Turnfurlong Junior School

TURNFURLONG JUNIOR SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Turnfurlong 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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TURNFURLONG 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. Turnfurlong Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Junior School category: Community Age range of pupils: 7 to 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 352

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Turnfurlong Lane Aylesbury Buckinghamshire Postcode: HP21 7PL

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01296 489264 Fax number: 01296 489264

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs J Chappel

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 23 June 2003

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Turnfurlong School is on the south side of Aylesbury. It is bigger than average. There are 354 pupils on roll – roughly equal boys and girls. The school roll is composed of mainly White UK pupils, although there are small numbers of pupils from a wide range of ethnic heritage. The largest group other than White UK is Asian or Asian British and Pakistani. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average. The percentage of pupils whose first language is believed not to be English is high (13.9 per cent). The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is broadly in line with the national average and the percentage of pupils with statements because they need considerable help with their learning is below the national average. The numbers joining other than at the normal time in Year 3 is below average. There are no children in public care. Attainment on entry is at least well above average

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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

2728 Rod Passant Lead inspector English Physical education 9499 Phiroze Daruwala Lay inspector 16773 Raminder Arora Team inspector Special educational needs Science Geography History Religious education 32620 Olson Davis Team inspector English as an additional language Mathematics Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology Music

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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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 inspection 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.ofsted.gov.uk). Turnfurlong Junior School - 5

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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 11

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

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Turnfurlong has made significant and rapid improvement since the last inspection and

developed into a good school . Standards of work seen are above average in English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology (ICT) and music. Standards in other subjects have improved since the last inspection. Teaching is good, with pupils achieving well as a result, and all pupils are now making good progress. Teachers are very committed and work hard on behalf of the pupils. Planning is now good and the curriculum is broad, with very good opportunities for enrichment. Pupils’ behaviour is good, as are pupils’ attitudes. Overall, leadership and management in the school are good, with a very good capacity for on-going improvement. The school provides good value for money.

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Turnfurlong has made significant and rapid improvement since the last inspection and

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The leadership of the headteacher is very good. This is reflected in the rapid changes brought about by his leadership and the clear strategic planning which has children’s standards, achievement and their enjoyment of learning at the heart of the school. • The school is a very calm community and one in which children are listened to both formally, through the school council, but also informally. • The school maintains a strong reputation for its work in music but the whole curriculum is developing in richness and creativity, and teachers and pupils are beginning to make connections between different aspects that enhance children’s learning and provide contexts to develop pupils’ skills. The school is raising standards by broadening the children’s curriculum opportunities. • Much has been achieved in a short space of time and the school needs a period to consolidate,

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Turnfurlong has made significant and rapid improvement since the last inspection and

develop consistency of approach and build on its stability of staffing to further develop the teamwork across the school.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004 English C A C E mathematics C B B C science D C C E 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 trend in improvement up to 2004 was above the national trend. The 2004 results in National Curriculum tests do not give a good indication of current standards. Standards of work seen in class are above average in English, mathematics, science and music and the school is on track to meet its realistic targets in National Curriculum tests in 2005. Standards in art and design, design and technology, history, geography, religious education and ICT (identified as being below average in the last report) have all improved and are at least at the standard expected by the end of Year 6. Pupils have good literacy, numeracy and ICT skills. Pupils now achieve well and, overall, make the progress they should. This current good progress will take time to be reflected in the school’s added-value measure in the progress from pupils’ Year 2 National Curriculum test scores through to Year 6 test results. In 2004, this was well below average. Pupils with special educational needs

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

achieve well; there is good provision for them (an improvement over the last inspection). Pupils with English as an additional language also achieve well. Able, gifted and talented pupils are identified and challenged appropriately in class and through the out-of-school enrichment

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

programme. The school follows the strict guidance issued by the local education authority with Turnfurlong Junior School - 7 regard to the 11+ selection procedures. It carries out the appropriate familiarisation tests at the times specified and according to the ‘script’ issued by the LEA.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Behaviour is good, as are pupils’ attitudes. The school is a very calm community in which children are valued as individuals. The children have a voice in the school and this is a strength. The

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provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has improved and is,

overall, good; although the rich resource that the school has amongst it pupils – that of the diversity of language – could be exploited more.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good . The quality of teaching is good . It is often very good. Teachers work hard to plan learning experiences that engage and motivate pupils. The curriculum is good – it is broad and rich and provides wide-ranging opportunities for children to achieve success. There is scope to make greater use of literature to improve the quality of pupils’ response and to extend their writing skills. The care and guidance of pupils is very good. The school improvement plan identifies the development of pupils’ learning skills, ‘unlocking their energy and commitment to learning’ as a key factor in raising standards. Inspectors agree with this assessment. Pupils work well and make good progress but independent and collaborative skills could usefully be fostered to a greater extent to develop pupils’ engagement and self-motivation.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall, leadership and management are good . Governance is good. The governing body is clear about its role, is very supportive but appropriately challenging. It is growing in confidence. Leadership across the school is good, although some key subject co-ordinators have not taken up their full role yet. The leadership by the headteacher is very good. Overall, the school has very good capacity through the headteacher, governing body and school leaders to take the school forward.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils in informal discussion are proud of their school and enjoy learning. Parental responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire show that they hold very favourable views of the school. Parents show a high level of support for the school.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The school is committed to raising standards, particularly in relation to similar schools, and the value that it adds in terms of pupils’ progress. The school improvement plan identifies clearly how it intends to improve these standards. Much has been achieved in a short space of time and the school requires further time and the ability to pace its own developments.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Develop pupils’ independent and collaborative learning skills. • Foster and developing pupils’ response to story and literature. Turnfurlong Junior School - 8

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Standards achieved in subjects

There has been significant improvement in standards. Pupils achieve well and make consistently good progress. Their progress is tracked carefully. Standards in English, mathematics, science, ICT and music are above average and are in line with national expectations in other subjects.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The work of the school now has a rigour, which means that pupils now make good progress and achieve well. There has been good improvement since the last inspection. • Pupils with additional needs make good progress.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 27.5 (28.4) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 28.4 (27.5) 27.0 (26.8) science 29.2 (28.9) 28.6 (28.6) There were 88 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

1. Pupils’ attainment on entry is above average. The previous report identified the fact that pupils’ progress was patchy and that, overall, pupils were not making the kind of progress that they should. ‘Expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low and the curriculum is not planned sufficiently to build on their skills and knowledge consistently…the overall picture is one of underachievement’.

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Commentary

2. Since that report, there have been major changes, not the least in the significant change in staffing but also in the overall quality of rigour in the work of the school, particularly in the quality of teaching, planning to ensure progression and the tracking of pupils’ progress. The result is that pupils are now making consistently good progress. This significant improvement in progress will take time to work through and show up in the overall value that the school is adding from the Year 2 test results and the comparison with similar schools. 1 In 2004, this was well below average.

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Commentary

3. The trend for improvement in the National Curriculum test results, up to and including 2004 was above the national trend. The 2004 National Curriculum test results for Year 6 do not give a good indication of current standards, which in English, mathematics and science are above average. They are also above average in ICT and music, and are at least in line with national expectations in other subjects. In all subjects, there has been good improvement since the last inspection in standards and pupils’ achievement.

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Commentary

4. Speaking and listening skills are, for the majority of pupils, above average. Pupils are, in the main, very articulate and confident to express their ideas. Reading skills are at least average and the school uses a range of strategies, such as guided or paired reading, to encourage pupils. Writing skills are, overall, above average by Year 6. Most pupils’ work is neat, well presented and accurate, with a good range of vocabulary. Pupils now write at length for a range of purposes and within different subject contexts. The last inspection noted the dominance of the worksheet in other curriculum subjects, which limited pupils’ opportunities to write independently and at some length. This is not now the case.

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Commentary

1 Similar schools are those schools that scored similar results in the Year 2 National Curriculum test results. Turnfurlong Junior School - 9 5. Current standards in mathematics are above average and this is reflected in pupils’ good numeracy skills. Pupils’ have many opportunities to develop and practise their numeracy skills across the curriculum. In science, pupils now achieve well and, overall, make the progress that they should. By the end of Year 6, most pupils attain above the expected standards. A number of good measures, for example, more focus on investigations in science, and the setting of targets for individual pupils based on clear analysis of test results, are beginning to show signs of success in moving pupils on to higher levels. Standards in ICT are above national expectations. There are many examples of pupils’ effective use of ICT skills and knowledge developed within the ICT lessons being extended to other areas of the

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Commentary

curriculum. Pupils now achieve well in religious education and make good progress to attain standards in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Overall, in all other subjects, there have been good improvements since the last inspection in pupils’ achievement, and standards are now at least in line with national expectations.

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Commentary

6. Pupils with English as an additional language achieve as well as other pupils. Their needs are promptly identified and they make good progress against their targets because of the good support given by the specialist English as an additional language support teacher and other staff in school. This is especially so in English, mathematics, and information and communication technology. The underachievement of boys of Pakistani heritage in science has been identified and plans are now in place to bring about improvements.

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Commentary

7. For all pupils with specific needs, achievement is good, overall. Pupils make good progress against the targets set. Lesson observations and the analysis of pupils’ work and records confirm that standards of achievement for those with Statements of Special Educational Needs are equally good. The identified pupils are achieving well in lessons and over a longer period through carefully targeted work. Able, gifted and talented pupils are now identified and teachers are aware of their potential and have increased expectations of what they can achieve.

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Commentary

8. The school follows the strict guidance issued by the local education authority (LEA) with regard to the 11+ selection procedures. It carries out the appropriate familiarisation tests at the times specified and according to the ‘script’ issued by the LEA. About one-third of pupils each year go on to selective education, which is broadly in line with the county average.

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Commentary

9. Parents’ views reflect the inspection findings. Of the 188 pre-inspection parents’ questionnaires returned, 97 per cent agreed strongly or tended to agree with the statement that ‘staff expected their child to work hard and do his/her best’. Over nine out of ten thought their child was making good progress.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Behaviour is good, as are pupils’ attitudes. The provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural has improved and is, overall, good. The level of attendance is well above the national average and punctuality is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching and the quality of the relationships between staff and pupils, underpin the learning. • Pupils like their school and are justifiably proud of it. • Some parents at the pre-inspection meeting were concerned about poor behaviour. Relationships with teachers and their class have clearly developed. In no lesson seen was behaviour a cause of unsatisfactory learning. Teaching and learning were satisfactory or better in all lessons seen. • The diversity of languages in the school could be exploited more – particularly in valuing some pupils’ bilingualism. Turnfurlong Junior School - 10

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Commentary

10. There has been significant improvement since the last report in pupil’ attitudes, which are good – indeed they are often very good. Good teaching and the quality of the relationships which exist between staff and pupils, and which underpin the learning, mean that pupils are positive about their learning and the opportunities that the school provides. Overall, behaviour is at least good. Behaviour is usually very good both in classes and around the school. Most pupils behave very well for most of the time. The school is a very calm community. Pupils are very friendly, courteous and polite to visitors. They are kind to one another, and any incidents are taken seriously by the school. Pupils feel that the ‘buddy’ system works well 2 . Pupils like their school and are justifiably proud of it.

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Commentary

11. Some parents at the pre-inspection meeting were concerned with the quality of behaviour within specific classes or within a year group. None of the poor behaviour described was seen in any lessons. However, in two lessons, inspectors reported a decline in behaviour – in one because there was an element of repetition in the material being covered and in another because of a boisterous element; never was it out of the class teacher’s control and the quality of learning in all lessons seen was at least satisfactory. Presumably, as relationships between teachers and their class have developed and expectations regarding standards become established and as teachers have learnt to manage their classes and the individuals within it, so overall behaviour has improved. A very small minority of pupils can seek to be the centre of attention in one or two classes but the individual needs of these pupils are now being

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Commentary

managed well. ‘Golden time’ is used effectively as part of the school’s rewards and sanctions policy.

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Commentary

12. Pupils with special educational needs have good attitudes to learning. They show pleasure in activities undertaken, especially where these are well-matched to their needs. Most pupils work co-operatively and help each other. The identified pupils also have targets for their personal development as part of their individual educational plan (IEP). They are well supported on those, and gain in self-esteem and confidence as a result.

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Commentary

13. The school is trying to develop approaches in learning that will unlock pupils’ energies so that they take more responsibility for their own learning and become self-motivated to a greater degree. Inspectors agree with this assessment. A particular strength of the school is the fact that pupils have a voice – they are listened to – and, through the school council, the school has developed an effective way in which pupils can contribute and change aspects of the school. Pupils are consulted and the results of the consultation have fed into the school improvement plan. Finding ways to help pupils become more actively engaged in their learning is a logical next step.

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Commentary

14. Overall, the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. There has been good improvement in this aspect since the last inspection. Teachers model courtesy and listen very well to pupils. In so doing, and the manner with which it is done, they display respect for the pupils, which, in turn, is reflected in pupils’ growth in confidence and self-esteem. The school works hard to make pupils feel valued and important, which, coupled with the other aspects of personal development taught in personal, social, health and citizenship education, along with religious education and assemblies, ensures good spiritual development. Moral development is also good, although literature could play a greater part, in, for example, the exploration of character’s motives. Social development is very good. Pupils are very aware of the responsibilities of working within the community and the

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Commentary

opportunity given by that community to contribute their individual skills. There are many and obvious examples in the jazz bands, orchestra, school production and sporting opportunities but also with pupils taking responsibility for aspects of classroom or school organisation such as the librarians and ‘buddies’. There has been good improvement in art, and the school values the arts so that, overall, cultural development is good. Literature could play a greater

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Commentary

2 Older pupils are trained as informal counsellors to mediate in cases where pupils are upset by other pupils for one reason or another. There are agreed procedures and the system is monitored. Turnfurlong Junior School - 11 part in this aspect of pupils’ development The school has a rich resource in the diversity of languages and cultures that pupils have within it and this resource could be exploited more, for example, through valuing to an even greater extent other pupils’ language skills and bilingualism.

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Commentary

15. The level of attendance is well above the national average and punctuality is good, with most pupils arriving at school and at lessons on time. Parents make a good effort to ensure that their children arrive at the school in good time. As a result, pupils settle into the morning school routine quickly. Effective procedures are in place for monitoring attendance and punctuality, in accordance with the local education authority’s guidelines. There are appropriate links with the Education Welfare Service to monitor any concerns.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.3 School data 0.0 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Exclusions

16. The school is very effective in handling incidents of unacceptable behaviour. There have been no exclusions during the past year.

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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. It is often very good. The curriculum is good – it is broad and rich and provides wide-ranging opportunities for pupils to achieve success. The care and guidance of pupils is very good. Links with parents are good.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching is good. It is often very good. All teaching seen was professional and competent and, in three-quarters of the lessons, it was good or better. No unsatisfactory teaching or learning was seen. There has been good improvement in the quality of teaching since the last inspection

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Work in classrooms is characterised by rigour. • The quality of relationships underpins the quality of learning. • Learning is managed well. • Pupils work well and make good progress but independent and collaborative skills could usefully be fostered to a greater extent to develop pupils’ engagement and self-motivation.

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Commentary

17. A number of key characteristics distinguish the quality of teaching at Turnfurlong and ensure that pupils learn effectively. Individual teachers clearly bring individual strengths; what is apparent is teamwork and commitment to further ongoing improvement. There is now a

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Commentary

quality of rigour about the work in classrooms, which has been brought about by a greater Turnfurlong Junior School - 12 sense of accountability for the progress that pupils make, coupled with professional support and development.

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Commentary

18. This increased rigour is reflected in classrooms in a number of ways: • Teachers are very committed and work very hard on behalf of pupils. • They plan effectively and are beginning to make valid connections between different aspects of the curriculum so that they provide a rich context in which to develop pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding. • Schemes of work are in place so that progression, an issue in the previous report, is now assured. • Joint team planning ensures that pupils in the same year group have similar experiences and, in the planning, teachers make effective use of their individual strengths. • Teachers know the pupils well and so anticipate and respond effectively to their needs. • The previous report noted the patchiness in pupils’ experience. This is not the case now. Indeed the good experience that pupils have in so many lessons builds cumulatively; high expectations and good standards are consistently reinforced. Teachers want the pupils to

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Commentary

19. All teachers demonstrate skills as classroom practitioners and the professional climate is such that teachers share skills and ideas. Teachers have good subject knowledge and knowledge of the National Curriculum; they manage their classrooms and learning well. They have developed their ICT competence and confidence and make good use of their resources, particularly the interactive whiteboards.

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Commentary

20. The quality of relationships that teachers have with their classes underpins the learning. Teachers bring to the learning, energy, enthusiasm and respect for pupils. They model this courtesy and respect and convey a professional warmth and friendliness, which gives the pupils every impression that teachers enjoy being with them. Humour is used well.

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Commentary

21. Class teachers provide group teaching or individual support in the classrooms. The full- and part-time classroom assistants provide support for individuals as part of groups mostly within the classroom. Any support on a withdrawal basis is carefully organised so that pupils do not regularly miss important class lessons. The staff work closely with the specialist support services. The Learning Support Assistants are trained to ensure that effective teaching strategies are employed. Teachers have opportunities to discuss problems and concerns with the two newly designated special needs co-ordinators. The learning support assistants are well briefed and liaise effectively with class teachers to support pupils with special educational needs.

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Commentary

22. The individual educational plans are regarded as living documents. Most teachers are aware of the importance of matching work to the identified targets and various needs of individual pupils. Progress is measured against targets for literacy, numeracy and personal and social development. Targets in the individual educational plans are realistic, attainable and generally achievable, but timescales are not always clear. Achievement of these is monitored and recorded regularly. The individual educational plans are reviewed regularly and all those involved with the child concerned attend these. Procedures for the identification of needs are effective. Information gathered from diagnostic tests, is used systematically to identify any lack of progress.

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Commentary

23. The quality of learning has also improved from the previous inspection, reflecting the increased rigour in classrooms. Pupils are far more productive so that they learn new skills or develop their knowledge and understanding at a good rate. Pupils co-operate well and some good examples were seen in science and history of collaborative work. In contrast, a group of skilled boy cricketers found organising themselves difficult, as individuals competed with one

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Commentary

another for relative status to manage the activity. The school improvement plan states Turnfurlong Junior School - 13 appropriately that the means by which standards are to be raised is through developing pupils’ independent and collaborative skills in order to ‘unlock their energies and motivation’.

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Commentary

24. Parents at the pre-inspection meeting raised the question of inconsistency in the implementation of homework and the variation within the year groups and the inconsistency of use of the homework diaries. Whilst some parents acknowledged the guidance on the school’s website, others felt that there needed to be more specific guidance with some homework, especially with regard to homework ‘projects’. The school has a clearly articulated policy, which is due for review this summer. The website indicates that an outline of weekly homework will be published for each year group from next September. Pupils, in discussion, raised the question of projects, which they felt tended to be always about other countries. At school council, pupils had also raised the question of differing and, as they saw it, unfair distribution of credits being awarded for project work. They reported that action has been

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Commentary

taken by the school to ensure marking that is more equitable. Within the timescale of the inspection, it was not possible to make judgements about consistency in the setting of work. The school takes homework seriously and there is a very good, clear policy, which details expectations placed on the school and parents. Inconsistency in setting may have been a consequence of staff turnover.

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Commentary

25. Pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) are taught well. Some pupils are supported in class by the EAL support teacher, but her time in school is limited to two days per week. The EAL support teacher plans with teachers and teaching assistants so that the needs of pupils with EAL can be met at other times of the week, and, consequently, pupils make good progress. The effective assessment of pupils’ precise stages of English language acquisition and National Curriculum levels results in work being given to these pupils that is well matched to their abilities. There is scope for further training for teachers and teaching assistants by the support teacher to equip them with a wider range of strategies to promote EAL pupils’ language development.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 40 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

0 (0%) 9 (22%) 23 (57%) 8 (20%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

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Commentary

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

26. Assessment of what pupils know and can do at the end of units of work and in national assessments is good. This information is used effectively to determine strengths and weaknesses in provision and is fed back into future planning and teaching. Through such analysis, the school identified writing and methods of computation as areas for improvement and took appropriate action. Pupils’ progress is tracked well in English, mathematics, science and ICT, so that teachers have a good knowledge of what pupils need to do next and which ones are having difficulties. Assessment information is then used to set targets for learning for individual pupils. Each pupil has his or her own target booklet charting what they can do and what they need to do next in order to improve. Marking of work, with diagnostic comments, together with good oral feedback in lessons, gives pupils a clear understanding of how they can improve. There has been some inconsistency in practice between staff in this

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Commentary

aspect of assessment and, earlier in the academic year, there were some gaps in the frequency of marking. Overall, marking for this term was up-to-date. Although the learning intentions and success criteria of lessons are made clear, pupils are sometimes not given the opportunity to assess their own progress against the learning intentions at the end of the lesson. The school recognises pupil self-assessment and peer-assessment as areas for development.

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The curriculum

Turnfurlong Junior School - 14 The curriculum is good. There are good opportunities to develop pupils’ ICT, literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. Pupils’ response to literature could be enhanced.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are being raised because the curriculum is rich and provides wide-ranging opportunities for pupils to achieve success. • The curriculum is enriched very well by trips and other activities and opportunities. • The provision for pupils with additional needs is good.

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Commentary

27. The quality of the curriculum has significantly improved since the last inspection. Continuity and progression is assured through schemes of work. The curriculum is rich, broad, values the arts and sports and provides a wide range of experiences. Standards are being raised through this richness of the curriculum, the opportunities for success that it provides and the good connections being made between areas of learning. The curriculum continues to be developed; the quality of pupils’ ideas and their writing skills will be aided by further development of pupils’ response to literature. Attention to thinking skills and opportunities for ICT, literacy and numeracy help ‘stitch the curriculum together’. The overall enrichment of the curriculum by trips and extra-curricular activities is very good.

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Commentary

28. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language is good. Planning to support these pupils is good and is done in partnership between the support teacher and the class teacher to meet the needs of individual pupils.

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Commentary

29. Curriculum provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and supports the learning targets identified in individual education plans. There are good procedures in place for identifying special needs. A comprehensive policy provides guidance for staff. Suitable support is given to teachers to write individual educational plans with targets that are specific and easily achievable, to ensure a degree of success on a regular basis. Class teachers and support staff work well together and provide good support, particularly where it is well planned and organised by the teacher. Arrangements for withdrawing pupils from the classroom for additional support are where regular, carefully applied, with close links to the class work, to ensure equality of access for all pupils. There are no pupils for whom the curriculum is disapplied. The curriculum meets the needs of all pupils identified as having specific learning

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Commentary

difficulties. Additional extra-curricular provision is available to meet the needs of the more able or gifted pupils.

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Commentary

30. The school values the arts and actively encourages its pupils’ participation, especially in music-making. A great many pupils have individual instrumental tuition and achieve high standards in performance. The school orchestra and school choir perform to parents and take part in concerts outside of school. The jazz band is recognised for its excellence and participates in national and local events. Art and design is growing in status in the school, with a recent “Art Week,” during which an artist in residence worked with pupils from each year group. The artwork produced was of a good standard. There is an annual drama production, and parents report that last year’s production of Joseph was particularly moving. Sports, too, are an important part of the extra-curricular activities, with staff coaching and supporting competitive team squads in the major sports of boys’ and girls’ football, cricket,

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Commentary

31. There is a very good match of staff to the curriculum and the school is seeking to expand the range of support staff. Accommodation and resources are good. The Parent-Teachers’ Association is working to improve the library facilities in the school. The ICT suite provides good ICT access to a class of pupils and enough computers to enable pupils to work independently. Unsatisfactory ventilation within the ICT suite remains an issue. The interactive whiteboards in classrooms are used well by teachers to make learning more interesting for pupils. Turnfurlong Junior School - 15

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Care, guidance and support

The features that ensure pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety, are very good. The school makes very good arrangements for advice, guidance and support for pupils, based on their academic achievement and personal development. Procedures for involving pupils in the life and work of the school community are very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has very good pastoral systems to ensure that all pupils are well cared for and valued as individuals. All pupils are fully included in every aspect of school life. • The school provides a healthy and safe environment for pupils. • Teachers have good knowledge and understanding of their pupils’ individual needs. • The arrangements for setting pupils into the school in Year 3 and for transferring pupils to high schools are good. • The arrangements for actively involving pupils and consulting them about school affairs are very good.

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Commentary

32. The school is a happy, friendly and well-ordered community, providing a safe and caring environment for all of its pupils. The care and support the school gives has a positive impact on pupils’ achievement. Parents’ positive responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire confirm this. All staff show a positive commitment to the pupils and work together as a team, in the best interest of all pupils. Pupils feel safe and secure in the school, as their teachers know them well, and they establish very trusting relationships with adults in the school. Good rapport exists amongst the pupils. The school’s ethos instils a sense of fairness and justice, trust and friendship between teachers and pupils.

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Commentary

33. Child protection and health and safety procedures are very good and all staff understand them well. The school promotes good health, self-confidence and the taking of personal responsibility for a healthy life style. The school liaises with a range of external agencies, including social services, educational psychology and health, in order to promote effective support for pupils who are experiencing difficulties.

p.15

Commentary

34. Good liaison and transfer arrangements with the infant schools and the high schools ensures a smooth and well-organised transition, both when pupils enter the school in Year 3 and when they leave the school at the end of Year 6. Pupils speak warmly of the support they receive and this has a positive impact on their progress and achievements. Rewards for good attendance, good academic achievement and positive citizenship are celebrated in assemblies. These make a significant contribution to pupils’ desire to do well.

p.15

Commentary

35. The school is effective in identifying and providing for pupils with special educational needs. Assessment procedures are carried out systematically and pupils’ progress is carefully monitored. These arrangements ensure that pupils with special educational needs make good progress in achieving their personal targets.

p.15

Commentary

36. The teaching of personal, social, health and citizenship education makes a strong and positive contribution to pupils’ personal development. Teachers monitor it informally. An appraisal of pupils’ attitudes and the determination with which they pursue their academic work is included in the annual progress report to parents. The school makes use of appropriate strategies to instil compassion for other less fortunate people within the United Kingdom and overseas. 37. A significant feature of the school is the excellent opportunity that exists for pupils to contribute to the life of the school through an active school council. Pupils are seen as active participants in the school community, and, through the school council, they are able to express their views and gain an understanding of the democratic process. Recent Turnfurlong Junior School - 16 recommendation from the school council will lead to the redevelopment of all toilet facilities in

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Commentary

the school. Through activities such as these, pupils develop confidence in working together and learn to understand the points of views of others. This raises their self-esteem, enhances their self-confidence and promotes achievement.

p.16

Commentary

38. The school has given careful thought to ways of ensuring the well-being of all pupils and this is noticed, for example, in the ‘buddy’ system that operates in Years 5 and 6. In both these year groups, pupils are given opportunities to act as ‘buddies’ to others and to ensure that no- one feels isolated or distressed in the playground. The ‘buddies’ are clearly visible in their yellow bibs and make a significant contribution to the strong sense of a caring and supportive community that is so much a part of the ethos of this school.

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents, the community and other schools is good.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents hold the school in high regard; they are supportive of the school. The school is effective in involving parents in their children’s learning. • The school’s purposeful links with parents and the community serve the pupils well. • Parents encourage their children’s full participation in extra-curricular activities, especially, music, sports and art. • Links with parents of pupils with special educational needs are good. • Effective partnerships with other schools ensure that pupils are well prepared for transfer to high school.

p.16

Commentary

39. The school recognises the importance of strong partnership with all parents. Parental responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire show that they hold very favourable views of the school. Parents show a high level of support for the school; they are pleased that their children enjoy coming to the school, display positive behaviour and are making good progress. Parents also indicate that the school is approachable if they have any anxiety or concerns, and that expectations of the school are high. The inspection evidence substantiates the positive views of parents.

p.16

Commentary

40. The parents value the consultation meetings with teachers and attendance at these meetings is good. Most parents are appreciative of the fact that they can approach individual teachers, the headteacher or assistant headteachers, and that issues or concerns are resolved promptly and with care and consideration. The headteacher takes every opportunity to involve parents in the life of the school community. The school emphasise the importance of working in partnership with parents. Such collaboration is achieved through a tripartite agreement involving home, school and pupil, culminating in the Home-School-Pupil Agreement. Parents provide practical support and help to raise funds through the Friends of Turnfurlong Junior School.

p.16

Commentary

41. A good quality and range of information is provided in regular newsletters to parents, including administrative and pastoral arrangements. This is augmented effectively by the school’s excellent website, providing information on curriculum, homework policy and extra-curricular activities, as well as essential school policies, such as the behaviour policy. Both the parents and pupils frequently visit the website. Turnfurlong Junior School - 17 42. Parents feel that the current pupil annual report does not provide them with a clear picture of their child’s academic achievement and progress. The school is aware of this and intends to address parental concern by adopting a new format for the pupil annual report with immediate effect.

p.16

Commentary

43. There are good arrangements for involving and informing parents whose children have special educational needs. These parents are kept well informed of their children’s progress and personal development. Parents of statemented pupils are invited to attend annual review meetings. Parents generally are kept well informed of progress, can speak to staff informally at any time and are alerted when problems occur.

p.17

Commentary

44. Nine out of ten parents thought the arrangements made to settle their child into the junior school from the infant school were good. Pupils in Year 6 transfer to a range of schools that are local and further afield. They and others, who transfer to other grammar or high schools, are well prepared for their next phase of education, as they attend induction sessions and taster days. The school and the community work in harmony and enjoy good links. The school uses these links to enrich the experience of pupils. The school has positive relationships with the local Anglican Church and the vicar takes school assembly regularly. The school participates in local and national music festivals. The community derives benefit by making use of the school’s ICT suite and premises after school hours.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall, leadership and management are good. The impact of the leadership of the headteacher has been very good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There has been very significant improvement in all aspects of the school in a relatively short space of time. • The headteacher provides a very clear direction for the school’s improvement and the impact of his leadership is very good. • There is very good capacity to take the school forward.

p.17

Commentary

45. There is a clear strategic vision exemplified through the school improvement plan and the impact of the current leadership has been very good. There has been very significant improvement in a relatively short space of time.

p.17

Commentary

46. The headteacher provides a very clear direction for the school’s improvement: pupils’ enjoyment of learning, the standards they achieve and their sense of success, confidence and well-being lie at the heart of what the school is about. The leadership is reflective, evaluative and very experienced. The impact of the leadership has been very good. The headteacher is open and information is shared, as exemplified in the complete range available on the school’s website. He listens to parents and pupils and places store on what they have to say – particularly the pupils – consulting both parties effectively and takes effective action. There have been significant changes to the climate and expectations within the school. The senior leadership team structure has changed and two assistant headteachers have been appointed with key responsibilities and the experience to support and develop teaching teams in the

p.17

Commentary

lower and upper parts of the school. They have not long been in post and their role is developing but they play an important role in the day-to-day working of the school and the development of a professional, collegiate ethos.

p.17

Commentary

47. Governance is good. Governors are active, supportive and committed and play a clear leadership role. They have a clear understanding of governance. They are questioning and supportive and there are good relationships with the senior management team. They are provided with good information upon which they are able to make decisions and, therefore, Turnfurlong Junior School - 18 have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and what it needs to do to improve further. The chair of governors is a regular visitor to the school and meets with the headteacher regularly on a formal and informal basis.

p.17

Commentary

48. The school now needs time to settle, to manage the pace of change in its own terms – to consolidate and develop consistency of approach. There have been many staff changes and changes of subject co-ordinator role. Some key co-ordinators have not yet had the opportunity to take up their full role. That said, there has been clear development in terms of both expectations of standards and the capacity to manage change in their subject. The capacity for ongoing improvement is very good.

p.18

Commentary

49. Two new co-ordinators for special needs are experienced and enthusiastic teachers, but very new and in need of appropriate training to carry out their role. They are aware of the need to audit the provision in order to have a clear future direction and support pupils, colleagues and parents effectively. Designated support staff give well-organised support, but they are currently insufficient in number.

p.18

Commentary

50. There are good arrangements in place for annual reviews and all parties involved with the child normally attend these. The provision has improved since the last inspection and there is now good provision, overall. The school’s systems and planning ensure that the provision fully meets the ‘Code of Practice’. Monitoring and reviewing procedures and assessment, recording and reporting, meet statutory requirements in relation to pupils with special educational needs. The resources, including staff, are managed effectively to support both special educational needs’ policies and pupils. The provision for pupils with English as an additional language is managed well by the support teacher.

p.18

Commentary

51. Plans for the continuing development of all staff are carefully linked to school priorities, and individual staff needs and priorities are well incorporated into arrangements for performance management. For example, emphasis on training staff in the use of the interactive whiteboards has improved their competence and confidence and has helped to enliven their teaching.

p.18

Commentary

52. Systems for the recruitment and retention of staff are good despite the recent high turnover of staff. The headteacher and governing body ensure that vacancies are filled by effective staff committed to the school’s expectations. Good induction procedures help new staff to settle in quickly. The governing body also conducts interviews with staff who are leaving in order to gain a further insight into the school’s organisation and possible pressures within it.

p.18

Commentary

53. The governing body closely monitors spending with the headteacher and bursar to ensure that spending decisions reflect the school’ educational priorities very well. Subject leaders are responsible for their own budgets and priorities for expenditure are linked appropriately to their subject improvement plans within the school improvement plan. The school’s budget is managed well. The school evaluates spending carefully and applies ‘best value’ principles very well. Given current standards, the progress pupils make and the ethos of the school, coupled with its capacity for on-going improvement, the school provides good value for money. Turnfurlong Junior School - 19

p.18

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.19

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 753,212 Balance from previous year 51,795 Total expenditure 776,584 Balance carried forward to the next 28,423 Expenditure per pupil 2,217 Turnfurlong Junior School - 20

p.19

English

Provision in English is satisfactory, with good features.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average and pupils now achieve well and make good progress. • Teaching is good. • Pupils now have opportunities to write in an extended fashion for a range of purposes. • The rich curriculum experience that they have is helping them in the development of their ideas, which could be aided by a richer story culture.

p.20

Commentary

54. Standards in the 2004 National Curriculum tests were average but well below that of similar schools. The percentage gaining Level 4+ was above average but just below that of similar schools. Current standards are, overall, above average and the school is on target to meet its targets. All pupils, including those with additional needs, now achieve well and make clear and sustained term-on-term progress.

p.20

Commentary

55. Speaking and listening skills are, for the majority of pupils, above average. Pupils are, in the main, very articulate and confident. They give thoughtful extended answers to questions using Standard English. Listening skills can be more variable. Pupils listen to their teachers very well, for the most part, and teachers themselves listen to what pupils have to say and in their listening model effectively the value that they attach to others’ ideas, as well as building pupils’ confidence and self-esteem. The majority of pupils listen well to others but there are occasions when individuals want to take the lead and rush into a task without allowing the views of others to shape their approach. In a sense, it is a lack of collaborative skills as much as weaker listening skills.

p.20

Commentary

56. Reading skills are at least average and the school deploys a range of appropriate strategies, such as guided reading, to encourage an interest in reading. There is not, however, a strong book literature culture in the school. The school uses commercial texts and many extracts, but there are, currently, few occasions when older pupils become immersed in a sustained text. When they do, or when the extract used is a particularly powerful one, the impact on the quality of their writing is apparent: ‘… as the mist swirled around Fliss’s body, her eyes grew round and petrified as again she saw the room …’

p.20

Commentary

57. By the end of Year 6, writing is above average in presentation, punctuation and construction. Spelling is usually accurate, although spelling was variable in history. Opportunities for pupils to write independently and at length are now taken across subjects, so that pupils are used to writing for different purposes; for example, a scientific account or the description of an historical character written in the first person. The previous report noted the dominance of the worksheet, which limited writing opportunities across subjects. This is not now the case. Nevertheless, the challenge for the school now lies in developing the quality of pupils’ ideas. The current rich curriculum and the connections being made within it, is helping this process – seen, for example, in the work on Greeks. It could be further developed through experience of a richer literature and story culture. Turnfurlong Junior School - 21

p.20

Commentary

58. Pupils have good attitudes to the subject – in many lessons their attitudes are very good. They concentrate well and show sensitivity in their appraisal of others’ work. Essentially, they are challenged by the work and are therefore productive. They are helped in this by the quality of feedback that they often receive. For example, in response to the piece of work taken at random and illustrated above: ‘…you have created an interesting spooky atmosphere and used plenty of good description… you have written this story in the style of the author very well….’

p.21

Commentary

59. Teaching is good. It is sometimes very good. Teachers bring to the work, energy enthusiasm, skill and subject knowledge. The detailed planning ensures that there is clear progression; the patchiness of pupils’ English experience noted in the last report has been tackled effectively. The building blocks of the National Literacy Strategy are in place and taught well. English work now has the necessary underlying rigour upon which refinements and further improvements can be made.

p.21

Commentary

60. The current co-ordinator has only just taken up the post so that it is too soon to make overall judgements about the impact of her work. Nevertheless, there has been significant progress since the last inspection and a clear view by the governing body and the headteacher of the kind of experience that they were looking for in drawing upon the specifications for the post. The co-ordinator is an experienced literacy co-ordinator with very good capacity to take the school’s work in English further.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

61. Pupils now have good opportunities to discuss, talk and rehearse their ideas and share their views. Collaborative skills are relatively weaker. There are good opportunities now for writing across the subjects of the curriculum. There is the need for a stronger literature, story and book culture to help develop pupils ideas and to develop independent research skills beyond the use of the computer.

p.21

French

62. Each Year 6 class has one French lesson per week. This is further supplemented by a Year 6 residential trip to France. The class teacher is supported by a French assistant who works with small groups of the class in turn. One lesson was seen. The class teacher managed the classes and resources well, using a language program on the interactive whiteboard and the teacher created a secure and supportive ethos. The assistant was a very positive language role model and played a simple dice game with language consequences, revising numbers and colours. Pupils have a simple vocabulary linked to specific themes. For example, in the lesson, pupils designed a clothing store, labelling the clothes and using this as the basis for simple conversations. Generally, pupils lacked confidence in speaking, although the work prepared them well for their residential trip.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There has been good improvement since the previous inspection. • Standards are above average because of good teaching. • There is good tracking of pupils’ progress as they move through the school. • The use of information and communication technology (ICT) and other resources to support teaching is good. • Pupils enjoy their lessons and work productively. • The subject is well led and managed. • The use of mathematics across the curriculum is good but needs to be planned more formally. Turnfurlong Junior School - 22

p.21

Commentary

63. Improvement since the previous inspection is good. The rise in standards is above the national trend and standards are now above average, the quality of teaching is good, and the leadership and management of the subject are good. Although, over time, pupils have made satisfactory progress, improvements since the previous inspection now mean that pupils are currently making good progress. Pupils achieve well because teachers modify tasks to match the abilities of pupils and provide appropriate challenges in lessons for them all. The method of grouping pupils by ability is particularly effective in allowing teachers to match the work more closely to pupils’ abilities. Although over the past three years girls have attained results better than boys in the national assessments, no discernable difference in achievement was noticed in the inspection. Higher-attaining pupils are now being well catered for, and make

p.22

Commentary

good achievement. Pupils with special educational needs and those for who speak English as an additional language make good progress because of the good support they receive from teachers, teaching assistants and the English as an additional language support teacher.

p.22

Commentary

64. Most pupils in Year 6 are proficient at solving problems using mental calculation, and are using informal and efficient written methods when necessary. They have a good understanding of decimals, fractions and percentages. Their knowledge of shape, space and measures and skills in handling data are good. Pupils are acquiring good problem-solving and investigative skills. In one lesson, pupils investigated the number of non-congruent shapes that can be made with five squares. As the result of some good teaching involving effective use of practical equipment to support pupils’ mathematical thinking, all the pupils in the ability group are able to find the shapes and determine their perimeters. In a higher- attaining group, pupils are successful in joining rectangles of different areas to form the nets of cuboids.

p.22

Commentary

65. The quality of teaching is good, overall. Good training opportunities and the effective use of national guidance have helped most teachers to acquire good subject knowledge. As a result, teachers are good at developing pupils’ numeracy and problem-solving skills and are confident enough to be less reliant on worksheets and commercial schemes. There are a number of key strengths in the teaching which assist pupils’ progress. Teachers make good use of national guidance to plan an appropriate range of activities that meet the different needs of all pupils. In most lessons, learning intentions are expressed clearly and reinforced by success criteria so that pupils are clear about what they are expected to learn. Teachers’ effective assessment of pupils’ immediate learning needs, good questioning and clear explanations, enable pupils to build on previous learning. In the satisfactory teaching seen,

p.22

Commentary

the lesson was not well paced and the teacher did not assess pupils’ progress in the lesson effectively. In general, teachers do not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively and to discuss and explain their work to other pupils. In some lessons, the endings are too rushed and pupils do not have enough time to assess their own success against the learning intentions of the lesson.

p.22

Commentary

66. Teachers make effective use of the new interactive whiteboards to enliven their teaching and illustrate key learning points, making lessons more interesting for pupils. Pupils make good use of computer programs, such as spreadsheets and data-handling programs, to produce tables and graphs. Other computer programs help to consolidate mathematical concepts. For example, in a Year 4 lesson, pupils use a “mirror image” program to help them understand symmetry. The school’s website provides useful information for parents about the mathematics curriculum and pupils’ targets and contains activities that pupils and parents can do at home.

p.22

Commentary

67. Pupils have good attitudes to their work. They show interest and respond well to the teachers’ high expectations by behaving well and working productively. The very good relationships fostered in lessons and good use of praise and encouragement by teachers and teaching assistants have a positive impact on pupils’ learning and progress. Turnfurlong Junior School - 23 68. Leadership and management are good. The school is responding well to pupils’ previous underachievement. Assessment results are thoroughly analysed to determine strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning and to guide future planning. Assessment results are also used well to set targets for pupils, and to track individual’s progress over time. Teaching and learning is monitored and evaluated effectively by observation of lessons and provision of feedback.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

69. Pupils use their mathematical knowledge and skills in other subjects, such as in measuring jumps and timing runs in PE, in weighing when making biscuits in design and technology, and in using bar graphs and tables to record data in science. When the school’s Junior Road Safety Officers produced a school travel plan, they used mathematical skills of data collection and data analysis. Year 6 pupils use mathematical skills when setting up their business in the “Young Enterprise” competition. Opportunities for pupils to use mathematics across the curriculum are good but need to be planned more formally.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The overall good teaching means that pupils achieve well and attain standards above those expected. • Pupils’ good attitudes and high level of enjoyment in science lessons contribute to their good achievements. • Good attention is given to practical and investigative approaches. • Marking is not always used well to help develop pupils’ understanding of how they can improve.

p.23

Commentary

70. Standards have improved since the last inspection. Pupils now achieve well and, overall, make the progress they should. By the end of Year 6, most pupils attain above the expected standards. There are strong signs of improvement in pupils’ achievements. A number of good measures, for example, more focus on investigations in science and the setting of targets for individual pupils based on clear analysis of test results, are beginning to show signs of success in moving pupils on to higher levels. Pupils’ performance in the 2004 national tests shows notable improvements over the previous year’s results, especially in the number of pupils achieving the higher level, Level 5. Pupils with special educational needs, and also those for whom English is an additional language, achieve appropriate levels as a result of focused support based on carefully identified needs.

p.23

Commentary

71. Pupils have good attitudes to the subject, particularly when they are fully involved and engaged in offering their ideas. They enjoy the emphasis on practical work and this is leading to a particular increase in their enquiry skills. Pupils work well together to obtain evidence by careful observations and measurement. They record their findings carefully and are very excited by their experience. Their recorded work indicates a good understanding of ‘fair testing’. Pupils are encouraged to develop skills of scientific enquiry in an atmosphere of enjoyment.

p.23

Commentary

72. The quality of teaching is good, overall. Teachers have good subject knowledge and much attention is given in lessons to making sure that pupils are clear about what they are expected to do and what this will help them to learn. Teachers make good use of the interactive whiteboard to enhance pupils’ learning. All teachers are good at making sure that pupils work hard, and set tasks that are sufficiently challenging for different abilities. For example, the more able pupils in Year 6 are taught as a group and receive well-planned opportunities for Turnfurlong Junior School - 24 devising their own investigations, or developing hypotheses based on observations and collected data. Teachers are beginning to focus strongly and effectively on pupils’ learning much scientific information, including correct scientific words. Good use is made of computers to present data in a more interesting way or to record the results of experiments. The

p.23

Commentary

assessment of pupils’ work is well organised and this is effective in supporting teachers’ planning. However, the quality of some teachers’ marking, although regular and encouraging, does not always support pupils’ understanding of how to improve further.

p.24

Commentary

73. The subject is well led and managed. The co-ordinator has a good knowledge and understanding of the subject and a clear view of the areas for further development. The resources have been updated and organised centrally for ease of use and this has contributed positively to teachers’ confidence in the subject. Additionally, the introduction of good monitoring systems for teaching and learning, have begun to have an impact on standards and ensure further improvement.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There has been good improvement since the previous inspection. • Pupils are achieving well because of very good teaching. • Good planning ensures that all aspects of the ICT curriculum are well covered and that skills are taught rigorously and systematically. • The subject is well led and managed by an enthusiastic subject leader. • The use of ICT across the curriculum is good.

p.24

Commentary

74. The improvement in provision in ICT since the previous inspection is good. There has been significant investment in resources. Standards have improved, the quality of teaching has improved greatly and the use of ICT across the curriculum has also improved. Standards attained by pupils at the end of Year 6 are now above national expectations, whereas in the previous inspection, standards were broadly in line with national expectations. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress and achieve well because they are well taught and are well supported by teaching assistants. Pupils for whom English is an additional language (EAL) also make good progress, especially when supported by the English as an additional language support teacher.

p.24

Commentary

75. The quality of teaching is very good and this improvement in teaching quality is the main reason why standards have risen since the previous inspection. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and make very good use of the interactive whiteboards in the classrooms and in the ICT suite to demonstrate procedures they want the pupils to follow. As a consequence, pupils are very clear about the purpose of the lesson, acquire new knowledge and improve their own skills. In Year 6, the teacher displays very good subject knowledge in demonstrating how pupils can construct a “website” presentation using a multimedia program. Pupils plan their pages then download images and information from approved Internet web sites to produce pages for their presentation. The work each pupil produces is of high quality and includes sound and animation to capture the interest of the audience. Pupils achieve well because they are well motivated, the teacher has high expectations and provides good

p.24

Commentary

feedback to help pupils improve their work. Teachers also provide good opportunities for pupils to evaluate their work and to implement improvements. The school network allows pupils to access their ICT work from a home computer, giving pupils the chance to develop their ICT skills further. The method of working in the ICT suite helps to foster pupils’ skills of working independently but opportunities for pupils to develop skills of working collaboratively are limited. Turnfurlong Junior School - 25 76. ICT is well led and managed by an enthusiastic subject leader who has built on the work of the previous subject leader to improve standards in the subject. Staff competence and confidence have been improved by recent training. Good lesson planning ensures the systematic development of ICT skills as pupils move up the school. The subject leader checks teachers’ planning and analyses pupils’ work to evaluate the coverage of the ICT

p.24

Commentary

curriculum. Effective assessment procedures are in place to track pupils’ progress over time. The school’s computers have been upgraded and networked, allowing pupils good access during ICT lessons. The subject leader provides a very good role model in his teaching but in the relatively short time that he has been in school he has not had the opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching in the subject.

p.25

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

77. The effective use of the interactive whiteboards as teaching tools is having a positive impact on pupils’ achievement across the curriculum. However, pupils’ access to computers outside of the ICT suite is limited. Nevertheless, the use of ICT across the curriculum is good. This is because teachers make use of national guidance to plan units of work that include ICT in their subjects. This encourages pupils to use ICT skills acquired in ICT lessons within other areas of the curriculum and to see the relevance of ICT in everyday life. For example, Year 3 pupils use a word-processing program to combine text and graphics to produce Second World War posters in history. In art, pupils use a paint program to develop images using repeating patterns. In Year 5, pupils use a multimedia program in science to produce a presentation about their work on solids, liquids and gases.

p.25

HUMANITIES

78. It was possible to observe only one lesson in history and two lessons in geography, so overall judgments of provision have not been made. Discussions took place and work was sampled in both the subjects.

p.25

HUMANITIES

79. There are detailed plans indicating good opportunities to acquire knowledge and learn the required skills in both history and geography. Good, explicit links are made across the curriculum. Good examples were apparent in a wide range of subjects. A variety of tasks and activities are used to add interest and stimulation. There has been good improvement in both subjects since the last inspection.

p.25

HUMANITIES

80. In geography , by Year 6, pupils are covering work on India, which encompasses factual information about the country, including the village life in Nilgiri Hills. Pupils’ studies include rural and urban locations, and good comparisons are then made with the village of Chembakolli, which is situated in the rainforest, south of Bangalore. Year 6 pupils study the mountain ranges and rivers of the world in appropriate depth. Pupils’ recorded work, meets national expectations and is generally neat and well presented. Furthermore, it employs good geographical techniques and language, although spelling is a weak area, affecting the overall quality of what is presented. The organisation of topics allows for strong cross-curricular links, for example, the Year 3 topic on settlements involves learning about the Tudor settlements in history.

p.25

HUMANITIES

81. In history , pupils in Year 6 have recently studied aspects of Victorian life. Standards are around the expected level. In the lessons observed, teachers engaged in lively presentations, integrating the subject with literacy sessions. In Year 5, work on the ‘ Ancient Greeks’ is very thorough. This work includes strong links with literacy, especially the use of writing skills in recording what life might have been like during this period of history. In one lesson, pupils imaginatively took on different roles to understand the characteristics of the Greek legal system. In terms of historical detail, elements of this work were above expected levels for their age. Very good links are made with art and design in developing knowledge and skills to research ideas, plan and make artefacts, such as the Greek vases. Turnfurlong Junior School - 26 82. Management of history is very good. The geography co-ordinator is currently new and

p.25

HUMANITIES

developing in her role. New study units are being devised for staff to follow, with links to assessment opportunities. Teachers do not yet use assessments to plan detailed work for pupils. Effective use of information and communication technology has been established. Pupils are particularly good at multimedia presentations in both history and geography. Ideas that support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are well planned and promoted through a good range of interesting and relevant events, including visits and visitors, particularly related to topics in history.

p.26

Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory, with good features.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good and pupils achieve well as a result. • Pupils have a very positive attitude to learning about different religions. • Religious education makes a good contribution to the development of pupils’ literacy skills. • The aspect of assessing and recording pupils’ achievement is not fully established.

p.26

Commentary

83. Standards in Year 6 have improved significantly since the last inspection. Pupils now make good progress and achieve standards in line with those expected by the locally agreed syllabus. Planning in the subject has improved, with regular weekly lessons across the school, and opportunities to reinforce and consolidate pupils’ thoughts and understanding through pictorial and written work.

p.26

Commentary

84. The quality of teaching and learning is good, overall. Good understanding and respect for different faiths and beliefs underpins teaching and learning activities. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning about different religions . A very good lesson in Year 6, offered stimulation with use of appropriate resources and an effective discussion to enhance pupils’ understanding of the existence and nature of God. Pupils in this lesson showed great respect for the beliefs and values of others when extending and exchanging ideas and viewpoints about ‘believers’ and ‘non-believers’. Teachers make a good use of religious stories and discussions and, because of this, pupils begin to develop their own ideas about appropriate personal responses to right and wrong. Pupils draw on class discussions to make simple comparisons with their own religious ceremonies and traditions. Most pupils show a positive

p.26

Commentary

willingness to talk about and share personal experiences. They gain a lot of factual information through Internet research. This was noted in a lesson where pupils learning about key features of the places of worship in the community were beginning to show increasing understanding of special events, people and customs of different religions. Most teachers plan well, but the aspect of assessing and recording pupils’ achievement is not yet fully developed across the school.

p.26

Commentary

85. The teaching of religious education makes a good contribution to pupils’ literacy skills. Appropriate discussions and questioning in some lessons supports pupils listening and speaking skills. Pupils’ written work includes some good examples of well-presented, independent accounts.

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Commentary

86. Leadership and management of religious education, is satisfactory. The co-ordinator is clear about the future developments; for example, the need for the agreed arrangements for assessing pupils’ performance. There has been some opportunity to monitor teaching and the quality of work in the classrooms. Pupils often visit the local church and the vicar from this church also supports assemblies. So far, there have been very few opportunities to invite visitors from other religions or to organise visits to places of worship other than the local church and the mosque. Turnfurlong Junior School - 27

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

87. Improvements in provision in art and design are already evident, although, as only one lesson was seen, it is not possible to make an overall judgement about provision. Standards are improving and leadership and management are good. Standards are in line with national expectations. Planning for the progressive development of pupils’ skills has improved and has led to higher expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils’ work shows a growing confidence in working with different media, including paint, pastels, textiles, and clay. Pupils learn to use a range of techniques and skills to represent their own ideas and observations. The concerted effort of staff to improve pupils’ drawing skills is resulting in improved achievement in this area. The school’s provision is enriched by whole-school projects. For example, the school has taken inspiration from the work of Antony Gormley to recreate its own

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

version of “Field” with clay figures produced by pupils and adults in school. A recent visit from an artist in residence during “Art Week” has resulted in some very good printmaking activities throughout the school.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

88. The subject leaders provide good leadership and management through their enthusiasm and expertise. Effective monitoring and evaluation of teaching and pupils’ work has resulted in good training opportunities for staff. Areas for improvement have been identified and remedial action taken.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

89. Design and technology was not being taught during the inspection so it is not possible to form an overall judgement about provision. Lesson planning is based on national guidance, supplemented by a commercial scheme, and, from the work seen, National Curriculum requirements are met. Evidence from discussion with pupils, work on display, pupils’ books and work made available by the subject leader indicates that standards are in line with national expectations. Pupils are introduced to some interesting topics and have good opportunities to develop the required skills, especially those of evaluating their work against the design brief. Unlike that of the previous inspection, pupils’ work shows good finish and increasing complexity as they move from Year 3 to Year 6.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

90. Leadership and management of the subject are good. There is good tracking of pupils’ progress. The effective monitoring of teaching and learning and analysis of pupils’ work has led to improvements in provision. The design and technology link governor has provided good support for the subject leader in her efforts to ensure that the subject is well resourced.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

91. Only one music lesson was observed during the inspection and so it not possible to make a secure judgement about provision. However, evidence gained from assemblies, extra- curricular activities, the subject leader’s file, and discussions with staff, confirms that music continues to enjoy high status in the life of the school. Standards are above national expectations and some pupils are attaining standards very well above national expectations as a result of good specialist instrument teaching. Achievement is good for all pupils. 92. Music is taught by a specialist music teacher and, historically, the quality of teaching has been good. There is a short hiatus as the school awaits the arrival of the permanent music teacher/ subject leader next term. Teaching and learning in the Year 4 lesson seen was sound. Pupils demonstrate a good knowledge of musical terminology such as “tempo,” “pitch,” and

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

“dynamics” when discussing the characteristics of different music from around the world. They sing well, with good tone and expression. Unfortunately, boisterous behaviour by some pupils slowed the pace of learning in the lesson, resulting in the learning intentions of the lesson not being fully achieved. 93. Planning is good, and there is a comprehensive music scheme. Accommodation and resources are good. Learning opportunities are greatly enhanced for many pupils by the chance to learn an instrument and to perform in the orchestra or the very impressive jazz band, and to sing in the choir. Individual music lessons are organised so that pupils are not withdrawn from the same lesson every week. Pupils improve their performance skills by taking part in the annual school production and other concerts. The subject contributes well to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. Turnfurlong Junior School - 28

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

94. It is not possible to make an overall judgement about the provision in physical education . Standards are at least in line with national expectations but there are individual pupils who have above average skills in specific games and skills. Swimming is taught in Year 5 and most pupils are competent swimmers. There has been good improvement since the last inspection; there is clear planned progression and teaching is now good. The formal curriculum is enriched by a good range of out-of-school competitive sporting opportunities with plans for further expansion.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

95. In the Year 6 lesson seen, pupils worked hard physically, demonstrating a good work rate and very good attitudes in their ‘circuit training’ and had a good knowledge of the impact of exercise. They also showed the ability to refine and improve their technique. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils made good progress in developing their jumping technique and pupils’ evaluation was encouraged so that they were able to identify elements to improve another’s performance; for example, keeping the head up and refining the upper arm movement. They chose appropriate skills and demonstrated appropriate control and co-ordination in applying them.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

96. Teaching is good. Teachers had developed very good relationships with their class and the teachers’ professionalism, skills of class organisation, planning, regard to health and safety and high expectations of both skills and work rate, coupled with their energy, enthusiasm and sense of fun, ensured that there was a very good working ethos, which ensured that pupils were challenged appropriately.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

97. The co-ordinator currently carries a range of responsibilities, including that of assistant headteacher, and is relatively new in post. Clearly, there have been other important priorities in the school. That said, he has clear ideas for the development of the subject and is in the process of setting up a range of training opportunities for staff and is seeking accreditation and kite-marking for a range of sports and the Healthy Schools Initiative, as well as developing links with other schools and providers to enhance the physical education curriculum through his role as primary physical education links co-ordinator to the local network. As yet, it is too soon to judge the impact on standards of physical education in the school but there is very good capacity for improvement.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

98. Two personal, social and health education lessons were seen, so it is not possible to make an overall judgement about provision. Standards are appropriate. Year 6 pupils displayed both maturity and empathy in their discussions about the changes facing them. The learning was good because the teacher managed the class effectively and approached the work with integrity and sensitivity, insisting that the class respected pupil’s openness and stressing that there was not necessarily a right or wrong answer. Praise was used well. A Year 3 lesson, which poignantly explored the rights of children and those children who face difficulty in their childhood through lack of education, food and water and safety, made a significant contribution to pupils’ social and moral development.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

99. The personal, social and health education programme makes a good contribution to pupils’ overall development. It covers appropriately the required sex and health education issues, including drugs education in the context of developing a healthy, safer life style and does provide a context to explore the rights and responsibilities within the school and as part of a community. Pupils are listened to in the school, their voice is valued, and the role and impact of the school council extends beyond those directly involved as representatives. Pupils have good opportunities to take responsibility, to be part of a team effort and to support others. The personal, social and health education work is also supplemented by whole-school assemblies, and the school’s approach to behaviour management, which develops their understanding of the consequences of their actions, but, essentially, seeks to recognise the positive

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

contributions that pupils make. Turnfurlong Junior School - 29

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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 2 Value for money provided by the school 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos) 2 Attendance 2 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 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 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 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 3

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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

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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).

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