St Laurence Church Junior School

Inspection Report St Laurence Church Junior School

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103416 Unique Reference Number Birmingham LEA 276912 Inspection number 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006 Inspection dates Christine Field AI Reporting inspector

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

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Bunbury Road School address Primary Type of school Birmingham Voluntary aided School category West Midlands B31 2DJ 7 to 11 Age range of pupils 01214 646 499 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01214 647 393 Fax number 356 Number on roll Mrs Sarah Brown Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Stuart Andrew Headteacher 3 April 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276912 21 February 2006 - 7 to 11 22 February 2006 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This large Church of England school is located in Northfield, a suburb to the south-west of Birmingham city centre. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds, with around 20% from other minority ethnic backgrounds. A very small proportion of pupils is learning to speak English as a new language. Some 10% of pupils have learning difficulties or disabilities. The profile of pupils’ attainment at the start of Year 3 covers a wide range but is typically well above average overall.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Laurence Church Junior School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006

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Grade: 2

St Laurence Church of England Junior School provides a good education for its pupils and the school’s own evaluation agrees. The school consults widely with parents who are rightly proud of the very positive learning ethos that encourages and enables their children to make good progress. Standards are consistently well above average in all core subjects. Teaching is good overall, but pupils do not always receive work that is challenging enough, especially higher attainers in mathematics. Strong Christian values help pupils develop very well into thoughtful and responsible individuals. They benefit from an outstanding programme of visits and activities and rightly feel safe and secure because the school provides excellent pastoral care. Procedures to guide pupils’ achievements are satisfactory. However, marking does not always show pupils how to improve and there are not enough opportunities for them

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Grade: 2

to review their targets and evaluate how well they are doing. The decisive leadership of the headteacher ensures that there are well-chosen priorities for improvement and strong teamwork among staff. The school has an accurate understanding of how well it is performing through a thorough analysis of data. Senior leaders have satisfactory systems in place to take stock of pupils’ achievements but findings are not recorded consistently enough. There has been good progress since the last inspection, notably in the provision for information and communication technology (ICT) and the development of management and governance roles. There is a well prioritised school plan in place to help shape the school’s future direction. However, there is limited information about the timing of actions or explicit measures of success and this restricts the scope for reviewing the impact of improvement. Notwithstanding this, the school has secure capacity to improve further and provides

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that the work planned meets the needs of higher-attaining pupils so that they are more consistently challenged, particularly in mathematics. • Sharpen teachers’ marking and use of targets to support pupils’ next steps in learning and provide regular opportunities for pupils to review personal progress. • Refine the school plan so that it includes a clear timeline of action and includes specific criteria for measuring impact.

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Grade: 2

The standards achieved by Year 6 pupils in the 2005 national tests were well above average overall. More pupils reached the highest standards in English and science than in mathematics. The school has undertaken a thorough analysis of data to assist the raising of standards, with particular attention to improving achievement in mathematics. As a result, pupils 2 Inspection Report: St Laurence Church Junior School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006 in danger of under-achieving are closely monitored and given effective extra support to help them move on. Setting arrangements for higher-attaining pupils enable them to make good progress. However, in some class-based mathematics lessons, the match of work is not always challenging enough for this group of pupils and limits their progress. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities benefit from specific work programmes that support consistently good progress towards their individual targets.

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Grade: 2

Targets agreed for this year’s national tests in Year 6 are realistic, with pupils on track to meet them. However, the school recognises that targets need to be even more challenging in mathematics in the future. The tracking of pupils’ progress towards these targets is developing soundly, although the process is not yet consistent or rigorous enough to pinpoint where progress quickens or slackens.

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being are good. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy coming to school and especially appreciate the extra-curricular activities on offer, the friendly teachers, and the many opportunities to take on roles of responsibility. Behaviour is almost always very positive. Pupils say that there is occasional misbehaviour but that staff deal with it well. Attendance is good. The pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is good. Pupils are involved in numerous charitable endeavours, such as the ‘Lenten Project’, that gives them deep insights into the lives of those less fortunate than themselves. Pupils make an excellent contribution to their community. For example, they raised the money to equip a multi-sensory room at a local hospital. Pupils have a very keen sense of social responsibility and a strong voice in decision-making through the school council. They are well aware of the importance of a healthy lifestyle and know why it is important

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Grade: 2

to keep safe and consistently adopt safe practices. For example, they are currently involved in making the playground a better place for play. Pupils are prepared well for the world of work through innovative projects, such as setting up and running the ‘Lucky Message Muffin Company’. Such opportunities draw well on personal initiative and enterprise skills. Pupils develop a sound cultural awareness through music activities as well as through geography and modern language topic work. They increasingly understand issues about multi-cultural Britain.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good overall. There are several reasons for this. Teachers create a positive atmosphere in lessons so that pupils are eager to take part. New learning is clearly explained and presented so pupils readily appreciate new concepts. Teachers use new technology skilfully to motivate pupils and this is a significant 3 Inspection Report: St Laurence Church Junior School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006 improvement since the previous inspection. Relationships are very good, with teachers and pupils trying to do their best for each other. High expectations, a brisk pace and a good level of challenge ensure that pupils in the mathematics extension sets learn successfully. However, some class-based mathematics lessons, whilst satisfactory, are not stimulating enough to challenge the higher-attaining pupils sufficiently. Not all lessons are planned carefully enough to identify the learning

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Grade: 2

gains expected of pupils of different abilities. The use of targets to help pupils focus their next steps in learning is developing. However, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to review their targets and evaluate how well they are doing. There are some examples of marking that helps pupils to improve, but this is not consistent, resulting in some pupils not knowing what they need to do to improve their work. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities work from a good programme and learn well. The support of teaching assistants is very effective and a key factor in helping these pupils learn successfully.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good curriculum that meets the needs and aspirations of most pupils well. Good provision is made for those with musical or sporting talents but provision for those who are artistic is less in evidence. The curriculum for pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is good and well organised. On occasions, higher-attaining pupils are not provided for well enough in mathematics. The provision for ICT has improved substantially since the previous inspection. Pupils respond enthusiastically to the opportunities to use interactive whiteboards in lessons and also enjoy the colourful illustrations that teachers use to bring learning alive. Pupils benefit from an outstanding programme of visits and activities. For example, pupils’ understanding about the world of work is very well fostered through design and technology projects. Following a visit to three major car plants to see production,

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Grade: 2

pupils designed and made their own motorised vehicle and then tested it to see if it would carry an egg a distance of 10 metres.

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Grade: 2

The care, guidance and support of pupils are good. Pastoral welfare is outstanding and reflects the very positive Christian ethos of the school. Rigorous attention is paid to safeguarding pupils, with robust systems in place to assess and deal with risks. Pupils feel safe in school and attribute this to the strong commitment shown by all adults. Child protection arrangements are effective, with well-forged links in place with a range of social, educational and medical support agencies. Pupils are given good personal support by staff who know them well and are responsive to their needs. The use of assessment data to guide pupils’ learning is developing but is not yet used well enough to set individual targets for future progress. 4 Inspection Report: St Laurence Church Junior School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006 The school has forged a strong partnership with parents and they are particularly

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Grade: 2

pleased with the levels of care provided for their children. Parents are very supportive of all the school’s work and are eager to take part. Links with local schools are good and the strategies to support pupils transferring from the neighbouring infant school are highly effective.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good and are reflected in pupils’ good academic and social achievement. The headteacher sets high expectations and positive direction to the work of the school and has a very clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. The school judges what it does honestly and accurately and inspectors agree with its evaluations. The systems it has in place to check and assess performance are effective but the targets it is setting for higher-attaining pupils’ achievements, especially in mathematics, are not sufficiently challenging. The school has identified a number of ways in which to improve this process and they form sensible priorities. However, the plan in place to guide improvement lacks detail and this limits the scope for reviewing at more regular intervals the impact of the strategies being pursued. In the wake of workforce reforms, the senior and middle managers are developing

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Grade: 2

their revised roles, and taking a more active part in a wide range of monitoring and evaluation activities. An effective system for monitoring teaching and learning is being implemented to good effect. This marks a good improvement since the last inspection. Staff view the system very positively in supporting their professional development. Governors are supportive and fulfil all required responsibilities. Their role as critical friend is developing well. Very good partnerships with parents, community and church add extra value to the quality of education provided. The school has made good progress since its last inspection and has secure capacity to become even more effective. The school provides good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: St Laurence Church Junior School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006 .

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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: St Laurence Church Junior School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006

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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 2 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 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 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 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 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 2 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 2 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

Thank you very much for giving us such a warm welcome during our visit and for all your help around the school. We thoroughly enjoyed chatting over the super lunch together. What we liked best: •Most of you make good progress and reach good standards in your work. •You behave well and grow into thoughtful individuals. •Teachers make learning enjoyable and expect you to work hard. •You have an excellent choice of activities after school to take part in. •Adults in the school take excellent care of you and make sure you are healthy and safe. •The headteacher and governors have your best interests at heart as they work together to take the school forward. What we think the school can do to improve: •Ask teachers to always give you work that is at the right level of challenge, especially those of you who sometimes find the work too easy, and use marking to show you ways to improve. •Provide time for you to discuss your learning targets with teachers to see how well you are

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

doing and what you need to do next. •Make sure everyone knows what the school is doing to make it even better so that they can all help and keep a check on improvements.

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