Chalfont St Giles Junior School

Inspection Report Chalfont St Giles Junior School

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110287 Unique Reference Number Buckinghamshire LEA LEA 278401 Inspection number 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 Inspection dates Graham Lee AI Reporting inspector

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

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Parsonage Road School address Junior Type of school Chalfont St Giles Community School category HP8 4JW 7 to 11 Age range of pupils 01494 873090 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01494 874949 Fax number 236 Number on roll Mr Anthony Canning-Jones Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Andrew Tagg Headteacher 31 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278401 3 May 2006 - 7 to 11 4 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 is a junior school of average size serving the village and surrounding rural areas. Most pupils come from the neighbouring infant school. Many pupils are from high income families although the school does have a wider social mix. No pupils take free school meals. The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. No pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is below average. Attainment on entry is well 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: Chalfont St Giles Junior School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006

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Grade: 3

Inspectors and school leaders agree that the school provides a satisfactory quality of education with some strong features. The headteacher has provided good leadership over the past 18 months and has established a common commitment to improving teaching and learning and accelerating pupils' progress. He is held in high regard by pupils and parents. One parent commented 'the headteacher has taken the school forward in a great number of ways'. The school provides satisfactory value for money. Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. They reach high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave the school. They also have good skills in information and communications technology (ICT) and are well prepared for secondary education. They make satisfactory progress as they build on the high standards they achieve in the infant school. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties has much improved.

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Grade: 3

The school takes good care of its pupils and this is reflected in their good personal development. They are polite and helpful, behave well and enjoy their education. An outstanding strength of the school is the range of curriculum enrichment activities provided through sport and the arts. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall with some variation. Where it is strong teachers fully engage all pupils and give them opportunities for participation. In some lessons these opportunities are missing. Similarly there is variation in the quality of teachers' marking. The school has recently created a new leadership team. This team is supportive and committed but their role in raising achievement has not yet been fully developed. The school has successfully addressed the issues arising from the last inspection and is now well placed to make further improvements.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that all lessons fully engage all pupils and give them opportunities to express their ideas. • Ensure that teachers' marking consistently gives pupils a clear idea of what they need to do to make their work better. • Develop the role of the new leadership team in raising achievement and improving teaching and learning.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' achievement is satisfactory overall. They arrive in Year 3 with standards that are well above average. Sound teaching and learning ensures that they build on this good start and make satisfactory progress as they move through the school. By the time they leave pupils reach standards in English, mathematics and science that are well above average, with a majority attaining higher levels. Pupils also attain high standards in ICT, which they use effectively to support their learning in other subjects. The school easily exceeded its modest targets for English and mathematics in 2005 2 Inspection Report: Chalfont St Giles Junior School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 and are set to do so again in 2006. School targets for the most able Year 6 pupils are not sufficiently challenging. The school has worked hard to improve provision for pupils with a range of learning difficulties and disabilities and these pupils are now making as much progress as their

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Grade: 3

peers. There is no significant difference in the attainment of different ethnic groups in the school.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good. They enjoy coming to school which is reflected in their above average attendance. They are friendly and polite and generally behave well. Pupils' attitudes to learning are good. They are keen to learn and apply themselves diligently in lessons. Pupils' spiritual, moral and social and cultural development is satisfactory overall and the moral and social dimensions are particularly strong. They talk sensitively about moral issues and collect monies for children's charities and for world disasters such as the Tsunami. The recently formed school council take their responsibilities seriously and talk maturely about how they have contributed to making the school a better place. Members have improved the provision during break times by organising playground equipment for all year groups. Pupils have an understanding and respect for other cultures although the school recognises the need to develop their awareness

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Grade: 2

still further. Pupils' opportunities to contribute to their local community are limited and have been identified as an area for improvement. Pupils have good opportunities to develop the necessary skills that will enable them to settle into their next stage of education and to become good citizens in the future. All pupils are beginning to develop a good idea of the need to live a healthy and safe lifestyle. They make healthy choices at lunchtime and participate widely in the range of sports activities in the school.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall and contributes to pupils' satisfactory progress as they move through the school. All teachers manage their classes well and have good relationships with pupils. They plan well to meet the needs of different pupils particularly through the ability grouping. Learning support assistants are making an increasingly good contribution to the quality of education particularly for pupils with learning difficulties. As a result, pupils are well motivated and enjoy their learning. In lessons where the teaching is particularly strong, teachers are enthusiastic and give pupils many opportunities to share their ideas in groups and pairs. They also probe 3 Inspection Report: Chalfont St Giles Junior School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 their thinking through the use of challenging questions. This ensures that lessons proceed at a brisk pace and give pupils the opportunity to consolidate their ideas. For

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Grade: 3

example, in a Year 5 literacy lesson pupils explored different points of view in a story very effectively through discussion and drama. In some satisfactory lessons, teachers talk for too long and do not give pupils sufficient opportunities to participate. As a result, these lessons lose momentum and some pupils find it difficult to maintain concentration. Assessment has improved markedly recently. Pupils now have detailed targets in writing and mathematics which they find helpful in improving their work. Teachers use assessment information effectively, for instance to give pupils who are experiencing difficulties extra support. There are good examples of teachers using the school's new marking policy to give pupils clear guidance on how they might improve their work. However, this is not consistent in all classes.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good overall and the depth and variety of enrichment activities is outstanding. The school has a tradition of successful participation in sport and there are a wide range of opportunities provided by school staff, outside providers and through links with a local sports college. There are also many opportunities for pupils to learn to play musical instruments and participate in the choir and orchestra. In addition activities cater for interests as wide ranging as yoga and gardening. The curriculum is also enhanced by a range of visitors and visits including residential trips in most year groups. Themed weeks on topics such as healthy living further broaden pupils' experiences. These opportunities widen pupils' opportunities and cater for a wide range of interests and talents. The curriculum ensures that pupils attain high standards in literacy and numeracy. Improved systems for tracking pupils' achievement

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Grade: 2

has led to better provision for pupils experiencing difficulties. The curriculum for pupils with learning difficulties is also improving and leading to better progress for these pupils. The curriculum for ICT is good and effective links with other subjects are developing.

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Grade: 2

Although many systems are relatively new, the school provides a good level of care, guidance and support for its pupils. All adults show a high level of commitment to the health and safety of pupils. Aspects of pupils' personal development are promoted through themed weeks and visitors. For example, a regular visitor is the local policeman. He knows the pupils well and promotes the need for them to keep safe and become good citizens. Child protection procedures are clear and understood by all staff. All potential risks are assessed carefully. Pupils' academic progress is tracked well as they move through the school to ensure that they all receive appropriate support. For example, pupils in all year groups talk very enthusiastically about 'The Rainbow Road Club' where basic literacy and numeracy skills are developed in a fun way. Pupils are 4 Inspection Report: Chalfont St Giles Junior School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006

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Grade: 2

motivated by the new rewards systems and achievement assemblies that celebrate both personal and academic accomplishments. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are well supported and the school has good links with external specialists who make an important contribution to improving the learning for these pupils.

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Grade: 3

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory overall. This agrees with the school leaders' own judgement. The headteacher provides strong and effective leadership. Over the past 18 months he and his deputy headteacher have quickly identified the most important areas for development based on a clear and honest assessment of the school's strengths and weaknesses. Parents and pupils speak highly of his leadership. Issues from the last inspection have been fully addressed. Parents confirm that communication is much improved and welcome initiatives such as the termly parents' forum. One commented 'the school has become a much friendlier place and communication is absolutely superb'. Provision for ICT is now a strength of the school. Pupils' personal development is a high priority for all members of staff. Pupils are confident that the new behaviour policy is fair and consistent. New systems for tracking

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Grade: 3

pupils' progress are being used to identify where support is needed. Teaching and learning are monitored regularly and this activity has led to improvements. However, these initiatives have not yet had time to have a significant impact on the achievement of all pupils. Similarly, some inconsistencies in teaching and learning remain. The new leadership team are committed and keen to take on their new responsibilities however their role in improving pupils' achievement and developing teaching and learning is not fully established. The governing body has an increasing awareness of the school's strengths and weaknesses. They are aware that previously, they have not been involved as much as they should have been in strategic planning and say that 'they have been on an enjoyable learning curve' 5 Inspection Report: Chalfont St Giles Junior School, 3 May 2006 to 4 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: Chalfont St Giles Junior School, 3 May 2006 to 4 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 3 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 3 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 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

Pupils I am writing to thank you all for making us so welcome when we visited the school earlier this week. We really enjoyed our time at Chalfont St Giles and you all helped by being so friendly and welcoming. We thought you would like to know what we found out. You are rightly proud of your school and all that it has to offer. You enjoy school and this shows in your good attendance. We were impressed with your good behaviour and your eagerness to learn. All staff take good care of you and you feel safe and secure. By the time you leave the school you are doing well in English, mathematics, science and ICT and are ready for your secondary education. Those of you who find some things a little more difficult are given lots of help to improve your work.Teachers work hard to provide interesting things for you to do and to help you to learn. Most of you say that your targets are helping you to improve your

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

work. You are particularly lucky to have such a lot of extra things to do. You have many chances to take part in sports and have been successful in competitions. This helps you to stay healthy. You also have a wide range of other opportunities in music, art and other activities. Your headteacher, helped by all the staff, has done much to improve the school and you like what he has done. There are just a few things we have asked the school to do to make things even better. We have asked the teachers to make sure that you all have the chance to talk about your ideas in lessons which will help you to understand. We also want them to make sure that their marking tells you what to do to improve your work. Finally, we want them to share all their good ideas to make sure that you all do as well as you can. Yours truly Graham Lee Lead Inspector

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