Higham Ferrers Junior School

HIGHAM FERRERS JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 20 th to 23 rd October 2003

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HIGHAM FERRERS JUNIOR SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Higham Ferrers Junior School - 2 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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HIGHAM FERRERS 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. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Junior School category: Community Age range of pupils: 7-11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 343

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Saffron Road Higham Ferrers Rushden Postcode: NN10 8ED

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01933 312748 Fax number: 01933 418703

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr M Jackson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 14 th September 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is in a rural town and serves an area where the general indicators of prosperity are below the national average. Eleven per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is similar to the national average. The school is large for a junior school and the number of pupils on roll has risen from low 300’s towards middle 300’s from 1998 to 2002. There is increasing development in the town since the local re-routing of major trunk roads. There is an equal number of boys and girls in the school. There is a very small number of pupils [9 in number or 3 per cent] from ethnic backgrounds other than white British. Pupils’ mobility in the last school year was 9 per cent which is average for junior schools nationally. There are no traveller children or pupils using English as an additional language. The attainment of pupils on entry to the school is below average generally and well below average in writing. There are 83 pupils identified on the special educational needs register

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

at the early stage of school action and 17 at the later stage of school action plus. This is above the national average. Five pupils carry statements of special educational need, which is broadly in line with the national average. Pupils are identified for a range of difficulties, such as visual and hearing impairment, other medical problems, behaviour and learning. The school has been successful in integrating a number of pupils with serious behavioural difficulties. There is a significant movement of teaching staff, mainly due to promotion. The school has been without a continuous headteacher / deputy headteacher leadership team for some time. The school is involved in Leadership development strategy for primary schools and is linked with Networked learning communities programme with the National College for School Leadership. The school was given a Healthy School award in 2003. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

22951 Glyn Gaskill Lead inspector Science, Physical Education, Design and Technology. 19361 Keith Ross Lay inspector 31975 Kay Andrews Team inspector Religious Education, History, Geography, Special Educational Needs. 11227 John Moles Team inspector Mathematics, Information and Communication Technology, Music. 18083 Judith Howell Team inspector English, Art and Design, Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship, English as an additional language.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: Altecq Education 102 Bath Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL35 7JX

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’, which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.oftsed.gov.uk). Higham Ferrers Junior School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a school, which is providing a satisfactory standard of education for its pupils. In recent years, provision has slipped but has improved since the start of the current term. This is due to the good leadership provided by the acting headteacher. The potential from the good teaching, good learning and enthusiasm of all staff is now being channelled for the improvement of the school. Management is satisfactory as there has been insufficient time for new systems to take effect. Standards are below average but pupils are achieving and making progress to a satisfactory level. Pupils’ attainment on entry is below average. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Standards are below average in mathematics, religious education, geography, history, design and technology and in writing in English. Pupils’ use of skills relating to the humanities and design and technology is unsatisfactory. • Teaching and learning are good. Leadership by the acting headteacher is good. • Provision for pupils’ care, welfare and safety are good. Provision and achievement for pupils with special educational needs are good but for higher attainers are unsatisfactory. • There is a good ethos in the school. Relationships are good. Pupils’ moral, social and cultural development together with their attitudes and values are good. • Outcomes from the satisfactory procedures for assessment are not being sufficiently used to raise standards. Other aspects of the work of the governing body are satisfactory. • Governance is unsatisfactory, as the statutory requirements for teaching geography are not

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OVERALL EVALUATION

met. Other aspects of the work of the governing body are satisfactory. • There is a rich provision of activities in addition to lessons. Pupils value these activities. • Planning to promote the use of writing, information and communication technology and mathematics across the curriculum is unsatisfactory. Developments in the curriculum, such as project work, lack a co-ordinated approach. • Links with parents and the community are good.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Since the last inspection in 1998, improvement has been satisfactory . Teaching and provision in special educational needs are now good. Provision in geography has not been improved. Standards were raised after the last inspection but have declined in the last two years.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2000 2001 2002 2002 English C B D D mathematics D B D E science D B D D Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average in Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory, overall. Standards of attainment are below average in mathematics, religious education, geography, history and design and technology and writing in English. Pupils have insufficient knowledge of the National Curriculum for geography as requirements are not being met. Standards in science, information and communication technology and the remaining subjects are satisfactory . As pupils enter school with below average attainment, their achievement over time is satisfactory . Pupils with special educational needs are achieving well because the provision made for them is good. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 7 Pupils ’ personal qualities , including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good . Pupils’ attendance and behaviour are satisfactory . Pupils’ attitudes to their work and to what the school has to offer are good .

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education for its pupils. The quality of teaching is good . The work of learning support assistants is effective in helping pupils make progress. Because of these aspects of provision, pupils are learning well in lessons. Overall, pupils are attaining standards expected of their abilities. Pupils with special educational needs and the majority of pupils are achieving well in lessons. More able pupils are not achieving as well as they might because the use of assessment and the organisation of the curriculum are unsatisfactory . Assessment outcomes are not consistently used to match a challenging curriculum for the more able pupils. The curriculum includes the National Curriculum requirements for all subjects, with the exception of geography where statutory requirements are not met. New initiatives in developing a themed approach to the curriculum have good planning but have not been sufficiently carried out.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The use of English, mathematics and information and communication technology across the curriculum are not sufficiently planned for. Whilst facts about subjects are suitably covered, the development of subject skills is lacking and leads to insufficient understanding in several subjects.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The care the school provides for its pupils is good which leads to good relationships and pupils feeling secure. The school’s links with parents and the community are good and have a positive effect on pupils’ achievement.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management overall are satisfactory. The school has not had continuity of a headteacher / deputy headteacher leadership team for a few years. Parents have expressed a concern about this. The governing body has done what it could to establish this leadership team. Since the appointment of the acting headteacher at the start of this term, there is an inclusive commitment from staff to improve provision in the school. This is due to the acting headteacher’s good leadership. In a short space of time the acting headteacher has introduced effective changes, which have been implemented by staff and welcomed by parents. Management of the school is satisfactory as time has been limited for whole-school systems to take full effect. The governing body is working well with the acting headteacher and exercises good financial control. Development planning has been unsatisfactory but systems are being systematically established to identify the

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

needs of the school. Because the school is not fulfilling the National Curriculum requirements for teaching geography, governance is judged unsatisfactory .

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have a high regard for the school. Parents consider teaching to be good, staff expect their children to work hard and the school can be approached with issues concerning them. A minority of parents were not happy with the extent to which the school takes their views into account. This aspect has been missing from school development planning. Pupils enjoy school, like their teachers and know who to turn to if they need help.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Raise standards in mathematics, religious education, geography, history, design and technology and writing in English. • Improve the use of assessment to raise standards. • Raise the achievement of more able pupils. • Plan and implement the use of English, information and communication technology and mathematics across the curriculum.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

and, to meet statutory requirements: • Teach the requirements of the National Curriculum for geography. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 8 Higham Ferrers Junior School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory but their standards of attainment are below average .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are generally below average. • Most pupils are achieving well in lessons. • Pupils with special educational needs achieve well. • Pupils capable of higher attainment are underachieving. • Pupils’ use of subject related skills in several areas are unsatisfactory. • Standards in the National Curriculum tests were generally improving until 2001 but then declined.

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Commentary

1. Across the school, inspection evidence found standards are below average in mathematics, religious education, geography, history, design and technology and writing in English. Standards are satisfactory in the remaining subject areas including personal, social and health education.

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Commentary

2. Pupils enter school with standards which are generally below average, and well below in writing. As standards are similar when they leave school, their achievement is satisfactory over the years they spend in school. Pupils’ achievement in lessons is always satisfactory and often good. This is because teaching is good.

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Commentary

3. In all classes, pupils do not sufficiently use the skills related to the humanities and design and technology. Examples of underused skills include interpreting in history, comparing in religious education and evaluating in design and technology. Only part of the National Curriculum for geography is being taught so pupils have significant gaps in both their skills and knowledge.

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Commentary

4. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in their learning and as a result achieve well. This is because teachers plan well for them and support is well deployed. A significant number of pupils have been helped to move down and off the register and to become independent learners.

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Commentary

5. Pupils who are capable of higher attainment are not always reaching their potential. This is because the use of assessment procedures are not sufficiently effective and the curriculum is unsatisfactory. The school acknowledges that this is an area for further attention.

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Commentary

6. When pupils talk about what they know, they show higher standards than is evident in their written work. This is because pupils’ standards in writing are below average and the organisation of their recorded work is not always systematic.

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Commentary

7. From 1999 to 2001, results of the National Curriculum tests in English were above the national average but fell significantly after that. Over a similar period, the National Curriculum test results in science rose to become slightly above average for the first time in 2001 but declined a little after that.

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Commentary

8. With the exception of a significant peak in performance in 2001, results of National Curriculum tests in mathematics have been declining for several years. Results in mathematics have generally been below the national average for all schools. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 10 9. In 2001, standards in the National Curriculum tests for all core subjects were above the national average. These observations are based on average point scores as are the more recent results in the table below.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests [SATs] at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2002

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 26.4 (28.2) 27.0 (27.0) mathematics 25.9 (27.3) 26.7 (26.6) science 28.1(28.8) 28.3 (28.3) There were 88 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities are good . Pupils’ behaviour is satisfactory . Other aspects of pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral and social development is good . Attendance is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are friendly, polite and courteous. • Relationships are good. • Good systems are in place for promoting good behaviour. • Pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is good. • The personal and social skills of pupils in Year 3 are underdeveloped. • The school’s action to promote attendance is good.

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Commentary

10. Attendance was broadly in line with the national average in the last complete reporting year. Attendance rates would be improved if it were not for a small but significant number of families taking holidays in term time. Attendance is checked efficiently with well-established routines in school and procedures which are familiar to parents. Nearly all pupils arrive for school on time and, as a result, lessons start promptly at the start of the school day.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (2001/2002)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 4.8% School data: 0.6% National data: 5.4% National data: 0.5% The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance

11. Pupils’ personal development is good overall. They benefit from opportunities to take responsibility around the school and older pupils enjoy taking responsibility for their own learning, working well in pairs and groups. Older pupils have recently started running clubs for younger pupils with an enthusiastic uptake. Pupils are taught to consider those less well off than themselves and regularly support a range of charitable causes. The school tries hard to bring a wider cultural aspect to its work, particularly in the development of religious education, in order to ensure that pupils are properly prepared for life in a multicultural society. However, there is a need to extend this provision even further in subjects such as geography. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 11 12. The vast majority of pupils, including those with special educational needs, have good attitudes to their work and take a full part in lessons. They like school and enjoy all that it offers.

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Attendance

However, the personal and social skills of a minority of pupils in Years 3 are not sufficiently developed for their age. These pupils shout out in lessons in their eagerness to respond and find it difficult to concentrate on their work or to work independently. Teachers have to reinforce class rules and their expectations. Where this happens some learning time is lost. There is little allocation of learning support assistants’ time in these classes.

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Attendance

13. Behaviour is satisfactory overall. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour and pupils know that things like bullying and racism will not be tolerated. As pupils move up through the school, they respond very well to the consistent application of the school’s systems for promoting good behaviour and there is a noticeable improvement in their behaviour. The work of the school council and rules and reward systems all help to promote this. Relationships are good throughout the school. This is because staff are friendly and approachable and show pupils that their views are valued. Staff work hard to include all pupils in the life and work of the school. Pupils say the school is a friendly place, where they like to be.

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Attendance

14. The school has been successful in integrating a number of pupils with serious behavioural difficulties. These pupils are managed well by teachers and the staff that support them and are able to play a full part in lessons. There has been one permanent exclusion in recent years. A small number of pupils have been excluded for one day and have been successfully reintegrated into the school after meetings with parents, governors, school staff and the pupils themselves, where targets for improvement have been set.

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Attendance

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Attendance

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 334 10 1 White – any other White background 4 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 4 0 0 Any other ethnic group 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The overall quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory .

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Teaching and learning

The overall quality of teaching is good and this leads to good learning by pupils. Procedures for assessment are satisfactory but the use of assessment and its effect on raising standards is unsatisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching has improved considerably since the last inspection. • Teaching and learning are most frequently good in Years 4 to 6. • Teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs are good. • Information from assessment procedures is not sufficiently used to raise standards, particularly for the more able pupils. • Learning support assistants are effective in their role. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 12 • Marking has improved since the last inspection. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 13

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Commentary

15. The last inspection found teaching to be unsatisfactory in about one lesson in six. During this inspection, teaching was satisfactory or better in all lessons. Over 60 per cent of lessons were good or better in this inspection, compared with 45 per cent in the previous inspection. A summary of the lessons observed during this inspection is shown in the table below:

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 41 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

0 6 [15%] 20 [49%] 15 [36%] 0 0 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

16. Pupils quickly become involved in a lesson where the teacher gives a brisk and purposeful start. They become enthusiastically involved in constructive discussion and debate in small groups and as a whole class. This is stimulated by either perceptive questioning from the teacher or an interesting choice of topic. Pupils’ interest in their work is maintained by the use of a varied range of learning activities and relevant resources. Learning support assistants provide valuable support to pupils’ learning. In Year 3, a significant amount of teachers’ time is taken up in with dealing with the small minority of pupils who lack self-control. The allocation of learning support time in these classes is limited. In mathematics and English, pupils are familiar with judging the work they do on a three point scale of demand, known as “traffic lights”. Many teachers make use of a common system to tell pupils what is being looked for in

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Commentary

their work during a lesson. These systems are helpful in making pupils aware of their capabilities and the work in which they are involved.

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Commentary

17. The teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs, particularly those with behavioural difficulties, are good. This is because teachers usually plan work that is at a suitable level for them and targets in individual education plans are taken into account fully. It is also because most teachers consistently and effectively use a range of suitable strategies. Occasionally, planned work lacks depth, particularly when pupils are required to draw and then colour their work. Learning support assistants and other support staff, who work with these pupils, have developed good relationships with them. These staff are well prepared and they constantly encourage pupils to play a full part in lessons, keeping them on task and concentrating well.

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Commentary

18. The school has used systems to produce assessment data in the past few years. In the last couple of years, the use of this data to follow and assist pupils’ progress has not been effective. The decline in National Curriculum test results in mathematics supports this observation. There has been little whole school involvement in setting statutory or other targets for standards.

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Commentary

19. New assessment systems are now in place, which are starting to give a clearer picture of pupils’ progress and aid planning for improvement. As these systems are new they have not had the time to impact significantly on standards. Through analysis of data from the national tests, the school is aware of the need to raise the achievement of more able pupils. ‘Mark Books’ have been introduced where each individual teacher keeps a record of pupils’ attainment and aspects of their personal development. This information is being increasingly used to track progress and set targets for improvement. There are several examples of these books being used well and a clear picture of the attainment of individuals and groups of pupils being readily identified. There are also some inconsistencies, as some teachers are not as thorough in gathering and recording evidence about the progress of individual pupils in their

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Commentary

classes. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 14 20. There is much good practice in the gathering and use of assessment information to promote the progress of pupils with special educational needs. Assessment is rigorous and the information gained is used well to review targets in individual education plans and to decide on the best support to provide.

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Commentary

21. The marking of pupils’ work has improved since the time of the previous inspection, when it was identified as an issue for development. All work is now marked regularly. In English and mathematics, comments in marking are helpful in showing pupils where they need to improve their work. This good practice is rarely evident in work in science and other subjects across the curriculum.

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The curriculum

Curriculum provision is unsatisfactory . Opportunities for enrichment are good . Accommodation and resources are satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum does not meet the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum in geography. • There are too few opportunities for pupils to use writing, numeracy and information and communication technology in subjects across the curriculum. • There is a significant lack of consistency in recent initiatives to organise parts of the curriculum on a themed approach. • Work is not sufficiently well-matched to the needs of more able pupils. • Curricular provision for pupils with special educational needs is good.

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Commentary

22. Teachers increasingly work together to plan the curriculum and their teaching. This helps to ensure that teaching is consistent across each year group and pupils receive similar experiences. Curricular planning for subjects is reviewed periodically so that improvements to teaching and learning can be made. This results in a generally satisfactory curriculum for National Curriculum subjects and religious education. In geography, however, the content and planning to support teaching are not meeting statutory requirements.

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Commentary

23. There is insufficient planning to develop pupils’ writing, numeracy and information and communication technology skills across the curriculum. All this has a negative impact on pupils’ achievement. A cross-curricular theme or project approach to learning was introduced in Year 6 last term. Although innovative, this approach has not been sufficiently implemented to help pupils learn skills and knowledge in a structured way.

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Commentary

24. The school is committed to equality of opportunity for all pupils but the more able pupils do not always have work set which provides enough challenge. This is particularly the case in English, mathematics and science. This result is that the more able pupils are not reaching their full potential.

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Commentary

25. The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs is good because there is an effective commitment to fully include these pupils into the life and work of the school. This is an improvement since the previous inspection where several criticisms in this area were noted. In the recent past, pupils with special educational needs have been withdrawn for extra support in literacy and missed other important areas of the curriculum. Support is now provided so that those withdrawn are covering the same curriculum as the rest of the class. This is a significant improvement. The work which pupils with special educational needs do is guided by realistic individual education plans. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 15 26. The school supports the curriculum well through a good range of educational visits. These opportunities cater for both pupils’ interests and their academic needs. Pupils in Years 4 and 6

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Commentary

also have a residential visit. The school offers a good range of well-attended after-school clubs such as French, sign language, drama and information and communication technology. The school has recently expanded the provision to include lunchtime activities for pupils in Years 3 and 4, which are run effectively by enthusiastic Year 6 pupils with adult supervision. Activities include modern dancing, chess and cheerleading. The variety of sporting activities is limited to football, cricket and netball. Few matches are played against other schools. The provision for art and musical activities includes choir, recorders, guitar and art and craft. Pupils value and enjoy these activities. There was significant concern from several pupils and parents that, formerly, access to clubs was very restricted as they were only held on Monday after school. The situation has improved considerably this term.

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Commentary

27. Accommodation is adequate, maintained to a good standard and places few limitations on teaching. The outdoor areas are rather arid with little to occupy pupils in break times and there is no grassed area. Outdoor sport takes place on a nearby playing field. Overall, learning resources are sufficient to teach the planned curriculum, with the exception of geography, where they are unsatisfactory. Learning resources in English are good.

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Care, guidance and support

Procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare, health and safety are good . Provision of support, advice and guidance based on monitoring is satisfactory . The involvement of pupils in sharing their views about the school is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Child protection procedures are good. • The school is friendly and caring. • All staff have good relationships with all pupils. • Several parents are not content with induction arrangements for pupils joining the school. • The recently reformed school council is used effectively to take account of pupils’ views and concerns.

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Commentary

28. The school has good procedures for dealing with child protection issues. All staff are aware of their responsibilities and duties if they feel a child is at risk. This care is further enhanced by the high priority given to logs and files and procedures relating to aspects of pupils’ care and welfare. Risk assessment is carried out meticulously for educational trips and visits. However, it is some time since a whole school risk assessment was carried out.

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Commentary

29. The planned arrangements for the induction of pupils into the school are satisfactory. However, parents expressed concern at the way these plans were implemented when their children first moved to the school from the neighbouring infant school. Parents are content with the arrangements for transfer of their children when they leave the school to go to the secondary sector.

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Commentary

30. The school council is used effectively to involve pupils in decision making and they take ideas from classes and feedback to them. Effective action often follows realistic requests. Pupils in all classes have been involved in drawing up class charters to promote good behaviour and attitudes.

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Commentary

31. The care, support and guidance provided for pupils with special educational needs are good. Pupils know which adults to turn to if they need help. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 16

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s links with its parents and the local community are good . Links with other school and colleges are satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents speak highly of the school. • Parents are concerned about the lack of an established headteacher / deputy headteacher leadership team. • There is a very active and supportive Friends’ Association. • A small number of parents have concerns about homework and children’s behaviour. • There are many visits and visitors to the school.

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Commentary

32. Parents have a positive view of the school whilst recognising that there are weaknesses as well as strengths. Parents approve of the changes introduced this term by the acting headteacher. However, they appreciate the situation is temporary and are concerned that there has been a lack of a sustained headteacher / deputy headteacher partnership in the school. They want this situation to be resolved quickly. A small but very active and supportive Friends Association organises a range of activities that benefit the school both socially and financially. This support is much appreciated by the school and increases pupils’ learning opportunities.

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Commentary

33. Parents have expressed concerns about homework. They feel there is a lack of consistency across the school. The inspection found provision for homework to be satisfactory. It is an established feature in mathematics and English with occasional, interesting home activities set in science. Unsatisfactory behaviour by pupils in some classes was also raised as a concern. The behaviour observed during the inspection was satisfactory but there is a small number of pupils with behavioural problems, particularly in Year 3. As pupils move through the school, behaviour generally improves. The many visitors to the school from the community and a good range of educational visits contribute well to pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

34. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in decisions that are made about their children. Pupils’ views are also sought informally, although they are not usually present at review meetings. Links with outside agencies are very beneficial for pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with hearing and visual impairment. The behaviour management team for the area is helping staff, including lunchtime supervisors, to successfully reinforce the school’s policy of positive behaviour management. Some learning support assistants have been trained to help and support parents who are finding it difficult to manage challenging behaviour at home, also reinforcing the school’s policy.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management of the school are satisfactory . The acting headteacher provides good leadership. The overall effectiveness of management is satisfactory . Governance of the school is unsatisfactory . Higham Ferrers Junior School - 17

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The acting headteacher has, in a short space of time, put effective improvement strategies in place. • All staff and governors are working well to implement the acting headteacher’s initiatives. • The school runs smoothly. • The curriculum for geography does not meet statutory requirements, making governance unsatisfactory. • The lack of a sustained leadership team has hindered the development of the school.

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Commentary

35. The governing body is effective in its management of the school. It is working well with the acting headteacher to address the weaknesses of the school. Financial control is good. The relatively large carry forward in the school’s budget is earmarked for building extensions which are planned to take place in the next year.

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Commentary

36. One of the major concerns of the governing body is the lack of continuity in the leadership of the school. The governing body has stood firm in its realistic policy for the appointment of a new headteacher. It will not appoint until it finds the candidate most suited to the post. Further, it does not wish to advertise for a deputy headteacher without involving a permanent headteacher in post. The governors are working closely with the acting headteacher to promote improved standards in the core subjects. They are well-aware of the additional strategies that may be used to achieve this. For example, they are keen that the school adopts setting in mathematics in the second half of this term.

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Commentary

37. There is a relatively high turnover of teaching staff, mainly due to promotion. The governors have been successful in recruiting replacement staff and have adopted rational strategies. For example, they appointed two assistant headteachers on the grounds of providing continuity of leadership. One of these assistant headteachers leaves for a deputy headship at the end of this term which illustrates the staff mobility and justifies the governors decisions.

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Commentary

38. Although sound procedures are in place for governors to be informed of curriculum matters in the school and the governors visit the school on a regular basis, the curriculum for geography does not fulfil statutory requirements. Because the curriculum for geography does not fulfil statutory requirements, Ofsted’s grading criteria require that the governance of the school is judged unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

39. Currently the school is led well by an acting headteacher who has, in the short space of time he has been in post, addressed many areas of concern raised by parents, pupils and staff. For example, he has changed lunchtime arrangements to enable better use of the playground. He has established lunchtime clubs run by the older pupils for the younger pupils and expanded the after-school clubs to two evenings to enable pupils to attend more than one club. This has been very favourably received by both parents and pupils and has skilfully not resulted in an increased burden on teaching and support staff. He has held interviews with all subject co- ordinators and this has resulted in the promotion of many initiatives in school, significantly the implementation of assessment strategies to raise standards in mathematics. It is this drive for the raising of standards and the positive effect on the morale of all members of the school

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Commentary

community that has made his leadership so effective in a short time.

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Commentary

40. The two assistant headteachers give full support to the acting headteacher’s positive leadership. They and the core curriculum co-ordinators are competent in their roles and committed to improvement. They are having a satisfactory impact on developing the school. Working closely with the acting headteacher, they have enabled all staff, both teaching and non-teaching, to understand the school’s goals and their individual roles in achieving them. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 18 41. The special educational needs co-ordinator is competent and knowledgeable. She knows the needs of pupils with special educational needs well and has put in place good procedures and systems to support their learning and their well-being. It is acknowledged, however, that the school gives insufficient attention to the needs of higher attaining pupils.

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Commentary

42. The management of the school is satisfactory. The school day runs smoothly and significant to this is the considerable and effective management roles undertaken by the bursar and school secretary. Teachers are truly enabled to concentrate on teaching and are well-supported by experienced and enthusiastic learning support assistants. The deployment of learning support assistants has been improved recently. The provision of learning support in Year 3 is limited. All staff work well together to promote the learning of all pupils and this means all are fully included in what the school provides. The caretaker and cleaning staff maintain the school buildings to a high standard that make a visible statement of the ethos of care throughout the school.

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Commentary

43. Currently the school improvement plan is unsatisfactory. Rightly, the acting headteacher, senior staff and governors consider that further analysis of the current strengths and weaknesses of the school needs to take place before a new plan is devised. Significant to this decision is the requirement by the governing body that all staff should be involved in the development of this plan. Governors wisely judge that this will make staff clear about the contribution they can make to maintain strengths and put right weaknesses in the area of the school in which they work. This strategy has had a very positive impact on the morale of the staff of the school.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 927,967 Balance from previous year 97,880 Total expenditure 816,309 Balance carried forward to the next 111,657 Expenditure per pupil 2,386 Higham Ferrers Junior School - 19

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ enjoyment of, and interest in, books is a strength of their learning. • Pupils’ writing is unsatisfactory. • There are good resources to support the teaching and learning of English. • Teachers’ good subject knowledge enables them to teach literacy at the required depth. • Pupils have positive attitudes to the subject. • The learning tasks set for pupils do not always sufficiently match their attainment levels, especially in the case of the more able. • The development of literacy in subjects other than English is unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

44. Overall, standards in English are below average. Although this is a fall in standards since the school’s last inspection, the pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. This is because the attainment of pupils on entry to the school is lower. Since the end of September, the special educational needs support teacher and learning support assistants have been re-deployed to withdraw groups of pupils who find learning more difficult to provide targeted support in literacy across all year groups. As a result, pupils with special educational needs are achieving well. Improvement in the subject since the last inspection is satisfactory.

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Commentary

45. Standards in reading are average by Year 6. The school has made a considerable effort to develop pupils’ interest in books and reading by improving the library provision and providing library skill lessons for pupils in all classes. From the outset, pupils are taught to read with a range of fiction and non-fiction books and to read with understanding. As a result, most pupils read for pleasure and for information. By Year 6, most pupils read with a suitable level of fluency and reasonable accuracy. They show understanding of the main ideas, talk readily about what they read and express their views about books that they have enjoyed. Many pupils have well-developed skills for finding books and information. Although a few more able pupils in Year 6 are developing their abilities to discover deeper meaning in the text, the majority cannot do so without supportive questioning. However, by Year 6, many pupils are reading more

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Commentary

widely and are developing a mature response to literature.

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Commentary

46. Standards in writing are below average by Year 6. Pupils write for different purposes, such as poetry, plays and non-fiction. In the best writing, there is a good range of vocabulary and a lively use of language to create deliberate effects. However, whilst the choice of vocabulary is improving, for many pupils it is not rich enough to reach the higher standards. By Year 6, pupils are mastering and manipulating language for their own purposes from persuasive letter writing to creative work. In most year groups, pupils are developing their ideas through the use of ‘mind maps’. This is where they record their ideas in note form. However, at times overemphasis is given to this activity, restricting the development of other forms of writing, such as extended prose. Overall, there are variable levels of accuracy in the work of many pupils, particularly in the consistent use of basic punctuation.

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Commentary

47. Standards in speaking and listening are average by Year 6. Pupils respond readily and in most instances, thoughtfully. Throughout the school, teachers provide many good opportunities for speaking purposefully during lessons. They frequently ask pupils to discuss an answer with a partner before replying and sharing their ideas with the class. As a result, by Year 6, most pupils speak confidently and listen productively in lessons. More able pupils express their ideas clearly and talk enthusiastically about their work and the books they have read. However, the Higham Ferrers Junior School - 20 average and lower attaining pupils need encouragement to expand on their ideas and develop their skills further. Although there are planned opportunities for pupils to speak in more formal contexts, these are not having sufficient impact on the range of vocabulary used by the majority of pupils.

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Commentary

48. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory with some good features. In the best lessons, teachers’ lively presentations and imaginative use of resources quickly engage the interest of pupils, channel their enthusiasm and sustain their concentration. In these lessons, teachers’ good subject knowledge enables them to use questions skilfully to reinforce pupils’ learning and to check their understanding. There were many examples of teachers starting lessons with the learning intentions being shared with the pupils, which ensured they were clear about what they were expected to learn. Several lessons move along at a crisp pace but where there is a lack of urgency in the teaching, pupils relax into a leisurely pace of working. Pupils are being given more responsibility for their learning when they self-select learning activities on a three point ‘Traffic lights’ scale. The learning tasks provided are not always

p.20

Commentary

sufficiently well-planned to meet the needs of the more able pupils so that they do not always achieve as well as they can.

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Commentary

49. The process of setting targets for pupils to achieve in English is new and the use of them is not yet sufficiently rigorous to raise standards in writing. The school has recently adopted a system of recording pupils’ progress through regular writing tasks. Management of the subject is satisfactory. Since September the co-ordinator’s role has been redefined. This has resulted in the co-ordinator and the acting headteacher observing teaching throughout the school. The observed strengths and areas for development are helping to improve provision. The marking of pupils’ work is good and in many cases shows pupils clearly how to improve their work.

p.20

Language and literacy across the curriculum

50. The development of literacy across the curriculum is unsatisfactory. Pupils’ work shows that insufficient opportunities are provided to support the development of their writing skills across a range of subjects. Consequently, this restricts learning, particularly for the more able pupils, in subjects such as religious education, history and geography.

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MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in mathematics are below average. • Teaching and learning are good. • The leadership of the subject is good. • Increased use has been made of assessment data to raise achievement. • The development of numeracy in subjects other than mathematics is unsatisfactory. • Resources for learning are good. • Results in national tests have gone down and been below average for the previous two years.

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Commentary

51. Standards in mathematics are below average. This is lower than at the time of the previous inspection. Results have gone down and been below average in national tests over the last two years. Pupils in Year 6 in the 2003 tests missed the targets set for the school by a considerable margin. Although a wide range of assessment procedures were in place during this time, insufficient use was made of these procedures to raise standards. The school has recognised this and under the leadership of the acting headteacher, greater use is being made of assessment information to make lesson planning more effective. Lessons are well-planned Higham Ferrers Junior School - 21 and ensure pupils are learning what they should next learn in order to improve their mathematical knowledge and understanding. The result is that pupils’ achievement in lessons is generally satisfactory and occasionally good and very good. This improved use of

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Commentary

assessment has only been in place for a short period of time and has not yet had an overall impact on standards.

p.21

Commentary

52. Teaching and learning are good. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. In two lessons, teaching and learning was very good. Learning support assistants are very experienced and make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. In all lessons, teachers make successful use of a system of assessment called ‘Traffic lights’. Pupils understand this system well. At frequent points in the lesson, pupils self-assess their understanding on a three point scale. This enables teachers to spend more time with pupils experiencing difficulties and set more demanding activities for those pupils who feel confident in what they are learning. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Teachers use this system to suitably amend their lesson plan for the next day’s lesson.

p.21

Commentary

53. Leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator has worked hard with staff during this half term to ensure assessment systems are effective and are used well to accurately match work to pupils’ previous knowledge and understanding in mathematics. This has had a considerable impact on the quality of provision of the subject. As a result of this improved use of assessment, the school is putting in place a system of setting in Years 5 and 6. In this system, pupils of a similar ability are grouped together for teaching and learning. The quality and quantity of learning resources are good. Teachers and learning support assistants make effective use of these resources to enable pupils to work in small groups. There is an adequate range of computer programs to support learning in particular areas of the curriculum, for example, in two-dimensional and three-dimensional shape recognition. Insufficient use is

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Commentary

made of information and communication technology to support the gathering and presentation of information in data handling.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

54. Unsatisfactory use is made of other subjects to reinforce mathematical skills and knowledge. Use is made of measurement in design and technology. Mathematical terms are used well in science. There are limited examples of data being presented and interpreted in different graphical forms.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in all areas of science are satisfactory. This is an improvement since the last inspection. • Pupils have good attitudes to their science work. • Teaching and learning are good. • Consistency of curriculum coverage varies between year groups.

p.21

Commentary

55. Standards at the end of Year 6 are average in all areas of science. At the time of the last inspection, standards were average in most areas but below average in experimental and investigative science. Currently, throughout the school, pupils are using scientific vocabulary in the correct context. The standards evident in their written work are not as high as when they talk about their science. This stems from general unsatisfactory standards in pupils’ writing. Their knowledge and understanding of living things, materials and physical processes is Higham Ferrers Junior School - 22 satisfactory. From Year 3 onwards they know the principles of fair testing. They make sensible predictions, correctly identify and suitably control the main variables involved and observe and measure carefully. Their conclusions match the data they collect. The range of investigative work carried out in Year 6 classes varies significantly. Pupils’ ability to raise their own

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Commentary

questions and then apply the practical processes of scientific investigation to find a possible answer is limited. 56. Overall, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. The achievement of more able pupils is unsatisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in lessons and achieve well. Analysis of the national tests in science in 2003 indicates that pupils are achieving satisfactorily at the expected National Curriculum level 4 but underachieving at the higher level 5. Results of the national tests have risen steadily over the last few years. There were several examples in lessons where pupils were achieving well because of good teaching.

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Commentary

57. Recent initiatives to involve science in a themed approach to curriculum organisation have been over-ambitious. Commendable plans have not been systematically implemented.

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Commentary

58. Overall, teaching and learning are good. Teachers are confident in their knowledge of science and give pupils accurate information. The good quality of teachers’ questions challenges pupils to think and produce their own interesting and relevant theories. Very good examples of this were seen in Year 4. Learning objectives are shared with the pupils and referred to during the lesson. This results in pupils knowing what is expected of them and the lesson going at a good and relevant pace. Whilst pupils are consistently asked to make predictions they are seldom asked to give their reasoning. This tends to reduce the status of a prediction to a guess as pupils lack the opportunity to reason using their prior knowledge. Pupils generally respond well in lessons and enjoy what they do. In Year 3, a minority of pupils need a significant amount of guidance to become fully involved in their work. Insufficient use is made of information and

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Commentary

communication technology, for example, in the gathering and presentation of experimental data. Homework does not feature regularly, but when set it is interesting and helps pupils make progress. Pupils’ work is marked regularly but guidance for improvement is not always effective. Systems for assessing pupils’ attainment are satisfactory. As these systems are at an early stage of implementation they are not yet effective in raising standards.

p.22

Commentary

59. Leadership and management of science are satisfactory. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic, hard working and has introduced several innovations for teaching and assessment. Because these initiatives have not been part of whole school development, their impact is not consistent across the school. The co-ordinator has observed lessons but the outcomes are too broad to be fully effective in improving provision. Through formal and informal meetings with the acting headteacher, a better structured approach to subject management is evolving.

p.22

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is satisfactory .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Leadership and management are good. • Good use is made of the computer suite. • Many aspects of work in Year 6 are above average. • The development of information and communication technology in other subjects is unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

60. At the end of Year 6, standards are in line with those expected at this age. A significant contribution to this is the regular use of the information and communication technology suite by each class to learn computer skills. Standards are similar to those at the time of the previous inspection. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall with several good examples Higham Ferrers Junior School - 23 observed. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils throughout the school build on previous skills in a sequential way and are secure and confident in their use of a wide range of computer programs and the safe use of the Internet. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory.

p.22

Commentary

61. The subject is led and managed well by the co-ordinator who works closely with the acting headteacher. The subject has been identified as an area for development this term. As a result, improved provision is having a positive impact on standards. One improvement is to divide each class so that each half-class has time in the information and communication technology suite alternating with library use. This allows all pupils to work singly on a computer with enhanced teacher support. Additionally, a timetabled period is used for pupils to apply what they have learnt in information and communication technology lessons to other areas of the curriculum. Already this term this has been particularly effective in supporting work in history, for example, on the Romans where younger pupils are gathering information from CD ROMs to devise well-structured easy to read information sheets setting out facts about Roman

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Commentary

soldiers and making comparisons with Celtic soldiers. This link with history is continued in Year 6 where pupils are putting together individual and paired PowerPoint presentations about the Second World War. Standards are above expectations in some aspects of these presentations. For example, some pupils have downloaded from the Internet speeches made by Churchill and incorporated these with images of Churchill. This means that during their presentation other pupils may hear those speeches presented in the gruff and forceful voice that must have become familiar to people living at that time. This is effective use of information and communication technology to support the development of knowledge and understanding in other subjects and is an area for continued development. The amount and condition of information and communication technology equipment is adequate. The computer suite is of a good size and means that whole classes can be taught together and this is efficient and

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Commentary

effective in use of the technology and time.

p.23

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

62. The use of information and communication technology across the curriculum is unsatisfactory. Effective use is limited to its very positive application in history. There are very few examples of pupils using information and communication technology to support their written work in literacy. Spreadsheets have been used to cost the materials needed to grow plants. Its use to collect and present data in graphical form, for example in science or geography, falls well short of expectations.

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HUMANITIES

Provision for geography does not meet National Curriculum requirements. Geography was identified as a key issue for improvement at the last inspection.

p.23

HUMANITIES

63. No lessons could be seen in geography, as the subject is not planned for any class for this term. There is no co-ordinator to guide and promote good practice in this subject. Work observed in scrutiny of pupils’ books in Years 3 and 4 showed aspects of the geography curriculum have not been covered in enough depth for pupils to have sufficiently covered the National Curriculum requirements for geography. In Years 5 and 6 work in geography is well below average. This is because pupils in Year 5 have neither been taught regularly enough nor in sufficient depth. There is no evidence to show that pupils in Year 6 had been taught geography at all last year. Pupils now in Year 6 say that they missed geography lessons frequently last year due to the need for extra work in literacy and mathematics. The subject has not improved since the time of the previous inspection when its improvement was one of three

p.23

Religious Education

Provision for religious education is satisfactory. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 24

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Aspects of management are good. • Standards of attainment are unsatisfactory. • There is a good emphasis on knowledge of world faiths. • Pupils’ skills in the subject are not consistently applied. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 25

p.24

Commentary

64. Standards in religious education are unsatisfactory. Pupils enter the school with standards which are generally below average. Achievement is satisfactory across the school, although in some classes it is good. Pupils with special educational needs achieve similarly to other pupils because they are so well-supported in lessons. Higher attaining pupils are not always challenged to new thinking and learning. Religious education does not make sufficient contribution to the development of pupils’ writing skills or use of information and communication technology.

p.25

Commentary

65. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory across the school. This is a similar picture to that found at the time of the previous inspection. In several lessons, teaching and learning are good. A good emphasis is placed on knowledge of key features of world faiths. Insufficient time is given to enabling pupils to interpret and learn from this knowledge through the use of different types of sources and to debate issues of religious significance. An effective lesson was seen in Year 3, where pupils were enabled to explore their own feelings about the birth of a new baby in a family and to link this to their own experiences. The teacher’s good questioning led pupils to reflect on how this might affect others’ feelings and relationships and helped them to make clear links with the Christian story of the birth of Jesus.

p.25

Commentary

66. The co-ordinator has looked at pupils’ work thoroughly giving him a clear view of where the strengths and weaknesses lie in the subject. He has also systematically followed the progress of a sample group of pupils and has made accurate judgements on their standards. This knowledge has been used to drawn up a development plan, which has the potential to improve provision in the subject.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are unsatisfactory because the use of subject skills is below average. • Pupils enjoy their work in history and are often excited by their work. • Good use is made of information and communication technology in the subject.

p.25

Commentary

67. Standards in history are unsatisfactory. Pupils have a sound knowledge of history but their understanding is limited. This is because their subject skills are insufficiently developed. Overall, they do not systematically question sources of evidence, interpret and organise their responses in different ways. This has recently been dramatically improved in Year 6 where they have used computer programs to present their findings on World War Two in interesting ways. Considering that pupils enter the school with below average standards, achievement is satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs achieve similar outcomes to other pupils because they are so well-supported in lessons.

p.25

Commentary

68. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory across the school although in some classes it is good. Pupils, particularly the oldest pupils, enjoy their work due to the use of information and communication technology to support their learning. The independent working skills of many pupils in Year 3 are underdeveloped and teachers have to spend a disproportionate amount of time ensuring that they concentrate on their work. Written work is often not presented well but shows that pupils have a suitably developing knowledge of key facts, figures and events of different periods. There are very few examples of their own views, ideas and interpretation in their recorded work. Where this does happen, for example, when pupils in Year 6 express their own feelings about evacuation in a letter, this is very beneficial to learning. Visits and visitors make a good contribution to pupils’ learning. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 26

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Commentary

69. Co-ordination of the subject is unsatisfactory, as there has been no co-ordinator for some time to guide and promote good practice.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

70. One lesson was observed in music, two assemblies and after-school clubs were noted. In physical education, one lesson was observed together visits to part lessons and after-school clubs. One lesson was observed in art. There were no lessons being taught in design and technology during the inspection. Samples of pupils’ work from all classes, completed in the previous year and from the current term, were looked at. Inspectors spoke to co-ordinators about their subject responsibility. Conversations were held with Year 5 and Year 6 pupils to discuss their work in design and technology. Curriculum plans indicate that coverage of these subjects meets National Curriculum requirements.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

71. From the limited evidence in design and technology , standards appear unsatisfactory . There is hardly any systematic recording by pupils for planning, making and evaluating the objects they make. They are aware of the process of evaluation which was demonstrated when Year 5 showed their model ‘solar system’ to Year 3 pupils. The objects they make lack originality and a clear link to address an identified need or purpose. In several projects, all the products have been similar. For example, in one class, all pupils made a stringed instrument rather than a variety of types. The most recent work in Year 6 has made good use of their knowledge of electrical circuits but the planning is very limited. The use of information and communication technology has not featured in their work. Pupils take great pleasure in talking about the work they have done. Last year all pupils were involved in a ‘rocket event’. Pupils

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

decorated plastic bottles and used a commercial pneumatic device to launch them. This has very slim links with the demands of the curriculum. Last year’s Year 6 brought purpose to this activity by attempting to safely return to earth an egg which their rockets carried. This is a very good example of work but nothing was recorded on paper or film. Management of the subject is unsatisfactory as there has been no planned programme for structured monitoring and development of the subject.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

72. Standards in physical education appear satisfactory . Pupils are enthusiastic about their work in the subject. This is evident in lessons and in the numbers attending a satisfactory range of after-school sports clubs. When pupils’ attention is drawn to good examples of skills, they make noticeable improvement in their own performance. They accept guidance and the application of rules in lesson and club activities. Older pupils know the reasons for warming-up before exercise. Swimming takes place in Years 5 and 6, with all but a very few swimming at least 25 metres by the time they leave school. Accommodation for physical education is satisfactory. The new hall provides just about sufficient space for the older classes. The equipment used is new and well-organised. The outdoor hard surfaces lack clearly marked playing features. The school makes use of the outdoor area of the neighbouring infant school

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

and uses a community, grassed area for sports. Sporting events with other schools are limited. Management of the subject is satisfactory.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

73. Because of the very limited evidence available for music during the inspection it is not possible to make a judgement about the effectiveness of provision. In the one lesson observed, teaching was well-structured and learning was good. Pupils suitably described the use of lyrics and music in songs. There were good links with history as the songs were from the period of the Second World War. There are clubs for choir and guitar which extend pupils’ learning.

p.26

Art and Design

Overall provision in art and design is satisfactory . Higham Ferrers Junior School - 27

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Management of the subject is good. • The subject co-ordinator provides good leadership. • Pupils’ achieve good standards in their observational drawings by Year 6. • There is not enough use made of information and communication technology.

p.27

Commentary

74. Only one lesson was seen in art and design. Pupils’ attainment is broadly average for Year 6 pupils. Examination of work completed previously indicates that achievement is satisfactory overall with pupils’ achieving good standards in their observational drawings. At the time of the last inspection, pupils’ work was judged to be above average and progress was said to be satisfactory. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory. In Year 6, pupils achieve good standards in their observational drawings of still life objects. Their work shows great attention to detail and a developing awareness of line, shape and tone. They have suitable experience of using a range of materials with some good results, for example, the leaf sculptures and pictures produced by Year 5 pupils and the papier-mâché Roman mosaic vases made by pupils in Year 4. In Year 6, pupils use pastels effectively to communicate their

p.27

Commentary

ideas of African sunsets. Pupils learn about the work of artists such as Lowry, Andy Goldsworthy and Holbein, so that, by Year 6, they are beginning to develop a greater awareness of a variety of styles.

p.27

Commentary

75. The quality of teaching and learning seen in one lesson in Year 5 was very good. It was carefully planned, and the teacher’s particularly good knowledge of the subject enabled her to give very clear explanations to pupils of how to use colour and texture in their work. Pupils therefore settled to work with a very positive approach as they began to use watercolours and materials such as silk and velvet to produce portraits in the style of Holbein. Because of the very good teaching, pupils talked about their own work and that of others with a good level of confidence and considered how they could improve their own work.

p.27

Commentary

76. Art is well-supported by the scheme of work that provides good coverage of all aspects of the subject. An art day effectively raised the profile of the subject in the school and made a very good contribution to pupils’ cultural development. Pupils had the opportunity to use a range of materials and processes to produce Caribbean headdresses, Rangoli patterns, Aboriginal finger paintings and Egyptian cartouche paintings. There is very little evidence of pupils using information and communication technology in their artwork. The subject is well led by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable co-ordinator.

p.27

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Overall the provision for personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) is satisfactory .

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has received the Healthy Schools Award. • Plans for visiting speakers and organisations enrich the curriculum well. • The assessment of pupils’ skills and understanding is not planned well enough.

p.27

Commentary

77. Two lessons were observed in PSHCE, in Year 3 and Year 6. Much work is oral and there is very little written work to make judgements about marking and assessment. No overall judgements can, therefore, be made about standards of attainment. In the lessons seen, pupils’ achieved satisfactorily and made sound progress in the topics they were studying. They Higham Ferrers Junior School - 28 are encouraged to express a range of feelings and give their own opinions. In the lessons seen, activities required sharing, teamwork and collaboration.

p.27

Commentary

78. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. In Year 3, pupils were considering who they could go to for help and support, which involved them in a useful discussion about the people they could safely approach. Pupils in the Year 6 lesson were given the task of working together to come up with ideas to solve the problem of how they could keep safe if they had to help a crocodile with toothache. This made a very lively lesson as the pupils worked in small groups to discuss the strategies they could use. While they worked, the teacher moved round assessing their ability to work as a team and whether the task was completed satisfactorily. They learned to work collaboratively and showed a growing ability to justify their ideas after listening to others within the group. The lesson was brought to a good conclusion with a discussion on the how strategies they had used could be applied to any

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Commentary

problems they may encounter in their own lives.

p.28

Commentary

79. The subject was only recently introduced to the school in its own right. Nevertheless, the school has suitable planning for all aspects of the personal, social, health education and citizenship curriculum to be taught in its own right. Pupils have the chance to be on the school council, which gives them opportunity to learn about taking responsibility. Year 6 pupils have recently been given the opportunity to organise a programme of lunchtime activities for the younger pupils. This they do, under the watchful eye of an adult, with great enthusiasm and responsibility. Pupils in all classes have been involved in producing their own ‘Class Charter’. This has empowered pupils to develop a sense of moral responsibility for their own behaviour and consider the consequences of their actions.

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Commentary

80. The school has gained Healthy Schools status and this has meant much work and input into the planning for PSHCE. Visitors coming into the school include the police, the fire service, the Health bus, and medical personnel. Nevertheless, the provision is to be further improved, by developing further the school’s arrangements for “circle time”, where pupils discuss matters of interest to them. Higham Ferrers Junior School - 29

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 4 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 5

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 4 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 4 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 4 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 5 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 4 The governance of the school 5 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

p.29