Campsbourne Junior School

Inspection Report Campsbourne Junior School

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102084 Unique Reference Number Haringey LEA LEA 276650 Inspection number 10 November 2005 to 11 November 2005 Inspection dates Mike Thompson AI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Nightingale Lane School address Junior Type of school Hornsey Community School category London N8 7AF 7 to 11 Age range of pupils 02083402064 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 00 Fax number 216 Number on roll Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr John Hill Headteacher 24 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276650 10 November 2005 - 7 to 11 11 November 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors

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Description of the school

Campsbourne Junior School is located on the edge of a fairly affluent area, but most of its pupils are from disadvantaged home backgrounds. A large number of pupils speak English as an additional language, and the proportion with learning difficulties is about twice the national average. The school has experienced an extended period of considerable upheaval, including three changes of headteacher. Over the past few years most pupils have been taught by a succession of temporary teachers. The number on roll has declined significantly since the school's previous inspection.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Campsbourne Junior School, 10 November 2005 to 11 November 2005

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Grade: 4

This is an improving school, which is making good progress towards its goal of providing high quality education for its pupils. However, in the very short period of stability achieved since the appointment of a dynamic interim headteacher, it has been unable to make significant inroads into a considerable backlog of underachievement. The new senior management team has accurately assessed the school's strengths and weaknesses. It recognises that standards are unacceptably low and has put in place a raft of initiatives to bring about the improvements needed. A new team of permanent teaching staff has been appointed, and pupils are benefiting from, and enjoying, the more challenging work provided for them. Teachers understand that the levels of challenge are not yet high enough, and because of this the quality of teaching is unsatisfactory. However, teachers' efforts in pitching work at the right level for pupils

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Grade: 4

have been frustrated by a lack of detailed and reliable information about precisely what pupils know and can do. New systems have been put into place to remedy this and ensure that pupils' progress is carefully checked and monitored, but these are in the early stages of development and have yet to have an impact on learning. Parents appreciate the changes which are being made, and the dramatic decline in the number on roll appears to have been halted. Rates of punctuality and attendance have improved, and pupils now enjoy coming to school. The most significant achievement of the staff team has been the creation of a good climate for learning, based on stable relationships between adults and pupils. This provides a secure platform for future improvement. Given the current levels of underachievement and poor performance, the school does not yet give satisfactory value for money. However, it has a good

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Grade: 4

capacity for improvement in the future. In accordance with section 13(3) of the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could reasonably be expected to perform. The school is therefore given a Notice to Improve. Significant improvement is required in relation to the quality of teaching, and the rates of progress made by pupils.

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What the school should do to improve further

Raise standards and ensure that pupils reach their potential by improving the quality of teaching and using the new systems for checking pupils' progress to set clear targets for pupils to meet.

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Grade: 4

Most pupils are underachieving and have not made enough progress in many aspects of their work for a number of years. This is the consequence of low expectations and inadequate checks on their development. The results of the national tests at the end of Year 6 show that standards have been significantly below the national average in English and mathematics for a number of years. In all year groups, too many pupils 2 Inspection Report: Campsbourne Junior School, 10 November 2005 to 11 November 2005 are unable to read with any degree of fluency because they have never learned basic strategies for tackling unfamiliar words. A large majority of pupils have very limited skills in performing basic mental calculations in mathematics because they have not been taught the methods required. The new staff team has now identified these key weaknesses and is taking action to remedy the situation.Pupils with learning difficulties

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Grade: 4

make satisfactory progress. This is because their needs are identified at an early stage and they are given the help that they need. The new team of teachers is taking action to challenge pupils at all levels, but its work is not yet clearly informed by detailed information about precisely what individual pupils know and can do. Given the present situation, the targets set for pupils to achieve by the end of Year 6 are unrealistically high.There is no significant difference between the achievements of pupils from different cultural backgrounds.

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Grade: 2

Pupils say that they enjoy coming to school. They are generally attentive and work well together, for example as 'talking partners' during discussions in lessons. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and they behave well. A system of playground 'buddies' is becoming established, and these pupils help others, for example, to make new friends or resolve disagreements. School Council members take their responsibilities seriously when representing the views of their classmates and have a say in developments which affect their day-to-day life in school. Pupils are developing good skills in learning to appreciate the views of others and show a good understanding of one another's different cultural traditions. Pupils know the sorts of things that they need to do to keep safe and lead healthy lifestyles. Levels of attendance and punctuality are improving. The most recent data shows that the

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Grade: 2

attendance rate is close to the national average.

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Grade: 4

The quality of teaching is unsatisfactory because teachers do not consistently provide their pupils with achievable challenges. In some cases, the work is too difficult. For example, pupils in Year 3 were expected to identify important words within the text of written problems in mathematics even though many of them were unable to read independently. In other cases, it is too easy. In Year 6, for instance, the most able pupils in the top ability group for English lessons are often given the same tasks as the rest of the group, even though they have a greater capacity to learn. These situations occur because procedures for using information about pupils' learning to help teachers plan their lessons are inadequate. The newly appointed headteacher recognises this as a key area for improvement and has put a new system in place for recording precisely what pupils can do and tracking how well they make progress. The

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Grade: 4

quality of teaching is improving, but there is not yet enough good teaching. The newly 3 Inspection Report: Campsbourne Junior School, 10 November 2005 to 11 November 2005 appointed teaching staff team show a strong commitment to respond to the high expectations of the headteacher. They are effective in making their lessons interesting and have quickly developed good relationships with their pupils. They are working hard to raise pupils' self-esteem and improve their levels of confidence.

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory range of activities for its pupils. A good feature of the curriculum is the emphasis placed on motivating pupils through out-of-class activities, such as visits, to help make learning more attractive. For instance, pupils in Year 4 visited London Zoo and the Natural History Museum as part of their science studies about creatures' habitats. A further good feature is the emphasis placed on helping pupils to understand the importance of keeping safe and leading healthy lifestyles.Arrangements for pupils with learning difficulties and those with English as an additional language are satisfactory. Pupils who are gifted and talented have recently been identified, but there is no specific provision in place to help meet their needs.The school has rightly focused its attention on addressing weaknesses in the curriculum which have contributed to the backlog of pupils' underachievement and low standards.

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Grade: 3

One of the key weaknesses is that little emphasis had been placed on ensuring that all pupils are able to read and write confidently. The school has responded to this situation with regular, intensive teaching of letter sounds and correct letter formation to small groups of pupils. Just over a quarter of the pupils, from all year groups, are now benefiting from this initiative. The degree of pupils' need is demonstrated by the fact that the sort of help now being given is more usually found in the reception and Year 1 classes of infant schools.

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Grade: 2

The school is very good at making sure that its pupils are safe and well looked after. A particularly good example of its quality of care is the very effective system for monitoring pupils' behaviour at break times. This ensures that consideration for others is rewarded and instances of anti-social behaviour are quickly dealt with and carefully noted. All pupils interviewed said that playtimes are enjoyable and that they would feel confident in asking an adult for help if they felt unhappy for any reason. In lessons, the 'Stay on Green' system of using coloured cards to record individuals' rewards and sanctions is popular with pupils and effective in motivating them to pay attention and try hard. Importantly, it gives all pupils a fresh start every day. There are clear and efficient systems for child protection.The strengths of the guidance provided for pupils relate to their pastoral care. However, the systems for providing academic guidance

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Grade: 2

are, as yet, generally ineffective because the systems for monitoring and checking pupils' progress are underdeveloped. 4 Inspection Report: Campsbourne Junior School, 10 November 2005 to 11 November 2005

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Grade: 3

Within a very short period of time, the interim headteacher has accurately assessed the school's situation and is providing very clear direction for its future improvement. He has considerable knowledge of the school, having been the permanent headteacher for a number of years until 1998, and has a good track record of successful leadership. He is using his expertise to very good effect. He shows a strong determination to ensure that all pupils reach their potential, and has high expectations of what can be achieved. His clear plan for raising standards is built around improving the quality of teaching, and developing the staff's skills in leading and managing their areas of responsibility. In this way, he is establishing a firm foundation for future improvement. His experienced deputy headteacher gives him good support and leads his areas of responsibility well.The headteacher is building a good staff team, and deploys them

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Grade: 3

effectively. There is a clear sense of shared responsibility to ensure that pupils do well and are fully included in activities. Opportunities for staff training are closely linked to the school's priorities. For example, a team of teaching assistants has been trained to deliver a programme of intensive support for the large number of pupils who have limited skills in reading. This work is already helping to improve pupils' confidence and raise standards.The quality of middle management is satisfactory. All of these teachers are new to the school. They are rapidly learning how to monitor their areas of responsibility and use the information which they gather to make useful contributions to the school's improvement. The impact of this monitoring is beginning to be seen, for instance in the focus on teaching pupils the skills they need to tackle mental calculations in mathematics.Governance is satisfactory. Both the Chair of Governors

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Grade: 3

and the Vice-Chair are relatively newly in post. They recognise that, at present, governors are too reliant on the headteacher for the information which enables them to fulfil their role as 'critical friends' to the school. To remedy this situation they are developing the role of governors in checking on the work of the school. Governors provide useful support for school initiatives and ensure that the school meets its legal responsibilities. The school is fully aware of the impact that the sharp decline in the number on roll will have on its future funding, and has satisfactory financial controls in place to ensure that areas of priority are properly funded. 5 Inspection Report: Campsbourne Junior School, 10 November 2005 to 11 November 2005 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Campsbourne Junior School, 10 November 2005 to 11 November 2005

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA NA The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 4 How well do learners achieve? NA 4 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 4 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 3 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 3 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Following our visit to your school we would like to tell you what we think about how well you are getting on and how well your school is helping you to learn.We enjoyed seeing you at work and at playtimes, and liked talking to you. We think that:* Your school is friendly and welcoming. You behave well and get on well with each other.* You want to do well in your lessons and usually try hard.* Your teachers try to make your lessons interesting and organise lots of extra activities for you to do. * All of the adults who work in your school, make sure that you are safe and are well looked after.* Your headteacher has made a big difference to your school. All of the people who help run your school want it to be even better. To help them to do this we think that the things to do next are:* Make sure that the work given to you in class always makes you think hard.* Improve the ways that teachers check on how well you are doing.

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