Avenue Junior School

Inspection Report Avenue Middle School, Norwich

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120928 Unique Reference Number NORFOLK LEA LEA 280918 Inspection number 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 Inspection dates Mr. John Messer LI Reporting inspector

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

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Avenue Road School address Primary Type of school NR2 3HP Community School category 8 to 12 Age range of pupils 01603 441034 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01603 441035 Fax number 375 Number on roll Mrs.Kay Day Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority . Juris Zarins Headteacher 15 January 2001 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280918 19 September 2005 - 8 to 12 20 September 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 a team of three Additional Inspectors supported by two of Her Majesty's Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a large school on the outskirts of the city of Norwich. Pupils are taught in twelve classes in a Victorian building. Pupils enter the school with standards that are above average. There is a lower than average proportion of children who have learning difficulties and disabilities. Most pupils come from white English- speaking families. Around seventeen per cent are from minority ethnic backgrounds. A small number speak English as an additional language but none is at an early stage of speaking English. This middle school is subject to agreed re-organisation arrangements and is due to become a junior school in 2007.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Avenue Middle School, Norwich, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005

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Grade: 2

This is a good school that provides pupils with an effective education. The school's own findings match this judgement. Most pupils make good progress. Pupils attain standards that are above average in English, mathematics and science. Standards in music are high. The quality of teaching and learning is good. The curriculum is good and there is a strong emphasis on teaching the key skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology. Pupils enjoy most of the learning opportunities provided but say that a few lessons are not very interesting. Parents are happy with many aspects of the school but a significant number feel that the partnership between home and school to support children's learning could be improved. Pupils are well behaved and relationships are good. Those with learning difficulties and disabilities are supported well and make good progress. Governors work well with

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Grade: 2

the headteacher and staff. Together they provide good leadership and management. The school gives good value for money. It analyses its performance thoroughly and takes action to improve any areas of weakness. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory. It has good capacity to make further improvements.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Make sure that all lessons are as interesting as possible and stimulate pupils' enthusiasm for learning. - Review the ways in which the school communicates with parents and strengthen the partnership between home and school.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enter the school at the beginning of Year 4 with standards in reading, writing and mathematics that are above average. Pupils make good progress and attain standards that are significantly above average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils have clear and appropriately challenging targets to help them move through the stages of the National Curriculum. All groups, including those with special educational needs, achieve equally well. Many pupils play instruments and the performance of the school orchestra and choirs is of high quality. Pupils develop a wide range of skills in information and communication technology. They are articulate and express their views well.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good. When they join the school most are well behaved and mature for their age. The school builds well on these firm foundations in all age groups. Pupils enjoy their education, behave well and establish good relationships with other children and with adults. Older pupils set a good example to younger ones. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. This is a result of both 2 Inspection Report: Avenue Middle School, Norwich, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 the good attitudes to learning that pupils bring from home and the opportunities provided by the school. For instance, pupils appreciate the way that the school council acts to represent their views and how it has brought about improvements, such as introducing playground monitors. The school ensures that pupils work safely. Lessons effectively promote an understanding of healthy lifestyles, including the importance

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Grade: 2

of a good diet and attention to exercise. Many pupils would now like to have more access to healthy snacks and meals during the day so that they can put their lessons into practice. The school effectively develops the skills pupils will need as they get older. It teaches the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and computer skills well. It starts to prepare the oldest for the world of work by encouraging enterprises such as the school newspaper and by teaching simple financial skills. Pupils develop good levels of self-confidence. Attendance is above average and punctuality is good.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Teachers work well together in teams to plan lessons for each year group. This promotes consistency between classes. The quality of planning is good and helps pupils to learn new skills systematically in a step by step approach. Teachers keep detailed records of the progress that pupils make and use these well to set targets for further learning. Teachers form good relationships with pupils who settle happily into their new classes at the start of each new school year. Teachers maintain high expectations of pupils' performance and work is challenging. Pupils' skills in numeracy are particularly well developed and most learn to create powerful pieces of writing. They enjoy most lessons and several have begun to write short novels at home. Pupils are keen to learn and behave sensibly in lessons. They answer questions eagerly, are attentive and concentrate well. These positive attitudes help them to

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Grade: 2

make good progress. Teaching assistants are particularly good at supporting the slower learners and those with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a wide and interesting curriculum, including lessons that are in addition to those required by the National Curriculum. However, with greater creativity in curricular planning, a few lessons could be more stimulating. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to learn Spanish in Years 4 and 5 and French from Year 6. Pupils thoroughly enjoy learning new languages. Work in mathematics is improved by grouping pupils in Years 5 to 7 into ability sets. Music is greatly enhanced by visiting specialist music teachers. The curriculum is enriched by special events such as the 'Performing Arts Week'. There is a good range of after-school activities but these are mainly for the older pupils. Through the school council, pupils have requested more after- school activities and have been assured that these will be provided. The school is successful in developing pupils' awareness of safe and healthy living and economic awareness.

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Grade: 2

3 Inspection Report: Avenue Middle School, Norwich, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 Specialists provide pupils with good guidance about drugs awareness, sex education and about how to stay safe. The curriculum offers good opportunities for pupils to become confident and self-assured.

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Grade: 2

The quality of care is good. Children feel secure in the school and have adults to talk to if they are worried. The school increasingly seeks the views of its pupils about how well it is doing. Child protection arrangements are in place and there are satisfactory systems to deal with any accidents or incidents. The governors ensure that risk assessments are carried out well and they regularly check the school's arrangements for ensuring pupils' health and safety. Pupils are confident that the occasional incidents of bullying or racism are dealt with effectively by staff. The school's good target-setting arrangements mean that pupils know what to do to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school's evaluation that leadership and management are good. The headteacher and his deputy work together well to ensure the smooth running of the school. An ethos has been established that encourages all pupils to feel that they are valued members of the school community. It has good plans for further improvement and is well placed to manage the proposed reorganisation and transition to junior school status in 2007. The issues raised in the last report have been tackled successfully. There are now better systems to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning and pupils now have targets that help them to understand how they can reach the next steps in their learning. Subject leaders analyse standards in their areas of responsibility in order to identify where improvements might be made. This has ensured that standards have been maintained at above average levels. They check on the quality

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Grade: 2

of teaching and learning and make suggestions for improvement. However, the next stage, checking that the suggestions have been implemented, is not yet fully established. Governors provide good support and have helped the school to analyse its strengths and weaknesses. A new sports hall to share with three other schools has just been completed following a successful National Lottery bid. The school asks parents and pupils for their views about the quality of education provided. As a result it has identified the need to review and strengthen communication with parents and to involve parents more fully in their children's learning. The building is old and difficult to maintain but there is scope to create a more inviting and stimulating atmosphere. There are serious concerns about the school lavatories and several pupils correctly report that they are smelly and unpleasant. The school is well aware of this problem.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher and governors have tried hard to improve the facilities and they are desperately keen to upgrade the lavatories as a matter of urgency. There have been delays with planned improvements and school refurbishment due to problems with the company managing the project. 4 Inspection Report: Avenue Middle School, Norwich, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 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: Avenue Middle School, Norwich, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Yes 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

We enjoyed visiting your school. Thank you very much for being so friendly and helpful. We think that Avenue Middle School is a good school. Most of you enjoy your lessons and make good progress. Your teachers work hard to help you. The teachers and other staff are sensitive to the needs of you all. You enjoy learning and find most of the lessons stimulating but a few are not as interesting as they could be. You are particularly good at reading, writing, mathematics and science. You develop a good range of skills in ICT and many of you are exceptionally good at playing musical instruments. The school choirs and the orchestra perform to a high standard. You are good at expressing your views clearly. We were impressed with your maturity and how sensible you are. You behave well and are considerate to the feelings of others. You are courteous and thoughtful. We know that you want to help the staff to make the school even

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

better. We think that your headteacher gives good leadership and makes sure that everything runs smoothly. The school governors work closely with the staff to plan improvements. They have been successful in building a new sports hall for you to share with other local schools. They have tried very hard to get the lavatories improved but they have met with difficulties with the people who are supposed to be organising the work. The school spends its money sensibly and they have saved up enough to redecorate the building and improve the learning conditions. There are two main things the school needs to do to make it even better. One is to make sure that all lessons are as interesting as they possibly can be so that you become even more enthusiastic about learning. The school tries hard to work with your parents to help you learn effectively but some parents think that communications should be better. Consequently

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

we are asking the school to think hard about how the partnership between the school and your parents could be strengthened. We wish you all every success in the future and feel sure that you, the staff of the school, governors and parents will soon make the school even better.

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