Pickering Community Junior School

PICKERING COMMUNITY JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 25 – 26 September 2000

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PICKERING COMMUNITY JUNIOR SCHOOL

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

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PICKERING COMMUNITY 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. Pickering Community Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Middleton Road Pickering North Yorkshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Eric Burrell

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 1 May 1995 Pickering Community Junior School - 4

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Team members

Joe Fitzpatrick (OIN: 19874) Registered inspector Mickie Jacobs (OIN: 13808) Lay inspector Linda Murphy (OIN: 16173) Team inspector

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Team members

Schools Inspection Service Fairfax Hall Beckett Park Campus Leeds LS6 3QS

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Pickering Community Junior School - 5

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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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Number of full-time pupils : 300 (bigger than average) Pupils with English as an additional language: 0 Pupils entitled to free school meals: 9.7% (below average) Pupils on register of special educational needs: 19.3% (about average) Average class size: 25

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The attainment of seven-year-olds when they start at the school is low average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school with many strengths. The pupils achieve high standards in most aspects of their education. The strengths of the school greatly outweigh any weaknesses. The school provides very good value for money in view of the standards achieved, the good quality of resources and the recent improvements to the building.

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What the school does well

• Attainment in English is well above average. In particular, pupils read and speak well. • Teaching and learning are good overall and the pupils have good attitudes to learning and are keen to do their best. • The school provides particularly good support for more able pupils and for those with special educational needs in a stimulating and caring environment. • The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is very high. • The headteacher, senior managers and the governors together with the rest of the staff create an ethos that strongly supports learning and the attainment of high standards .

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What could be improved

• In line with the national trend, standards in writing fall some way behind standards in reading and speaking, especially in the case of average and below average pupils. • The annual reports to parents in 1999-2000 failed to report on information and communication technology (ICT) separately and did not declare targets for improvement in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The developments made since the last inspection in May 1995 have built on the good standards being attained at that time. The role of the senior management team has been considerably developed, leaving the headteacher with more time to exercise leadership. Several initiatives introduced since the last inspection have helped to raise standards, notably the ‘focus teaching’ which enables teachers to teach pupils of all levels of attainment in smaller and more homogeneous ability groups and to give them more individual attention.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The standards of attainment achieved in end of Key Stage 2 national tests have risen steadily, in line with the national trend, and the improved results between 1999 and 2000 are likely to be better than the improvement achieved nationally. The SCITT project (school centred initial teacher training) , in which the school is engaged in partnership with Nottingham University, is a valuable source of in-service training for four members of staff and contributes positively to the level of professional discussion throughout the school. Routines of testing, benchmarking and making use of comparative statistical data are now better established and help the school to evaluate its performance more rigorously. Recent extensions of the school building, including the provision of two new classrooms, mean that the school is well placed to continue to make improvements in teaching and standards of attainment.

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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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Key

1997 1998 1999 1999 English B A A A well above average above average A B mathematics B A C C average below average C D science B B C C well below average E

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Key

In terms of the percentage of pupils achieving at or above the national average of Level 4, the school achieved above average and exceeded its own targets of 78 per cent in English and 75 per cent in mathematics. At Level 5 and above the school’s performance in 1999 was below national averages but results in national tests for 2000 in each of the three core subjects are better than those achieved the previous year, notably in the percentage of pupils achieving at or above Level 5. The 2000 results exceed the school’s targets, including the targets set for achievement at or above Level 5, and are likely to compare well with national averages, though these are not yet available. There has been a gradual trend upwards in the school’s results in recent years, in line with the national trend. The improvements achieved between 1999 and 2000 are likely to be better than improvements nationally.

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Key

The work of pupils seen during the inspection indicates high standards in reading and speaking, average standards in writing and high standards in mathematics and numeracy. Pupils of all levels of ability generally make good progress. In 2000 , girls achieved at a higher level than boys, but a considerably larger proportion of boys were on the register of special educational needs. The ‘value added’ achieved by the school is good: the pupils achieving above national averages in 2000 were achieving just below national averages on entry to the school in 1996. There was insufficient evidence of attainment in information and communication technology and in religious education.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils are keen to learn and have a strong wish to succeed in what they do. They have a well developed sense of responsibility and show very good attitudes in all areas of their work. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in and out of lessons is good. Pupils show respect for adults and each other and treat school property well. Personal development and relationships Personal development is very good. Pupils volunteer to do chores around the school and willingly exercise responsibility and take part in school activities. Relationships among pupils and between pupils and teachers were very good. Attendance Attendance is better than average and unauthorised absence is below the national average. Pickering Community Junior School - 8

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Teaching of pupils: aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall 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: aged 7-11 years

The teaching seen was mainly good and some was very good. The focus teaching, which accounts for about 20 per cent of the teaching of Literacy and about 10 per cent of the teaching of Numeracy, enables teachers to focus closely on the needs of pupils of different levels of ability, including those of pupils with special educational needs, and to give them more individual attention. Teachers have good subject knowledge and make challenging but realistic demands of the pupils. Good question and answer routines involve pupils in their learning and help them to learn by talking. Most pupils get down to work quickly, apply themselves and sustain their concentration for the duration of the lesson.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is broad and balanced. All the subjects of the National Curriculum plus religious education are taught. Half the available time is devoted to the teaching of English and mathematics and there is good attention given to basic skills of literacy and numeracy. Residential visits for the older pupils and extra-curricular activities, including sports, broaden pupils’ experience. The school works well in partnership with parents and the links with schools in other European countries add a European dimension to work in several subjects. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good provision is made through the focus teaching project for pupils on the register of special educational needs as well as for more able pupils and those with particular talents. In addition, time is regularly set aside for the intensive support of pupils with special educational needs by focusing on their

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Aspect Comment

basic needs with the result that the work of these pupils shows steady improvement. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Opportunities are provided for pupils to develop spiritually and morally through good quality assemblies and encounter with Christianity and other world faiths in religious education. Social education is promoted through residential visits in Years 5 and 6 and the European links contribute to pupils’ understanding of other cultures. How well the school cares for its pupils Very well. The school’s motto “to care” is realised in a caring ethos and pupils’ academic progress is monitored carefully. Pickering Community Junior School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The excellent leadership exercised by the headteacher and the support provided by the other members of the senior management team and the governing body have created an ethos conducive to learning and the attainment of high standards. The Investment in Excellence programme undertaken by all teaching and teacher support staff has helped to generate a common philosophy and a shared approach to problems. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very well. Governors are involved in the work of the school. Each governor “shadows” a member of staff and the knowledge governors gain of the school informs their decisions and the targets they set the school for improvement. The school’s evaluation of its performance The school carries out detailed analyses of its results in national tests and, in addition, receives analyses of annual standardised tests in each year group. It

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Aspect Comment

is now considering how pupils might improve their writing. The strategic use of resources Very good use is made of all staff, material resources and of the building. Recent improvements to the building – the addition of a new room for music and a new classroom and study – are helping the school to be more efficient and effective. The creation of more teaching spaces has meant that the school can make more use of small group work. Improvements to the outdoor play area have extended the pupils’ opportunities to play and contribute to their social development. The school applies the principles of best value.

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Aspect Comment

Expenditure per pupil is below the national average for primary schools. The purchase of additional teachers to assist teaching in Literacy and Numeracy is having a beneficial impact on standards in these subject areas.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The progress made by pupils and their standards of attainment • Pupils are expected to work hard and do their best • The school is approachable • This is a thoughtful and well led school • The school helps children become mature and responsible • There is good range of activities, including sports • Advance notice of topics is provided before each term • Some would like more time between receiving the annual report and the July parents’ evening • Some would like an additional parents’ evening, to fall between that in October and that in July • Some would like reports to indicate the levels their children attain in each core subject and to set targets for improvement

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors endorse all the positive and some of the negative comments of parents. An additional parents’ evening in mid-year would help some parents take action on diagnosed weaknesses in their children’s performance before the end of the school year. However, the school already has an open working day and evening in the Spring Term when pupils’ work is exhibited and parents can meet teachers alongside their children. That parents should receive the annual report before the final parents’ evening in order to have time to consider it and mull it over makes perfectly good sense. Likewise, the setting of targets for improvement in core subjects in annual reports to parents is likely to draw parents more closely into working along with the school and is a suggestion the school is very willing to adopt. Pickering Community Junior School - 10

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Attainment in English is well above average. In particular, pupils read and speak well.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1 The standards attained by pupils in English in national tests are well above average. In 1999, 90 per cent achieved the nationally expected Level 4 or better in reading.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2 The school supports pupils’ reading well. Weaker readers are identified at an early stage and are provided with additional opportunities to work with support teachers in small groups to improve their basic skills in reading. Regular shared reading sessions, involving Year 6 and Year 3 pupils working in pairs, provide opportunities for older pupils to help the younger pupils improve their skills in, and enjoyment of, reading.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3 Many lessons incorporate sustained question and answer sessions which provide pupils with opportunities to develop their ability to express themselves in speech and to learn through talking. Small groups created by the focus teaching arrangement and the additional support for pupils with special educational needs encourage pupils to speak out who might otherwise be shy of speaking in larger sized classes.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4 Teachers frequently create opportunities for individual pupils to read their writing to the rest of the group or class or to explain their ideas to the others or describe an event in their lives. Pupils of all abilities are mostly keen to stand up and speak to the rest of the group. Some Year 6 pupils working on newspapers showed a good command of such key terms as “reporter”, “journalist”, “front page”, “headlines” and “alliteration”.

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Teaching and learning are good overall and the “focus teaching” arrangement is

helping to raise pupils’ standards of attainment.

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Teaching and learning are good overall and the “focus teaching” arrangement is

5 In the 27 lessons or parts of lessons observed, 48 per cent of the teaching was good and 22 per cent was very good; there was no unsatisfactory teaching. Figures for learning were very similar.

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Teaching and learning are good overall and the “focus teaching” arrangement is

6 Teachers showed good knowledge of the subjects they taught and a sure command of effective methods of teaching them. Lessons were always well planned with clear learning objectives, often displayed at the front of the class, and well supported with readily available resources. Teachers actively involved pupils in their learning by providing them with planned opportunities to talk and to answer questions as well as with appropriate tasks and activities.

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Teaching and learning are good overall and the “focus teaching” arrangement is

7 The school’s initiative, which it calls “focus teaching”, affects about 20 per cent of the teaching of literacy and 10 per cent of the teaching of numeracy. It has been in use in literacy for the past three years and in numeracy for the past year; its use in numeracy has been extended in the current year. It involves the class – which can be as large as 33 or 34 pupils in Years 5 and 6 - being divided into two or, more frequently, three smaller groups, consisting of an upper ability group taken by the class teacher, a group of pupils of average ability and a group of lower ability pupils, including those with special educational needs. The group of average ability pupils is usually taken by a part-time additional “focus” teacher and the group of lower ability pupils is often taught by the teacher with responsibility for pupils with special educational needs (the SENCO). The arrangement means that teachers can more confidently present work which pupils find

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Teaching and learning are good overall and the “focus teaching” arrangement is

challenging but manageable; it helps teachers to focus more closely on the specific needs of groups of pupils which are relatively homogeneous in terms of ability and to Pickering Community Junior School - 11 give them more individual attention. The inspiration for the initiative came in part from the visits paid by some of the teachers to their partner schools in other European countries.

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Teaching and learning are good overall and the “focus teaching” arrangement is

8 “Focus teaching” also has benefits in respect of the pupils’ behaviour in lessons. The pupils taught in these groups are almost always attentive for the duration of the lesson; they sustain their concentration well, answering questions and working at their tasks right till the end of the lesson. This helps them to make good progress. In the groups of lower attaining pupils, in particular, those whose attention is apt to wander or those inclined to day dream are more quickly and easily brought back to the task in hand and encouraged to focus on their work. As a result of this and of the specially adapted work they do, these pupils make good progress.

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Teaching and learning are good overall and the “focus teaching” arrangement is

9 Teachers make good use of key terms in most lessons, entering them on the board or a flipchart, making use of them frequently during the lesson and re-visiting them at the end of the lesson in order to summarise what has been learned and reinforce teaching points. Pupils are encouraged to learn and use the key terms as a way of supporting their learning and understanding. Teachers make good use of day-to-day assessment in order to focus on the particular needs of individual pupils. In one science lesson, for example, the teacher made sure that pupils read instructions carefully in order to ensure that they clearly understood what it was they had to do; the teacher's explanations were crisp and clear and there was a good balance of direct teaching, practical work and teacher intervention.

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Teaching and learning are good overall and the “focus teaching” arrangement is

10 Weaknesses in teaching are relatively few. On some occasions, pupils struggling with the spelling of particular words could have been encouraged to make more use of the dictionaries available in the classroom. While use was made of the computers in classrooms on some occasions, there were times when computers remained unused when their use would have been appropriate and would have developed pupils’ learning. For example, in one English lesson where pupils were working at the conversion of direct into indirect speech, the available computers went unused. In mathematics, there was insufficient use made of practical equipment to enable lower ability pupils to learn from concrete demonstration. On some occasions in mathematics, the lower ability pupils did adapted work set in contexts less interesting than the work being done by more able groups.

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Teaching and learning are good overall and the “focus teaching” arrangement is

11 Relationships between teachers and their pupils are supportive and friendly. Teachers make much use of praise to reward and encourage good quality work and effort. Their knowledge of individual pupils helps them to be sensitive to their needs and to provide the right measure of encouragement and support. Older and more able pupils work at activities with a good level of independence; younger and lower attaining pupils know that they can readily turn to the teacher or support assistant to receive the support they need. Behaviour in lessons is almost always good. Pupils quickly learn the routines of how they are organised for learning each day and this helps to ensure that time is not wasted. The few instances of time wasting or chattering usually involved younger pupils in the school; it rarely occurred with older pupils, indicating that the school is successful in creating an ethos conducive to learning; pupils soon learn to get down to work quickly

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Teaching and learning are good overall and the “focus teaching” arrangement is

and to conform to the teachers’ high expectations. Pickering Community Junior School - 12

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The school provides particularly good support for more able pupils and those with

special educational needs in a stimulating and caring environment.

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The school provides particularly good support for more able pupils and those with

12 By arranging for pupils to be taught in ability sets in mathematics as well as by the use of the “focus teaching” arrangement, the school ensures that pupils of all abilities have their needs catered for and, in particular, that those at the extremes of the ability spectrum encounter teaching and benefit from support systems well adapted to their particular needs. The school analyses its results in national tests with care in order to improve its knowledge of what pupils need to focus on in English, mathematics and science. It also makes use of the analyses of pupils’ performance in standardised tests each year as well as its own on-going assessment of pupils in order to identify pupils’ needs and to place pupils in appropriate ability groups. The grouping by pupils is flexible and there is regular movement up and down of pupils to see if they might benefit from placement in another group.

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The school provides particularly good support for more able pupils and those with

13 The school has sophisticated methods for tracking the performance of groups of pupils as well as individuals. The SENCO has the skills and expertise to carry out further tests of pupils referred to her by classroom teachers in order to diagnose their precise needs and ensures that these are communicated to all relevant teachers. Teachers have the individual education plans of relevant pupils and lessons are planned with their needs in mind. Additional learning support in literacy and numeracy is provided for pupils on the register of special needs, often working in small groups with a support teacher under the direction of the SENCO or the class teacher. The grouping of pupils by ability and teachers’ knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of individual pupils combine to ensure that for the most part the level of demand made of pupils is well adjusted to their needs and abilities. More able pupils are sufficiently stretched and lower attaining pupils

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The school provides particularly good support for more able pupils and those with

make good progress because of the system of care and support from which they benefit. The general environment of the school is stimulating. There is an unusually large array of good quality artwork around the school and there is a vigorous tradition of singing and musical performance. These features help to make the school a stimulating environment in which to learn.

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The pupils enjoy school, have good attitudes to learning and are keen to do their

14 In 82 per cent of the lessons seen, the attitudes and behaviour of the pupils were judged to be good or very good; on no occasion were they deemed to be less than satisfactory.

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The pupils enjoy school, have good attitudes to learning and are keen to do their

15 Pupils show an unusual ability to stay on task and to persevere at their work until the end of the lesson. This is undoubtedly assisted by the creation of relatively small and homogeneous groups for learning. Pupils answered questions willingly, took part in all classroom activities with good levels of enthusiasm and, when invited, were eager to share their work or ideas with others. They worked collaboratively in pairs and small groups, when required to do so, and older and younger pupils worked co-operatively in their sessions of shared reading. On one occasion, a group of Year 5 pupils read the parts of characters in a play with mature enjoyment of the humour of the piece without direct supervision by an adult. The school operates a reward system for good work and effort and each week in assembly there is public recognition and applause for pupils who have excelled in some way or listened carefully in class or tried hard to improve.

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The pupils enjoy school, have good attitudes to learning and are keen to do their

16 Pupils take pride in the appearance of the school and show respect for property. When asked what they liked about the school, some Year 6 pupils said that they liked it because it was clean and the hall floor was always polished to a high level. Although litter is not a serious problem, some pupils regularly volunteer to pick up litter during Pickering Community Junior School - 13 lunch break and at playtime and are provided with special gloves for the task. Some Year 6 pupils help in the library and pupils clear up after themselves at lunchtimes. Older pupils enjoy their residential visits to Whitby and Helmsley; some parents who have accompanied them on these trips as well as to swimming lessons spoke highly of the good quality of their behaviour. Pupils know that they are well known and cared for and they respond by giving of their best at all times.

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The pupils enjoy school, have good attitudes to learning and are keen to do their

The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is very high.

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The pupils enjoy school, have good attitudes to learning and are keen to do their

17 School assemblies incorporate the forceful and tuneful singing of hymns, the telling of stories of a broadly Christian character, and prayer. The local vicar, who is also a governor, speaks highly of the moral content of assemblies. Through religious education, pupils become acquainted with some of the outstanding personalities and some of the stories in the Bible as well as the main features of other world faiths and this contributes to their spiritual and moral development.

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The pupils enjoy school, have good attitudes to learning and are keen to do their

18 Pupils who come to the school are quickly acquainted with the routines that accompany their work in lessons and their conduct in corridors and the playground. This greatly assists their social development. Older and younger pupils mix well in school and in the playground and boys and girls co-operate well in lessons. Although there are markedly more boys than girls on the register of special educational needs and girls overall achieve standards higher than boys, in lessons teachers attend equally to the needs of boys and girls. The social and cultural development of pupils is also encouraged by the well planned and structured residential visits in Years 5 and 6, which pupils greatly enjoy, as well as by the practice in assembly of individual pupils telling the others where they had taken “Teddy” in the holidays or over the weekend and identifying the place on one of several maps in the hall. Pupils’ understanding of cultures different from their own is

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The pupils enjoy school, have good attitudes to learning and are keen to do their

encouraged by the school’s links with schools in Denmark and Italy and by the promotion of European awareness in the “international room”. This has been assisted by exchange visits of teachers to the schools involved and the work done in this school by teachers and support assistants from Italy. The social and cultural development of the pupils is also promoted through the annual carol concerts in the local church every Christmas and by the well attended musical productions put on in the local theatre. In all, the provision made for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils, which was praised in the last inspection report, is of a very high order.

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staff create an ethos that strongly supports learning and the attainment of high

19 The headteacher provides outstanding leadership. He works very hard on behalf of the school and has imparted to governors, teachers and parents a powerful desire to raise standards of attainment and to improve and enrich the quality of pupils’ educational experience. He sets new and ambitious targets in reading performance and in the results of standardised tests for each class every year and monitors closely the performance of groups, classes and individuals. Since the last inspection, the role of the senior management team has been developed and the headteacher has been freed to develop his role of leadership. Many of the improvements that have taken place since the last inspection have been brought about by the leadership he has shown since that time.

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staff create an ethos that strongly supports learning and the attainment of high

20 There is a good sense of teamwork throughout the school and teachers, senior managers and governors work co-operatively together. Each governor shadows a co- ordinator for one of the areas of the curriculum and governors visit lessons and report back to the body of governors on what they have observed. There is a “duty” rota Pickering Community Junior School - 14 whereby a governor undertakes to be available to visit the school to see anything of note during a particular month and this duty governor reports in turn to the full governing body. One of the governors, who also happens to be a vicar in the locality, also attends a large number of school assemblies. In these ways, the governors keep in touch with the work of the school and their in-depth knowledge of what the school is striving to achieve informs their decisions. Governors also share the teachers’ and the parents’ desire to raise standards of attainment and they monitor the school’s performance. Recently, the

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staff create an ethos that strongly supports learning and the attainment of high

Chair and a few other governors set targets for the headteacher as part of Performance Management, and they are due shortly to set targets also for the deputy. The targets set for the head included improvements in the school’s results in national tests at the end of Key Stage 2 as well as the formation of closer links with the local community. Governors have also provided useful guidance and support for the head and senior managers in recent decisions to make the financial investment needed to bring about improvements in the school building and the playground. The school has succeeded in enriching the curriculum by purchasing the time of additional teachers and in improving its building – thereby making possible the creation of more and smaller teaching groups - without going into debt, despite the fact that its expenditure per pupil is slightly below the average for primary schools. When the generally good quality of the school’s book and

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staff create an ethos that strongly supports learning and the attainment of high

other resources and the quality of education the school provides are taken into account, the school can be said to give very good value for money.

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staff create an ethos that strongly supports learning and the attainment of high

21 The school improvement plan is a working document aimed at raising standards and creating the circumstances that will enable standards to be raised. Reasons are given for the targets that are set and the monitoring of targets is facilitated by the inclusion of success criteria. More space might be given to an evaluation of how well previous targets or priorities have been met or fulfilled. Such an evaluation would help to ensure that targets were satisfactorily met before moving on to new targets. Overall, however, the improvement plan points the way forward effectively, indicating the direction the school should move in over the coming year and, in more general terms, over the coming three years.

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staff create an ethos that strongly supports learning and the attainment of high

22 The school makes a valuable investment in the in-service training of members of staff. In addition to courses on the curriculum, this includes courses provided by a project known as Investment in Excellence. All staff, including the secretary and support assistants, have taken part in this course and speak well of its beneficial impact on their professional development. In addition to the benefits the course brings to individuals, it also helps to create a helpful corporate ethos by creating a set of shared perceptions among members of staff and shared positive attitudes to problems and difficulties. Recently some parents have been helped to undertake an adapted version of the course, for which the headteacher is a recognised facilitator.

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staff create an ethos that strongly supports learning and the attainment of high

23 The common philosophy and shared attitudes of senior managers, governors and teachers are a powerful force behind the good quality education pupils experience and the good reputation the school rightfully enjoys in the wider community.

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In line with the national trend, standards in writing fall some way behind standards in

reading and speaking, especially in the case of average and below average pupils.

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In line with the national trend, standards in writing fall some way behind standards in

24 In the 1999 national tests, where 90 per cent of pupils in the school achieved Level 4 or better in reading, only 57 per cent achieved Level 4 or better in writing. Pickering Community Junior School - 15 25 In several of the lessons seen, the difference between pupils’ ability to generate ideas and to outline their plans in speech and their ability to put their ideas down in writing was palpable. Pupils who expressed their ideas clearly in speech and who read with good levels of accuracy, fluency and understanding struggled hard to express themselves in writing. The pace of work slowed significantly and writing, especially that of pupils of average and below average ability, was often untidily presented and marred by poor control of the conventions of spelling and punctuation.

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In line with the national trend, standards in writing fall some way behind standards in

26 Pupils make progress in their writing as they move through the school and more able pupils at the end of the key stage can write in mature, clear styles, appropriate to their intended audience. They have a good command of different styles of writing, including descriptive, narrative and argumentative, and their writing is well organised and, on some occasions, sustained and well researched. They make use of an extensive vocabulary, showing sensitivity to word choice, and their writing is distinguished by clear, legible handwriting and accurate spelling and punctuation.

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In line with the national trend, standards in writing fall some way behind standards in

27 However, by the end of the key stage, even some pupils with good powers of reasoning – as can be seen, for example, in their writing in science, history and geography – let themselves down through the quality of their writing. Work that was potentially good was spoiled to some extent by the mis-spelling of common words or key terms as well as by garbled expression and indifferent presentation. Sometimes, the writing of lower attaining pupils began to fragment and become incoherent and untidy after a promising beginning, and was not completed.

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In line with the national trend, standards in writing fall some way behind standards in

28 The standard of writing of younger pupils is particularly weak. Pace is slow and the pupils have difficulty in forming letters or committing to paper sentences they have already composed orally. Several suffer from faults such as the inversion of ‘bs’ and ‘ds’. The writing of not a few pupils is very hard to read. While the scale of the problem should not be exaggerated and competent writers are to be found in every year, the school is right to make writing a priority in this year’s school improvement plan. Teachers of younger pupils are working hard to raise pupils’ ability to write continuous prose in their own words. In particular, they are providing pupils with clear structures to write to as well as content and ideas and some key vocabulary. They will need to provide pupils with plenty of opportunities to write in a variety of styles, including note- taking, and to help them through discussion and well judged marking - indicating how

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In line with the national trend, standards in writing fall some way behind standards in

improvements might be made - if pupils by the time they come to leave school are to raise the standard of their writing to a level comparable with the levels they are achieving in speaking and reading. Pickering Community Junior School - 16

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communication technology (ICT) separately and did not declare targets for

29 The most recent annual reports to parents failed to comply with the requirement to report separately on pupils’ attainment in ICT. On some occasions, a brief reference to ICT was contained in the section of the report dealing with Technology but in many reports no mention was made of attainment in ICT. This was a serious omission in view of the fact that ICT is a core subject. The school has now re-designed the format of its annual reports which in future will incorporate a separate section for reporting on ICT.

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communication technology (ICT) separately and did not declare targets for

30 Most annual reports are well written and informative especially in those sections dealing with the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Parents and pupils are given a clear indication of the standard the pupil has attained and the progress made over the year. In some cases, targets for improvement are implied but they are not clearly declared while in others it is difficult to infer what action the pupil might take to improve his or her performance in the subject. The explicit setting of targets would have several advantages: it would provide the pupil with a clear target to aim at which would often be linked to an area of weakness in the pupil’s performance; it would also inform parents who would be able to monitor their child’s performance in the area indicated; in this way, the practice would fit in very well with the school’s general ambition to raise standards of attainment.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(i) take vigorous and imaginative steps to raise the standards of pupils’ writing, bringing them closer to the standards pupils achieve in reading and speaking; (paragraphs 24-28)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(ii) ensure that annual reports to parents report separately on ICT and set targets for improvement in the core subjects. (paragraphs 29-30) Pickering Community Junior School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 10

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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 percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 300

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 29

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 58

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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 0

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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 20

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 7

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 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. Pickering Community Junior School - 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 30 41 71

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 26 25 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 35 31 35

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 86 79 86 at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 21 24 23 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 33 33 33

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 76 80 79 at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Pickering Community Junior School - 19

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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 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12.1 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26.9

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y3 – Y6 Total expenditure 492221

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Expenditure per pupil 1544

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 95 Balance brought forward from previous year 40512

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 28507

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Pickering Community Junior School - 20

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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. 45 52 2 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 42 53 3 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 25 66 6 2 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 33 47 17 2 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 60 33 4 2 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 65 32 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 32 54 12 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 56 39 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 47 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 50 14 2 3

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