Victoria Junior School

VICTORIA JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 th – 20 th April 2005

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VICTORIA JUNIOR SCHOOL

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

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VICTORIA 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. Victoria Junior School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Junior School category: Community Age range of pupils: 7 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 178 School address: Cornwall Crescent Rothwell Leeds Postcode: LS26 0RA Telephone number: (0113) 214 6315 Fax number: (0113) 288 9568 Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs J Ward Date of previous inspection: April 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Rothwell Victoria Junior School is smaller than most other primary schools; it has 92 boys and 86 girls aged 7 to 11 years. The socio-economic circumstances of the school have changed since the previous inspection and are now are a little less favourable than those of most schools, with an increasing number of pupils from disadvantaged homes. An average proportion of pupils are in receipt of free school meals. Movement of pupils in and out of the school is below average overall, but the closure of another school has recently resulted in an above average proportion of pupils moving into the school and has extended the school’s catchment area. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is average and an average proportion has a statement of their needs. Needs cover a wide spectrum, including dyslexia, medical difficulties, speech difficulties and social, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Almost every pupil speaks English as their first language and

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

there are a few pupils representing minority ethnic backgrounds, these being mainly of mixed race. The attainment of pupils on entry to the school has declined since the previous inspection. It is wide ranging but is currently a little below average, overall. Victoria Junior School - 2

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

23081 Mrs C E Waine Lead inspector English Religious education Art and design Geography 19741 Mr T Smith Lay inspector 33231 Mrs L Steele Team inspector Mathematics Music History Provision for pupils with special educational needs English as an additional language 4720 Mr G Carter Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Design and technology Physical education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Tribal Education 1 – 4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637 833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Victoria Junior School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 9 - 13

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school where pupils thrive in a very safe and caring environment. The good quality of teaching and an interesting curriculum are significant factors in pupils’ good achievement. Pupils develop very good attitudes to school and behave well because the school provides very well for their personal development. There is a strong commitment to including all pupils in all activities and the school promotes very good relationships. Leadership is good and the school is soundly managed. Costs per pupil are below average and the school provides good value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Standards are above average in English, art and design and modern foreign languages. • Recent good improvements in the provision for mathematics have not yet had time to raise standards sufficiently and they remain below average. • Whilst teaching is good overall, that for the youngest pupils varies in quality. • There is a very strong commitment to the personal development and care and welfare of each pupil, which results in very good relationships and behaviour in lessons. • Enrichment of the curriculum is very good and interesting lessons and activities promote very good attitudes to learning. • Leadership in English, mathematics, information and communication technology, art and design and special educational needs is good but that in science does not promote consistently good achievement throughout the school.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

There has been good improvement on the issues identified in the previous inspection in May 1999. The improvement in provision for information and communication technology (ICT) and cultural development has been very good and standards have risen considerably as a result. Pupils now have many more opportunities to develop writing skills across the whole curriculum, which has contributed well to improved achievement in English. Test results in English and science have risen faster than those nationally but results have not improved in mathematics.

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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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English C A B D mathematics E D E E* science C B C E Key: A -- well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average; E*− in the bottom 5 per cent of schools. Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is good and particularly so in Year 6, where consistently good teaching accelerates the rate of pupils’ progress. The results of national tests shown in the table above do not reflect a true picture of the good progress that pupils make. Pupils achieve well in many subjects, especially English, science, ICT and art and design. Standards are currently average overall; they are above average in English, art and design and modern foreign languages, average in science, ICT and religious education but below average in mathematics. Boys and girls achieve similar standards.

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

cultural development, is very good. Pupils are enthusiastic about school and behave well; in lessons and whole school assemblies, behaviour is often very good. Attendance is satisfactory and punctuality is good; this reflects pupils’ very good attitudes to learning. Victoria Junior School - 5

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is good. Teaching is good , and sometimes very good, particularly in Year 6. Teaching for the youngest pupils is variable from very good to unsatisfactory. Teachers use assessment information well to match work in literacy and numeracy to the needs of all groups of pupils, but assessment systems in some subjects, such as science, do not provide enough support to help teachers in planning. A great strength of teaching is the very good relationships between teachers and their pupils, which give pupils confidence in their work. Pupils are managed very positively and motivated to learn because teachers provide interesting lessons. Teachers give good verbal feedback to pupils in lessons but the quality of marking always does not sufficiently inform pupils how to improve their work.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum is good and meets all requirements of the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. There is very good enrichment through a range of initiatives, trips, clubs and expert visitors to school. A particularly good feature is the initiative to promote the creative arts, such as drama, art and music. There are good partnerships with parents and the community and very good links with other schools. There is a very good standard of care for pupils.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. The leadership of the headteacher and key staff is good and there is a clear view of what must be done to help the school improve further. Management is satisfactory overall, with good features that enable it to run smoothly. The school analyses assessment information thoroughly to identify and act upon any weaknesses and this is successful in improving achievement and raising standards in literacy and numeracy. Whilst subject leadership is providing for improvements in provision in English and mathematics, this is not the case in science, where improved standards have relied too much on the quality of teaching in Year 6. Procedures to check the quality of teaching and learning lack enough rigour to ensure that there is an even pattern of teaching in all classes. Governance is good; governors play an active part in school life and meet most of their statutory requirements well.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents’ views are positive, although a significant number expressed concerns about behaviour and bullying on the questionnaires. Pupils’ views are very positive and they do not reflect the concerns shown by their parents.

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

• Raise standards in mathematics. • Improve leadership and management in science so that effective monitoring and self- evaluation lead to a more consistent rate of achievement. • Improve the rigour of procedures for checking the quality of teaching and learning, so that there is greater consistency in quality for all pupils. Victoria Junior School - 6

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Standards achieved in subjects

Achievement is good . Standards are average overall by the end of Year 6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in English, science, information and communication technology (ICT), art and design and modern foreign languages. • Standards are above average in English, art and design and modern foreign languages. • Achievement in mathematics is improving but standards are still below average. • Pupils are very attentive listeners and very confident and articulate speakers.

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Commentary

1. Pupils achieve well, particularly in Year 6 where consistently good teaching accelerates the rate of progress. Standards in English, mathematics and science are average, overall, by the end of Year 6 and better than those indicated by the results of national tests in 2004, shown in the table below. Changes to the catchment area have had an impact on the level of attainment on entry. This has been carefully assessed over recent years, and data shows that it is now slightly below average overall, particularly in mathematics and science. Whilst most pupils are achieving the levels expected for their age, there are fewer higher attaining pupils than at the time of the previous inspection.

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

Standards in: School results National results English 27.9 (28.7) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 25.8 (26.4) 27.0 (26.8) science 28.6 (29.5) 28.6 (28.6) There were 49 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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

2. The school has good documentary evidence to show that achievement was better for the pupils in the 2004 group than is indicated by comparisons with similar schools. Whilst achievement in the 2004 tests was satisfactory overall, pupils should have achieved more in mathematics. Results in mathematics were similar to those at the previous inspection and had not risen as fast as those nationally. The school identified this as their main priority for improvement and have now introduced an improved curriculum, provided training for teachers and secured the advice and support of a local education authority numeracy consultant. This action has already had an impact and achievement in mathematics is now satisfactory. However, whilst standards are rising, they are still below average.

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

3. Standards in English and science have risen faster than nationally. In English, standards are above average and improvement has been secured as a result of changes made to the curriculum, the improved quality of teaching and the focus on the development of speaking and listening and writing skills across the whole curriculum. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are well above average and they are confident and articulate, which confirms a point made by the parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting. The school’s involvement in an Aim Higher project in Year 6, Raising Achievement in the Creative Arts, [RACA], is having a significant impact on standards in this aspect. Reading is good and writing is average by the end of Year 6. It has improved since the previous inspection because the school has introduced a wider range of opportunities for writing. A weakness within the writing is Victoria Junior School - 7

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

handwriting; most pupils still choose to print, rather than develop their own style of joined script. In science, standards are average. Although pupils achieve well overall, progress is uneven; the younger pupils do not achieve enough, particularly in their investigation and recording skills. Improvement in standards is as a result of good teaching and a good revision programme in Year 6.

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

4. Pupils achieve well in ICT to reach standards in line with those expected in the National Curriculum. This marks a very good improvement since the previous inspection. Very strong leadership and management have led to a greatly improved curriculum and much better resources. Pupils have many more opportunities to apply and develop their skills across the curriculum. In religious education, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and standards are in line with those expected by the locally agreed syllabus for the subject.

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

5. Standards in art and design and modern foreign languages are above average and pupils achieve well. Achievement in geography is satisfactory and standards are average. In design and technology, history, music and physical education there was insufficient evidence to make judgements on standards or achievement.

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

6. The pupils with special educational needs are provided with good quality, well-targeted support that enables them to take a full part in lessons and helps them to achieve well. The only pupil who has English as an additional language has made good progress and no longer requires additional support. Other groups of other pupils receive additional support in small literacy and numeracy groups to enable them to achieve their full learning potential. Although there is only limited specific provision for more able pupils, the quality of teaching and learning means that they too achieve well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good overall. Provision for social, moral and cultural development is very good. Pupils’ attitudes to school are very good . Behaviour is good overall and very good in most lessons. Attendance is satisfactory and pupils’ punctuality is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are very enthusiastic about their school and develop very good attitudes to learning. • Behaviour is very good in most lessons, sometimes excellent. • Pupils are helped to become confident and mature members of the school community through very good provision for their social, moral and cultural development. • There are many good procedures to promote attendance and pupils’ punctuality is good.

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Commentary

7. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about their school. Discussions with pupils and responses to their questionnaires show that few would like to change any aspect of the school, other than wanting more of their favourite lessons, such as art and design and RACA. Most are keen to learn in lessons and work very hard, with deep concentration. The very good relationships between themselves and the staff give them confidence to share their thoughts and ideas in whole class and school settings.

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Commentary

8. Behaviour is good overall, and very good in most lessons and in school assemblies; it is sometimes excellent in response to particularly good teaching. A small number of pupils have difficulties in controlling their behaviour but this is not apparent in lessons and only occasionally in the playground, where any incidents are dealt with quickly and efficiently by teachers, support staff and lunchtime supervisors. The school very occasionally excludes pupils whose behaviour is unacceptable but on the whole is very successful in promoting good behaviour. Parents at the pre-inspection meeting were very positive about the standard of behaviour but a number of parents highlighted it as a concern on the questionnaire. The Victoria Junior School - 8 inspection found nothing to substantiate their concerns. Pupils spoken to were very positive about behaviour and responses to their own questionnaire showed a much more positive

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Commentary

picture than that presented by their parents.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census Number of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permane nt exclusion s White – British 171 3 0 White – any other white background 1 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 3 0 0 Black or Black British – any other black background 3 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

9. Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good and promotes very good relationships within the school community. Provision for spiritual development is good. There are good opportunities provided for pupils to reflect upon their achievements and their place in the community and some occasions when they experience a sense of awe in lessons. For example, in a RACA lesson when individual pupils enacted their own improvisations to a very high standard. Success in and out of school is celebrated publicly and helps pupils grow very well in confidence and self- esteem. The school has the development of confidence and self- esteem as a high priority and works very effectively in promoting this, through a range of activities. For example, classes take it in turn to lead a weekly assembly without any help from their teachers and perform in front of their fellow pupils and parents. Parents value this aspect

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

10. Provision for social and moral development is very good. Pupils understand their rights and responsibilities in the school and wider community, School and class councils provide a positive forum for them to accept their responsibilities for themselves and others and have been effective in improving aspects of school life, such as the new playground facilities. Pupils share in identifying school and class rules so that they understand them very well and know what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. The many opportunities for enrichment of the curriculum, through a programme of clubs, events, trips and residential visits enhance their social skills very well.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

11. Cultural development has improved greatly since the previous inspection. There are now many exciting opportunities for pupils to learn about their own culture and that of others. For example, pupils learn French and Spanish and about the way of life in those countries. Also, the provision for art and design and music has been improved as the school has focused upon enriching the curriculum. Pupils have wide experiences of the work of different artists and musicians from many cultures, through class studies and visits, such as to a sculpture park; their work in art and design has earned the school a national Artsmark. In focus weeks, such as “Life in the Caribbean” and “International Week”, pupils study different ways of life and how this affects our society. Lunchtimes regularly feature foods from various countries. An outstanding contribution to cultural development is made by RACA, when pupils focus on

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Victoria Junior School - 9 drama, art and music. Pupils learn about other faiths in religious education and make visits to places of worship, such as the local Church and a Mosque.

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Attendance

12. A very good range of initiatives is used to identify and target pupils whose attendance is causing concern. As a result, attendance has risen slightly since the previous inspection, although it is still below the national average. Unauthorised absence remains about average. Registers are marked properly and monitored thoroughly and swift action is taken to contact parents if their child is absent without good cause. However, the measures currently employed are not having a full impact on figures because a minority of parents do not respond supportively. For example, some remove their children from school for term-time holidays. Punctuality is good; almost all pupils arrive on time and lessons start promptly.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.2 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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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

13. The quality of education is good. Teaching, learning and the curriculum are good and promote pupils’ academic and personal development well. Assessment is satisfactory overall. The school cares for its pupils’ safety and welfare very well and provides good support and guidance. The school has good links with parents, the community and other schools.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good . Assessment is satisfactory overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching for the youngest pupils is variable from very good to not good enough. • Teaching in Year 6 is particularly good and promotes good achievement for pupils. • Teachers have very good relationships with their classes and manage them very well. • Verbal feedback in lessons is good but marking does not sufficiently inform pupils how to improve their work. • There are good assessment procedures in English and mathematics but those in other subjects, most notably science, are not sufficiently well developed.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 25 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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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. Victoria Junior School - 10 14. During the inspection, almost three-quarters of the teaching seen was good; it was sometimes very good and in one lesson it was excellent. Examples of good teaching are found throughout the school and are a major factor in pupils’ good achievement, particularly in Year 6, where it accelerates pupils’ progress. However, teaching was sometimes unsatisfactory for the youngest pupils, when time was not used well. In these sessions pupils sat for too long on the carpet or at their table, resulting in growing restlessness and inattention. Instructions were not always clear enough to enable them to get on with their work and pupils did not learn enough.

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Commentary

15. The teaching of English and mathematics is good and promotes good progress. Whilst no overall judgements can be made on the teaching of art and design and modern foreign languages, the good standard of work seen and pupils’ good achievement indicate that teaching is most likely to be at least good. The school makes good use of specialist teaching in Year 6, in modern foreign languages and the creative arts. That for the creative arts is exceptionally good and promotes high achievement.

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Commentary

16. Relationships are very good and teachers manage their classes in a very calm and positive manner. In the best lessons, teachers have very high expectations of their pupils. Teachers plan interesting lessons that engage pupils’ attention. They know their pupils well and in most lessons, particularly in English and mathematics, they use their information well to match work to the needs of pupils. Time and resources, such as interactive whiteboards, are used well to engage interest. Teachers share with pupils what it is that they are going to do and to learn so that pupils understand what is expected and can settle quickly to work. In most lessons, teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills, learn for themselves and record work in their own words. Sometimes, particularly in mathematics for the youngest pupils and in science, written tasks rely too much on

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Commentary

commercial worksheets or workbooks. This limits pupils’ opportunities to think things through for themselves to consolidate their understanding, and also reduces opportunities to develop their literacy skills.

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Commentary

17. Teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good and assistants and volunteer parents work very closely with teachers to ensure that these pupils receive full benefit from the planned activities. Other pupils, including higher attaining pupils receive some additional support in small literacy and numeracy groups to enable them to achieve well.

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Commentary

18. Assessment is satisfactory overall. It is good in English and mathematics, and information is used well to check that pupils make progress, to identify groups and individuals for support and to highlight areas of the curriculum for improvement. Targets are set and reviewed; this is particularly well established and effective in English and is now beginning to be effective in mathematics. There are satisfactory assessments made in science at the end of each unit of study but these are not used sufficiently to check pupils’ progress and provide a clear overview of standards. In other subjects, there is no system of assessing what pupils know or can do and this hinders teachers in planning work to meet the needs of all pupils. Teachers give good verbal feedback in lessons to help pupils improve their work and develop their ideas but marking of books often does not give sufficient guidance on improvement.

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The curriculum

The quality of the curriculum is good and there is a very good range of opportunities to enrich it. The accommodation is good and a satisfactory range of resources support pupils’ learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is planned well to ensure adequate breadth and balance of subject coverage in all year groups. • Good planning and strong teamwork ensure that all pupils are fully included in lessons and other activities. Victoria Junior School - 11 • The school provides very good opportunities for the personal development of its pupils through an interesting range of clubs, visits and visitors and a good personal, social and health education and citizenship programme (PSHCE). • The curriculum is enriched very well through links with other schools. • Staffing and accommodation provide well for the needs of the curriculum.

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Commentary

19. The school has improved the breadth and range of curricular opportunities since the time of the last inspection. All requirements for the National Curriculum, religious education and collective worship are met and modern foreign languages are now taught in Year 6. Information and communication technology is now an integral part of the curriculum, with opportunities well planned in English, mathematics, science and history. This is being extended to other subjects soon. The school has good systems in place for ensuring that medium and long-term plans are regularly reviewed. Year group teaching teams work effectively to ensure that pupils’ curricular experiences build logically on past work and that pupils in parallel classes experience similar activities. Teachers use imaginative ways to create links between subjects, and this aspect has been further strengthened by the use of termly ‘focus’ weeks which have developed cross-curricular links through themes such as

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Commentary

20. The strong teamwork between teachers, support staff and special needs co-ordinator ensures that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, have full access to the full range of lessons and enrichment activities. Although there is little separate additional provision for those who are academically gifted, there are some opportunities for small group work in literacy and numeracy and teachers plan well for their needs, particularly in literacy and numeracy lessons. The quality of provision for the creative arts offers very good opportunities for talented pupils in drama, art and design and music.

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Commentary

21. Weekly PHSCE lessons provide good opportunities for personal development. In these lessons pupils discuss important issues, such as the effects on individuals of puberty and drugs and alcohol abuse. Many visitors provide notable occasions, through drama, music and discussion to develop their ideas about what it is to be a responsible member of a multicultural society. A yearly residential week for Year 6 pupils contributes greatly to their personal development and underlines the school’s commitment to a full and rounded education for all its pupils.

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Commentary

22. Educational visits, visitors and a good range of well-supported clubs widen and enrich the curriculum very well. The very strong links with two local secondary schools are also enriching learning for pupils very well through a range of curriculum initiatives. Year 6 pupils are taught French and Spanish by a teacher from a specialist languages college and, as part of the government’s ‘Aim Higher’ project, are taught creative arts by an arts worker from a specialist performing arts college. The school has recently become involved in the planning a further curriculum initiative on improving sports in schools, linked to a local school, and a full programme of activities is set to begin in the next school year.

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Commentary

23. Accommodation is good overall. Although available accommodation for parents and staff is somewhat restricted, governors are improving this situation significantly within the current financial year. Interior accommodation is spacious and enhanced by attractive displays, which are both celebratory and informative. Since the last inspection, the provision of a very well equipped computer suite and the provision of two interactive whiteboards has done much to raise the profile of ICT in the curriculum. The use of specialist teachers enhances the levels of teaching staff and the provision of teaching assistants and other support staff is well matched to the needs of the curriculum and the pupils. Victoria Junior School - 12

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Example of outstanding practice

The school’s involvement in an Aim Higher “Raising Achievement in Creative Arts” project, with Rodillian High School, is providing exciting opportunities to enrich learning and enhance pupils’ personal development. Year 6 have weekly lessons where they take part in drama, linked to studies in art and music, building towards a performance of their own play scripts.

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Example of outstanding practice

In an excellent session observed, led by an arts worker from the high school, pupils’ confidence and dramatic skills soared as they eagerly took part in group mimes and individual mask-work and improvisation. Pupils of all capabilities were keen to take part and those volunteering entered into their roles with deep concentration, producing group and individual performances of very good quality. The audience was totally engaged and such was their enjoyment and involvement, that it would have been possible to hear a pin drop during the performances. Audience evaluations of each performance were focused yet sensitive and led to improvements. Work is extended into other subjects, such as literacy and art and design, when pupils write their own play scripts, illustrate their characters and make their own masks.

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Example of outstanding practice

The school is the only primary school in Leeds to benefit from this partnership and is to be commended for seizing the opportunity to take part.

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Care, guidance and support

Provision for ensuring pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety is very good . The school has very good arrangements for involving pupils in the work of the school . Personal advice, monitoring, and attention to pupils’ specific needs are good , overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Welfare arrangements are a strong feature of school life. • Pupils’ personal development is very well monitored and supported. • The school and class councils are very effective in involving pupils in school improvement.

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Commentary

24. The school takes very good care of its pupils and continues to enhance its welfare provision for them. For example, it now runs a breakfast club and is currently seeking accreditation under a national Healthy Schools programme. Child protection arrangements remain secure. The headteacher has the designated responsibility for liaison with outside agencies and is properly trained to carry out the duties associated with this role. Good health and safety procedures are in place and followed closely. Internet security, preventing pupils from accessing unsuitable websites, is also properly in place.

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Commentary

25. Teachers know their pupils well and have very good relationships with them. As a result, pupils find it easy to approach staff and are confident in discussing any problems or concerns with them. Arrangements for the induction of new pupils are good. Systems for checking pupils’ academic progress and achievements are satisfactory. Praise and rewards are used very well to encourage effort and achievements are recognised and celebrated in various ways.

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Commentary

26. Pupils’ views about the school are valued and sought through its school and class councils. School council members are both active and enthusiastic. The council has a clear vision of its role and works effectively to achieve its goals. In particular, it is very successful in raising funds to purchase new equipment and improve facilities, making a valuable contribution to enhancing life in school. Victoria Junior School - 13

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with parents are good overall and support pupils’ learning and development well. Links with the community are good and those with other schools are very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Opportunities for parental involvement are good. • Information to parents is good but there are a few omissions from the prospectus and governors’ report. • Links with the local community are used well to promote learning. • Links with other schools are very successful in enriching learning experiences.

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Commentary

27. As at the previous inspection, the school successfully involves parents in their children’s education and has maintained the close partnership with them through a range of initiatives. Every Friday morning, for example, a significant number of parents come into school to work alongside their children. Parents’ views are valued and sought on various issues, such as the recent behaviour audit and the current application for the Healthy School award. Parents give good support to activities such as outings, concerts and events organised by the Helping Hands Association.

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Commentary

28. Home-school communication is good, overall, but some of it could be better. Parents receive good information about school life and their children’s progress; annual reports are particularly informative and parents are happy with them. The prospectus and governors’ report, however, have a few omissions. For example, the prospectus does not inform parents about their right to withdraw their children from collective worship as well as religious education.

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Commentary

29. The school capitalises on its good community links to help it provide suitable opportunities for enrichment and for learning outside the school day. Recent visitors to the school have included Jamaican actors and musicians, recycling officers, members of the Fire Service, the school nurse and many others. In addition, the school’s involvement in the Healthy School award has involved inputs from such people as the ‘Sort It’ re-cycling officers, physical education workshop staff and school nurse. There are sound links with local businesses and close links with a local church. Pupils also give generously to charity, which helps to raise their awareness of the needs of those less fortunate than themselves.

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Commentary

30. There are very good links with other primary schools in the area, particularly through sport, and well established links with two local high schools are used very effectively to enhance pupils’ achievements. Transfer arrangements also operate well and ensure the smooth passage of Year 6 pupils to secondary school.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The quality of leadership and management is good overall. Leadership by the headteacher and senior staff is good and management is satisfactory . The governance of the school is good and most statutory requirements are met.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Victoria Junior School - 14 • The headteacher and key staff provide good leadership and give a clear educational direction for the school, creating a very good learning environment. • Teamwork, leadership and management are good in English, mathematics, ICT and special educational needs. • The governors know the school well and offer good challenge and assistance to the headteacher and senior managers. • The school is becoming more adept at evaluating its own performance but procedures to check and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning lack enough rigour. • Financial management is good.

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Commentary

31. The leadership and management of the school are good overall. The headteacher provides good leadership and effective management. He has a clear vision of how he wants the school to develop and is supported well by the staff team in his efforts to achieve this. Other key staff make a valuable contribution in supporting the success of the school. All are committed to promotion of equality and concern for the needs of the individual.

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Commentary

32. The headteacher, key staff and governors work closely together and lead the school well. The vision of the school is expressed in the keen sense of teamwork that has become integral to school life. The school mission statement is a good indicator of what the school values most and it is reflected in the aims and rules that govern its life. There is a strong and very successful focus on the personal development of the pupils and the school places their needs at the heart of its activities. This is clearly recognised and helps produce a harmonious learning environment, founded on very good working relationships and good educational principles. It is appreciated by the great majority of parents and pupils.

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Commentary

33. Good teamwork by the English, mathematics, ICT and special educational needs co- ordinators fosters a positive ethos where all pupils are valued and their efforts well supported. They have a good understanding of their areas of responsibility and the standards achieved and work effectively to support other teachers in raising achievement further. This has been particularly effective in ICT and has promoted very good improvement since the previous inspection. However, the role of the subject manager is not sufficiently well developed in science; it is not promoting improvements in provision or ensuring a consistent rate of progress for pupils. The headteacher and subject co-ordinators observe lessons in English and mathematics and give feedback to teachers but there is some lack of rigour in this process, which results in an uneven pattern of teaching. Other co-ordinators have little opportunity to observe teaching and learning in lessons and there is no systematic procedure

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Commentary

for them to check its quality in other ways, such as by examining pupils’ books on a regular basis or talking to pupils about their work. They do not, therefore, get an overview of the success of their subjects and some weaknesses, such as the varying quality of marking, are missed.

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Commentary

34. Governors know the school well and are very committed to the school and its pupils. The expertise of individual governors is used successfully to help the school in challenges it faces, such as the recent budgetary difficulties. Governors visit the school and classrooms and co- ordinators present regular updates at the governing body meetings, thereby helping them to gain a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development. The governing body supports the school well and ensures that almost all statutory requirements are met, although there are a few omissions in the information to parents. The school has a good policy to ensure racial equality, which is monitored appropriately.

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Commentary

35. The school has become more successful in its self-evaluation process over the past two years, and has developed a good understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. The school improvement plan has been reviewed and a new, more practical format has been introduced. It is a useful tool for promoting the continued development of the school. Good financial management ensures a clear view of how money is spent and the school makes good use of funding for specific purposes. The budget is well planned and balanced, which is vital as the Victoria Junior School - 15 school’s funding per pupil is below average for junior schools and considerably below average for primary schools. Governors evaluate the success of their planning and spending decisions by comparing the school’s success with that of other schools and by observing the impact for themselves, such as by visiting classes to assess the value of interactive whiteboards before

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Commentary

allocating money to buy more and by observing numeracy lessons.

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Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 439,070 Balance from previous year 38,05

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Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

Total expenditure 457,079 Balance carried forward to the next year 20,04

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Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

Expenditure per pupil 2,511 Victoria Junior School - 16

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ENGLISH AND MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

It was only possible to sample written work in French and Spanish during the inspection and no overall judgements on provision could be made. However, written work is of a higher standard than in most primary schools and pupils achieve well. They learn a good range of basic vocabulary and greetings and are confident in responding to simple questions. The link with a local high school, which is a language college, provides for a specialist teacher and this enhances learning well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well because teaching is good. • By the end of Year 6, most pupils are very attentive listeners and articulate speakers. • Handwriting skills are below average. • Assessment is used well to check that all pupils are making sufficient progress, to highlight groups of pupils for additional support and to set personal targets. • The subject is led and managed well.

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Commentary

36. Pupils achieve well by the end of Year 6 and are attaining standards that are higher than those found in most schools, particularly in speaking and listening, because they are taught consistently well. This is reflected in the results of national tests, which are above the national average.

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Commentary

37. Speaking and listening skills are well above average by the end of Year 6. Pupils make good progress because teachers plan many opportunities to discuss ideas in whole class sessions in all subjects, and to take part in public performance on a regular basis, such as class assemblies. The emphasis on using specific vocabulary in different subjects helps pupils to explain themselves clearly. Pupils use a wide range of descriptive vocabulary. For example, pupils studying imagery in a poem on owls reflected on photographs on the interactive whiteboard and suggested descriptive phrases, such as:

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Commentary

“Eyes like eagles locked on target”; Victoria Junior School - 17 “Eyes wide as labyrinths”; “Eyes like glittering suns”.

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Commentary

38. This helps them in understanding their texts and in expressing themselves in their writing. The creative arts initiative in Year 6 plays a very important part in the development of these skills and raises pupils’ confidence to a high level. Pupils who have special educational needs are included fully in lessons, with discreet guidance from their support assistants; they gain confidence and make good progress.

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Commentary

39. Reading skills are above average by the end of Year 6. Pupils make good progress throughout the school and apply their skills appropriately, for example in using their alphabetical knowledge well when looking up words in an index or dictionary. Year 6 pupils are avid readers and tackle a wide range of texts, with enjoyment, confidence and understanding. They express their preferences confidently and discuss the merits of various authors and types of texts.

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Commentary

40. Standards in writing are in line with those expected by the end of Year 6, where pupils write at length, not only in literacy lessons but also in most other subjects. This is particularly good in history, where they develop different styles of writing in different topics. The content of pupils’ work engages and holds the reader’s interest well. Basic skills of spelling are satisfactory but handwriting is below average, although mainly neat and well presented. Too many pupils in all year groups still chose to print, rather than develop their own style of joined script.

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Commentary

41. Teaching is good, overall, because teachers’ knowledge and understanding is good and they plan well-structured lessons that mostly match work well to individual needs. A great strength of the teaching is the quality of relationships that teachers form with their pupils. These give pupils confidence and a desire to please through working hard. Lessons are mostly interesting and engage pupils’ attention well, making good use of resources and time. Teachers make plain what it is that pupils are to learn and check that they understand what is expected of them to do so. In lessons which were satisfactory rather than good, time was not used well and instructions were not always clear enough; too long was spent in the introductory session and pupils did not always know what they were to do or achieve. Teachers provide good verbal feedback to pupils in lessons and constructive comments are added to the termly

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Commentary

writing assessments. However, in many other books there are too few written comments that help pupils understand how well they have progressed towards their personal targets and how they might improve their work.

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Commentary

42. Leadership and management of the subject are good and this has led to good improvement since the previous inspection. There is a clear view of where strengths and weaknesses lie and a clear commitment to continued improvement.

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Language and literacy across the curriculum

43. Pupils have good opportunities to apply their skills across the curriculum and they display good levels of competence in doing so. Pupils’ good speaking skills enable them to explain and discuss their work clearly. They apply reading skills well in independent research in books and on computers, accessing the knowledge they need quickly and efficiently. Pupils have good opportunities to write in various styles, such as reports and letters, in lessons in other subjects, particularly history where there are opportunities included in the medium term plans. For example, pupils in Year 3 write letters and newspaper reports in their studies of the Victorians.

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MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Victoria Junior School - 18 • Pupils’ mental calculation strategies and skills are below average. • Pupils have very good attitudes to learning and behave very well in lessons. • Whilst teaching is good overall, there is some unsatisfactory teaching for the youngest pupils, with an overuse of worksheets and workbooks. • The co-ordinator leads the subject well and there is a good range of initiatives to improve standards.

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Commentary

44. At the time of the previous inspection, the results of national tests were above average and pupils achieved well but standards have remained static since then, whilst results nationally have improved. The school identified this and put effective measures into place that are now promoting rising standards. A local authority numeracy consultant has provided training on all aspects of the subject, including assessment and planning, setting of curricular targets, creating an environment where numeracy is at the forefront of learning and developing speaking and listening skills in lessons, using specific mathematical vocabulary. Teachers have had opportunities to learn from leading mathematics teachers, some of whom also had expertise in using interactive whiteboards in numeracy lessons.

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Commentary

45. Standards in mathematics are below average by the end of Year 6, despite recent improvements that are now promoting satisfactory achievement. Pupils have a sound understanding of mathematical rules and methods but their mental recall of number facts, such as tables, is below average and slows the pace of calculations. The school is aware of this and has put measures in place to ensure better progress. For example, Year 6 pupils now have an extra session dedicated to the acquisition of mental maths strategies.

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Commentary

46. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and make satisfactory progress. When they are taught in small groups the teaching is effective and they benefit from the close attention they receive. For example, a group of four pupils worked on a computer program, closely supported by a classroom assistant. This made a significant contribution to their good learning and they gained a secure understanding of fractions by the end of the lesson.

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Commentary

47. The quality of teaching is good, overall. In lessons seen during the inspection, teaching and learning ranged from unsatisfactory to very good. Teaching in a Year 6 lesson was very good and a strong feature was its vibrancy and liveliness. In this lesson pupils enjoyed the mental maths session and were very motivated to learn. The teacher set a good pace and appropriately challenged pupils at all levels. However, in the one unsatisfactory lesson, in Year 3, the pace of learning was too slow and did not engage pupils’ interest; instructions were not clear and the tasks given were not sufficient to challenge the high achieving pupils. Written work in this year group is often over-reliant on commercial worksheets and workbooks.

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Commentary

48. Leadership is now good and is providing for good improvements in the quality of teaching. The school has developed a system, linked to the levels of the National Curriculum, to check pupils’ progress and give an overview of standards and achievement through the school. Good use has been made of tests results to identify areas for improvement. Whilst there are procedures to check the quality of teaching and learning in lessons, they have not been used sufficiently well to identify weaknesses in teaching and learning, such as the overuse of worksheets and workbooks for the younger pupils.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

49. There are good opportunities for mathematical development across the curriculum, especially in science and ICT. For example, ICT programs were used very well in the Year 6 science lessons observed and there is a range of data collection and charts linked to scientific experiments. Pupils are competent in working out their measurements and recording information but their rate of numerical calculation is slower than that usually found. Victoria Junior School - 19

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good in Year 6. • In the best lessons, the very good attitudes and behaviour of pupils contribute to good learning. • Pupils’ achievement is good overall, but pupils in Year 3 do not achieve enough. • Since the last inspection, the use of ICT in lessons has greatly improved, particularly in Year 6. • Leadership and management are unsatisfactory because of inadequate monitoring and evaluation of standards and insufficient guidance on how to improve provision.

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Commentary

50. Analysis of pupils’ work and lesson observations indicate that current Year 6 pupils achieve well, overall, to attain the standards expected. There is little difference between the performance of boys and girls. The achievement of Year 6 pupils is better than that indicated in the comparison of the results of national tests in 2004, which were not as good as those of similar schools. However, the achievement of pupils is uneven throughout the school. In Year 3 pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory because of insufficient challenge, particularly in investigation work and the use of a range of measurements. By Year 6, pupils have a sound grasp of fair testing and understand well the parts and functions of the human body. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well, overall, because of effective support by teachers and teaching assistants. During the past four years test results have improved faster than the

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Commentary

51. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, overall, and sometimes good; in Year 6 it is consistently good. In Year 6, the pace of lessons is brisk and pupils are challenged well with interesting tasks. The good level of expectation leads to very good attitudes and concentration by pupils, such as when they investigate the way different coloured cards reflect light. In the best lessons, teachers have good subject knowledge, which they use to plan interesting lessons, and they test pupils’ understanding with lively questioning and demonstration. In these lessons, teachers make particularly good use of interactive whiteboards and such devices as data-loggers to motivate pupils. The use of computers has improved greatly since the last inspection, particularly in Year 6, and this contributes to good learning. Although no lessons were seen in Year 3, analysis of pupils’ work indicates insufficient challenge, particularly in the

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Commentary

opportunities for pupils to investigate, measure and record in a variety of ways. The opportunities for pupils to use a range of methods of recording is often limited by the over-use of worksheets, which restrict how and what pupils write. Year 6 pupils are given good opportunities to record for themselves. For example, they used persuasive writing effectively when considering the arguments for and against healthy eating.

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Commentary

52. Leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory. Insufficient guidance is given on assessing pupils’ skills of investigation and too little attention is given to the monitoring of standards and achievement. Although there is a procedure for assessing pupils’ work through end of topic tests, data is not used effectively to help individual pupils to improve and thereby raise standards. Improvement in provision since the last inspection has been satisfactory overall with the rise in standards achieved through consistently good teaching in Year 6.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

Victoria Junior School - 20 • Pupils achieve well by the end of Year 6 and standards have improved significantly since the time of the last inspection. • Teaching and learning are good and teachers make good use of the interactive whiteboards. • In some lessons, pupils’ excellent attitudes and behaviour contribute to very good learning. • The very good quality of accommodation and resources have helped to raise standards. • Very good leadership and good management have contributed to significant improvements in provision since the last inspection.

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Commentary

53. By the end of Year 6 pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well to attain standards commensurate with the national expectation. Pupils show increasing confidence in using computers for different purposes as they move through the school. In Year 3, pupils combine picture and text and by Year 4 they show confidence using ‘Logo’ languages to control a floor robot (‘turtle’) and a screen cursor when ‘drawing’ geometric shapes and letters. By Year 6, pupils are competent in handling data in many graphical forms and transpose data into ‘spreadsheet’ form for ease of analysis. They make good use of CD ROMs in science, history and geography and alter the design and function of various control devices in the design of a ‘dream bedroom’. Pupils are well aware of the potential of the Internet and have used it to research the location of a residential hostel.

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Commentary

54. The quality of teaching and learning are good. In the best lessons, in Year 6, they are very good. Teachers have good subject knowledge and use it very well to explain procedures and skills, making good use of time and resources. As a result, most pupils are confident users of computers and work independently with a minimum of supervision. Behaviour and attitudes are invariably very good and in one Year 6 lesson, using and adapting control devices to design a modern bedroom, excellent attitudes contributed to pupils’ very good achievement. Although teachers assess pupils’ understanding well in lessons, no formal procedure for assessing the development and attainment of key skills and understanding is yet in place. However, a draft procedure has been drawn up by the co-ordinator for implementation in the very near future.

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Commentary

55. Leadership is very good and has provided for significant progress in improving the quality of resources and accommodation since the last inspection. The computer suite is very well equipped and used well by all pupils and staff. The use of ICT is developing well in English, mathematics and science, and the subject development plan has carefully identified subjects for further development. Very good use is being made of the school’s interactive whiteboards for a range of subjects. The enthusiastic and knowledgeable leadership has resulted in valued guidance for staff and very manageable plans for further development. The subject is well managed and the resources are matched well to the needs of pupils. Improvement since the last inspection has been very good.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

56. Pupils are competent in using computers to enhance learning in other subjects and there are good links with other subjects. There are good opportunities for the use of ICT to reinforce learning in English, science and mathematics. Some good use of the Internet using the interactive whiteboard supports work in other subjects, such as history and geography and plans are in place to consolidate this fully during the coming year.

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HUMANITIES

It was not possible to observe lessons in geography and history to make overall judgements on provision.

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HUMANITIES

57. It was only possible to observe one lesson in geography and teaching in that lesson was good. Evidence from pupils’ work and discussion with Year 6 pupils shows that standards are in line with what is expected by the end of Year 6 and that achievement is at least satisfactory. Victoria Junior School - 21 A good curriculum is enriched very well by visits into the local community and further afield. For example, an annual residential week near Whitby enables pupils to carry out a good study of coastal features and compare these with their local area. These visits also make a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development.

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HUMANITIES

58. It was only possible to observe one lesson in history . However, evidence from pupils’ work in Years 3 to 5, and from talking to Year 6 pupils enables a secure judgement to be made about the good quality of the curriculum. Work seen in Years 3 to 5 demonstrated good achievement for those pupils but no work was available for Year 6 pupils, as they are just commencing their history topic. Pupils are enthused when talking about historical periods and are clearly interested in the subject. This was seen in a very good lesson in Year 3, when pupils were investigating a superb range of artefacts brought in by the class teacher. The teacher’s great enthusiasm was transmitted to the pupils and the lesson contributed well to the development of pupils’ speaking and listening skills. Pupils are provided with good planned opportunities to use their literacy skills in this subject. For example, Year 3 class pupils look at different styles

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HUMANITIES

of writing such as newspaper reports, descriptive writing and letter writing when studying the Victorians.

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Religious education

It was not possible to make an overall judgment on provision in religious education because only two lessons could be observed, both in Year 3.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good links are made with PHSCE to help pupils’ understanding of how faith studies relate to life. • Good opportunities are provided to develop writing skills. • Procedures to check the quality of teaching and learning in the subject are not rigorous enough.

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Commentary

59. Evidence from lessons, analysis of pupils’ work and displays and discussions with pupils provide sound evidence that standards are in line with what is expected by the end of Year 6. Pupils learn a sound knowledge of Christianity and other world faiths and begin to develop an understanding of their importance to people in everyday life.

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Commentary

60. Pupils learn to respect holy books and artefacts from Christianity and other faiths, recognising their significance to people of these faiths. They understand the different types of places of worship and visit local places, such as the parish church, and listen to visitors from other faiths. Pupils also consider the impact of faith and personal values, such as friendship, respect and responsibility, on everyday life, through their linked PHSCE studies. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Commentary

61. It was not possible to make an overall judgement on the quality of teaching and learning because only two lessons were observed. The quality of these lessons, which began with a shared session, varied. In one, where teaching was satisfactory with some good features, there were high expectations of how pupils would behave and work, and time was used well to provide for variety in activities. There were good opportunities for pupils to listen and discuss what they had learned and a sound opportunity for pupils to record their own work. In the other, teaching was unsatisfactory because not enough was expected of pupils and they were contained sitting at tables listening for too long. Time was not used effectively and they accomplished little in their tasks, with few recording much work of their own. Evidence from examining pupils’ books and talking to pupils indicates that teaching throughout the school is

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Commentary

most often at least satisfactory in developing pupils’ knowledge, and understanding, with a good focus on developing literacy skills. Victoria Junior School - 22 62. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall and have provided for satisfactory improvement in provision. However, the procedures for checking the quality of teaching and learning are not sufficiently rigorous, so that differences in the quantity and quality of pupils’ work are not identified. There is a sound curriculum based on the requirements of the Locally Agreed Syllabus, which provides pupils with a range of activities based on Christianity and other major world faiths. This is now supported by adequate resources, which is a satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection. Good links are made with the provision for pupils’ PHSCE to aid pupils’ understanding of how faith relates to their own lives.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education could only be sampled and therefore no overall judgements made about the quality of provision.

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Art and design

63. No lessons were observed in art and design but the quality of work seen is above average by the end of Year 6 and some individual pieces of work are of a high standard. This has contributed to the school’s award of the silver Artsmark. Pupils develop a good eye for detail in their observational drawings and apply a good range of media to express their ideas in both two and three dimensions. They study a wide range of artists, such as Hockney and Miro and produce their own pictures in similar style, sometimes using computers. There are opportunities to produce some joint pieces of work, such as a collage in the style of the Bayeaux Tapestry, linked to Year 5’s study of Beowulf in literacy. There are close links with many other subjects and with PHSCE, such as the observational drawings of flowers in Year 3 science and fruit in the healthy eating study. The RACA project also makes a good contribution to the subject, such as when pupils illustrate their characters and make masks for

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Art and design

their drama sessions. There is much good quality work displayed attractively around the school to celebrate pupils’ achievements. This adds to their self-esteem and enhances the accommodation.

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Design and technology

64. It was not possible to observe any lessons in design and technology and insufficient samples of pupils’ work were available to make judgements on standards or achievement by the end of Year 6. Discussions with pupils and scrutiny of some of the work produced during the last year indicate that the subject is being taught in line with the school’s medium and long-term plans in all year groups. The subject is enriched by visits, such as when Year 6 pupils visited a local pizza restaurant when designing and making the toppings for pizzas, whilst studying healthy living. They also learned about health and safety in the commercial setting.

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Music

65. Only one lesson was observed in music and teaching was good. It included the opportunity to rehearse, refine, improvise and perform dance movements and pupils were allowed choice and room to make good progress in their creative work. They worked together and shared ideas, developing both personal and musical skills well. Personal skills are used and developed further in the major Christmas and summer performances. All pupils, including those with special needs, are encouraged to take up musical opportunities. The range of music from visiting musicians as part of projects, such as that on the Caribbean, gives pupils a good understanding of the variety of music of many cultural backgrounds. The RACA project also contributes well to learning. Singing skills are developed well and pupils were recently chosen to take part in ‘Focus on Singing’ at the Victorian Theatre in Halifax.

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Physical education

Victoria Junior School - 23 66. Only one lesson was observed in physical education and in that lesson, teaching was good and pupils achieved at the level expected for their age. There was an effective warm-up and good explanations about the effects of exercise. Pupils followed instructions, selected dance movements with control, and observed each other sensibly, showing good levels of co- operation. There is a good range of equipment for both outdoors and indoors and gymnastic equipment is appropriate and well kept. Discussions with pupils indicate that all strands of the curriculum, including swimming, are covered and provision for adventurous activities is good. Pupils benefit from attending residential trips, where they experience various outdoor activities, and there is a good range of sporting clubs and activities, including football, netball and athletics. These make a positive contribution to pupils' personal and social development.

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Physical education

The school is now planning to develop the subject further through links with a local high school.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision was only sampled and therefore no overall judgements can be made on its quality.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

67. The school provides a good curriculum to support the progressive development of pupils’ skills and knowledge, in specific lessons and as part of other subjects. For example, pupils learn about the impact of a healthy lifestyle on their bodies in science. In lessons such as personal, social, health and citizenship education lessons and class discussions, called ‘circle time’, pupils have good chances to share ideas and talk about their experiences and feelings in a supportive and secure environment. Class councils provide a forum for pupils to learn about the rights and responsibilities of living in a community. These feed suggestions into the school council, which is effective in demonstrating a model of how the action of individuals and groups can affect the quality of life for society. Victoria Junior School - 24

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The overall effectiveness of the school 3

How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 3

p.26

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2

Attendance 4 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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The quality of education provided by the school 3

The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 4 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 Victoria Junior School - 25 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 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 2

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The leadership and management of the school 3

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