Winterbourne Junior Girls' School

WINTERBOURNE JUNIOR GIRLS’ SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 26 th - 28 th April 2004

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WINTERBOURNE JUNIOR GIRLS’ SCHOOL

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

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WINTERBOURNE JUNIOR GIRLS’ 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. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Junior School category: Community Age range of pupils: 7 - 11 Gender of pupils: Female Number on roll: 339

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Winterbourne Road Thornton Heath Surrey Postcode: CR7 7QT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: (0208) 684 3532 Fax number: (0208) 665 0536

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Ms S Lyle

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 10 th June 2002

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School caters for pupils aged seven to eleven. It is situated in Thornton Heath, close to Croydon. The area is one of unfavourable social and economic conditions for a significant number of pupils. It is a three-form entry school and, with 339 pupils on roll, is above the average-sized primary school. Attainment on entry to Year 3 is below the national average. There are 141 pupils with English as an additional language; ten are at the early stage of English language acquisition. There are 39 countries of origin represented in the school, and 24 different languages are spoken at home. The majority of pupils come from Black British, Caribbean and Asian backgrounds. There are small proportions from other ethnic backgrounds. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is about average. The number of pupils entering and leaving the school other than at the normal times is high. There are some pupils (17 per cent) with special educational

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

needs; this figure is close to the national averages. There are a few pupils with statements of special educational needs. At the time of the last inspection in June 2002, when the headteacher had been in post for six months, the school was identified as having serious weaknesses. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 2

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

23637 J Donnelly Lead inspector Information and communication technology Physical education 9465 E Cooke Lay inspector 23354 E Adams Team inspector Science Music Religious education 2756 M Barron Team inspector English Geography History Provision for pupils with English as an additional language 12394 C May Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Design and technology Provision for pupils with special educational needs

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Tribal PPI Ground Floor Barley House Oakfield Grove Bristol BS8 2BN

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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 637 833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 9 - 14

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Winterbourne Junior Girls’ is an effective school with some very good features. All pupils achieve well as a result of good teaching and learning. Standards are average overall, but are above average in English. The leadership and management of the school are good . The school provides good value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Pupils’ achievements are good; pupils of all abilities achieve well in English and mathematics and satisfactorily in science by the end of Year 6. • Pupils’ relationships with each other are very good and they demonstrate very good levels of confidence and self-esteem. • Teaching and learning are good overall and often very good in Years 5 and 6. • Pupils’ social and moral development is very good. • The relationship between staff and pupils is very good. • The commitment of staff and the very high level of teamwork are strengths of the school, as is the leadership of the headteacher. • The school’s promotion of racial harmony is very good. • Challenge for the few more able pupils and innovation in curriculum delivery are areas for improvement. • Individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) are not used as effectively as they should be.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

Since the previous inspection in June 2002, the school has made good progress. Standards and pupils’ achievements have improved in English, mathematics and science overall. The satisfactory progress the school has made in science has yet to fully impact on results in the national tests. Teaching and learning have improved from satisfactory to good. The headteacher and key staff have also successfully addressed the minor weaknesses and issues identified in the previous report.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English B D A A mathematics E D C D science D D D D Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average. Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The pupils achieve well. Standards attained at the end of Year 6 in the 2003 national tests were well above average in English, average in mathematics and below average in science. The level of pupil mobility is high. In comparison to similar schools standards are average overall. In the lessons observed, standards were above average in English and average in mathematics and science. The pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve equally as well as their peers. Standards are above average in music and average in all other subjects where judgements can be made.

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The pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral and social and cultural

development, are very good overall. The pupils behave very well and have very good attitudes to their learning. Their attendance and punctuality are satisfactory. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 5

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The quality of education is good. The quality of teaching is good and, as a result, pupils

learn well overall. The teaching in Years 5 and 6 is often very good. The best teaching is in English and mathematics. The pupils’ achievement is well supported by the teachers’ good planning and subject knowledge, and by the excellent relationships between teachers and pupils. Teachers expect all pupils to learn well, regardless of their background or ability level, but the learning targets for pupils with special educational needs are not used as effectively as they should be. A satisfactory curriculum is provided and the quality of care and guidance given to pupils is very good. The school’s links with parents are good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good. The leadership of the headteacher is very good and she is ably supported by key staff in raising standards by ensuring consistently good or better teaching and learning. The school development plan gives a very clear steer to the improvements needed. Teamwork and collaboration between staff are at a very high level.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The governance of the school is good. The governors, senior managers and subject leaders have a good knowledge of what works well and what needs improving, and they are clearly focused on improving the quality of teaching and learning even further. The governors ensure that all statutory requirements are met.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents feel their children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. The pupils have very positive views of the school. They are particularly enthusiastic about their teachers.

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The most important things the school should do to improve are:

• Challenge more able pupils consistently through innovation in curriculum delivery. • Ensure SEN pupils are involved in setting their individual learning targets, so that they are specific and used more consistently in lessons. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 6

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

The achievement of pupils during their time at school is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievements are good; pupils of all abilities, ethnicity and those learning English as an additional language achieve well in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. • Standards in the national tests at the end of Year 6 in English and mathematics have been improving over the past four years: in English in 2003, they were well above the national average and in mathematics, they were average. • The provision that the school makes for pupils who speak English as an additional language is very good. • Standards have been below average in science in the national tests for the past three years but inspection evidence indicates standards are higher than this and are at least in line with national averages.

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Commentary

6. Pupils’ achievement is good overall. Standards and pupils’ achievement have improved since the last inspection, particularly in English, mathematics, science and for pupils who speak English as an additional language.

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Commentary

7. At the end of Year 6 in the national tests 2003, standards were above average in English, average in mathematics and below average in science. Pupils learning English as an additional language achieve well and in tests many attain the national average. Pupils with learning difficulties achieve well in relation to their targets. The school’s results have been improving at a similar rate to the national trend. Standards observed during the inspection were average overall, yet good in aspects of English and in music. On a few occasions, more able pupils found work too easy and this did not extend their learning sufficiently well.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results National results English 28.9 (25.8) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 26.5 (26.3) 26.8 (26.7) science 28.2 (27.9) 28.6 (28.3) There were 90 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

8. In comparison to similar schools standards are average. There is very high mobility and, therefore, pupils do well to achieve as they do. Appropriate tracking procedures are in place and pupils’ progress is carefully monitored to ensure that they are not under-performing.

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Commentary

9. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress overall because teaching is generally good. The learning support assistants are of a high calibre and also, the school’s very good behaviour policy is implemented consistently throughout the school. This means that very little teaching time is lost.

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Commentary

10. Pupils with English as an additional language enter the school with variable levels of English language development. However, because of good identification procedures and appropriate support, many of these pupils make rapid progress in language acquisition. Their achievement Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 7 is good and matches that of other pupils in all year groups because of the effective care they receive. As their skills in English language development improve, the pupils with English as an additional language attain standards similar to those achieved by other pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes to school are very good and their behaviour is also very good both in and out of lessons. Overall, their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good , with particular strengths in moral and social development and respect for others. The school has a suitable range of policies and strategies in place to promote good attendance. Punctuality and attendance are satisfactory. The very high standards identified at the last inspection have been maintained.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school makes very good provision for the moral and social well being of pupils. • Interest in all school activities is high, pupils enjoy school and relationships are very good throughout. • Adults in the school set the pupils a very good example, encouraging strong moral development and fostering very good relationships. • There is racial harmony and pupils enjoy school. • Parents hold positive views about the school and this encourages pupils to become eager learners.

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Commentary

6. Pupils’ attitudes to school are very good; they are generally keen to attend and, as a result, are eager to learn. Teachers have good expectations of their pupils and so youngsters respond very positively to their teachers’ well-planned and resourced lessons. As a result, they learn well. For example in a Year 6 literacy lesson, all pupils learned very well as a result of careful planning and structure, the well-focused work of a learning support assistant and pupils’ exemplary behaviour. Overall, pupils show very good behaviour both in and out of lessons; they are sensible and show respect for their school and its resources. Pupils with special educational needs have positive attitudes towards school and behave well in lessons, at playtimes and during the lunch hour. Pupils with English as an additional language have a very good attitude to learning and are well integrated into all aspects of school life. They play a full

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Commentary

and active part in lessons and other activities and display a willingness to learn.

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Commentary

7. The school’s behaviour management strategies are positive in nature, well understood and consistently applied by all adults. The two advanced skills learning support assistants make a very good contribution to this process. The school is an orderly and harmonious community and this enables pupils to settle down and learn well. One pupil was excluded for a fixed period last year. The inspection team judge the procedure to be appropriate. Careful records are kept of any unwanted behaviour. A few parents expressed concerns about behaviour, specifically bullying, in the pre-inspection consultations. The school agrees that some over-robust play does occur but, where it is reported, it is dealt with swiftly and effectively. The inspection team did not witness any bullying behaviour during the inspection period. The school experiences, on average, one racist incident each term; sometimes, these involve parents, not the pupils

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Commentary

8. As at the last inspection, relationships continue to be a strength of the school; pupils are kind, good natured and helpful. They confidently share their learning activities with visitors and enjoy good relationships in the playground. For example, simple play equipment is provided at lunch times to focus play and pupils share this cheerfully. Play is lively and all groups of pupils mix freely with each other. No incidents of unkind behaviour were seen during the inspection period. All adults in school provide very good role models for pupils to follow and, as a result, racial harmony is a positive feature of the school. Pupils are able to learn effectively in such an orderly environment. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 8 9. Pupils’ personal development is promoted well across the school through the very strong school ethos, the inclusive and supportive approach of all adults with its emphasis on learning

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Commentary

and the effective policies provided by the governing body. Pupils report a high level of satisfaction with school life. Moral and social development is well supported through assemblies, the personal, social and health education curriculum, religious education and staff’s individual interaction with pupils. For example, in a Year 5 personal, social and health education lesson, pupils showed high levels of maturity when discussing personal hygiene in a carefully planned and sensitively delivered session. Pupils are proud to be elected to the school council and show good understanding of their role in school life and are well prepared for life after school.

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Commentary

10. Cultural and spiritual development are well promoted through lessons, assembles and extra- curricular activities. The cultural development of pupils with English as an additional language is well supported by the school’s inclusive ethos. Multicultural displays and signs in a variety of languages can be seen in classrooms and corridors and this helps pupils identify with the education provided by the school. In addition, the school places a strong emphasis on respect for pupils’ own and others’ cultural traditions.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 7.1 School data: 0.1 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. The table above gives figures for 2002-2003. As from September 2003, attendance has been satisfactory overall and improving. Authorised absence is now satisfactory. Registers are kept carefully on a computerised system. The school monitors attendance and works effectively with the Education Welfare Officer to promote good attendance and this has had a positive impact on rates and the standards pupils achieve. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 9

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census Number of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 41 0 0 White – any other White background 6 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 8 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 3 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 5 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 9 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 57 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 43 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 5 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 16 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 92 1 0 Black or Black British – African 26 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 18 0 0 Chinese 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 8 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 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 quality of education provided by the school is good. The quality of teaching is good and, as a result, pupils learn well. The curriculum is satisfactory and the links with parents are good. The school makes very good provision for the welfare, health and safety of pupils.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching throughout the school is good overall. Teaching is very good in English and mathematics and good in science. Pupils throughout the school achieve well because of teachers’ good planning and good subject knowledge. Pupil achievement is also supported by the excellent relationships between teachers and pupils and the good expectations teachers have of all pupils, regardless of background or ability level.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers’ planning is clear and effective. • Teaching and learning are often very good in Years 5 and 6. • Teachers have good subject knowledge. • Teachers have good expectations of what pupils can achieve. • Very good relationships exist between teachers and pupils. • Teachers insist on high standards of behaviour and pupils apply themselves productively. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 10 • Targets in individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs are not always referred to in lessons.

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Commentary

12. The quality of teaching and learning has improved since the last inspection in two specific areas. First, the teacher’s assessment of what pupils can do is now much improved and informs the planning of the next lesson. Secondly, as a result of these assessments, the match of work set to ability is now good and because of this, the pupils achieve well.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 34 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

0 (0%) 12 (31%) 16 (48%) 6 (18%) 0 (0%) 0 (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

13. Teachers plan effectively for all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. There is a consistent approach to planning across the whole school and this ensures that work is set at the right level for pupils in each year group. Planning outlines the relevant vocabulary for each subject and teachers place a strong emphasis on ensuring that pupils are introduced to new subject vocabulary in all lessons. Teachers meet regularly together and plan as a team. The good planning allows teachers to be consistent in the way they approach different subjects and confident in their abilities. The result of this approach is that pupils of all ages and all abilities learn well and make good progress.

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Commentary

14. Teachers have good subject knowledge and communicate very effectively with pupils, particularly in English, information and communication technology (ICT) and music. Teachers have good expectations of pupils and encourage them to do their best in lessons. The very good relationships between pupils and teachers ensure that behaviour in lessons is very good and that pupils are enthusiastic and keen to learn. Pupils are confident to ‘have-a-go’ in lessons. For example, when taught by the physical education specialist from the local partnership school, the pupils were challenged to learn the technical aspects of the relay race hand over in athletics, tried their best all the time and were fully involved with their learning.

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Commentary

15. There is a consistent approach to teaching and learning across the school and all lessons are well structured and organised. Pupils have opportunities to use first-hand resources, especially in science and music.

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Commentary

16. When learning support assistants are present in lessons, they mostly provide very effective, active support for lower attaining pupils, pupils with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs. When working with pupils with special educational needs, a few learning support assistants do not always refer to targets set out in the pupils’ individual education plans. Targets in individual education plans are sometimes cumbersome, and many lack clarity, thus making them difficult to translate into action in the classroom.

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Commentary

17. Pupils with English as an additional language requiring extra support to fully participate in lessons are well provided for through the co-ordinated use of the effective learning support assistant working under the direction of the ethnic minority achievement co-ordinator. As a result, most pupils with English as an additional language make good progress in learning and achieve to their capabilities, especially in literacy and language, and this is evident in their written work.

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Commentary

18. There are very comprehensive systems and procedures in place to assess the progress of pupils. In English, mathematics and science, they are particularly strong and, as a result, standards are rising. Non-statutory tests and teacher assessments are used effectively to track pupils and to set individual targets for improvement each half term. Whilst this is an improvement since the last inspection, when systems for assessment were judged to be Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 11 unsatisfactory, the present systems and procedures result in a very heavy workload for teachers.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is satisfactory overall. It meets all statutory requirements and is enhanced by an appropriate range of worthwhile extra-curricular activities.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Personal, social and health education is provided for well. • The provision for English, mathematics, science and ICT has been a recent focus for improvement and the curriculum for these subjects is now good. • The very good policy for behaviour has a positive effect upon the curriculum. • Provision for SEN pupils needs improvement. • Further improvements are needed in art and design, design and technology, history and geography. • The length of some lessons is in need of adjustment. • Whilst higher attaining pupils are catered for appropriately, especially in English and mathematics, as yet no special curricular provision has been made for those pupils identified as being gifted and talented.

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Commentary

19. The curriculum meets the National Curriculum requirements, including religious education. There is an appropriate policy with regard to sex education and drug misuse. Personal, social and health education is covered well. The school has begun a programme of systematic review and development of subjects and, as a result, some schemes of work have been changed or updated. This, coupled with careful analysis of test results, has resulted in improvements in English, mathematics, science and ICT. Additional teaching programmes have been introduced in English and mathematics. These have had a good impact on raising the standards achieved. The grouping arrangements of pupils for their mathematics lessons means that work is better matched to the needs of individuals. This means that higher attaining pupils are catered for well in this subject.

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Commentary

20. The consistently applied behaviour policy means that pupils with behaviour difficulties do not disrupt lessons and have full access to the curriculum. For children with other special educational needs, improvement is needed in the use of learning targets in some lessons. The school has developed good procedures to ensure that all pupils, including those for whom English is an additional language, have full access to the curriculum.

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Commentary

21. The new subject co-ordinators are enthusiastic and have many interesting ideas that, if implemented, would bring the curriculum in accordance with the recent national guidance contained in the publication ‘Excellent and Enjoyment’. Implementation of these ideas would involve adjusting the time given to some lessons. This would serve to enliven and improve the curriculum as, during the inspection, some lessons especially in English were found to be too long.

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Commentary

22. Although a group of pupils have been identified as being gifted and talented, as yet, no specific action has been taken to meet their needs. However, there are additional music lessons from a visiting teacher and opportunities are provided to take part in additional art and design, dance, and extra sporting activities. The quality of extra-curricular activities is good and the resources and accommodation are satisfactory overall. However, the school hall is cramped and limits the opportunities for team games and gymnastics for older pupils. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 12

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Care, guidance and support

Arrangements to ensure the welfare, health and safety of pupils, staff and visitors are very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are very good and trusting relationships between adults and pupils. • There is very good provision for the personal welfare, health and safety of pupils - a strong feature of this is the work of the advanced skills learning support assistants. • Behaviour management is very effective. • There are good arrangements to help pupils improve their work and to support their personal development. • There are good arrangements to welcome new pupils to the school. • Pupils have good opportunities to express their views about the school.

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Commentary

23. Provision in this area of the school’s work has broadly improved since the previous inspection. Pupils are safe and very well cared for. Great care is taken each morning to “meet and greet” each child as they arrive at school; this enables staff to quickly identify and address problems or concerns. There are good arrangements to ensure the safety and security of the site and the school acts promptly to involve parents if there are any concerns about a child. The school’s behaviour management policy is a very effective positive document and its implementation has improved behaviour significantly since the last inspection.

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Commentary

24. The headteacher is responsible for the school’s Child Protection arrangements, which are up- to-date and of good quality. Pupils new to the school are carefully integrated and their needs are promptly assessed in planned meetings with carers. The advice of outside agencies is sought when pupils’ needs cannot be met within the school’s own resources. Where additional adult support has been allocated as part of a pupil’s statement of special educational need, these pupils receive their entitlement. Sometimes, however, the non- statutory advice given by specialists is not always followed up. Also, the requirement for pupils with special educational needs to be involved in writing their individual education plans is not always complied with.

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Commentary

25. Procedures for monitoring and supporting the academic progress and personal development of pupils for whom English is an additional language are good overall. For example, during Ramadan, when some pupils are fasting, a room is made available for prayers under the supervision of a Muslim member of staff. The achievement of pupils from ethnic minorities is monitored closely and information is shared by staff in order to cater better for individual needs. However, there are presently over 20 different home languages spoken in the school and a shortage of translators for pupils whose first languages are, for example, Turkish or Tamil, has had an adverse effect on the achievement of a small group of pupils who are at an early stage of language acquisition. The school has coped well in such circumstances and teachers and learning support assistants support pupils with English as an additional language as effectively

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Commentary

as possible. The school also works well with outside agencies and other bodies and uses them well when they are required to do so.

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Commentary

26. Most pupils joining the school in Year 3 come from the adjoining infants’ school and have good opportunities to visit the school and become familiar with the buildings and staff. The school provides information meetings for parents to ensure a smooth transition.

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Commentary

27. Pupils participate in an annual survey conducted by the school to ascertain their opinions about the school and each class elects pupils to the school council. The school council is valued by Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 13 all and lunch arrangements were recently revised as a result of council members’ discussions. Pupils’ views are generally positive about the school, although a minority group expressed concerns about behaviour of other pupils and interest levels in some of their lessons. These concerns were not confirmed during the inspection period.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school now enjoys good links with parents. Links with the local community and other schools are satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are very pleased with the work of the school. • Information to parents is of good quality, the school is quick to involve carers where there are concerns. • Annual reports to parents are of satisfactory quality. • Parents have positive attitudes towards the school, which encourages pupils to be eager learners. • Arrangements for children starting at and leaving the school are good. • Some parents and local businesses are involved in school life; there is no Parent Teacher Association.

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Commentary

28. Parents of pupils are generally supportive of the school and its work. They are keen for their daughters to succeed and many attend school events, space in the hall permitting. There is no Parent Teacher Association, and fundraising and social activities are run by the enthusiastic learning support assistant team. Most parents ensure that their children attend regularly and arrive promptly each day in school uniform, ready to learn.

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Commentary

29. Information to parents is of good quality and includes curriculum information, a homework timetable and details of expectations of school life. Parents are also invited to meetings at the beginning of each school year and the usual open and consultation meetings. The school has good strategies to share information for families with English as a second language and those with a child with special educational needs. The school has worked in partnership with the special needs co-ordinators of the infant school and the junior boys’ school to produce up-to- date, well-co-ordinated policies in an attempt to ensure a co-ordinated approach to addressing special educational needs. Where there are needs that cannot be met within the school’s own resources, additional advice is sought from other appropriate professionals. Sometimes, however, this advice is not acted upon.

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Commentary

30. Parents of all pupils, including those for whom English is an additional language, are consulted at parents’ evenings and also informed face to face or by letter of any problems arising with their child’s education. In addition, questionnaires are circulated to all parents and pupils each year in order to gain information for future school planning. A strong feature of the school’s work is the early inclusion of families when the school has a concern. Annual reports to parents on pupils’ progress are of sound quality - though brief, they include the required information. A high proportion of parents who offered comments were very satisfied with communication with the school. Pupils arriving mid-year are well integrated and their arrival is carefully planned.

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Commentary

31. Transfer arrangements to secondary school are good, pupils are encouraged to visit their new schools and they leave the school as mature individuals ready to cope with the challenge of high school. The school uses the times when Year 6 pupils are out visiting to invite their own new Year 3 pupils from the adjacent infants’ school to look around and meet staff. This enables pupils leaving and arriving at the school to settle into their new school quickly. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 14 32. Community links are satisfactory overall. The school participates fully in local authority-run events for sports, music and dance and has had success in a number of areas. There are few links with local businesses or faith centres and few parents come into school regularly to support learning. The school lets the site to an after-school club, sports providers and the local residents’ association. The school has extensive plans to increase community use of the site

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Commentary

and to develop a website, a recycling project and increase the use of the ICT suites.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. The headteacher provides very good leadership and is well supported by key staff. The governance of the school is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher’s very good leadership has played a key role in shaping the vision and direction of the school and has improved since the last inspection. • Senior managers provide good leadership in the task of raising standards and they support the headteacher well. • The overall quality of management is good and ensures that the school is run effectively. • The governing body supports the work of the school effectively. • The administrative workload of teaching staff could be reduced without affecting the efficiency of the school. • The school’s finances are managed effectively and expenditure is linked well to educational priorities.

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Commentary

33. The school has made good progress since the previous inspection as a result of good overall management coupled with very effective leadership by the headteacher, who has a very comprehensive understanding of the strengths of the school and of those areas requiring further development. Standards and pupils’ achievement have improved, particularly in mathematics, science and for those pupils who speak English as an additional language. The headteacher has been well supported by her senior management team and has successfully built up an effective group of teaching staff who work well as a team and share a clear sense of purpose. Together, they have ensured that nearly all the criticisms of the previous inspection have been fully addressed. For example, the school has now improved its monitoring and evaluation of its own performance and this has improved curricular provision. Additionally, the school has also devised and implemented an effective system of assessment of pupils’

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Commentary

progress, particularly in English, mathematics and science, and this has been instrumental in tracking and analysing individual achievement. As a result, standards of attainment have risen in this subject and this has been reflected in the school’s results in recent national tests.

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Commentary

34. The headteacher and senior staff carry out their responsibilities conscientiously and effectively. Planning is regularly monitored and a programme of lesson observations is carried out each year. Teaching staff are deployed well according to their strengths and used effectively to ensure the needs of pupils are met. The school has developed a caring ethos where pupils feel valued and have equality of access to the curriculum, regardless of their backgrounds or ethnicity. Pupils’ achievements are celebrated. There is a feeling that individuals matter and, as a result, pupils feel they are respected as members of the school community. This has a positive impact on attitudes to learning and has helped to raise standards.

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Commentary

35. The governors are effective, not only in their support for the school and the expertise which they bring to their role, but also in the way they challenge and question. They maintain a visible presence in the school and work constantly with the senior management team to maintain a focus on achievement. They have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and are keen to help it move forward. The governors are closely involved in Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 15 monitoring the budget and with strategic planning through the school development plan. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The current school development plan is a very useful document, with clear overarching priorities maintaining a joint emphasis on the learning environment and on raising achievement. The governors have a clear perception of the way major spending decisions, such as the creation of the ICT suite, should have on raising

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Commentary

standards. They ensure that the school complies fully with statutory requirements.

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Commentary

36. Staff development is closely linked to school improvement planning and also linked effectively to staff performance management targets. However, although the quality of monitoring and assessment of pupils’ progress is good in all year groups, the amount of work each teacher is expected to produce is excessive.

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Commentary

37. Whilst there is an appropriate up-to-date policy for special educational needs that meets requirements, some individual education action plans are not sufficiently well focused to be useful to staff, and the guidance for pupils’ and parents’ involvement are not fully met.

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Commentary

38. The ethnic minority achievement co-ordinator fulfils her role effectively and has ensured that systems have been set up to identify, assess, monitor and cater well for the needs of pupils for whom English is an additional language. Her leadership and management are good and she has ensured that the school delivers a relevant curriculum to pupils with English as an additional language who need extra support. As a result, the high number of pupils with English as an additional language achieve well and make good overall progress in learning throughout the school. This is evident in Year 6 in the above average results pupils achieve overall in statutory tests in English.

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Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003 Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 832,198 Balance from previous year 54,359 Total expenditure 890,281 Balance carried forward to the next -3,724 Expenditure per pupil 2,626

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Financial information

39. Financial management and administration are good and the school has ensured that effective systems are in place to monitor income and expenditure. Educational priorities are linked well to the school’s finances. This helps to ensure that spending is targeted towards those areas of greatest benefit to the curriculum and to pupils’ learning, for example, the resourcing of the recently developed second ICT suite. Overall, the headteacher and governing body apply the principles of best value to expenditure soundly. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 16

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievement in English is good and attitudes towards the subject are very good. • Standards attained in reading and writing are above the national average in Year 6. • Assessment procedures are used well to monitor pupils’ progress and raise standards. • Pupils whose first home language is not English are well supported and make good progress in learning. • The standard of pupils’ speaking and listening is not as good as other areas of English. • Pupils with learning difficulties do not always know their individual targets.

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Commentary

40. The school has made good progress in improving standards of attainment in English since the last inspection. The quality of pupils’ reading and written work is above average. The national test results for 2003 confirm that, by Year 6, pupils attain standards above the national average and well above those of similar schools. This represents good progress as pupils enter the school with low attainment levels in language development and it is attributable to the school’s focus on continuing to improve standards in literacy. The pupils achieve well. Pupils for whom English is not the first home language make good progress in learning because of the effective use of carefully planned work and the effective support they receive in lessons. Their achievement is good and matches that of other pupils in all year groups.

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Commentary

41. Achievement is good in developing reading skills in all year groups and by Year 6 many are able to use inference and deduction well to explain the meaning of texts and characters in stories and have developed marked preferences for different authors. Written work is very well presented and contains evidence of a high level of joint planning in all year groups. Marking is of a good standard and helps pupils to improve. Year 6 pupils write in a lively, thoughtful manner with a good understanding of composition. Higher attaining pupils are able to select vocabulary in order to make their work interesting to the reader.

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Commentary

42. Even though attainment in reading and writing is above average, standards in speaking and listening do not match this. Whilst many pupils display an outward confidence when speaking and appear to have developed effective listening skills, many are limited in their understanding of language by a restricted vocabulary, and this is especially noticeable in pupils for whom English is not the first home language. Consequently, both their understanding and their ability to communicate effectively are hampered. For example, during a Year 5 history session about Thornton Heath in Victorian times, some of the class did not understand words such as ‘ heath ’ and this affected the pace of the lesson and also pupils’ achievement. The school is well aware that improving pupils’ vocabulary is an area for further development and this is reflected in current school improvement planning. Teachers work hard to help pupils extend their spoken

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Commentary

language by, for example, encouraging pupils to talk to each other through activities such as paired conversations and structured discussions. Lesson planning often includes the improvement of pupils’ vocabulary as a key objective. In several observed literacy lessons, teachers used questioning techniques skilfully to encourage discussions but with varying amounts of success.

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Commentary

43. The quality of teaching is good and in observed lessons ranged from satisfactory to very good. There is an emphasis on helping pupils to develop their literacy skills through purposeful Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 17 activities. As a result, pupils’ attitudes to the subject are very good and they enjoy learning, even though some literacy lessons are too long. In a very well taught lesson to Year 6 pupils, the teaching was stimulating and challenging, tasks were well matched to pupils’ abilities and pupils for whom English was not the first home language were very well supported. As a result, nearly all pupils achieved very well in developing their understanding of annotating texts. In a Year 3 lesson where teaching was less successful, achievement was limited because tasks were not matched to pupils’ abilities and insufficient time was allowed for pupils to discuss their work. This affected the development of their speaking and listening skills.

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Commentary

44. The subject is well led and managed by the headteacher and the new co-ordinator, who both have a firm idea of the subject’s strengths and weaknesses and of the need to further develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills. Teaching and planning are monitored on a regular basis and procedures to assess how well pupils are developing in the subject are good and are used well to track progress and to assist the future planning of lessons. The school’s resources are satisfactory and are used effectively to enhance learning.

p.19

Language and literacy across the curriculum

45. Cross-curricular links are used effectively to develop literacy and language skills in other subject areas, with an emphasis on the continuing need to further develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good quality of teaching enables all pupils to achieve well and standards are rising steadily. • A fewer than average number of pupils are attaining the higher levels in the Year 6 tests. • Pupils are enthusiastic about the subject. • Questioning is used effectively in lessons to extend pupils’ learning. • Marking, target setting and assessment procedures are used well to plan lessons for pupils and to help them understand how good their work is and how it could be improved. • The curriculum for mathematics is generally good, but less attention is paid to the handling of data than to other aspects. • Leadership and management of mathematics are good.

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Commentary

46. Standards are in line with national averages. This represents an improvement since the last inspection when standards were below average. Pupils’ results in the national tests over the last couple of years indicate an improving picture, and in 2003, were average. The quality and impact of the consistently good teaching throughout the school means that pupils achieve well and more pupils are achieving the level expected for their age. Not enough pupils, including the few more able pupils, reach the higher levels, and the school is below average when compared to the numbers achieving the higher levels nationally.

p.19

Commentary

47. Pupils are enthusiastic about the subject and enjoy their lessons because of the very good relationships that they have with the teachers and classroom assistants. They are given frequent opportunities to work in pairs. This increases their self-confidence and motivation for the subject. They concentrate very well in lessons and the work they produce is carefully done and very neatly presented. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 18 48. The good match of work to the needs of individuals and the grouping of pupils by ability is having a positive effect on the standards achieved particularly in Years 5 and 6. Throughout the school, teachers now encourage pupils to use the correct vocabulary when discussing mathematics and the teachers’ effective questioning during numeracy sessions helps to extend pupils’ learning. This encourages pupils to think mathematically and to explain the strategies they use to answer or solve problems. Teachers provide time for pupils to reflect on

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Commentary

and recognise their mistakes whilst also providing them with strategies for improvement. Time at the end of lessons is used effectively to review what pupils have learned.

p.20

Commentary

49. Teachers have high but realistic expectations of pupils and provide appropriately challenging targets for future achievement. Assessment procedures tracking pupils' progress are used very effectively to raise standards throughout the school. For pupils who are just below average, extra classes are provided. Pupils with special needs are supported well by additional adults in class. The curriculum for mathematics is good overall; however, less attention is paid to handling data than to the other aspects of mathematics.

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Commentary

50. Leadership and management are good. The mathematics co-ordinator has a clear understanding of strengths and weaknesses in the subject because she has analysed test results, monitored the teaching and learning in class, looked at teachers' planning and the work that pupils produce. She has worked closely with the advisory staff from the local authority and put into place good strategies to raise standards. Resources have been improved and are good. They are readily accessible to staff and pupils alike and are well maintained. The co- ordinator has been instrumental in bringing about the good improvements that have led to improved standards throughout the school. The new initiatives involving parents have got off to a good start and there are sound plans to continue with this.

p.20

Mathematics across the curriculum

51. Provision is good. Evidence of the effective use of mathematics was seen in science, geography and design and technology.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well as a result of the consistently good teaching they receive. • There is a good emphasis on investigation, using correct scientific vocabulary. • Teachers plan well for science in all year groups. • Pupils have positive attitudes towards science and their work is well presented. • Some published science worksheets are too simplistic and restrict pupil progress.

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Commentary

52. Since the last inspection, when standards were below the national average, the school has made good progress in raising the quality of teaching and learning in science. The 2003 test results revealed standards that were below average. Standards of work seen during the inspection were better than these results in national tests due to several significant factors. The amount of curriculum time dedicated to the subject has been doubled from one hour to two hours per week for all year groups and a new science co-ordinator who has been appointed has undertaken a comprehensive analysis of strengths and weaknesses in the subject and introduced a new scheme of work. This has strengthened teachers’ planning in the subject and has enabled teachers to more accurately track and assess pupil progress. Teaching in the subject is now consistently good and the standard of work seen in pupil’s books, and observed in lessons, is in line with national expectations for the subject. All pupils,

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Commentary

Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 19 including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, achieve well as a result of the good teaching they now receive.

p.21

Commentary

53. Identified as a weakness in the past, the school now places a strong emphasis on ensuring that pupils develop their science investigating and experimenting skills. Pupils have opportunities to undertake interesting and challenging investigations and experiments in all year groups. Work in pupils’ books effectively demonstrates how pupils record the various experiments and investigations they undertake. Pupils understand the importance of a fair test. Teachers consistently emphasise the use of correct scientific vocabulary and this is recorded in teachers’ planning. Pupils confidently use scientific terms to explain their predictions and results. In lessons, experiments are successfully carried out and pupils use scientific equipment with care and respect. For example, when Year 6 pupils investigated insulating materials to keep jacket potatoes warm, they handled large thermometers correctly, timed the

p.21

Commentary

intervals between readings well and accurately read the thermometer scales. The school has worked hard on improving standards in science and teachers now have a good knowledge of the science curriculum and are able to talk confidently with pupils when discussing scientific topics. This was particularly the case in Year 5 when teachers and pupils discussed the nutritional values of well-known food products and pupils categorised these according to the value of each main food group, for example, carbohydrate, protein or fat. This lesson had good cross-curricular links with mathematics as pupils recorded their findings in Venn diagrams and with personal, social and health education as pupils discussed the importance of a healthy diet. Pupils have a very positive attitude towards science. They take a pride in their work and, when recording their scientific work, handwriting and diagram drawings are usually of a high

p.21

Commentary

54. The subject is well led and managed by a recently appointed experienced and knowledgeable co-ordinator. He works well with other teachers and ensures that planning and assessment in this subject cover all the areas of the National Curriculum and meet statutory requirements. The school now has a comprehensive assessment system in place to monitor and track curriculum coverage and pupil progress. This is helping to ensure that pupils in all year groups make progress against expected national levels in science. The co-ordinator works hard to ensure that resources are well maintained and kept up-to-date but some published worksheets for science are over-simplistic and in the Year 5 lesson on food values, these work sheets confused some pupils and limited their progress. The co-ordinator is aware of the shortcomings of some of the published schemes and has plans to address this issue .

p.21

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards have been maintained and are average at the end of Year 6. • Improved development in planning and organisation has enabled teachers to develop the full breadth of pupils’ ICT skills and understanding. • Achievement is good overall. • Good teaching, new equipment and improved facilities have enhanced the overall development of ICT.

p.21

Commentary

55. Standards of attainment of pupils throughout the school are in line with national averages and good progress has been made since the last inspection. The pupils achieve well. The very good management and organisation of the subject have improved the provision since the last inspection and ensured support and guidance has been given to teachers to enable them to gain confidence and improve their skills. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 20 56. A good policy and scheme of work addresses the National Curriculum requirements and provides a good framework for teachers to work from. The new computer suite is now used well. Interactive whiteboards have been ordered and extra staff training has been planned. In addition, each classroom is equipped with a relatively new computer and a range of relevant software.

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Commentary

57. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language achieve well and make good progress towards targets in their individual education plans because of structured support and careful planning to meet individual needs.

p.22

Commentary

58. Pupils in Year 3 use a paint program to support their work in literacy. Their mouse skills are good and higher attaining pupils use the keyboard well to write sentences about their work. Teaching encourages discussion and paired work so that pupils are able to explain clearly the functions of different parts of the program and their advantages. Pupils’ work shows they can use simple editing techniques in word processing programs, for example, cut and paste, and they use the mouse skilfully to put words in the right order and to assemble sentences. Higher attaining pupils produce simple, beautifully presented stories, making very good use of different fonts, sizes and colour.

p.22

Commentary

59. At the end of Year 6, pupils have developed and extended their learning and achievement is good overall. They have a good understanding about which everyday items incorporate a microchip and about how ICT can be used to improve our everyday lives. Other pupils interrogate databases using search and sort facilities and they recognise the powerful advantages of using ICT to find, select and organise information quickly and accurately. All pupils enjoy ICT and older pupils are enthusiastic users of the Internet and web sites to support their work.

p.22

Commentary

60. Teaching and learning are good. Lessons are well planned. They build securely on what pupils already know and the learning objectives are shared with pupils. As a result, pupils are well motivated and keen to learn and their behaviour is good. Lessons in the computer suite are generally well organised and managed and, consequently, resources are well used. There is a well-planned curriculum and, therefore, pupils are being progressively taught skills.

p.22

Commentary

61. The co-ordinator manages the subject very effectively and is aware of the areas of strength and weakness in the subject. The development plan for ICT is clear and highly appropriate. The range of software available to support work across the curriculum is satisfactory and developing. The school is aware that more training is needed in ICT for staff, particularly as new resources become available.

p.22

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

62. The use of ICT in subject areas is developing well and teachers use ICT to support their learning in mathematics, for example, in databases and producing graphs, in art and design in the exploration of art packages, in design and technology in simple modelling and designing sandwiches, and in English in the presentation of work. The school recognises that more needs to be done in mapping ICT across the curriculum, developing cross-curricular links and in developing teachers’ web site knowledge.

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HUMANITIES

Inspectors observed only one lesson in history and no lessons in geography. These subjects were sampled, so it is therefore not possible to make a judgement on provision. However, the pupils’ past work and the teachers’ planning were examined.

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HUMANITIES

63. In history , the pupils’ work contained evidence of sound achievement and confirmed that the requirements of the National Curriculum are taught in sufficient depth. There is every indication that standards of attainment have improved since the last inspection, when they were judged Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 21 to be unsatisfactory. Resources for history vary in quality and quantity but are satisfactory overall. The quality of teaching in the one observed lesson was satisfactory and pupils’ attitudes to the subject were sound. Resources were used well to make the lesson about living in Thornton Heath during Victorian times interesting but the achievement of several pupils was affected by their restricted local knowledge and limited understanding of some basic vocabulary.

p.22

HUMANITIES

64. No geography lessons were observed during the inspection. However, the pupils’ work contained evidence of sound achievement and that the requirements of the National Curriculum were taught in sufficient depth. As with history, there was every indication that standards of attainment have improved since the last inspection, when they were judged to be unsatisfactory. The subject is adequately resourced. Leadership and management are satisfactory in both subjects. Both co-ordinators have a good knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses in their subject areas but have yet to fully address issues such as the assessment and levelling of pupils’ work on a whole-school basis.

p.23

Religious education

Provision in religious education is good .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils learn well about religions and they learn to reflect on how different values and beliefs affect their own and others’ lives. • Good lesson planning and teaching ensure good standards are achieved. • Pupils have very good attitudes towards learning in religious education.

p.23

Commentary

65. Pupils’ attainment is in line with that outlined in the Croydon agreed syllabus at the end of Year 6. In discussion, pupils are knowledgeable about a variety of religions. Pupils’ achievement is good throughout the school. The units of work for religious education ensure that there is good curriculum coverage. Pupils have good opportunities to learn about Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism and they frequently discuss the similarities and differences between the different religions represented by pupils in the school.

p.23

Commentary

66. Teaching and learning are good. Very detailed planning of lessons enables teachers to teach well. Teachers’ high expectations and good subject knowledge effectively ensure that pupils develop a thorough understanding of the religions studied. Pupils’ very good attitudes to learning also contribute very well to their achievement. Pupils listen carefully and work well, both collaboratively and independently. Pupils are also confident to express their inner thoughts and feelings. They are frequently encouraged to empathise with the feelings of key characters from Bible stories and other religious traditions and they do so very sensitively, demonstrating good insight and mature understanding about the importance of people’s spiritual beliefs. Religious education makes a significant contribution to pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.

p.23

Commentary

67. The subject is well led and managed, which has led to sound improvement since the last inspection. Teachers made regular assessments of pupils’ progress and work is regularly monitored and evaluated. The co-ordinator has not yet undertaken any lesson observations in the subject. Resources for religious education are good but teachers do not always use first hand artefacts, or visual aids, in lessons to support the learning of lower attaining pupils and those learning English as an additional language. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 22

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

The inspection sampled art and design, design and technology, and physical education so no overall judgement can be made about provision in these subjects.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

68. Two lessons were observed in art and design , one in Year 3 and the other in Year 4. In both lessons, the quality of teaching was good. Pupils achieved well and attained average standards. Work on display and in the pupils’ sketchbooks was also scrutinised. Standards in the examples of work seen are average for the age of the pupils. Some teachers use art and design well to enhance other aspects of the curriculum such as science, religious education and geography. The curriculum for art and design covers all requirements and is enhanced by an annual arts week. Although new to the role, the co-ordinator has provided some helpful information for the rest of the staff and has started to collate a portfolio of pupils’ work with the intention of grading it in levels of the National Curriculum to help teachers with assessment. However, this initiative is very new and needs considerably more work before it is an effective

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

69. In design and technology , standards are average. In the lessons observed, teaching varied from satisfactory to very good. The subject is taught in blocks, alternating with history and geography. Sufficient time is given to the subject over the year and the curriculum covers all requirements adequately and resources are sufficient. As yet, there is no assessment process in place. The co-ordinator is new to both the school and to the role of co-ordinator and, as such, she has had little opportunity to make an impact upon the subject.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

70. Only one lesson was observed in physical education . Standards in this games lesson in Year 6 were above average and pupils achieved well as a result of very good subject knowledge of the specialist teacher from a local secondary school. Pupils worked in groups co-operatively to develop a variety of relay practices in athletics and follow given skills training. Pupils evaluate each other’s work and make suggestions for improvement. Pupils work with enthusiasm as a result of the teacher’s high expectations. The school has a good programme of competitive sport, swimming and after-school clubs. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average by the end of Year 6. • The quality of teaching is good. • There are a good number of teachers with subject expertise. • Pupils enjoy work in lessons. • Pupils have good attitudes towards their work in music. • Some music lessons are too short to be effective.

p.24

Commentary

71. Pupils achieve well. There have been good improvements to music provision since the last inspection when standards were judged to be in line with national expectations. They are now above expected levels. By the end of Year 6, pupils have learned to describe, compare and judge a range of music, often from different cultures, using relevant musical vocabulary. They improvise melody and rhythm in given structures, use a range of notations and have started to compose music for different moods and occasions. The quality of teaching is consistently good and pupils achieve well. Pupils’ very good behaviour and attitudes allow all pupils to learn well and, as a result, the good quality teaching impacts positively on pupils’ progress. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 23 72. There are a good number of teachers with expertise in music and they provide good support by leading singing in daily assemblies and taking responsibility for teaching new songs during

p.24

Commentary

music assemblies. All classes have a weekly music lesson but some lessons are rather short and this curtails the amount of time that pupils have to sing, compose and perform. A good feature of lessons is how well pupils are able to evaluate and improve their own work. The assessment of pupils’ progress in music is satisfactory.

p.25

Commentary

73. The quality of pupils’ singing is good and music in assemblies makes a valuable contribution to their spiritual and cultural development. Pupils are given many opportunities to celebrate their achievements through performances for parents and participation in music festivals with other schools.

p.25

Commentary

74. The subject is well led and the school has good plans for improvement, including redevelopment of the music studio to create a more multicultural effect and a stronger emphasis on developing pupils’ composing skills.

p.25

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

75. Provision for citizenship is good. Pupils are encouraged and helped to take responsibility for different aspects of school life. Pupils take responsibility for operating the overhead projector and CD-player during school assemblies, whilst other pupils are responsible for ringing the school bell. During a singing assembly, the deputy head asked for volunteers to lead a prayer. Two pupils from Year 4 confidently said prayers they made up on the spot and referred to the joy of school and the wonderful singing of the pupils. The prayers were respected by all pupils and contributed significantly to all pupils’ spiritual development. There is an enthusiastic school council with two representatives from each class. The councillors were nominated and elected in a secret ballot by their classmates. The councillors list the qualities of a good councillor as, “honesty, the ability to listen carefully and the ability to speak your mind confidently”. The

p.25

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

school council has brought about some positive changes in the school, such as the modification of school lunch time arrangements to ensure that pupils do not have to wait outside in a long line to get their lunch. There are effective links with personal, social and health education and religious education and these help to ensure that pupils develop a good sense of responsibility and an understanding of community and democracy. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School - 24

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 4 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 4 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 4 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 3 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3 Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

p.26