Nook Lane Junior School

Inspection Report Nook Lane Junior School

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107058 Unique Reference Number Sheffield LEA 277692 Inspection number 24 May 2006 to 25 May 2006 Inspection dates Mr Bill Keast CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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

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Nook Lane School address Primary Type of school Stannington Community School category Sheffield, South Yorkshire S6 6BN 7 to 11 Age range of pupils

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0114 234 1097 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0114 285 4392 Fax number 239 Number on roll Mr A Mettam Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs G Hodges Headteacher 11 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277692 24 May 2006 - 7 to 11 25 May 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This average sized school is situated in the village of Stannington on the outskirts of Sheffield. Pupils come from an area with broadly average social and economic indicators. A below average proportion of pupils is entitled to a free school meal and very few pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds. The school has an area unit (the integrated resource unit) for pupils with communication difficulties. Overall, a broadly average proportion of pupils has learning difficulties and/or disabilities while the proportion with a statement of special educational need is above average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Nook Lane Junior School, 24 May 2006 to 25 May 2006

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Grade: 3

The school judges itself to be good but inspectors judge it to be providing a satisfactory education for its pupils and providing sound value for money because the progress pupils make is no better than satisfactory. Nevertheless, the school has many strengths of which it should be justly proud. Standards are above average and rising. All pupils in the school are treated equally, leading to good personal development. This is supported by the outstanding curriculum and the opportunities it offers. Pupils adopt healthy and safe lifestyles well. They make excellent contributions to the local and the school communities. They are developing the skills for their future well-being effectively. Leadership and management are good. Self-evaluation identifies correctly issues for development and leads to effective action. The school works very effectively with a wide range of other providers and organisations to promote pupils' well-being

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Grade: 3

and development. Pupils are well cared for and feel safe. They are well supported. Behaviour and relationships are good. Pupils work hard and enjoy coming to school. Parents show great satisfaction with what the school provides for their children. However, pupils' academic targets are not sufficiently challenging. The school does not have a sufficiently clear picture of how the progress pupils are making relates to the progress necessary for them to meet end of key stage targets. Within lessons, learning objectives are not always focused sufficiently on individuals or groups of pupils to maximise learning. Although pupils are clearly told how they can improve a piece of work, this is not linked clearly enough to their longer term learning. The success in tackling issues raised in the previous inspection and the improvements made by subsequent actions show the school has a good capacity for further improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

To achieve more challenging targets the school should: • make its procedures for monitoring pupils' progress more effective to ensure that all are set and reach challenging targets • ensure that learning objectives are more closely related to individual pupils' needs • ensure that pupils are more aware of the progress they need to make in the different aspects of subjects.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' attainment on entry to the school varies from year to year but is usually above average. From their starting points, pupils' maintain above average standards during their time at school. However, they make no better than satisfactory progress. Results in the national tests in 2005 were significantly above average, as they have been for four of the last five years. The upward trend in results over the last four years is above the national trend. In 2005, results in mathematics and science were higher than those in English. The upward trends in these subjects are also above national trends, although 2 Inspection Report: Nook Lane Junior School, 24 May 2006 to 25 May 2006 English results show year to year variation. The school met its targets in 2005 with the exception that fewer pupils than expected reached above average standards in English. However, the targets are not sufficiently challenging to encourage better than

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Grade: 3

satisfactory achievement. Pupils make similar academic progress regardless of subject, gender, educational need or earlier attainment. Pupils in the integrated resource unit make good progress in their behavioural development.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, although their experience of different world cultures is limited. Attendance is good and pupils confirm they enjoy coming to school. They behave well in the classroom and around the school. Friendly and harmonious relationships are the norm. Pupils feel safe. Bullying is rare because, as pupils told us, 'Teachers are good at getting involved quickly and sorting things out.' The very few reported accidents are testimony to pupils adopting safe practices. Their good understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles is shown through the posters and displays they have created and the large numbers involved in voluntary physical activities. Pupils develop the skills that will help them in the future well, for example, through the school council, working with architects on the design of the new

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Grade: 2

playground, and the innovative 'Job Shop'. Pupils make an outstanding contribution to their community. Carol singing, concerts and charitable activities are part of a wide involvement. Pupils contribute to their school's development through their active school council. A particular strength is the link between pupils in Year 5 and Year 2 where paired reading activities develop into a buddy system to support new pupils when they transfer. The older pupils take this responsibility very seriously.

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Grade: 3

The school judges the quality of teaching and learning as good. However, despite its many strengths, inspectors judge it to be satisfactory because pupils make only satisfactory progress. Teachers plan lessons well to provide interest and enjoyment and pupils say their teachers are 'great'. Good working relationships and teachers' expectations of pupils' behaviour lead to a businesslike atmosphere in which pupils work hard. This is the case particularly for those pupils in the integrated resource unit. A common lesson structure has been adopted in which the objectives for the lesson are shared with pupils and, later in the lesson, the extent to which they have been achieved is assessed. However, these objectives are generally too broad to provide enough challenge for all the pupils in the class. Whilst marking sets out to give pupils sufficient guidance on how their piece of work could be improved and often leads to

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Grade: 3

targets being set, overall, pupils do not have a clear enough understanding of what 3 Inspection Report: Nook Lane Junior School, 24 May 2006 to 25 May 2006 they need to know and do to make progress in their learning in different aspects of a subject.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum which the school provides is outstanding, particularly in range and quality of out of lesson activities. It meets the needs and interests of the whole range of pupils and all statutory requirements. Musical opportunities are especially strong. A large number of pupils take part, developing their self-confidence and enriching what they learn in lessons. Pupils speak very enthusiastically about the clubs and activities provided. 'We have lots of exciting clubs, it's great!' one school councillor commented. An ever expanding range of well attended physical activities promotes the understanding and practice of healthy lifestyles well. Social and emotional education programmes together with the use of circle time promote pupils' understanding of how to ensure their personal safety. This strong emphasis on personal development generates positive attitudes to learning and leads to pupils' increasing independence.

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Grade: 1

Different subjects are supported well by a good use of focus weeks and a wide range of visitors. The range of visits contributes well to subject learning and pupils' enjoyment with the residential opportunities in Years 5 and 6 making a very good contribution to pupils' personal and social development.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are very well cared for and procedures for their health and safety are very good. They say they feel safe in school, trust their teachers and know how to work safely. Child protection procedures are in place and any 'at risk' pupils are quickly identified and given appropriate and sensitive support. The support given to the pupils in the integrated resource unit enables them to become increasingly confident in working in the wider school. All staff involved with these pupils work very effectively as a team to ensure the best for them. Pupils are clear about the school's expectations of behaviour and are helped to meet them. Monitoring of the regular assessments leads to additional support for some pupils not making the expected progress. Pupils are clear, through discussions following these reviews, about judgements of their work. However, they do not get enough guidance about how their current work relates to

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Grade: 2

longer term learning to help them raise their progress to above satisfactory.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has ensured that her clear vision for the school is shared by governors and staff. The leadership team is strong. The building blocks for good improvement are in place and are having a positive effect. For example, the role of subject leaders has been improved. They now make a good contribution to leadership. The development in the provision for information and 4 Inspection Report: Nook Lane Junior School, 24 May 2006 to 25 May 2006 communication technology (ICT) is particularly noteworthy with the school and some teachers now being used as exemplars by the local authority. Areas for development, showing a clear focus on improving provision and raising standards, are accurately identified. Governors fulfil their duties well. Active involvement in the planning process and sharp questioning in committees ensure they have a good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. Prudent financial management is identifying

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Grade: 2

resources for playground development and maintaining staffing levels without adversely affecting learning resources. The school regularly seeks parents' and pupils' views. Assessment and recording systems are good and used effectively to monitor pupils' annual progress, identifying those who need additional support. However, the school does not have a clear enough picture of whether an individual or a year group is making the progress needed to meet their end of key stage targets. This aspect of monitoring is satisfactory. The very clear focus on the all-round development of each individual is outstanding and shows in the atmosphere in the school and pupils' personal outcomes. Continuing professional development of staff, a weakness in the last report, is good and the school has recently gained the Investor in People Award. Issues identified in the previous report have been effectively resolved. 5 Inspection Report: Nook Lane Junior School, 24 May 2006 to 25 May 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: Nook Lane Junior School, 24 May 2006 to 25 May 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 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 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 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 1 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 2 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 for welcoming us into your school and being so helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and talking with you about your work and your school. You clearly enjoy your school and you told us you feel safe and are looked after well. You work hard in your lessons. You behave well and we found that you are very polite. We saw many times when you helped each other and were told about how you help other people. We think your teachers provide an excellent range of clubs and activities outside the classroom which you attend enthusiastically. You told us that 'teachers make lessons fun'. Each one of you is very important to your teachers and their helpers, and they work hard to help each of you develop well as a person. You have a good understanding about safe and healthy lifestyles and are developing well the skills you will need in the future. Your headteacher knows what she wants for you and is making sure that the school is continually improving to provide what you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

need. Your school council has been very active and your representatives on it take their responsibilities very seriously. While at Nook Lane you make steady progress, but we think you could and should make even better progress. To help in this, we have asked that your teachers carefully check on the progress that each of you is making. We have asked that in your lessons you are given more personal learning objectives which will help you move forward. Finally, we have asked that your teachers help you understand not only how you could make a piece of work better but also what you need to do to reach higher levels in all the many aspects of your work. We hope you will continue to enjoy your school and will work with your teachers to reach the highest standards of work that you can.

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