Other · Ofsted report

Staveley Junior School

Inspected — · published 7 Mar 2001 · URN 112627

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Full report text

STAVELEY JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 4 th – 8 th December 2000

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STAVELEY JUNIOR SCHOOL

Inspection number: 224063 Inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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STAVELEY 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. Staveley Junior School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: College Avenue Staveley Chesterfield Derbyshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 5 th November 1997 Staveley Junior School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

10422 Mr M Greenhalgh Registered inspector Science Information and communication technology Design and technology Physical education English as an additional language The characteristics and effectiveness of the school The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development Teaching and learning Leadership and management Key issues for action 19338 Mr G Ellis Lay inspector Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Partnership with parents and carers

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

28170 Mr I Chearman Team inspector Mathematics Geography History Religious education Equal opportunities Special educational needs 32057 Mrs J Gold Team inspector English Art and design Music Quality and range of opportunities for learning

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Bench Marque Limited National Westminster Bank Chambers Victoria Street Burnham on Sea Somerset TA8 1AN

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House Staveley Junior School - 6 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Staveley Junior School - 7

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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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is a below average sized community junior school for boys and girls aged 7 to 11 years old. It has 160 full-time pupils with an above average proportion who have entered the school between Years 3 and 6. The school is situated in a small, former mining and steel town, and social and economic conditions in the area are poorer than those expected nationally. Pupils’ attainment on entry is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs (23) is in line with the national average and for pupils with statements of special educational needs (5) it is above the national average. There are no pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is effective in providing the pupils with a satisfactory standard of education. By the time they leave school, pupils achieve standards in line with those found in schools with a similar social make up. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and is rarely unsatisfactory in lessons. Teaching is particularly strong in literacy and numeracy, especially in Years 5 and 6, and in science. The progress made by pupils is satisfactory in all subjects except information and communication technology and design and technology where it is unsatisfactory. The school’s provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is satisfactory. The attitudes, behaviour and personal development of the children in the vast majority of lessons are satisfactory and often good. However, there is a significant amount of low-level disruptive behaviour and this can have an unsatisfactory

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

effect on the progress pupils make. The strong commitment of the headteacher and senior management team to raising standards has been rewarded by the recent improvements in the achievement of pupils by the time they leave school. The governing body is very supportive of the hard work put into improving the school by the staff. Overall, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Analyses and improves the standards attained in literacy, numeracy and science. • Provides good quality teaching for literacy, numeracy and science. • Pupils’ good attitudes towards learning. • The headteacher’s clear view of how to improve the quality of education further. • Provides good support and guidance for pupils with special educational needs. • Fosters good relationships with parents.

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What could be improved

• The behaviour of pupils, especially during lunch and break times in the playground, and the management of this behaviour by all members of the teaching and non-teaching staff. • The levels of attendance at the school by pupils. • The standards achieved in information and communication technology. • The teachers’ quality of lesson planning, marking and overall assessment of the progress made by pupils in their classes. • The management of the curriculum to ensure groups of pupils in the same year, but in different classes, are offered the same opportunities to learn. • The role of the curriculum co-ordinator in subjects other than literacy and numeracy.

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What could be improved

The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Staveley Junior School - 9

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has improved considerably since its original inspection in 1995. Improvement since the last inspection in 1997, when the school came out of special measures, has been satisfactory. The significantly improved standards in literacy, numeracy and science in 2000 compared to 1999 have, on the whole, been maintained with the present Year 6. Standards in information and communication technology have fallen from satisfactory to unsatisfactory, and in music from good to satisfactory. Planning for literacy and numeracy has improved significantly as a result of the national strategies. The school’s use of national Programmes of Study in other subjects ensures better depth, balance and progression in all areas of the National Curriculum than was reported in 1995. However, teachers’ planning still does not take full account of the different levels of attainment identified in the National Curriculum.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Teaching styles are now sufficiently varied to ensure that different aspects of the curriculum are delivered effectively, for example, investigative work in science. Behaviour is not as good as at the last inspection and levels of attendance, despite some improvement since then, remain well below the national average. The headteacher has developed effective planning to ensure the school’s priorities for improvement are fully understood by all and are achieved. Sound systems are also in place to monitor and evaluate how effective the school’s initiatives are, especially in literacy and numeracy. However, no similar systems are yet in place for other areas of the curriculum. The school’s provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is now satisfactory and improving. All health and safety issues identified in the previous report have been resolved. The school’s capacity for further

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The school exceeded its targets for 2000 in mathematics, and even more so in English. These improvements in standards were significant when compared with the standards the school achieved in 1999. Significant improvements were also made in science. Standards for Year 6 are, at present, below those achieved by last year’s Year 6. However, with the additional support this present year group is receiving, it is expected that by the end of the year, standards will be in line with those achieved last year for English and mathematics but will remain slightly lower in science. Boys in the present Year 6 achieve better than girls, reversing last year’s picture. Pupils’ achievements in art, history, music and physical education are satisfactory and much in line with expectations nationally. However, achievements in information and communication technology (ICT) and design and technology are unsatisfactory and below the standards expected nationally. Geography has not been

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STANDARDS

taught this term and therefore no judgements on standards have been made. Pupils with Staveley Junior School - 10 special educational needs are well supported and make good progress against the specific targets set for them.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils tend to work hard in lessons. The vast majority of pupils in nearly all lessons are well motivated, keen and interested. Their attitudes towards homework are, however, patchy and unsatisfactory overall.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Overall, the behaviour of pupils is unsatisfactory. Whilst the vast majority of behaviour during lessons is at least satisfactory and often good, some poor playground behaviour, particularly amongst boys, spills into lessons and reduces the quality of learning. There have been a significant number of exclusions in the last school year.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Satisfactory. The large majority of pupils work together well, show good levels of independence, particularly during practical work, and are keen to help around school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Unsatisfactory. Although the levels of attendance have improved in the last two years, they remain well below the national average.

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Teaching of pupils: aged 7-11 years

Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: aged 7-11 years

Approximately half the lessons seen during the inspection were good or very good (17 per cent very good and 31 per cent good). Forty-eight per cent of lessons were satisfactory and five per cent (two lessons) were unsatisfactory. The quality of teaching in literacy and numeracy is particularly good, especially in Years 5 and 6. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of both subjects and challenge pupils of all abilities effectively. In numeracy, teachers develop pupils’ mental agility and mathematical language well. In literacy, pupils have good opportunities to develop their writing across subject areas. As a result, they write effectively for different purposes, such as explaining how they conducted a scientific investigation. The knowledge and understanding of specialist teachers strengthens progress in music and swimming. The most effective teaching is characterised by the very

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Teaching of pupils: aged 7-11 years

good use of learning resources to stimulate the pupils’ interest. This was especially effective in practical science lessons and also in literacy, when activities such as cooking enabled pupils to write instructions clearly. In a minority of lessons, teaching and learning are affected by the mismanagement of low-level disruption created by pupils. In the two unsatisfactory lessons seen, the teaching of specific skills was ineffective. Lesson planning in subjects other than literacy and numeracy, lacks a clear identification of what pupils of different abilities are expected to achieve. This in turn sometimes leads to unfocused assessment of the progress pupils make and to a lack of comments in pupils’ books to support and guide learning. This is especially the case in helping to ensure pupils make sufficient progress in information and communication technology and design and technology. Staveley Junior School - 11

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The school meets the National Curriculum requirements. There is a good emphasis on teaching literacy and numeracy skills.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The school provides effective support through the well-defined individual education programmes for pupils, the in-class support from teaching assistants and through the additional support provided by the local education authority.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Satisfactory. Spiritual development is supported well during whole- school and class assemblies but is not planned well across all subject areas. Pupils are encouraged to help around school and are often reminded by staff about what is right and wrong. Relationships between staff and pupils are good. The school promotes cultural awareness satisfactorily through the teaching of art and music and through regular visits to the local area.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory. The school’s health and safety procedures are very good and child protection procedures are effective. In some instances, supervision during lunch and break times is unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The school has good relationships with parents. There are regular meetings to discuss the progress pupils make and the school has developed a programme to improve parents’ own literacy and numeracy skills. Information that parents receive about the school and their own children is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher has a good overview of the school’s performance and is clear about what needs to be done next. She is supported effectively by a senior management team that takes on a good deal of curricular responsibility.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. The governing body ensures that all statutory requirements are met. Governors are becoming increasingly involved in monitoring the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. In English, mathematics and science there is very good analysis of the school’s performance in national tests and of pupils’ attainment at the end of each year. Monitoring and evaluation of other areas of the curriculum are unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. The school makes good use of the local swimming pool and library and of the music specialist. The school’s financial resources are well matched to the school’s priorities for improvement. The school has adequate teaching staff and learning resources and its accommodation is satisfactory overall. However, whilst the majority of facilities is good, two of the classrooms Staveley Junior School - 12 are small for the number of pupils using them. They are also damp and lack toilet facilities. The school applies the principles of best value satisfactorily.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• They feel comfortable when approaching the school with suggestions and complaints. • The school expects pupils to work hard. • Their children like school. • The teaching is good and pupils make good progress. • The school is well led and managed. • The school helps children to become mature. • The amount of homework given to pupils. • The insufficient range of activities offered to the children.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the majority of views expressed by the parents. The range of activities offered by the school is satisfactory. Although the school provides a sufficient quantity of homework, pupils do not always complete it. Staveley Junior School - 13

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The school’s results and achievements

1. In 2000, standards in English, mathematics and science improved significantly over those achieved by the school in 1999. Improvements were especially good in English and science. Standards, however, remain well below the national average for English and mathematics but in line with the standards expected in similar schools. Standards in science are in line with the national average and well above those achieved in similar schools. The targets, based on the school’s previous performance, set by the school for the proportion of pupils achieving the national expectation or above for this particular year group, were exceeded by 20 per cent in English and by nine per cent in mathematics. The improvement in mathematics was for the second year running, whereas standards in English have fluctuated much more over the last two years. These improvements in standards are due to the school’s effective analysis of how

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The school’s results and achievements

pupils perform in the national tests, an increased expectation of how well the pupils can do and the introduction of ‘booster’ classes which allow Year 6 pupils to work in two smaller groups rather than one large one. These smaller classes enable the school to group pupils by ability so that the teachers can focus more effectively on the particular needs of individual pupils.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. Standards, for the present Year 6, are much in line with the standards achieved by pupils last year and therefore, the school has sustained the significant improvements made last year. Standards remain below the national expectation in English and mathematics, and are now below in science, which represents a slight fall from last year’s standards. However, these judgements do not take into account the effect of the ‘booster’ classes this year. The school has set very challenging targets, which are above the standards achieved last year in English and mathematics, and these could well be met, given the good quality of teaching in Year 6. The main turn around in standards for the present Year 6 is that boys are outperforming the girls, a complete reversal of last year. The school has been making considerable efforts to improve the standards attained by the boys and these efforts should not be underestimated.

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The school’s results and achievements

However, the turn around is mainly because this year, there are more girls in the lowest attaining group, including those with special educational needs.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. Improvements in English and mathematics have been strongly influenced by the introduction of the literacy and numeracy strategies. The strategies have developed much more focused teaching, especially in the areas of learning that are weakest. Members of the teaching staff are much more aware of the expectations of the National Curriculum and they target specific groups of pupils more effectively. For example, the introduction of an intensive reading programme highlights the particular difficulties individual pupils experience.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. In English, although standards are below the national expectation, achievements in speaking and listening and reading are satisfactory; in writing they are good. When pupils, now in Year 6, entered the school, their writing was of a lower standard than their reading. The strong emphasis across the curriculum for pupils to formulate their own writing for different purposes helps them to develop a wide range of writing skills. For example, in science, pupils write scientifically about the outcomes of their investigations. Handwriting skills are also well developed. This has much to do with the regular formal handwriting sessions that are taught. All pupils write legibly in joined handwriting and by the time they reach Year 6, it is fluent and very neatly presented. Staveley Junior School - 14 Pupils speak confidently during class discussions and listen attentively; speaking skills are, however, less assured when pupils speak to less familiar audiences. Reading

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The school’s results and achievements

skills are generally satisfactory and higher attaining pupils read with good expression, altering their voice to suit different characters. However, library skills, amongst younger pupils in particular, are weak, and few understand how to find different types of books in the library to support their learning. In mathematics, standards are below the national expectation but achievement is satisfactory. Year 6 pupils have a sound understanding of shape, decimal notation and metric measures and use a good range of mental and written methods to solve problems accurately. They are less secure in their understanding of fractions. In science, standards in Year 6 are more in line with the national expectation, but still below, and achievement is satisfactory. Pupils make satisfactory and sometimes good progress in lessons throughout the school, mainly because of good practical investigations. For example, pupils have a sound

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The school’s results and achievements

understanding of electrical circuits in Years 3 and 4 and know the relationship between the earth and the sun and how this creates shadows of different lengths at different times of the day in Year 6.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. In most other subjects of the National Curriculum, standards are in line with the national expectation. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in art, history, music, physical education, and in line with the local expectations in religious education. Standards are below the national expectations and pupils underachieve in information and communication technology (ICT) and design and technology. Insufficient evidence was available to make judgements on standards in geography. In ICT, pupils’ word processing skills are unsatisfactory. They are unable to edit their own work sufficiently and their poor keyboard skills slow the rate at which they produce text. In design and technology, pupils’ skills of making are satisfactory but their design skills are very basic and contain insufficient detail on the types of materials they are to use and what the finished article is intended to look like. Pupils make little progress in the quality of their design work as

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The school’s results and achievements

6. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards their individual learning targets. Their individual educational programmes are well focused and shared effectively with the pupils. They receive good support during lessons from classroom assistants, and the local education authority also provides good support to those pupils with more specific educational needs. This helps to ensure that the pupils are keen to learn and that they take full advantage of the good opportunities offered by the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. Pupils have good attitudes to learning in lessons and many of the older pupils show good levels of interest in school life and help to ensure the daily running of the school is smooth. However, attitudes towards homework are unsatisfactory overall and significant numbers of pupils do not complete the tasks set for them. Pupils are keen to set up the hall for assembly, distribute registers to the classes so that registration can be taken on time, pick up litter from the playground and help to organise the library. In lessons, they listen well to the instructions provided by the teachers and settle quickly to the tasks. This was especially evident in practical science lessons when pupils were keen to investigate how to make electrical circuits or to vary the length of a shadow using torches and lollysticks. Pupils knew what was expected of them, organised their own groups well and did not waste any time. In many instances, pupils are keen and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

well motivated. They are interested in the content of the lessons are make effective contributions. For example, in an English lesson, pupils in Year 5 were discussing enthusiastically the types of words younger children would or would not understand if you were reading a story to them or writing one for them. Overall, pupils are keen to Staveley Junior School - 15 explore how they can improve their work and are happy for other pupils to make suggestions. The learning attitudes of pupils with special educational needs are good and they have pride and satisfaction in their achievements. They work and co-operate well within groups in class and with the local authority support teacher. She particularly supports those who have statements of special educational needs but also gives benefit to other pupils in group work.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. The behaviour of the large majority of pupils in school is good but this is spoilt by a significant number of boys who behave poorly, particularly during lunch and break times. Because of this, behaviour overall is unsatisfactory. Most pupils move around the school in an orderly fashion, show good levels of consideration for others and are helpful to each other and adults. During lunch times for example, pupils move in and out of the hall sensibly and eat their meals in a respectable way. In lessons, they use learning resources with care, as in physical education lessons, when groups of pupils were given the responsibility for taking out and putting back large equipment. The vast majority of behaviour during the lessons is also good, enabling at least satisfactory progress to be made. However, there are occasions when the more boisterous behaviour on the playground spills into the lesson. On these occasions, pupils enter the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

classrooms in a noisy fashion and it takes the teachers too long to settle them down. In the extreme instances, low-level disruptive behaviour is not picked up quickly by teachers, and the progress pupils make slows. The behaviour in the playground is sometimes poor and there were several instances of boys, in particular, being aggressive to one another. The lack of supervision at the end of playtimes also contributes to the excitement of the playground continuing for the duration of the long walk back into school. Exclusions at the school in the last year are higher than is usual for a school of this size. All five pupils have been boys.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils’ personal development is satisfactory overall. Most pupils show a good deal of respect for each other and develop good relationships with their peers and the adults around the school. The development of the pupils’ maturity is a priority for the school, and many Year 6 pupils are given the responsibility, for example, of showing the new intake from the neighbouring infant school around the junior school to help ensure they have positive attitudes about transferring. Pupils are very willing to take on this kind of responsibility and carry out their duties effectively. When working in groups, pupils show good levels of independence and work efficiently and effectively. This was especially the case in a Year 6 science lesson when pupils delegated jobs to each other and showed a good deal of willingness to carry them out so that the task of making a section of an air-raid shelter could be completed on time. The weakness in the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

personal development of a small number of boys is the lack of desire to get along amicably with their peers. As a result, relationships are strained and this sometimes affects their attitudes to their work in the lesson.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Attendance has improved over the last two years. However, it remains well below the national average and is therefore unsatisfactory. Unauthorised absence is broadly in line with the national average.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

11. The quality of teaching is good overall, but ranges between very good and unsatisfactory. During the inspection, 17 per cent of lessons seen were very good, 31 per cent good, 48 per cent satisfactory and five per cent unsatisfactory. This is a significant improvement on the inspection findings in 1995 when teaching was judged to be unsatisfactory, and again on the teaching in 1997 when the judgement overall was satisfactory. Staveley Junior School - 16 12. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is good. The training that teachers have received in the process of introducing the literacy and numeracy strategies has significantly increased their knowledge of what they are teaching. In literacy, an improved understanding of the concepts enables the teachers to match the challenge of work effectively to pupils with different abilities. Teachers also make effective use of lively activities, such as planting bulbs, to help motivate and interest the pupils. In these

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

instances, pupils respond enthusiastically and are keen to complete their writing well. In numeracy lessons, teachers have a good awareness of how to develop the pupils’ understanding of concepts, increase their mental agility and improve their grasp of mathematical vocabulary. In a Year 6 ‘booster’ class, the teacher used number bingo to enhance the pupils’ ability to double and halve two-digit numbers quickly, and showed a very good degree of skill in stretching and challenging the pupils to their limits, whilst keeping them well motivated.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13. Music and swimming also benefit a good deal from the expertise of the teachers. In swimming, the specialist instructor at the local swimming pool showed a very good understanding of how to improve the quality of the pupils’ swimming styles. Clear instruction and demonstration were given and matched effectively to the careful use of aids such as floats to enhance the quality of the strokes pupils were using. In music, the teacher’s knowledge of the subject enables Year 5 pupils to gain a firm understanding of technical terms such as ‘crochet’ and ‘minim’. She is also able to create a good willingness amongst the pupils to perform their instruments well when creating music for quiet and noisy cities.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. The most effective teaching is characterised by the good use of learning resources to help stimulate and motivate the pupils. A good example occurred when, in a Year 6 lesson, the teacher used a wide variety of resources to develop the pupils’ understanding of the happenings and events of Word War 2. A wide range of books, newspapers, photographs and CD-Rom materials was used to encourage the pupils to do their own research and to make good gains in the skills of enquiry. In a Year 5 art lesson, very good use was made of the techniques used by Pablo Picasso to draw out the mood of people when producing a picture of a face. This enabled pupils to be much more alert to the tones of colour they were using to illustrate faces that were angry or sad for example.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The planning produced by the teachers is satisfactory overall and ensures that in literacy and numeracy lessons, pupils of different abilities are supported and challenged effectively. The planning is also successful in ensuring a range of teaching styles is used effectively. All lessons tend to start with a good introduction when the main objectives of the lesson are shared with the pupils so that they are able to start their task without wasting time. The role of the teacher in the main part of the lesson varies a good deal from the effective tight control of a literacy or numeracy lesson to encouraging the freedom to investigate through trial and error in the practical science lesson. The weakness of the planning is in the detail of the objectives for the different abilities of the pupils within subjects other than English and mathematics. It is therefore unclear what the most able pupils are expected to learn that is more than the average

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

pupils, and this makes it very difficult for teachers to assess how well the pupils are doing. This is particularly evident in information and communication technology where the progress made by pupils in developing their word processing skills is unsatisfactory. It is also the case in design and technology where the development of design skills is weak. In the unsatisfactory lessons seen in physical education and handwriting, the teachers’ lack of focused planning led to pupils receiving no guidance on how to improve the quality of the skills they were using. Staveley Junior School - 17 16. One of the weakest aspects of teaching overall is the teachers’ level of acceptance of low-level disturbances created by the pupils. When this occurs, the negative effect on the lesson is that progress reduces from very good or good to satisfactory. In physical education lessons, the teachers’ acceptance of a high level of noise contributes to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

some pupils’ lack of concentration and silly behaviour. In a science lesson, the practical aspect of the lesson deteriorated and pupils gained very little from the investigation. Another weak aspect of the teaching is that marking does not help to support and guide further advances in pupils’ learning. Most teachers use a simple ticking system and therefore useful comments to individual pupils are rare.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The quality of teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good. Classroom assistants supporting these pupils have good skills to help and guide their learning individually or when working in a group. The teachers’ planning and organisation of the use of the classroom assistant is clear and this ensures they are well focused, enabling the pupils to make good progress. During whole-class discussions, most questions asked by the teachers are carefully framed to challenge pupils at their own levels of attainment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The teachers set homework on a regular basis. Most of this is linked to the class lessons and is used to enhance the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of what has been covered. However, the teachers do not have the expectation that all pupils will complete it and therefore do not insist that it is completed. Consequently, the work is not done and the intentions are not realised.

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PUPILS?

19. The school provides a broad and satisfactory curriculum which meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and the Derbyshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. However, Year 5 pupils in the Year 4/5 split class do not receive the same curriculum as other Year 5 pupils. This is particularly so for topic-based subjects such as science, geography and history. The school is aware of the issue but is unable, at this stage, to guarantee that by the end of their time in school, the gaps in the pupils’ learning will be made up. However, despite this, the school works hard to ensure that well organised planning gives all the pupils equality of opportunity.

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PUPILS?

20. Curriculum planning has improved significantly since the last inspection to ensure knowledge, skills and understanding are built on successfully as pupils move through the school. Weaknesses do remain, however, in design and technology, especially regarding the development of design skills. Nevertheless, this improved structure has improved the provision. The curriculum is now strong in literacy, numeracy and science, especially so in Years 5 and 6.

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PUPILS?

21. The school has successfully implemented the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. Good use is made of the schemes of work provided by these strategies. An appropriate emphasis on English, mathematics and science has resulted in an improvement of standards in these subjects and their use across the curriculum. In addition, national guidance for planning in other subjects is being satisfactorily adapted in most subjects to ensure that there is sufficient breadth, balance and progress in all areas of the curriculum. However, use of information and communication technology across the curriculum is unsatisfactory. 22. The school has developed and put into place a good personal, social and health education programme. This helps to promote a caring and responsible community. Staveley Junior School - 18 Also, class discussions are used effectively to promote a good sense of citizenship. Suitable arrangements are in place for sex education, which is ably run by the school

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PUPILS?

nurse, and also for drug awareness. Pupils produce personal portfolios of work in personal, social and health education and these help teachers to identify the progress pupils make. Good plans are in place to introduce a school’s council system to build pupils’ self-esteem and confidence, and also to introduce a school buddy scheme to prevent bullying.

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PUPILS?

23. Pupils with special educational needs have well-structured individual education plans and work is set to meet the targets within them. Teachers consult with the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) regularly to evaluate the pupils’ progress towards them. The pupils with statements receive carefully matched work in literacy and numeracy; other pupils on the special needs register receive additional support for literacy. There are good strategies in place for pupils with behavioural difficulties and the school works well with a local pupil referral unit that specialises in such pupils.

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PUPILS?

24. The provision of extra-curricular activities is satisfactory and enhances pupils’ learning, particularly in music. Extra-curricular activities include a computer club, choir, recorders, netball, football and soccer and rugby coaching. Residential and theatre trips are undertaken and these provide valuable experiences for pupils. Theatre groups are invited into school and support topic work. For example, an interactive production of ‘The Egyptians’ added to the pupils’ understanding of the distant past. An upper school trip to Eden Camp supported pupils’ understanding of life in England during World War 2 and pupils were very knowledgeable when relating their experiences. During the inspection, Year 3 pupils held an assembly for parents at which several pupils used their voice expressively, reading parts in a dialogue and demonstrating different ways of playing percussion instruments.

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PUPILS?

25. There are good links with the feeder infant school and good transfer arrangements from the infant school. Students from Derby University assist with school trips through links with one of the school governors. Pupils speak enthusiastically about their visit to the link secondary schools and feel that they are well prepared for the transition. Community links make a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ learning. The chair of governors is a local businessman and the school has developed sound links with businesses through the Education and Business Partnership. The school has also built useful links with the local church.

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PUPILS?

26. The satisfactory standards noted in the previous inspection report for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development have been maintained. The satisfactory provision for pupils’ personal development reflects the school’s aims. Their spiritual development is encouraged effectively through assemblies, collective worship and the programme of religious education lessons. These enable pupils to reflect on their own experiences and to explore the values of others. Pupils are actively involved in assemblies and gain practice in expressing their thoughts and feelings. This is augmented by work in the classroom, where pupils are invited to share their triumphs and disappointments with their classmates. Collective worship is of satisfactory quality. A prayer is spoken and there is a moment of quiet reflection. In all these activities, pupils’ ideas and opinions are respected and valued. The development of spirituality

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PUPILS?

across the curriculum is not planned and therefore opportunities for this to occur are very limited and random.

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PUPILS?

27. Provision for moral development is satisfactory. A good programme of personal, social and health education includes issues such as ‘citizenship’. Pupils are clear about what is right and what is wrong but this does not have an effective impact on the behaviour of Staveley Junior School - 19 a significant minority of boys. Sensible rules are displayed in all classrooms. A system of rewards confirms one of the school’s aims; to work towards high standards of conduct, politeness, consideration and self-discipline. Most of the older pupils have internalised an effective moral code and set a good example to younger pupils.

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PUPILS?

28. Overall, the school provides a satisfactory environment for pupils’ social development. As a result, relationships between pupils are satisfactory overall, members of staff provide good role models and encourage pupils to help each other. However, supervision at lunch and break times is not always effective. There are various activities designed to improve pupils’ social skills. For example, Year 6 pupils escort visiting Year 2 pupils around the school as part of their induction, and pupils on the ‘energy team’ help to enforce energy efficiency by checking on unnecessary lights and dripping taps. There is a full range of certificates, which are used to promote social skills as well as academic achievements.

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PUPILS?

29. Overall, provision for cultural development is satisfactory. The school provides visits to support curriculum topics such as Chesterfield and Sheffield museums for work on Ancient Egypt, and Eden Camp to support work on World War 2. There are also regular visits to theatres as well as visiting theatre groups, again related to curriculum topics, for example the Onatti theatre group. Pupils are taught effectively about diverse cultures and visit institutions of the various faiths within a climate of mutual respect. The programmes of religious and personal, social and health education support this well, and pupils receive appropriate preparation for life in a multicultural society. The school’s activities embrace the wider community and include effective commercial links. There are satisfactory links with the local churches and one of the ministers visits the school at harvest festival. Pupils are involved in carol singing in the market square and have

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PUPILS?

taken part in local activities, for example the town council painting competition.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. The school provides a caring and protective working environment, which results in good overall welfare provision. Members of staff have good knowledge of pupils and give them satisfactory support and guidance. There are satisfactory procedures for monitoring and improving their personal development and attendance. The school has some good systems in place to monitor unsatisfactory behaviour, however, these are not always carried out consistently and, overall, the procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are unsatisfactory. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are satisfactory.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. All members of staff provide good pastoral care for the pupils. The school places a high priority on welfare, and support is a vital element in pupils’ learning. The personal support and guidance provided by the headteacher, class teachers and support staff are effectively matched to the needs of particular pupils and this is acknowledged and valued by parents.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. They are supported well and integrated in all areas of the school. External agencies are used well and regularly to the benefit of the pupils. The school provides good support and guidance which assist pupils’ progress and their confidence. Current arrangements for child protection are good. The school does not have a separate child protection policy of its own but it does conform to the policies of the local authority and has adopted its guidance, including defined local responsibilities and practical procedures. The designated staff co-ordinator is well experienced and has received the appropriate training. All members of the teaching staff have been briefed in the policy and are aware of the relevant Staveley Junior School - 20 procedures to be followed. However, although the midday supervisory staff are aware of whom to approach if they have concerns, they have not received the same quality of

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school has good procedures for health and safety with well-defined internal responsibilities, which are well understood. It monitors health and safety requirements well and conducts frequent inspections, which include the involvement of a member of the governing body. There are good, systematic risk assessment arrangements. There are good arrangements for the care and support of pupils who are taken ill at school, first aid, appropriately maintained accident records and regular fire drills. The school provides a safe and healthy environment.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school has a comprehensive, positive behaviour policy and takes advantage of a good behaviour support service for particular pupils. However, taken as a whole, procedures for monitoring and promoting discipline and good behaviour are unsatisfactory. There is a lack of a structured approach to emphasise consistently high expectations of behaviour. Members of staff provide good role models but the positive direction they provide is not wholly successful because a significant minority of pupils is not always motivated to act responsibly. When tackled by staff, individual instances are well managed but the need to be consistent in the rigorous handling of inappropriate behaviour is not always recognised. As a result, opportunities to promote good behaviour are sometimes missed and unsettled behaviour during break and lunch times tend to spill over into the classroom. However, there is an effective policy for dealing

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

with bullying and there is a satisfactory arrangement for resolving incidents that arise.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Attendance information is produced in detail to support the satisfactory monitoring procedures. The procedures for improving attendance are satisfactory. They include follow-up procedures and reminders to parents as well as specific initiatives targeted on particular pupils. However, with attendance below the national average, these activities are only partly successful. The school has recently introduced computerised attendance recording procedures, enabling the school to access information more efficiently and take speedier action to reduce absences. Whilst registers are completed effectively in accordance with regulations, they are not always completed promptly at the beginning of the afternoon session. There are no significant problems of lateness and lessons are able to start on time.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Liaison with the education welfare service is good. There is satisfactory monitoring of pupils’ personal development by teaching and non-teaching staff throughout the year. As a result, advances made in maturity and personal development satisfactorily prepare pupils for their next stage of education.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Pupils are provided with opportunities to exercise responsibility. Various regular routine duties are undertaken in each class while older pupils undertake additional duties such as closing the main gates, collecting litter, assisting in running the tuck shop and assemblies, and undertaking library and register duties. Pupils are involved in supporting various charities. Older pupils are also involved with a residential visit to Castleton.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The school has good systems for assessing pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science, and analyses of these results are used to feed back into teachers’ planning and whole-school development planning. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Standardised tests are undertaken in English and mathematics and pupils’ results are tracked throughout the key stage. Within classes, assessments are regularly made in other subjects, and weekly in spelling, tables and reading. Teachers Staveley Junior School - 21 collect some examples of pupils’ written work in English throughout the school and each example is given a level that reflects pupils’ attainment. This enables the school to hold focused staff discussions and for staff to identify appropriate attainment expectations for each age group. The school has set targets for pupils of each year group setting out their expected progress in English and mathematics. Individual targets are pasted in

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

literacy books in some year groups, and in marking pupils’ work, teachers occasionally refer to them to assess progress made towards them. However, this practice is not consistent throughout the school and often teacher comment does not help pupils to improve their work nor does it inform parents and teachers of pupils’ progress. The assessment of pupils’ attainment in other areas of the curriculum is ineffective, because progress is not measured against National Curriculum levels of attainment.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. The school’s links with parents are good. Parents provide good general and financial support to the school. They have a good opinion of what it provides and achieves. The school places great value on its partnership with parents and generally has satisfactory relationships with them. Overall, the quality of information provided to parents is satisfactory. There is a useful involvement of parents in the school and their contribution to their children’s learning is good.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The school communicates frequently with parents and overall, the quality of information is satisfactory. There is a satisfactory governing body’s annual report to parents and an informative prospectus. Regular general newsletters are well presented and suitably pitched at parents’ needs. However, the main thrust of the school’s communications with parents is to develop better interaction to support pupils’ learning. The school’s ‘open door’ policy successfully encourages regular and broad parental contact, enabling the school to maintain satisfactory links with parents.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The annual reports to parents are generally satisfactory. They provide clear descriptions of work covered in all subjects but these are insufficiently related to National Curriculum levels and do not always provide information on what pupils know, understand and can do. They do not routinely refer to areas for future development, though they do provide indications of how parents can assist their children. However, parents’ information about their children is frequently broadened by their discussions with staff throughout the year.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. There are three opportunities for formal consultation during the year, including one following the issuing of pupils’ annual reports. These are well supported by parents. Parents have been consulted on the home-school agreement and given an opportunity to comment and contribute to the final document.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept informed of annual reviews and about the stage on the Code of Practice at which their child should be placed. They are invited to attend and participate in meetings with school staff and outside agencies.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. Overall, the contribution of parents to their children’s learning is good. Systematic arrangements for home reading provide parents with opportunities for involvement in their children’s education. While the school provides some guidance on homework and curriculum information, it is not always sufficiently detailed. Some parents feel that the homework arrangements are not consistently applied across classes. However, the school has embarked on useful initiatives to encourage parental involvement, for example, the ‘Read On, Write On’ family literacy project and the community teaching support for those parents who are providing valuable assistance with literacy and Staveley Junior School - 22 numeracy in classes. All these initiatives have had a positive impact on learning and are an improvement on the last inspection.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Parents’ perceptions of the school are good and they appreciate the educational direction and support for pupils. They feel that the school is accessible, that they are welcomed and that members of staff are approachable. They give good support to school activities and valuable financial support to the school.

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