St. George's School

Inspection Report St George's New Town Junior School

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114704 Unique Reference Number ESSEX LEA LEA 279435 Inspection number 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005 Inspection dates Mr. Peter Lewis LI Reporting inspector

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

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Canterbury Road School address Junior Type of school CO2 7RU Community School category 7 to 11 Age range of pupils 01206506800 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01206506801 Fax number 250 Number on roll Mr.Stuart Gibson Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr. Carl Messer Headteacher 27 September 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279435 7 November 2005 - 7 to 11 8 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 three Additional Inspectors

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Description of the school

This popular junior school is located in a residential area in the centre of Colchester in which there is a high proportion of social housing. Parents are generally very supportive and the school's population is very stable. There are high levels of pupils entitled to free school meals and this number is rising. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is higher than is usually found and most children start the school with standards that are below average. Most of the children in the school come from white British families. Of the small number who are from other backgrounds, almost all speak English at home.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St George's New Town Junior School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005

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Grade: 2

This is a good and improving school that knows itself very well. This is demonstrated in the complete agreement between the findings of the inspection team and the school's self-evaluation. The school provides its children with a good quality education which prepares them well for the next stage in their education. Achievement is good and children attain higher than average standards in English, mathematics and science. Most children, including those who have special educational needs, make good progress from a below average starting point. Teaching is good and teachers provide a broad range of interesting activities for most pupils. However, there are inconsistencies in, for example, teachers' use of assessment to provide more able-children with sufficient challenge. As a result, they do not always make as much progress as they could, particularly in writing and mathematics. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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Grade: 2

development is good and as a result, their personal development is also good. The quality of care is good. The school has an inclusive and very positive ethos and all staff work hard together as a team to ensure that all children feel confident and safe in all that they do in school. The views of parents are regularly sought and are acted upon promptly. Improvement since the last inspection is good and the school has dealt effectively with the issues identified. Leadership and management are good. The leadership and management of the headteacher are very good and he has achieved a great deal in a short time. The school is aware of the need to further develop the roles of senior and middle managers and has put in place a good range of strategies to achieve this. Governance is satisfactory. The governors have an appropriate understanding of the school's strengths and where it needs to improve. The scope for

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Grade: 2

further improvement is good. The value for money the school provides is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Develop teachers' use of assessment so that it helps teachers to set targets which challenge all children fully, and particularly the more able. - Ensure that teachers plan work that is suited to the needs of all children, including the more able. - Review the roles of all staff with management responsibilities so that they are enabled to play a full part in securing improvement. - Increase the amount of taught time to at least the recommended minimum.

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Grade: 2

Though children have below average standards when they start at the school, they attain above average standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they reach Year 6. This is confirmed by the school's performance in national tests in 2004 where results were above average in all three subjects. The school's analysis of results from 2005 demonstrate that this pattern has been maintained. Boys and girls achieve similar standards. Children, including those with special educational needs, make good progress although the more able are not always provided with activities that challenge 2 Inspection Report: St George's New Town Junior School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005 them sufficiently. This was reflected in the national tests in which the proportion of pupils who attained the higher than expected Level 5 standard was below average in 2004. Modifications to the way in which children are grouped ensured that there was

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Grade: 2

some improvement in 2005, but the school recognises that further improvement is required.

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Grade: 2

Provision for children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Their understanding of other ways of life and different faiths is good. Children fully understand the difference between right and wrong and are very considerate and supportive towards each other. The school provides an environment in which children clearly enjoy their learning and behave very well. While children work very well together in groups, some are overly reliant on their teachers. These children tend not to take the initiative often enough and are not sufficiently independent. Attendance is satisfactory. The school works effectively to encourage children to adopt a healthy lifestyle. They are aware of the need to stay safe, eat healthily and of the importance of taking regular exercise. Many children enjoy taking part in the various sporting activities provided by the school. Children are becoming increasingly aware of their

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Grade: 2

responsibilities in the local and wider community. They are sensitive to the needs of others, including those less fortunate than themselves. Children learn the basic skills of literacy, numeracy, and information and communication technology (ICT) well and this is helping them to understand how they can contribute to their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching across the school is good, with examples of very good practice. In the best lessons, teachers make good use of questioning and discussion to develop children's self-confidence and to stretch their understanding of new ideas at all levels. Behaviour management strategies are positive and effective; allowing children to learn at a rapid pace. The very good collaboration between teachers and learning support assistants ensures that the needs of slower learners and those with English as an additional language are well met. The school has worked hard to develop consistent lesson planning and teachers generally make good use of this in providing activities that excite and challenge children. Those with lower attainment and with special educational needs are well supported. However, in some lessons insufficient demands are made upon some of the more able children and they don't always make the progress

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Grade: 2

of which they are capable. Throughout the school, teachers have begun to use assessments of children's learning well when planning subsequent work. In English and mathematics, teachers often encourage children to be aware of how well they are doing and what they need to do in order to improve. However, this good practice is 3 Inspection Report: St George's New Town Junior School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005 not applied consistently in all classes and subjects. The school has identified the need to target particular groups of children who could be helped to do better, for example, in writing, and has made a very good start to the implementation of this plan.

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory curriculum that is broad and balanced, and generally meets the children's needs. However, the amount of time spent on formal teaching and learning is below that recommended nationally. The school has carefully identified changes to the curriculum which are planned to improve provision, and inspectors agree with these proposals. These include the teaching of key skills across all subjects and a review of the curriculum to ensure that there are sufficient creative and practical activities to help make learning even more enjoyable. Staff and specialist providers offer a good range of clubs after school. These are popular and successfully develop the children's interests and skills. People visit the school to talk about various aspects of their work and children visit local places of interest which enrich their knowledge of specific subjects such as history. Provision for pupils who have learning difficulties

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Grade: 3

is good. New developments such as the interactive whiteboards and up-dated computer suite have improved resources in ICT. These are helping to motivate children and enhance their learning.

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Grade: 2

The school cares for all children well. Any issues regarding their safety and well-being are taken very seriously. The governing body has a satisfactory range of policies, including those for child protection, to ensure that children are not exposed to avoidable risks. The provision made for children who have learning difficulties is very good and enables them to learn well. The school assesses the attainment and progress of all children accurately. However, some children are unclear about the targets set for them to achieve and are not sufficiently aware of how well they are doing. The school takes full account of the 'Every Child Matters' agenda and works effectively to ensure all children benefit fully from this. It provides the ethos in which children enjoy their lessons and become increasingly confident and competent learners. The school works satisfactorily in partnership with parents and other agencies to ensure that

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good and are considerably enhanced by the inspirational leadership provided by the newly-appointed headteacher. He demonstrates a clear commitment to achieving the very best. The school's evaluation of its effectiveness is comprehensive and accurate and is reflected in the very clear development plan which has already begun to secure further improvement in, for 4 Inspection Report: St George's New Town Junior School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005 example, the way in which assessment is used to help teachers to plan work that challenges all children. There is a clear sense of purpose that is fully shared by all staff who, as a result, work very well as a team. The capacity for further improvement is good. Key staff are developing their roles satisfactorily, although the school has recognised in its planning that more could be achieved. The roles of senior managers and subject leaders, for example, have only very recently been closely linked to priorities

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Grade: 2

identified in the development plan and until now this has limited the part they are able to play in securing improvement. Governance is satisfactory. Through the headteacher's clear and open reports, meetings and visits, the governing body is kept well informed. Planned improvements have already identified the need for focused visits to further strengthen governors' understanding of the effectiveness of their school. Financial management is very effective in the way in which resources are allocated to identified priorities. Value for money is good. 5 Inspection Report: St George's New Town Junior School, 7 November 2005 to 8 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: St George's New Town Junior School, 7 November 2005 to 8 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 3 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 3 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 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 2 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 for making us so welcome when we visited your school. We thoroughly enjoyed learning about your school and the things that you enjoy and that help you to learn well. This letter is to tell you about some of the important things we saw. We were really impressed with the very polite and grown-up way that you talked to us about your school. We particularly enjoyed meeting the school council who told us a lot about the things you like doing at school. We think you go to a safe and caring school where all the staff and governors are interested in what you do and know you well. We have asked your teachers to work hard on finding new ways to help you know more about how well you are doing, in providing work that is more challenging for some of you and allowing slightly more time for you to learn during the day. Mr Messer wants to involve all your teachers in making the school even better for you and we

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

agree. They have very good plans for doing this, that match what we have suggested. We know that when they put these plans into action your school will be even more exciting than it is now. It was good to find out that so many of you were happy at school, and that your parents said you were happy there as well. Keep working hard and enjoy your time at St George's!

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