Juniper Hill School

110299 Unique Reference Number Buckinghamshire LEA LEA 278404 Inspection number 13 December 2005 to 14 December 2005 Inspection dates Barbara Atcheson AI Reporting inspector

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

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Churchill Close School address Primary Type of school Flackwell Heath Community School category High Wycombe HP10 9LA 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 016285 23536 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 016285 32952 Fax number 431 Number on roll Mrs Bridget Campbell Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Paul Grandidge Headteacher 25 September 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278404 13 December 2005 - 4 to 11 14 December 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Juniper Hill is a larger than average primary school with an attached unit, known as The Department, with places for 10 pupils with physical disabilities. The school is oversubscribed. Pupils come from a range of socio-economic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is small and these pupils have good English. A very small number of pupils qualify for free school meals. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational need is higher than the national average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Juniper Hill School, 13 December 2005 to 14 December 2005

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school's view that Juniper Hill is a good school with some outstanding features. Most parents think themselves lucky to be able to send their children to this highly inclusive school. Care and guidance for all pupils is outstanding. Pupils in 'The Department' benefit from highly specialised practice which is fully integrated with the school. Personal development and well-being are outstanding, and support learning. As a result pupils who enter the reception class at an average starting point consistently leave Year 6 with standards which are significantly above average. Effective leadership, management and governance ensure that the school provides good value for money. The head and deputy head teacher provide a strong partnership for the development of the school. The school has made good improvement since the last inspection and the capacity to make further improvements is very good.

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Grade: 2

The head teacher and senior managers are accurate in their evaluation of how well the school is doing. The new structure of the senior leadership team plays a major part in school improvement. Since the last inspection middle managers have become increasingly effective. New leadership in the Foundation Stage is already having a positive impact on achievement and standards and teaching and provision for children in the Foundation Stage are good.The well organised curriculum is clearly focused on promoting enjoyment. Teaching is good and enables all pupils to achieve well. However a few lessons have a slow pace which delays the rate at which pupils progress. A variation in teachers' expectation can be seen in the inconsistent quality of pupils' presentation.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Ensure that the pace of learning is fast enough in all lessons to keep pupils interested* Improve the consistency of the quality of pupils' presentation of work across the school.

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Grade: 2

The majority of pupils, regardless of their ability, gender or ethnic background, make good progress and achieve high standards. This is reflected in the consistently and significantly above average results in the national tests in Year 6 and represents a good level of success. The school meets its challenging targets. Pupils' attainment when they start school is average overall. Improved provision ensures that the children in the nursery and reception achieve well, make good progress and standards are above average when they enter Year 1. The pupils in Years 1 to 6 continue to achieve well because they are well taught and a close check is kept on their progress. Those with learning difficulties are very well supported and they make good progress. The school's work to improve boys' writing has successfully closed the gap so that they, too, achieve well. 2 Inspection Report: Juniper Hill School, 13 December 2005 to 14 December 2005

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils are very enthusiastic learners and enjoy school because of the good or better teaching in many lessons. For instance, older boys find literacy fun when teachers read stories with expression, bringing the characters to life. Pupil attendance is good. Relationships are very positive and pupils demonstrate sensitivity and respect towards each other and to adults. Behaviour is very good in lessons and around the school. Pupils' spiritual and cultural development are good. They are effectively enhanced through assemblies and other events such as a nativity play where pupils display a strong sense of individual achievement in taking part. The school actively encourages pupils to adopt a healthy lifestyle through their participation in a healthy eating programme, physical education, competitive sport and swimming. High standards in literacy and numeracy are effectively

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. In the Foundation Stage, teachers promote a strong sense of enjoyment which has a positive impact on their learning. At other stages, well matched, challenging work brings relevance and enjoyment to learning in the large majority of lessons. In a few lessons the pace of learning is not fast enough to keep all pupils interested in their learning and this slows progress. Inconsistency in the quality of pupils' presentation of their work detracts from the overall standard of work and reflects a variation in levels of teacher expectation.Pupils' learning is supported effectively by setting individual targets. As a result boys' achievement in writing has improved to match that of girls. Teaching assistants make a very valuable contribution to the progress pupils make. In the best lessons, thoughtful planning leads to good teaching that is matched to the needs of all pupils. Teachers motivate pupils and

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Grade: 2

promote their personal development as well as their skills and subject knowledge. Marking is very good and helps pupils to know how they can improve.

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Grade: 2

An interesting curriculum, which includes all subjects, is well matched to the pupils' differing needs. Careful planning in the Foundation Stage gives the children a good start for their future learning. Across the school, there are good opportunities for pupils to use their literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) has improved. ICT is particularly well used to support those pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. Clear plans set out precisely what these pupils need to achieve and the adults working with them ensure that they make good progress. The school organises a good range of sporting, 3 Inspection Report: Juniper Hill School, 13 December 2005 to 14 December 2005 musical and artistic activities outside of lessons, which are well attended by the pupils. A well planned programme of visits, including residential opportunities in Years 5 and

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Grade: 2

6, adds extra enjoyment and interest. 'Themed days' covering, for example, design and technology projects or a study of Anglo-Saxons, are very popular, one pupil describing his delight at being able to pursue these 'creative' activities.

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Grade: 1

The care, guidance and support for all pupils are outstanding and significantly contribute to the achievement of pupils. This is especially so for pupils with learning and physical disabilities who make good progress. All staff provide very good levels of care and guidance to pupils and very effective links have been established with other support agencies. Staff accurately identify the needs of pupils and assessment procedures are very thorough. Data is used very effectively to monitor the progress and personal development of all pupils. Procedures for child protection, risk assessment and health and safety are robust and staff training is fully up to date. Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive. Older pupils commented during the inspection that staff are quick to help them in their work and resolve problems between pupils. Pupils feel that the school is a happy and safe place.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management of the school are good with some outstanding features. The very effective partnership between the head teacher and deputy, who work tirelessly to improve standards, makes a major impact on the school. Their clear vision is shared by the leadership team. The new structure of the senior leadership team makes an effective contribution to monitoring and evaluation and plays a major part in school improvement. Since the last inspection middle managers have become increasingly effective. Although many are new to their role they are successfully developing their areas of responsibility. New leadership in the Foundation Stage is increasingly effective. The leadership team is both knowledgeable and very well informed about every aspect of the school. As a result their view is an extremely accurate one. Weaknesses such as boys' achievement in writing are identified effectively and tackled systematically. Financial management is good and resources are used

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Grade: 2

well.The school values the views of everyone. The governing body holds the school to account and are fully involved in school planning. They have key roles in monitoring and evaluating its effectiveness and an in depth knowledge and understanding through their involvement in its life and work. The school's commitment to integrating all pupils is outstanding. The 'Department' for children with physical disabilities promotes empathy, care and consideration for others and an appreciation of difference. The school's consistently high expectations have successfully addressed all of the issues raised in the last inspection report. This school has a very good capacity for improvement. 4 Inspection Report: Juniper Hill School, 13 December 2005 to 14 December 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. 5 Inspection Report: Juniper Hill School, 13 December 2005 to 14 December 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 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 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 1 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 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 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 1 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 2 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 2 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 making us so welcome when we visited your school. We really enjoyed talking to you and watching you learn. We thought that you performed magnificently in your Christmas productions and behaved superbly considering all the excitement. Your parents and carers are right in thinking that you go to a good school. We thought you would like to know what we liked about your school and how we thought it could get even better.* Your teachers and teaching assistants work very hard to care for you, everyone is valued* They work very hard to make sure that you get the sort of help you need to help you learn* Your head teacher and the leadership team run the school well* You behave well and know your class rules and how to keep safe and stay healthy These are the things that we have asked the school to make it even better.* In some lessons some of you do not concentrate as well as you could and we know that you and your teachers

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

can work together to put this right* We think that some of you can improve the way that you present your work.Thank you once again for looking after us so well on our visit.

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