Innsworth Junior School

Inspection Report Innsworth Junior School

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115562 Unique Reference Number Gloucestershire LEA 279627 Inspection number 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006 Inspection dates David Westall AI Reporting inspector

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

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Rookery Road School address Primary Type of school Innsworth Community School category Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL3 1AX 7 to 11 Age range of pupils

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01452 730377 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01452 730 377 Fax number 245 Number on roll Mr Roy Oakley Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Lynfa Jenkins Headteacher 25 September 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279627 7 February 2006 - 7 to 11 8 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

Although the school receives pupils from a wide range of backgrounds, the socio-economic circumstances of parents are generally favourable. About 40% of pupils come from service families connected with the Royal Air Force administration centre at Innsworth. The percentage of pupils identified as having learning difficulties or disabilities is average, and the take-up of free school meals is low. Very few pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Innsworth Junior School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006

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Grade: 3

This is a sound school which provides satisfactory value for money. The quality of teaching is satisfactory and means that pupils build steadily on their standards on entry to the school, which are higher than is typical nationally. Consequently, standards in Year 6 are above average and represent satisfactory achievement. There is some good and outstanding teaching, which spurs pupils’ progress. However, much of the teaching is only satisfactory, and occasionally there are lessons which are inadequate. While assessment procedures are sound, the information built up is not always used well enough. These factors restrict pupils’ progress. The school is a caring community and pupils’ personal development, well-being and attendance are strengths. Pupils have positive attitudes to school and their behaviour is good. The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory, and the quality of self-evaluation is

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Grade: 3

adequate. Although the school overestimates its strengths and its effectiveness, it is not complacent and has a realistic view of what it needs to improve. The quality of teaching is checked regularly, particularly by the headteacher, and teachers are given useful feedback. However, when weaknesses are found, they are not always followed up with enough tenacity, for example, to improve satisfactory teaching to good teaching. The headteacher provides a clear sense of direction. However, the work of the senior management team is underdeveloped, and too much responsibility for school improvement rests with the headteacher. The school has made adequate progress since its last inspection and is in a sound position to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Eliminate unsatisfactory teaching and increase the amount of good teaching in the school, ensuring that results from monitoring are followed up. • Ensure that assessment information is used consistently to improve learning. • Improve the work of the senior management team so that it plays a more prominent role in helping the headteacher to set and achieve the school’s goals.

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Grade: 3

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. It is restricted by teaching which is satisfactory rather than better. When pupils’ standards in English, mathematics and science are considered together, they are above average in Year 6, as they have been for the last five years. These standards reflect pupils’ satisfactory overall progress from their above-average test results in Year 2. However, in 2005, pupils’ progress in writing slowed so the English results dipped in Year 6 and demonstrated underachievement. The school has taken effective action to rectify this weakness. Pupils are now making sound progress in writing and standards have improved in English in Year 6, demonstrating pupils’ satisfactory achievement. The school met its realistic targets for the percentages of pupils reaching the expected standards in English and mathematics in Year 6 in 2005. However, it missed its challenging target for the

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Grade: 3

2 Inspection Report: Innsworth Junior School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006 percentage achieving above the expected standard in English. The English and mathematics targets for 2006 are reasonable, and the school is on course to meet all of these. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities make satisfactory progress because they are given sound support. The achievement of the most capable pupils is also satisfactory, and there are some examples of writing and mathematics of high quality from very talented pupils. The small number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds do as well as their peers.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good. They behave well and develop warm relationships with other pupils and staff. Overall, pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. Occasionally, however, pupils’ interest wanes because they are expected to listen to their teachers for too long. The attendance rate is good. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good; assemblies and religious education lessons promote these qualities well through themes such as ‘Trust’ and ‘Prayer’. Pupils are aware of the needs of others, and value the ‘Buddy-Stop’ system in the playground where pupils can make new friends. They accept responsibility well, including by acting as peer mediators to resolve problems between pupils and by dealing with school phone calls during lunchtimes. Representatives take membership of the school council seriously and talk with pride about how they help to improve their school, stating,

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Grade: 2

“This is a very caring school where people work together as a team”. These opportunities develop pupils’ self-reliance and enable them to work cooperatively, preparing them well for future life. Pupils make a positive contribution to the community, for example, by fundraising for good causes, and by inviting senior citizens to celebrations and productions. They feel safe, are safety conscious and understand the importance of healthy eating. They also recognise the need for regular exercise and appreciate the opportunities offered by regular physical education lessons and sports clubs.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching is satisfactory and enables pupils to make sound progress in their learning. However, the teaching ranges from inadequate to outstanding. All teachers have secure subjects knowledge, provide pupils with clear explanations and manage behaviour well. Weaknesses occur in some lessons when there is too much teacher talk and too little pupil activity, when teachers do not have high enough expectations for pupils’ achievement, and when opportunities are missed to probe pupils’ understanding through welltargeted questioning. Very occasionally, these weaknesses are so acute that teaching becomes inadequate. Excellent subject knowledge and organisational skills are features of the best lessons. For example, during the inspection, the choice of high quality literature and vivid explanations of 3 Inspection Report: Innsworth Junior School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006 the lives of children in Victorian London were highly effective in inspiring pupils’ own

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Grade: 3

poetry and story writing. Assessment arrangements are satisfactory and new procedures for assessing writing are contributing to improving standards. However, assessment information is not used consistently by all staff – for example, to track pupils’ achievement and to set challenging targets to raise standards. Pupils do not always have a clear understanding of what they need to do to improve, and this restricts their learning.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. It meets statutory requirements and is usually matched to the learning needs of all pupils, including those with learning difficulties or disabilities. However, planning does not always take information gained from assessment into account. As a result, expectations in lessons are sometimes not high enough. Satisfactory provision is made for the development of pupils’ key skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology. Opportunities for planned links between subjects have been recently improved and the extension of pupils’ writing skills, in subjects other than English, is having a beneficial effect. Provision for pupils’ personal development is good. Opportunities for pupils to use their initiative and organise things for themselves, such as in the publication of a school magazine that is sold for charity, prepare them well for their future economic

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Grade: 3

well-being. Pupils’ enjoyment and interest in learning are successfully boosted by a good number of educational visits and visitors and through links with local schools and colleges. Learning opportunities are also extended through a good range of after-school clubs, particularly in sport and music.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good and pupils feel safe and secure. Pupils know that they can take any worries they may have to the staff, and that they will be supported well. Parents are very pleased with the way their children are looked after at school, and their views were clearly exemplified by the response of one parent to the inspection questionnaire: “Innsworth School really does believe that every child matters”. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and supportive, and pupils help each other, for example, by acting as peer mediators to sort out problems. Comprehensive child protection procedures are in place and rigorous health and safety checks are carried out regularly. Most staff are trained in child protection procedures and First Aid. All teachers know their pupils well and support pupils’ personal development effectively. Their support for pupils’ academic development is satisfactory, although

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Grade: 2

some pupils are not made sufficiently aware of their targets in learning. 4 Inspection Report: Innsworth Junior School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory and provide the school with a sound capacity for further improvement. Overall, the quality of the school’s selfevaluation is adequate. Although it overrates the school’s overall performance, by giving too much emphasis to the above-average standards the pupils reach rather than their satisfactory progress, it nevertheless has a realistic view of what needs to improve. For example, following a dip in pupils’ achievement in writing in 2005, sensible actions were taken to improve teachers’ knowledge, to establish a more secure framework to guide their planning, and to ensure that each knew exactly which pupils needed extra help to do better. These strategies have helped to improve pupils’ writing skills. The headteacher checks the quality of teaching through regular observations and provides well-focused feedback. This generally has a beneficial effect on teachers’ work.

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Grade: 3

However, its impact is restricted because the weaker elements identified are not always followed up with enough tenacity. As a result, though there have been improvements, some deficiencies in satisfactory lessons have not been rectified and inadequate teaching has not been fully eliminated. The school improvement plan identifies relevant priorities and has successfully guided improvement in pupils’ writing in the current academic year. The work of subject leaders is sound. However, the role of the senior management team is underdeveloped, and too much responsibility for setting and achieving the school’s goals rests with the headteacher. Equal opportunities are soundly promoted, and good links exist with parents and external agencies to support the school’s work. School governance is satisfactory. 5 Inspection Report: Innsworth Junior School, 7 February 2006 to 8 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: Innsworth Junior School, 7 February 2006 to 8 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 3 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 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 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 3 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

Dear Pupils, Thank you for welcoming us into your school and being so friendly, polite and helpful. Here are some of the good things we found out. • You enjoy school, like your teachers and have lots of friends. • You behave well in lessons and at other times. • The adults in the school take good care of you and you know who to go to if you need some help. • You get on well with other children, help each other and are keen to take on responsibilities in school. • Some lessons are really well taught. We also found a few things the school needs to improve. We want the school to make sure that there is more good teaching so that you can do even better. We found that some teachers could improve the way they check your progress and make sure that you understand your targets. We also want some teachers to play a bigger part in helping the headteacher to run the school and make improvements. Thank you again for your

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

kindness when we visited you. Yours sincerely David Westall Lead inspector

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