headteacher, who is supported well by the deputy headteacher, key staff and the governing body, ensure clarity of direction and purpose. There is a strong emphasis on maintaining high standards, and bringing about further improvements. The school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The very good quality of teaching and learning results in above average standards in English and average standards in mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. This is very good achievement in English and good achievement in other subjects when the pupils’ below average attainment on entry into Year 3 is considered. • The headteacher provides very good leadership that has ensured very good improvement since the last inspection and promotes high standards throughout the school. The deputy headteacher, other key staff and the governing body support her well. • Pupils’ excellent attitudes and very good behaviour contribute significantly to their learning. • Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils results in good progress for these pupils .

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What could be improved

The school is continually striving to improve its performance against its own very high standards; it has no significant areas for improvement.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in September 1997. Since then, the school has made very good improvement. There has been a very significant improvement in the quality of teaching and learning and this leads to good, and sometimes very good, achievement. The headteacher, appointed one year after the last inspection, has been very successful in ensuring that the limited variety of teaching styles, observed during the last inspection, has improved considerably. Teachers’ subject knowledge in science and information and communication technology has developed well and the quality of teaching in those subjects is now good and, often, very good . Provision for information and communication technology is now very good with an excellent information and communication technology suite in place with effective timetabling that ensures that the learning of all pupils is St Jude’s C of E Junior School - 6 moved forward. The school’s provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

good and, again, this is a significant improvement from the last inspection when provision was considered only satisfactory in spiritual development. The accommodation has improved considerably and is now very good. The school has a very good capacity for further improvement.

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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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Key

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

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Key

The table shows that the pupils’ performance in national tests in 2001 was well above average in English and above average in science and mathematics. The school’s trend in improvement is broadly in line with the national trend and it met its targets in 2001 with a higher than average proportion attaining at higher levels. The school has deliberately set demanding targets for this year in order to challenge this particular group of pupils. The inspection’s findings are that currently standards are above average in English and average in mathematics and science. This indicates slightly lower standards than in 2001. However, the achievement of the pupils, taking into account their below average standards on entry in Year 3, is very good in English, history and music where standards are above average. It was noticeable that standards of attainment in English and mathematics in the lessons observed in Year 5 were well above average. The inspection team did not judge standards in

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Key

religious education as this is a Voluntary Aided Church School. Pupils with special educational needs, those pupils with English as an additional language and pupils from Traveller families make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Excellent. Pupils have excellent attitudes to all areas of school life. They are very keen to learn and enthusiastic in their approach. They thoroughly enjoy their lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils are consistently polite and courteous to adults and to each other. There have been no exclusions.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils act in a very mature and responsible manner and this reflects the very good ethos of the school. Relationships between all staff and pupils are very good and this supports the productive atmosphere for learning in all classrooms.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Satisfactory. There have been no unauthorised absences and the vast majority of pupils arrive on time in the morning.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils value each other and are very keen to work together to improve their knowledge and skills. St Jude’s C of E Junior School - 7

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Teaching of pupils in: Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching 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.

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Teaching of pupils in: Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching in the school is very good. It was never less than good in all lessons observed and was very good overall in English and mathematics, literacy and numeracy. This leads to pupils making very good gains in their learning so that, by Year 6, they achieve well. Teachers have very high expectations, they set clear objectives at the beginning of lessons and their marking of the pupils’ work is excellent in English and very good in other subjects. As a result, the pupils have a very good understanding of their own learning. Planning in all subjects is very good and, often, teachers show imagination and flair in the methods they use to teach the subjects. This stimulates the pupils and they respond with enthusiasm to the tasks they are given and produce a significant amount of work in a relatively short time. The needs of all pupils are met appropriately. Higher attaining and gifted and talented pupils are fully challenged and pupils with special educational needs, those

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Teaching of pupils in: Years 3 – 6

with English as an additional language and the children from Traveller families are given effective support that helps them to improve their work.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The school provides a wide range of opportunities for learning that enhance pupils’ academic and personal development.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The needs of these pupils are met very well. The work planned for them and the level of support given enable them to play a full part in lessons. They make good progress in meeting the targets in their individual education plans.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. The school provides very well for these pupils. Most of them are bilingual and there is good liaison with parents to ensure that their needs are fully met.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The school cultivates all areas of pupils’ personal development very well. There is a clear and well-understood moral code and very good opportunities to develop social skills. The very good provision to support pupils’ spiritual and good provision for cultural development are well-planned.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. The school provides a warm and caring environment within its Christian ethos and values pupils as individuals. There is very good monitoring of pupils’ academic and personal progress and the teachers’ use of assessment information to guide curricular planning is excellent.

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Aspect Comment

The curriculum is enriched by many visits and visitors to the school and these enhance the pupils’ learning. There is a wide range of activities outside of lessons for the children to attend and these contribute to their achievement in sport, music, art and other curricular subjects. St Jude’s C of E Junior School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and key staff give a very clear and focused direction to the work of the school, to the promotion of high standards and to the professional development of all staff.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors are very supportive and have established effective systems and good links with the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school makes very good use of its analysis of the results of the school and national tests. This enables staff to evaluate the pupils’ progress and improve practice in order to achieve better results from particular groups of pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school uses its resources well to support priorities in the school development plan and to raise standards and the quality of education.

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Aspect Comment

The school ensures that it gets best value when allocating and managing school funds.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school, they are making good progress and the school helps them to become mature and responsible. • Behaviour is very good and the school has high expectations. • The teaching is good and the school is well led and managed. • Parents feel comfortable about approaching the school if they have problems. • Information about their children’s progress. • The school working more closely with parents. • More activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The team agrees with the mostly positive views of the parents. However, the inspection team do not agree that the school gives insufficient information to parents about their children’s progress. The annual reports to parents are satisfactory and there are two formal evenings arranged by the school during the year for parents to talk to the teachers about their children’s progress. There is also an additional evening that is arranged specifically to discuss the children’s reports but very few parents take advantage of this opportunity. The team believe that the school works closely with parents and welcomes them into school. Parents help out in the school, hear children read and 100 per cent of parents signed the home/school agreement. The number of activities offered to the pupils outside lessons is good and covers netball, football, hockey, athletics, information and communication technology, craft, three music clubs, chess and Japanese. Nine music teachers visit the

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

school once a week to teach many pupils a wide range of instruments.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

However, in view of the significant number of parents who expressed dissatisfaction, the school intends to give the parents a very full indication of exactly what is offered in terms of extra-curricular activities as well as the opportunities for parents to visit and work in the school. In addition, parents will receive early notification of parents’ evenings when they can meet teachers to discuss their children’s progress and several reminders. St Jude’s C of E Junior School - 9

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very good achievement in English and good achievement in other subjects when the pupils’

below average attainment on entry into Year 3 is considered.

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very good achievement in English and good achievement in other subjects when the pupils’

1 The results of the national curriculum tests taken by pupils in Year 6 in 2001 showed that standards, in English, were well above average and above average in mathematics and science. The inspection’s findings show that pupils are working at above average standards in English and average in mathematics and science. Although this seems to indicate a decline in standards from 2001, the overall ability of the pupils on entry to the school, when they were in Year 3, was below average. There is also a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs in this group. The achievement of the pupils in Year 6, therefore, is good and very good in English, history and music where their attainment is above average.

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very good achievement in English and good achievement in other subjects when the pupils’

2 This continuing trend of good achievement in the school is due to the very good overall teaching and learning in the school. No lesson was less than good and in English and mathematics, literacy and numeracy teaching was very good overall. The quality of teaching and learning was particularly strong in Year 6 where a high proportion of lessons was judged to be very good or excellent.

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very good achievement in English and good achievement in other subjects when the pupils’

3 There are many strengths in the teaching in Years 3 to 6 that ensure that pupils make very good gains in their learning. The national literacy and numeracy strategies are used very effectively to promote pupils’ learning in English and mathematics and learning assistants play an important role in this success. The teaching across all other subjects observed ensures that pupils receive a wide and varied curriculum in a stimulating and interesting manner. For example, in a good music lesson in Year 6, the teacher had high expectations and set a good pace to the lesson. This ensured that the pupils made every effort, both creatively and intellectually, to write the lyrics to fit a tune that conveyed a strong message of friendship. In a very good information and communication technology lesson in Year 4, time was used very well by the teacher to ensure that all pupils had a good grasp of how to log on, download their program, input the correct

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very good achievement in English and good achievement in other subjects when the pupils’

information and how to self-correct their work by clicking on the correct icon. The teacher also reminded the pupils of how they needed to work together to help each other move forward in their learning. These pupils had a good knowledge of their own learning and several had managed to create branching databases accurately by the end of the lesson.

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very good achievement in English and good achievement in other subjects when the pupils’

4 Very good challenging questioning and high expectations in English ensure that very good learning takes place and higher attaining pupils are achieving very high standards in several lessons. For example, in an excellent Year 6 English lesson, the teacher’s very high expectations resulted in pupils learning how to use metaphor and personification. The teacher’s excellent questioning on how to define ‘a hidden treasure’ resulted in pupils giving serious intellectual thought as to how they value their parents and grandparents. Their knowledge and understanding of good English writing moved forward very considerably in this lesson. In another excellent English lesson, the teacher ensured that the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of poetry was enhanced by her skilled reading of a poem and her very good lead in a discussion of how to use powerful adjectives to engage the listener. This resulted in pupils

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very good achievement in English and good achievement in other subjects when the pupils’

using words, such as ‘ecstatic, extraordinary and radiant’. In English, the scrutiny of work St Jude’s C of E Junior School - 10 showed excellent assessment of pupils’ work by all teachers. This very good practice follows attendance by all teachers on a course organised by a well-known specialist of the teaching of English. The professional development of all teachers after attending this course shows good value for money as the pupils are now very aware of their own learning. Teachers asterisk a specific line of writing and at the end of the pupil’s work ask a simple question, such as, ‘Does this sentence really create suspense? When you are given time, re-think this and write some additional lines’.

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very good achievement in English and good achievement in other subjects when the pupils’

5 In mathematics, in an excellent lesson in Year 5, higher attaining pupils were asked to calculate the areas of complex shapes drawn within the plan of a garden. The teacher’s skilled reinforcing of previous learning of the formulae of triangles and rectangles and very high expectations ensured that the pupils were ready to tackle this very challenging task. They worked in pairs and helped each other showing very good collaboration and a willingness to experiment. Very good use of resources, such as the overhead projector and well drawn plans, ensured the pupils’ understanding of how to calculate separately the different parts of the garden, for example, the paths, the flower beds and a rectangular stream bed. Excellent subject knowledge ensured that the teacher was very skilled at encouraging pupils to check and re- check their calculations thus challenging their knowledge of their own learning. In another

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very good achievement in English and good achievement in other subjects when the pupils’

excellent mathematics lesson in Year 6, the teacher’s very high expectations and challenging methods in the oral starter to the lesson resulted in pupils showing their ability to explain their strategies of finding the squares of 20, 30, 40, for example. A further challenging activity of investigating the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter (pi) proved to be within the capabilities of several of this group of pupils. The excellent resources provided by the teacher ensured that all pupils were practically involved in the investigation and worked well together. This was a very active teaching and learning session and was a very good example of how the quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection when limited teaching styles were observed.

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very good achievement in English and good achievement in other subjects when the pupils’

6 It is evident that the teachers’ knowledge and understanding in information and communication technology have moved forward significantly. In both lessons observed, teaching was good or very good. Although overall attainment in information and communication technology in Year 6 is average, nevertheless, in some strands of the subject, pupils are attaining at an above average level. For example, they can create reliable and accurate databases and spreadsheets. Most pupils are confident to record and analyse information on a spreadsheet and can change the variables to predict different totals. All pupils can import graphics from the Internet into their text and some higher attaining pupils can demonstrate and explain how to do this for the rest of the class adding sound to their demonstration. Most pupils have also produced a multimedia presentation for younger pupils and show their confidence and speed at altering features of their

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very good achievement in English and good achievement in other subjects when the pupils’

work while demonstrating to visitors. Pupils observed in an information and communication technology lesson in Year 4 were already working at an average level for eleven year olds by creating branching databases using musical instruments as the focus.

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very good achievement in English and good achievement in other subjects when the pupils’

7 In all lessons, pupils are well managed. A very good working atmosphere is created through high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, very good pace and established routines as well as the very good relationships and mutual respect between teachers and pupils.

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since the last inspection and promotes high standards throughout the school. The deputy

headteacher, other key staff and the governing body support her well. St Jude’s C of E Junior School - 11 8 The headteacher, who was appointed one year after the last inspection, provides very good leadership and management. The deputy headteacher and other key staff ably support the headteacher and have a very clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Team commitment is very evident. The headteacher is determined to pursue the high standards shown in the last four years and has devised very good systems and organisational routines since her appointment. These enable the school to absorb efficiently the many new initiatives that have been introduced and to use them to the advantage of the school. One example is the very good monitoring of teaching when significant attention is paid to a particular focus. The subject leaders for English, mathematics and science analyse the standards, trends and relative

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since the last inspection and promotes high standards throughout the school. The deputy

strengths and weaknesses in their subjects on an annual basis and identify the priorities for future development. These are discussed with the head and deputy and arrangements are made for monitoring based on, for example, the analysis of pupils’ work. The subject leader for mathematics identified that some potentially higher attaining girls were more concerned about the presentation of their work and were not always prepared to experiment and ‘have a go’ at working out problems whereas several boys jotted down their ideas on the page in a less structured way but were usually more successful. These trends were then discussed with teachers who, in turn, reviewed their planning to ensure that they encouraged the girls to behave more like true mathematicians.

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since the last inspection and promotes high standards throughout the school. The deputy

9 The weaknesses identified in the last inspection have been addressed very successfully. The quality of teaching and learning is now very good and very appropriate teaching styles that suited the teaching of particular lessons and subjects were observed. The teaching of science is now good. This is a significant improvement from the last inspection when teaching styles were judged to be limited, teaching was considered to be satisfactory overall and a significant percentage of lessons were judged to be unsatisfactory. In this inspection, no lessons were judged less than good.

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since the last inspection and promotes high standards throughout the school. The deputy

10 Provision for information and communication technology is now very good. This is another significant improvement as teaching and overall standards in this subject were considered to be unsatisfactory in the last inspection. The new information and communication technology suite is excellent. A skilled technician has been appointed who quietly and efficiently supports pupils and teachers during lessons. She is also on hand to help with any problems with the computers and this is particularly helpful for the capable information and communication technology subject leader who can concentrate on teaching the pupils and supporting the staff’s professional needs. All the teachers completed the national training course during the last academic year and were supported well by a local consultant who visited the school regularly.

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since the last inspection and promotes high standards throughout the school. The deputy

11 The governing body supports the school well. Governors are active in the school, have appropriate procedures for their visits and agreed protocol for writing their findings and reporting to other colleagues. The governing body also seeks to involve parents and determine their views on the school generally. There are very good relationships with teaching and other staff. The ‘link’ governors who support specific subjects or aspects in the school meet their subject leaders and discuss any problems that may have arisen as well as reviewing pupils’ progress towards their targets. Their reports in the annual report to parents were particularly informative and well written. However, the involvement of the governing body with the school improvement plan is limited. This aspect of their role needs developing further in order to give governors a firmer grasp of the strategic planning for improvement.

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since the last inspection and promotes high standards throughout the school. The deputy

12 The headteacher, supported by the governing body, has implemented performance management very effectively. There are excellent links with the priorities of the school improvement plan, the headteacher’s and teachers’ targets and professional development for all staff. For St Jude’s C of E Junior School - 12 example, all the teachers have one or two similar targets that relate directly to the school improvement plan, such as focusing on improving the boys’ writing skills and giving an indication of the exact targets.

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since the last inspection and promotes high standards throughout the school. The deputy

13 The headteacher, supported by the governing body, manages the financial resources well to improve standards. For example, the ‘booster’ funding was used to give more time to the special educational needs teacher to teach a ‘fast track’ group in English as well as appointing a part-time teacher to be responsible for small groups of lower attaining pupils for English, mathematics and science. The pupils in these groups are making good progress. The organisation and resourcing of the information and communication technology suite and the appointment of the information and communication technology technician have improved standards in information and communication technology. The presence of the technician allows teachers to concentrate on teaching instead of trying to ‘trouble-shoot’ problems at the same time. Bids for funding to the Diocese, the Local Education Authority and the Department of

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since the last inspection and promotes high standards throughout the school. The deputy

Education and Skills have been very successful in helping the school to go ahead with building a new library extension, a new wing for the school, planting hedgerows in the school grounds and creating an extension to the very small school car park. Financial resources are used to give very good value for money by raising educational standards.

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Pupils’ excellent attitudes and very good behaviour contribute significantly to their

14 Throughout the school pupils’ excellent attitudes to learning and their very good behaviour make a very strong contribution to the calm, orderly and friendly environment in which very effective learning takes place. Pupils enjoy coming to school and feel secure and valued. The very good relationships that exist at all levels in the school contribute significantly to a climate of mutual respect and enthusiasm for learning. The pupils’ confidence and feeling of being valued were exemplified in a Year 5 mathematics lesson where pupils played a ‘loop’ game where they all had a card with the answer to a multiplication sum as well as a question that they were required to ask of other pupils. The game was organised so that individual pupils had to answer a question at least once so there was a certain amount of tension engendered. Nevertheless, the pupils concentrated totally and waited patiently when there was a pause while pupils were

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Pupils’ excellent attitudes and very good behaviour contribute significantly to their

calculating whether or not they had the answer on their cards. Every pupil in the class was able to give the correct answer and self-corrected where it was necessary. In a Year 6 English lesson for ‘fast-track’ pupils, the teacher played a tape-recording of the first scene of Shakespeare’s King Lear while the pupils followed the play by reading the text provided by the teacher. Although this was a difficult text to follow, the pupils listened intently and showed by their responses to the teacher’s questions that they had applied themselves intellectually and had tried very hard to understand the meaning behind the historical language. Very good learning took place in this lesson.

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Pupils’ excellent attitudes and very good behaviour contribute significantly to their

15 The pupils’ behaviour is very good in classrooms, around the school and in the playground. Pupils know exactly how they are expected to behave and teachers rarely need to use their considerable management skills. Just one word, or a name, is enough to bring any pupil who is not looking in the right direction into line. Pupils enter and leave the hall at the beginning and end of assemblies in an exemplary manner. They behave very well during lunchtimes and move out to play in a sensible, well-organised manner. All pupils behave in a mature and responsible manner and older pupils provide good role models for the younger ones. In all aspects of school life, pupils show consideration towards each other and work and play well together, even when not directly supervised by adults. St Jude’s C of E Junior School - 13 16 In a Year 6 class assembly, attended by 18 parents, the pupils’ response to the situation was

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Pupils’ excellent attitudes and very good behaviour contribute significantly to their

remarkably mature and showed their very good personal development. Their teacher remained in the background. The pupils were completely in charge of the presentation that was based on the September 11 tragedy. All the pupils worked together as one body, moving in and around the drama piece, the readings, the singing and the music effortlessly and sensitively. Five pupils played musical instruments very competently, they all sang sweetly and all read their specific readings well. It was difficult to believe that they were eleven years old.

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Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils results in good

17 There are 73 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs, which is broadly the same as the national average. Pupils with moderate learning difficulties are the largest single group. Six pupils have statements of special educational needs and this is higher than the national average. The school has just completed a register of higher attaining pupils, including those who are gifted and talented. The teachers were asked to identify pupils who were outstanding in English, mathematics, science, art and design, design and technology, music and physical education.

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Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils results in good

18 The school provides very good support for pupils identified as having special educational needs. Following early assessment on their entry to school, their progress is followed closely by the special educational needs co-ordinator who acts as an administrator. The special educational needs teacher gives more formal support to the pupils. She works with small groups of pupils in a designated classroom that is very well resourced and equipped. In Year 3, a series of tests is carried out to assess pupils’ specific needs and programmes are put into practice, such as those to develop phonic and spelling skills. Pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 are given additional literacy support through a structured programme. An analysis of the pupils’ attainment in spelling, writing and reading and in number was carried out by the special educational needs teacher at the beginning of the programme and was followed up by a further analysis at the end. This

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Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils results in good

analysis showed that very good progress in learning had been made by the pupils and many had caught up with the other pupils in their respective year groups. This is good value for money.

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Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils results in good

19 Each week, small groups of pupils are taught English, mathematics and science by the special educational needs teacher or an additional part-time teacher so that the pupils are given sustained support. In addition, pupils are taught individually or in pairs so that their particular needs can be met more successfully. For example, the school has included in the teaching programme a commercially produced unit of work that enables pupils to work through an individualised spelling programme that constantly evaluates their progress. In a Year 5 lesson observed, the very good teaching for the four pupils showed very effective use of time and excellent resources. The boys spent ten minutes working on their spelling programme and this was followed by a writing exercise when the teacher assessed the pupils’ work quickly and gave them a specific target, for example, ‘Use capital letters correctly all the time’. One pupil

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Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils results in good

in this group was working on the computer to improve his reading skills. Again, this is a self- correcting programme and motivates the pupils to concentrate and work hard, thus improving their skills well. This group was achieving well in their writing despite their below average attainment.

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Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils results in good

20 The class teachers and special educational needs co-ordinator prepare the individual education plans for the pupils and these set clear achievable targets with specific requirements. They have clear action strategies to help pupils achieve these targets and identify the staff who will be involved in supporting the pupils. There is good liaison between all staff to ensure that their St Jude’s C of E Junior School - 14 needs are met and the pupils are well supported in their classrooms by the learning support assistants. It is clear from the work of the special educational needs teachers and the support staff that they have very good relationships with the pupils and a sensitive and caring approach to their needs. There is good liaison with outside agencies, and between the Year 6 teachers and the secondary schools that receive the pupils. The special educational needs governor has been fully involved with the pupils and, sometimes, their parents. Another governor has been

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Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils results in good

instrumental in supplying the school with very appropriate computer programs to support the pupils in their learning.

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Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils results in good

21 The school has identified higher attaining pupils and those who are considered gifted and talented. The deputy headteacher has compiled a list of the pupils who attain high standards in English, mathematics, science, art and design, design and technology, music and physical education. In addition, all pupils in Year 3 are taught the recorder when they enter the school. This is another method of identifying talented pupils who quickly show their ability to progress on the instrument rapidly. The school has organised the teaching of these pupils well. Pupils are taught either in small groups in English, or in larger ability groups for lessons in mathematics and science. Pupils who are gifted or talented in art and design, music, physical education or other subjects are offered teaching in a variety of musical instruments from visiting teachers or in after school clubs that are run by teachers or visiting specialists. In addition, pupils are offered

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Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils results in good

enrichment activities by the Local Education Authority on weekdays in mathematics, science and other subjects of the curriculum. The school ensures that the pupils are offered plenty of opportunities to practise and to give performances to the other pupils and their parents either in assemblies or in the annual music concert. Several pupils have won competitions for their poetry, artwork and sporting prowess. Continuing assessment of the pupils is the responsibility of the deputy, and arrangements are made for her to monitor lessons to focus on how well the gifted and talented pupils are challenged by their teachers. St Jude’s C of E Junior School - 15

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 14

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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 four percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 320

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 26

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 73

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 15

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 18

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 34

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Jude’s C of E Junior School - 16

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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 60 43 103

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 49 46 57 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 38 35 42

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

Percentage of pupils School 84 (82) 79 (79) 96 (91) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 51 53 58 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 37 36 36

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

Percentage of pupils School 85 (76) 86 (77) 91 (75) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Jude’s C of E Junior School - 17

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 1 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 12 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 13.59 Financial year 2000/01

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y[ ] – Y[ ] Total income £708,088

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 12 Total expenditure £670,269

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 206.5 Expenditure per pupil £1,916

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year £39,761

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year £77,580

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4.7

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3.6

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Jude’s C of E Junior School - 18

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 40 57 3 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 32 61 3 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 28 58 11 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 25 51 20 4 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 51 41 4 3 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 50 47 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 26 51 17 3 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 36 54 6 1 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 38 54 5 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 24 49 19 4 3

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