Christ Church (Church of England) Junior School

Tettenhall

Reporting inspector: Peter Sudworth [2700]

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Tettenhall

Dates of inspection: July 3 rd -4 th , 2002

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Tettenhall

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Christ Church (Church of England) Junior 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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Tettenhall

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. Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Woodcote Rd, Tettenhall Rd, Wolverhampton, West Midlands

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr A. Hopton

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 8 th December, 1997 Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 4

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Team members

2700 Peter Sudworth Registered inspector 9744 Peter Brown Lay inspector 2749 Gay Wilkinson Team inspector

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Team members

NES Education Services Ltd., Linden House, Woodland Way, Gosfield, Halstead, Essex CO9 1TH

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 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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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 19

Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Christ Church Junior School is situated in the village of Tettenhall, about three miles from Wolverhampton, and serves a mainly privately owned residential area. There are 250 pupils on roll with more boys than girls, particularly in Years 3 and 4. There are eight classes in the school, two for each year group. Most pupils who attend the school are of white UK heritage, although a significant number of pupils are from other ethnic backgrounds, the most numerous being Indian who constitute about 11 per cent of the school population. Altogether 23 pupils at the school speak English as an additional language but none is at an early stage of learning English. The school has a very low percentage of pupils who qualify for free school meals. Fifteen pupils are on the special educational needs register, a proportion much lower than the national average. Very few pupils leave or join this popular and fully subscribed school during the academic year. Attainment on entry is well above

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Christ Church Junior School is a very good school where pupils are attaining well above average standards in English, mathematics and science. The quality of teaching is good overall, often very good and sometimes excellent. The leadership and management of the school are very good. The school has a friendly and hard-working atmosphere. Pupils enjoy their education and are well cared for. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6; • The corporate way in which leadership, staff, governors and parents work together for the pupils’ success; • The breadth of curriculum experience; • Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and work ethic; • The very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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What could be improved

• The curriculum for information and communication technology; * • Some pupils’ spelling, grammar and presentation of work; • The over-use of worksheets in some subjects in lower Key Stage 2; • Some issues relating to equal opportunities. * The school is aware of this, has already put it on the school development plan and has begun to take action on it. 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 school has made good progress since its last inspection in 1997. Assessment arrangements have been improved and there is a more coherent approach to record keeping and linking it to planning future work. Teachers’ written feedback on pupils’ work is more effective in enabling the pupils to improve their work. Teachers regularly review and evaluate their lessons. More attention is given to the monitoring of teaching, learning and pupils’ progress. The quality of teaching has improved. The provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has improved from good to very good. The leadership of the headteacher, senior management team and governing body has improved and is now very good. Given the current staff the school has good potential to continue the very good quality of education provided already and to make the minor improvements suggested. Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 7

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English A A A A Well above average Above average A B mathematics A A A A Average Below average C D science A A A A Well below average E

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Key

Standards in English, mathematics and science in the national tests in the past few years have been consistently well above the national average. In the past three years both boys and girls have outperformed boys and girls nationally. Girls, however, have been doing quite significantly better than the boys in mathematics, against the national trend in the subject. In 2001, the school exceeded the demanding Local Education Authority target in both English and mathematics. Results over time have followed the national trend of improvement. Pupils’ attainment in religious education is above that expected locally in religious education and it is in line with national expectations in information and communication technology. Pupils make good progress in English, mathematics and science throughout the school. Pupils calculate and read well and write with a great deal of sensitivity. Pupils have very good speaking and listening skills. The work scrutiny

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Key

indicated that pupils’ attainment is at least in line with expectations in other subjects. Work is usually well presented in books.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have very good attitudes to their work. They work well and show very good levels of interest in what they are doing. They concentrate on what they are doing. They enjoy school.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils’ behaviour in class, around the school and when outside is very good. Pupils can be trusted to do things by themselves. They exercise a mature judgement and act very responsibly with a high level of thought for others. They are courteous and polite.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development is very good. They are offered, and engage in, a wide range of activities both in school and beyond. They develop a very good sense of social maturity. Relationships between the staff and pupils and amongst the pupils are very good. There is mutual trust and respect.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Above average. Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 8

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching 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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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

All teaching observed was at least satisfactory and mostly good and very good. The teaching of English and mathematics is never less than good and sometimes very good, particularly in Year 6 where the teaching observed was of a consistently high standard. Teachers have good relationships with their pupils and manage them well. Lessons are very well planned and the work is well designed to meet the pupils’ differing needs, including those with special educational needs. The specialist teacher gives very good support to pupils with more complex learning difficulties. Higher attaining pupils are challenged well and, as a consequence, they are made to think hard. Pupils make good progress in lessons as a result. Lessons proceed at a good pace and effective use is made of time. Good use is made of resources and teachers make the lessons interesting and purposeful.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is well planned. Pupils enjoy good curriculum breadth in most respects but currently the opportunities in information and communication technology do not allow pupils to attain above the expected level. A new information and communication technology suite has been completed and is shortly due to be equipped. An extended curriculum is ready to implement. The school makes good use of its good external facilities for science, geography and physical education.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The specialist teaching is very good. The individual education plans provide clear targets for improvement. The lessons when pupils are withdrawn from class are brisk, focused, purposeful and with good use of a laptop computer for variety of approach.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The very few pupils with English as an additional language are making good progress. A few receive the support of a specialist teacher, although none is at a very early stage of learning English.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision is very good in all respects. Through this provision, pupils are enabled to develop into mature, sensible, well rounded and personable young people.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school takes very good care of the pupils and of their general welfare. Very good records are kept of the pupils’ progress in English and mathematics. They are satisfactory in other subjects. Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The leadership of the headteacher is very good. She has the very good support of the deputy headteacher. The senior management team is very effective in helping to oversee standards and plan strategically.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body fulfils its statutory responsibilities effectively and makes very good use of the professional expertise of its members. However, the quality of the school prospectus does not reflect the very good ethos and standards in the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school makes good use of data to analyse its results and acts on these to improve future performance.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school deploys its staff effectively. The large carry forward amount has been earmarked for the building and equipping of the new information and communication technology suite. Learning resources are used well in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

The school applies the principles of best value when making purchases.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school and are making good progress; • Behaviour is good; • The teaching is good and the pupils get the right amount of homework; • The school is well led and managed; • The school expects the pupils to work hard and do their best; • The vast majority of parents are comfortable about approaching the school with any concerns; • The school is helping their children become mature and responsible. A significant but small minority of parents state that: • The school does not work closely with parents; • The school does not provide an interesting range of activities after school; • They are not kept well informed about their children's progress.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team could not find any evidence that the school does not work closely with parents. Members of staff are always available for short discussions but not unreasonably ask for appointments for more lengthy discussions. Teachers are happy to discuss the pupils’ progress with parents outside the normal termly discussion times by arrangement. The school has engaged in a ‘Good Learning Project’ with Year 6 parents to foster the pupils’ independent learning. Parents receive a yearly outline of themes which the pupils will study. The quality of the annual reports is satisfactory. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities and takes pupils on residential visits. Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 10

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

1 Pupils have been attaining very well in national tests at the end of Year 6 in the past few years with results consistently well above the national average. Pupils build on their success in the infants’ school and make good progress. In the 2001 national tests in English, mathematics and science, results were well above the national average and well above schools with similarly low percentages of free school meals. Parents expressed a high degree of satisfaction with standards in the parents’ questionnaire and in their meeting with the inspectors. A high proportion of the pupils has been gaining the higher levels in national tests. In 2001 the proportion of pupils gaining the higher level in mathematics and science was well above the national average and in English it was above the national average. Whilst boys and girls have consistently outperformed boys and girls nationally, the school’s girls have been excelling. They have been outperforming the boys in all

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

three subjects over the past three years by around the national difference in English but against the national trend in mathematics by about half a term’s progress and by a slight difference in science. The good pattern of results in nationally tested subjects looks set to continue with the current Year 6 pupils.

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

2 Most pupils have good reading skills. By Year 6 pupils read widely and regularly. Many belong to the local library as well as borrowing books from the school’s library. They read aloud with good expression and intonation and have a good appreciation of authors. They are able to give reasons for their choice of favourite author. They can talk in detail about the characters and have good comprehension of the text. They use non-fiction texts well to find specific information and have good skills in making notes. They write well with good awareness of audience. Literacy is used well in most year groups across the curriculum. Year 5 pupils had researched into the life of Gandhi and then written up an interview between the interviewer and Gandhi. They write for a range of purposes and audiences, such as to combine dialogue and narrative or to write in persuasive mode with careful and thoughtful selection of vocabulary. In the upper part of the school,

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

pupils make very good use of simile, metaphor and personification. They can apply different authors’ and poets’ techniques in their own writing. Year 3 pupils wrote in the style of Dennis Lee. In their autobiographical writing in Year 6 pupils wrote in the style of Darren Shan. ‘When I was a little kid, about four, do you know what I did? Of course you don’t, listen.’ wrote one pupil.

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

3 Year 6 pupils recognise the difference between simple, complex and compound sentences and have a good knowledge of grammatical structures and use punctuation and paragraphing well. Their writing is often highly sensitive. Year 4 pupils writing with imagery in poetic form wrote:

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

Without colour there would be No black night sky, velvety darkness, No silver moonlight, No whispery white clouds…’

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

4 By Year 6 their writing shows sophisticated imagery as in their writing of ‘Night Sonnet’

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

‘Royal blue carpet on display, Dying sun refuses to stay. Badger comes from shadowed hole, Seeking breakfast of tawny mole. The owl, silent, swift and sharp, Possessed by the power of the dark, Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 11 Spider webs like woven silver, Glimmer above the depthless river.’

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

And another pair of pupils writing in the same style:

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

‘The last drop of rosy sunlight Trickles down from the turquoise sky, The raven armies of the night paint the heavens with the tears we cry Ivory clouds veil the moon’s eye Stars sprinkle dreams into the air…….’

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

5 Pupils speak confidently, with good expression and use a wide range of vocabulary. They take advantage of the good opportunities to use their speaking skills through contributing to the teacher’s questioning and in group discussions. Four Year 5 pupils presented the results of a science investigation into sensing temperature and light around the school to the rest of the class. Working as a well organised team, they expressed their work from prediction to result with good analysis, sequence and articulation making good reference to coloured diagrams. Pupils listen well to their teachers and to the views of others. Their spelling is usually very good and handwriting neat but there is some scope for improvement with words which individuals use frequently but misspell. Pupils’ handwriting is usually neat but it is more inconsistent in the work of average and less able pupils in Years 3 and 4.

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

6 Pupils have good skills in mathematics. They have very good recall of their multiplication tables and this enables them to work quickly. They enjoy a mathematical challenge in order to apply their skills. They have good opportunities to handle data and use different ways to present it. They are encouraged to develop their own algebraic formulae, as when pupils were solving word problems where a given amount of biscuits was distributed amongst a number of plates with some plates having more than others. They have very good opportunities to solve problems, which contribute to their well above average skills in the subject. In one Year 6 class, pupils were asked to find a solution to Gauss’s problem of adding all the whole numbers from 1 to 99. They first used a calculator to find what the answer should be and then worked at different strategies for finding the answer before eventually coming up with their own formula which they could then apply to other

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

series of numbers. They were then challenged to find the answer to 1 to 999. They were amazed to find out that Gauss solved the problem in five minutes aged ten. They understand the use of brackets. They can find the difference between positive and negative integers. They have a good understanding of ratio and proportion and of mathematical terms such as ‘mode’, ‘median’ and ‘range’ and they can apply these in their work. They use their knowledge of the four rules well to calculate long division and long multiplication examples with a good degree of accuracy. Pupils’ success is due to the good grounding they have in the subject, the good quality of teaching and the broad range of work in mathematics. Lessons are well planned and interesting, good use is made of time, work is well matched to pupils’ needs even in the sets, and pupils are challenged to develop their mathematical thinking and application of their knowledge. Pupils present their work well and

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

this helps with their level of accuracy.

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

7 Pupils have good opportunities to investigate in science and to apply the principles of fair testing. They predict what they are likely to find out but sometimes they do not reason their predictions. In their work on sound in one Year 6 class, pupils had predicted that the harder the material, the louder the sound and in another experiment the thicker the material the better the material as a thermal insulator when selecting from fur, paper, felt and tin foil. They have a good understanding of reversible and irreversible changes. They know there are different ways of separating mixtures of materials, for example magnets, filtering, sieving and evaporating. They appreciate that some micro-organisms, such as yeast and penicillin, can have positive benefits whilst others, such as viruses, can be damaging and harmful. They have a good understanding about the reproductive process of plants and can name the reproductive parts of a flower. They

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

make interesting investigations into air resistance, make their own helicopters and test specific Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 12 variables, such as the length of the tail in order to produce the most effective version. Pupils make good use of the school’s own good grounds to compare the respective habitats of the copse and the pond to find out about plants and different kinds of wildlife. Pupils present their work well in science, tabulate effectively to record and organise their results. They take much care when drawing their diagrams, which show a good sense of perspective, are well labeled and indicate good use of ruler.

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Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6

8 The regular termly scrutiny of work and regular monitoring of planning by the co-ordinators in mathematics and English are helping with the continuing very good standard of work in these subjects.

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pupils’ success

9 The school is very well led by an enthusiastic headteacher who commands the support and respect of the staff, parents and governors. Ninety-nine per cent of the parents who responded to the questionnaire stated that the school is well led and managed. The views of the parents at the meeting with the registered inspector were very positive. The headteacher sets a good tone through the quality of the assemblies she leads, the working atmosphere in the school and the high expectations of the pupils’ attainments. Her participative and consultative leadership ensures that the staff are very involved in planning appropriate priorities. Staff meetings are purposeful and senior management team meetings are well focused on relevant priorities. The headteacher and deputy headteacher form a good working partnership and have attended some management training together so they share common experiences. They have used the material well from such courses

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pupils’ success

to develop the work of the school in establishing priorities and focusing on the specific detail within those priorities for development. The views of parents are canvassed at regular intervals and those of teachers and parents cross-referenced. A few parents help regularly in the library. The Parents’ Association is very supportive of the school and raises considerable amounts of money to improve the school’s provision.

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pupils’ success

10 Arrangements for performance management are well organised and there is some sharing of information so that at least one objective is common amongst the members of staff to promote pupil progress.

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pupils’ success

11 Year teachers work well together. They share in the planning of lessons and the roles and duties associated with the year group. The staff are committed to doing the best for their pupils. This is clearly evident in the overall good quality of teaching, substantial proportions of which are very good and sometimes excellent, the well planned lessons and the match of the work to pupils’ prior attainment. This is achieved through the very good monitoring of work across the school in the core subjects in which all staff co-operate, the sharing of ideas and the detailed records kept of pupils’ progress, particularly in English and mathematics. There is room for improvement in the way science records are kept.

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pupils’ success

12 The governing body is very effective and has a good range of professional expertise. Members of the governing body visit at intervals to monitor the work of the school, particularly in the core subjects and for special educational needs. These visits and their links with subject co- ordinators keep the governors well appraised of what is happening in the school and the standards the pupils are achieving. The governing body is well organised, has good financial expertise and is using the large carry forward figure effectively in extending the building to incorporate a fully equipped information and communication technology suite and library.

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The breadth of curriculum experience;

13 The very good results attained by pupils in the national tests have been achieved without resorting to a narrow curriculum. The English curriculum itself is strengthened by the inclusion of drama. Pupils have a good range of experiences and curriculum provision is mostly good. There is Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 13 good provision for personal, social and health education which includes such issues as drugs awareness. There are some shortcomings in information and communication technology because of the lack of computers. These shortcomings are being addressed. However, the school does its best and ensures that pupils reach the National Curriculum requirements. A new suite has been built and it is hoped this will be operational in the very near future.

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The breadth of curriculum experience;

14 The school has a good range of extra-curricular provision. Activities vary by term with some consistent features across the terms. The range includes music, sport and other activities such as chess. Some of these activities take place during the dinner hour. Additionally pupils have opportunities to take part in residential visits at different parts of their school career. Some of these are focused on adventurous activities and some provide a wider range of curriculum application, such as visits to slate mines, castles and beach studies. Good opportunities are afforded for day visits to places of interest. Year 5 pupils recalled well their recent interesting visit to Cannock sewage works when studying water and water recycling. Pupils have good opportunities to visit museums and art galleries. Year 6 pupils have been to the theatre to see Macbeth. Pupils usually have outings to the theatre at Christmas. Visitors to the school contribute to pupils’ curriculum

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The breadth of curriculum experience;

experience and benefit the pupils with their expertise, such as an artist in residence and music groups.

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The breadth of curriculum experience;

15 There are good links between subjects. For example, art and design is brought into history when pupils paint Tudor portraits and also in religious education as in their work on Sikhism and pupils use literacy well across the curriculum.

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The breadth of curriculum experience;

16 Within religious education, pupils study world faiths in addition to Christianity, such as Sikhism and Islam. Pupils learn about the symbols and celebrations associated with different faiths, look at different religious artefacts and make visits to places of worship. In geography they make detailed environmental studies of Tettenhall. Pupils compose questionnaires to ascertain the local people’s response to the community facilities, such as the adequacy of shop provision, check the distance the people have travelled and ask about improvements the local population would like to see made. They develop map skills by locating parking spots on a map of the village centre and locate types of shop on maps and follow a street trail. They compare the settlement of Tettenhall with other settlements and contrast the different features. Pupils have good opportunities for design and technology, work with different materials to make picture frames and make moving models with

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The breadth of curriculum experience;

different shaped cams. They experience a wide range of activity in physical education such as athletics, games and dance in addition to gymnastics and have good opportunities for swimming. In music pupils have opportunities to learn an instrument and other instruments, such as the ocarina or recorder, in addition to compositional, listening and singing opportunities in music lessons. They make good progress in art and design and work in a range of materials including fabric design. Year 3 pupils have created sculptures in the style of Goldsworthy. In history they come to school dressed as Vikings to set a flavour for their studies of Invaders and Settlers. This good range of activity, however, is constricted to an overall length of teaching time which barely reaches the minimum recommended and falls below it when pupils do not return to class on time following afternoon break. This will have repercussions when the new information and communication technology is put

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The breadth of curriculum experience;

17 The special educational needs provision supports well those who have learning difficulties. They are well supported in class and are given work matched to their individual education plans. Those with the most severe learning difficulties are given special teaching help of a very good quality using computer programs and carefully linked materials for written work and reading to help them consolidate and further their sound blends. The curriculum for higher attaining pupils is equally challenging and meets their needs as in the very good level of challenge in English, mathematics and science. Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 14

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Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and work ethic

18 Pupils have very good attitudes to their work. These attitudes are fostered by the very good relationships between teachers and pupils, the well planned and appropriately challenging work which matches the pupils’ individual needs and the clear instructions about how the work is to be undertaken. They settle quickly to their tasks and maintain good levels of concentration. They behave maturely and responsibly. They know the class rules and expectations and keep to them. In a Year 5 music lesson, pupils were encouraged to think of the rules when handling instruments. In the activity which followed, pupils showed that they knew the rules and the sign for stop after trying out their compositions and this contributed to effective use of time. Teachers appeal to pupils’ understanding of the rules which constantly helps the pupils to internalise and remember the accepted procedures. ‘What do you have to do to show me you are ready?’ ‘What do you know to

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Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and work ethic

do to make this singing better?’ Pupils suggested standing up on the bench. The quality of singing improved as a result. This approach is common across the school and helps the pupils to internalise the expectations for their own conduct and attitude.

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Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and work ethic

19 Pupils show much interest in their work. They respond readily to the teachers’ questioning and requests. In a Year 3 English lesson, pupils responded easily and rapidly to the teacher’s reading of a humorous poem. Pupils work well with others in paired or group discussion. Year 6 pupils worked independently and sensibly when developing their own ideas in groups for choral speaking in preparation for the annual leavers' service. In a Year 5 science lesson about reversible and irreversible changes, pupils co-operated well in groups with the various materials provided to consider the lesson theme. There was a high level of collaborative working with pupils deciding for themselves who was to record the findings and who was to feed back to the rest of the class. Pupils were totally involved and fully engrossed in their group working and organised themselves very well. In Year 6 pupils worked enthusiastically in small groups trying to work out formulae for their problem

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Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and work ethic

20 Pupils contribute well to questions and answer politely. They are courteous in and around the school and regularly hold open doors for visitors. When outside in the copse and by the pond they work with great responsibility, treating creatures and plant life with care and respect. Teachers value pupils and the pupils respond in kind. They are given ownership of the curriculum and of their own learning and this links in well with the school’s aims. Thoughtful statements written up about achievement foster good working habits. ‘If you dream, you can do it’. ‘Success comes of getting up just one more time than you fall down.’

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Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and work ethic

21 Pupils contribute well to school life and take part in activities with enthusiasm. They develop a very good sense of social maturity and democracy through such activities as the residential visits and the School Council. They enjoy the good range of extra-curricular activities. Boys and girls get on well together. They are familiar with the school routines and take the initiative. In a Year 3 art and design lesson all the pupils folded up their art aprons automatically at the end of the activity without being asked.

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Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and work ethic

22 Some good use was made of pupils’ independence as they worked in the copse and by the pond and in a Year 6 information and communication technology lesson for making decisions about their work.

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The very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

23 The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good in all respects. Pupils’ spiritual development is developed effectively through the assemblies and acts of worship. The two acts of worship observed on the theme of diversity held the pupils’ interest throughout by well planned delivery and with active pupil involvement. In one the pupils were considering the relevant merits of two ‘washing powders’ advertised ‘live’ by two sets of pupils. Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 15 Pupils were encouraged to make up their minds by trying out for themselves rather than jumping to conclusions and judgements just because people seem different. In the other, three pupils tasted the centres of three different chocolates and gave their verdicts. The sweet centre was referenced to people being sweet on the outside but not so sweet on in the inside and the choice of friends

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The very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

being very important. The bitter centre to those who are bitter about life and the third, a hard centre, to those who appear hard to get to know but do get ‘softer’ and more approachable. Each one was referenced to the Bible, such as Zacchaeus a hard centre who softened his approach to life through the influence of Jesus. Pupils were asked to reflect on three questions: What type of centre they had? Whether they could change the way they are so others could get to know them better? and whether they behaved in a way which showed they value difference? The pupils sang well and joined in communally.

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The very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

24 Pupils’ spiritual development is furthered through work in the curriculum. Work in art and design using a range of media and links with religion is often powerful, as for example the textile work on Sikhism. Pupils visit art galleries. The work done with the artist in residence was of a high quality. Sculpturing gives pupils time to reflect on shape and form. Work on pattern in number and shape is thoughtfully challenging. Work in music contributes significantly to pupils’ spiritual development. Pupils listen to recorded music in assemblies and a choir and orchestra are brought together for the special services in church at specific times of the year. The house music festivals, in which all pupils have an opportunity to audition, encourage pupils’ musical prowess. Exposure to good quality poetry and literature results in beautifully sensitive work of pupils’ own creation, reflecting their own thoughts and feelings.

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The very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

25 Pupils’ moral development is developed very well through assemblies, in religious education, in their contribution to class discussion and the formation of class rules. Year 4 pupils, for example, in a religious education lesson were given a list of judgements that they had to agree or disagree with, such as ‘Is it ever acceptable to tell a lie? It included discussion about laws designed to support strong moral argument regarding drinking and driving. Ample opportunities were given for pupils to express their views. Most pupils had definite views which they were able to express and discuss rationally. In their general class discussions, pupils express their reasons with well thought through principles and respect for others.

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The very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

26 Pupils’ social development is very well promoted. They engage in residential visits, which foster pupils’ independence. Pupils understand about democracy and fairness through the formation of the School Council. Pupils who wish to stand for the council have to make a speech to their class about their views and how they would undertake their representative responsibilities. Other pupils vote secretly for their elected representatives. Those elected have regular meetings with set agenda with a chair and vice-chair and treasurer. At the meetings pupils are confident to ask questions and discuss. During the inspection they were discussing the idea that there should be suggestion boxes around the school and considering who would open the boxes and deal with the responses. They were considering a tuck shop and the type of food they would sell. Most were enjoying their role and wanted to stand again for election in the next academic year. Throughout the

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The very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

school pupils have good opportunities to work in groups, to consider other pupils’ views, to organise themselves, to come to a consensus and to report back to the rest of the class.

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The very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

27 Pupils have very good opportunities for their cultural development. They have a good exposure to music, art and design and engage in visits to the theatre, museums and art galleries. Work in religious education promotes a good understanding of other faiths. They learn about some of the great mathematicians and try out some of their theories, such as that of Gauss. They try out different writing styles of famous authors and poets and read a good range of literature. Opportunities are taken to visit the theatre, such as to watch Macbeth. Pupils consider both western and non-western cultures in their art and design work. Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 16

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

• The curriculum for information and communication technology

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

28 The school has recognised its need to improve the quality of provision for information and communication technology and a large suite has been built which is to serve also as a library. It intends to equip this very good facility fully in the very near future. The current arrangements are not allowing the pupils to develop their potential to the full in this subject. In making the best use of the new facility the school should ensure that it has well established routines in place to make the most effective use of time and strategies in place to deal with pupils who have different capabilities and needs. It should consider setting up a working party of staff and governors to make sure it obtains the best advice about hardware and teaching equipment by visiting other establishments and to learn from their experience. The school might also wish to consider employing an information and communication technician who could prepare the computers for lessons, support teaching and

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

attend to computer and other technical difficulties.

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Some pupils’ spelling, grammar and presentation of work could be improved

29. Whilst many pupils spell with a good level of accuracy, several pupils do not spell commonly used words accurately enough for their ability, and at times use incorrect grammar. An element of carelessness in this respect accounted for some of the errors, despite the well designed self- assessment frameworks against which pupils are able to check their own work before handing it in. Above average pupils in Year 4 spelled ‘dodge’ as ‘doge’ and ‘blazing’ as ‘blazzing’. Some more able Year 6 pupils were writing ‘illistration’ for ‘illustration’, ‘particullaly’ for ‘particularly’, ‘resterant’ for ‘restaurant’ and ‘prepairing’ for ‘preparing’. Pupils are not using dictionaries sufficiently as part of the procedure for checking their work, for improving their spelling, and for reference on the occasions when they are unsure. On occasion local dialect finds its way into pupils’ written work, such as ‘must of’ for ‘must have’ and ‘the children was playing’. In Year 3 pupils’ work, particularly

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Some pupils’ spelling, grammar and presentation of work could be improved

amongst the average and below average pupils, was not as well presented as it might be. Some pupils are not holding their pencils correctly and at times not enough attention is given to posture when pupils are writing.

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The over-use of worksheets in some subjects in lower Key Stage 2

30. In Year 3 there is an over-use of worksheets when pupils are writing up their work, for example in design and technology, science and history. These worksheets are preventing pupils from writing in their own words, restricting what they write and determining how they write. Some of the questions on the worksheets are very simplistic, for example design and technology worksheets contained the questions ‘Did your design work well?’ ‘Did you achieve your task?’ and were given limited space for response to which the pupils had usually inserted ‘Yes’. They were given only one and a half lines for a response to more important questions, such as ‘How would you improve your sandwich? Similarly when pupils are writing without worksheets they are too much guided by the requirement to answer specific numbered questions to which they answer in numbered form in reply. Consequently, the flow of their writing is often stilted in these subjects.

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Some issues relating to equal opportunities

31. During the inspection some of the teaching arrangements did not afford pupils equal opportunities. For example, three pupils were extracted from one lesson for further reading practice and missed the whole of their art and design lesson. One pupil was withdrawn from a numeracy lesson for special needs help and did not do any numeracy all day. Pupils who have peripatetic music lessons sometimes miss the same lesson each week.

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Some issues relating to equal opportunities

32. The school is very alert to the benefits of residential visits and the staff give up some of their own Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 17 time to make these possible. Opportunities are provided in Years 3, 4 and 6. The arrangements for residential visits are insecure in terms of equal opportunities. The arrangements sometimes involve pupils’ names being drawn out of a hat and not all Year 6 pupils are enabled to take part in the residential visit which is regarded as part of the Year 6 curriculum. Whilst the school does ensure that all pupils get at least one residential visit and those who have not been on the previous one get priority for the following one, the principles of equal opportunities are not secure enough in terms of curriculum entitlement. Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 18

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

32 The school has made good progress since the last inspection and the very good levels of attainment in English, mathematics and science have been maintained. There are very few issues for the school to consider and these are minor. The school already recognises its need to develop the information and communication technology curriculum further when the new suite is finalised. In improving standards further the school should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve the quality of the curriculum provision for information and communication technology by :

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) ensuring pupils have regular time in the computer suite when the suite is finalised; b) setting up a record of pupils’ individual progress in computer skills; c) enacting the planned curriculum to meet pupils’ differing capabilities; d) making better use of information and communication technology across the curriculum. (Paras 13, 28 ) *

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve some pupils’ spelling, grammar and presentation of work by : a) being more rigorous about the quality of spelling and increasing the range of strategies to improve accuracy; b) making better use of dictionaries to check words pupils are unsure of; c) ensuring pupils hold their writing implement correctly and checking posture in Years 3 and 4 when they write; d) checking and improving the neatness of work in Years 3 and 4 (Para 29 )

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• reduce the use of worksheets in some subjects in lower Key Stage 2 and so enable pupils to write in their own words more ; (Para 30 )

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• attend to some issues relating to equal opportunities in respect of:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) residential visits; b) pupils missing part of their curriculum entitlement when withdrawn from lessons . (Paras 31, 32 )

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* The school is already aware of this issue, has put it on the school development plan and has already taken some steps to address it. Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 19 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 12

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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

Percentage 8 36 48 8 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents four percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery Y3 – Y 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 250

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 5 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Y3 – Y 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 15

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 23

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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 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 6

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 20

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 01 [00] 28 32 60

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 28 27 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 29 26 29

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 [97] 88 [94] 95 [97] at NC level 4 or above National 75 [75] 71 [72] 87 [85]

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 27 27 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 29 26 30

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

Percentage of pupils School 93 [97] 88 [94] 97 [97] at NC level 4 or above National 72 [70] 74 [72] 82 [79] Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 21

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 3 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 9 Other minority ethnic groups 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

Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Year 6

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.7 Financial year 01 [00]

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.8

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y3 – Year 6 Total income 491,254

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 472,248

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 59 Expenditure per pupil 1,882

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 137,513

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) Balance carried forward to next year 156,519

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 3

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 22

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 48 49 0 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 43 53 1 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 28 62 9 1 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 24 60 13 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 47 42 10 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 67 32 0 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 23 56 20 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 51 48 0 1 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 43 53 3 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 20 56 13 6 4 Christ Church (Church of England) Junior - 23

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