Robert Kett Primary School

Inspection Report Robert Kett Junior School

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121196 Unique Reference Number NORFOLK Local Authority 280954 Inspection number 11 °12 October 2006 Inspection dates Tricia Pritchard HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Hewitts Lane School address Junior Type of school Wymondham Foundation School category Norfolk NR18 0LS 7 °11 Age range of pupils 01953603405 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01953601261 Fax number 550 Number on roll (school) Mr Mike Heard Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Malcolm Gray Headteacher 1 November 1999 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280954 11 °12 October 2006 7°11 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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools and two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Robert Kett is a very large junior school. The majority of pupils who join the school in Year 3 come from the two feeder infant schools in Wymondham. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below the national average. There are very few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and with English as an additional language. There is low pupil mobility.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Robert Kett Junior School, 11 °12 October 2006

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Grade: 2

Robert Kett Junior School is a very good school. Pupils make good progress and achieve well. By the time they leave at the end of Year 6, they attain standards in English, mathematics and science which are exceptionally high. The proportion of higher attaining pupils has steadily increased over the last three years. Pupils' performance in science is consistently very good and attributable to the strong emphasis placed on providing opportunities for pupils to engage in experimental work. Staff and governors are focused firmly on raising standards and are pro-active in introducing strategies to raise performance. This is particularly evident in English, where overall standards have risen considerably in the last three years as a result of efficient and effective deployment of staff, the setting of pupils, and increased resources, exemplified by the development of the library. The school is well aware, however, through its extremely

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Grade: 2

rigorous tracking of pupils' performance that boys' writing remains an area for development. Pupils' rate of progress is good. It is better in English than in mathematics. There is scope for focusing more on problem-solving in mathematics in order to boost further the progress of middle and lower attaining pupils. The quality of teaching is good overall. The senior management team is well aware of the strengths and weaknesses through regular lesson observations and scrutiny of pupils' work. Leaders take appropriate action to support any weaknesses. The organisation of the school timetable is exemplary. Pupils have access to an outstanding, broad and well balanced curriculum which is enhanced by a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils' individual needs and interests are met well. This contributes to their outstanding personal development, positive attitudes to learning and obvious enjoyment.

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Grade: 2

Relationships are very good and there is an excellent caring ethos throughout the school. Behaviour is excellent. Leadership and management are outstanding. The leadership of the headteacher is excellent and widely recognised by parents, staff and governors. Management at all levels is very good. Self-evaluation is accurate and informs the improvement planning process. Governors are highly effective at carrying out their roles and responsibilities. The school demonstrates excellent capacity to improve even further and offers excellent value for money. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the education their children receive. 'My child's strengths and personal interests have always been acknowledged. His weaknesses have been identified and are now quickly disappearing.'

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What the school should do to improve further

- Improve the standard of boys' writing. - Accelerate the progress made by middle and lower attaining pupils in mathematics by providing more problem-solving opportunities.

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Grade: 2

Pupils join the school in Year 3, having previously attained high scores for reading, mathematics and science at the end of Year 2. On entry, standards of writing are lower 2 Inspection Report: Robert Kett Junior School, 11 °12 October 2006 and in line with national expectations. Pupils consistently make very good progress in science and good progress in English, particularly in reading. In mathematics, their progress is at least satisfactory. This discrepancy arises because of the uneven progress made by middle and lower attaining pupils in mathematics because they do not get enough problems solving activities. Year 6 pupils consistently attain scores for English, mathematics and science which are significantly higher than the national average; over the last three years there has been a very considerable improvement in English. In 2005, the English and science results were particularly high, and in 2006, the pupils'

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Grade: 2

performance in writing was the best ever. There has been a considerable and steady increase each year in the number of higher attaining pupils who gain level 5. In 2005, the proportion of pupils attaining Level 5 was significantly above the national average and in 2006 it was even greater. There is no significant difference between the attainment and progress of boys and girls in reading but there is a marked difference in their writing scores. In 2006, twenty-six percent more girls than boys met or exceeded national expectations for writing at the end of Year 6. In mathematics, boys performed better than girls although the differential was less. Pupils who speak English as an additional language and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress; especially in English and science.

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Grade: 1

The view of one Year 6 pupil reflects that of other pupils; he says he loves this school and does not want to leave. Pupils are well motivated and demonstrate high level independent learning skills. Above average attendance confirms their enjoyment of school. Behaviour is exemplary. Pupils are highly articulate, polite and respectful. They enjoy taking responsibility. School council members are proud that school meals have improved as a result of their request for healthier food. Pupils know how to eat healthily and enjoy taking physical exercise. They possess a very good financial awareness as a result of the many opportunities they have to raise money for charity and the introduction of the cash cafeteria system. They feel safe at school and know who to approach if they are worried. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very well supported throughout the curriculum and enhanced further through well

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Grade: 1

planned assemblies, teamwork and an excellent programme of residential visits.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good overall. Lessons are well planned and teachers' expectations are high. Teachers assess carefully pupils' progress and they differentiate work to match their individual learning needs. The setting of pupils for mathematics and English works well. Pupils with additional learning needs are well supported. In all year groups there is a good emphasis on developing pupils' speaking and listening 3 Inspection Report: Robert Kett Junior School, 11 °12 October 2006 skills. Increasingly, teachers are encouraging pupils to develop skills in assessing their own work. This is good practice. The best teaching is outstanding and characterised by very good interaction between teacher and pupils, the teachers' infectious enthusiasm, their excellent subject knowledge and a fast pace to the lesson. Where teaching is only satisfactory, it is because the pace of the lesson is too slow and

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Grade: 2

teaching assistants are not well deployed for the whole of the lesson. The presentation of pupils' work is exemplary and reflects pupils' pride in their work. Homework is used effectively to consolidate learning. Parents comment very positively about the strong partnership between home and school to support learning.

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Grade: 1

The planning, timetabling and organisation of the curriculum are exemplary. There is a very good balance between focusing on developing pupils' literacy and mathematics skills and ensuring that pupils have good access to the whole range of subjects. Equality of opportunity is promoted well throughout the curriculum. Pupils have very good opportunities to participate in physical exercise under the direction of professional sports coaches, and to take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. The school's approach to curriculum organisation and development is a key strength and is based upon thorough self-evaluation. For example, in order to improve boys' writing, the two higher attaining literacy sets in Years 5 and 6 have been grouped to achieve a better balance of boys and girls in each set. The school is making good progress in using information and communication technology to support teaching and learning

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Grade: 1

in all subjects and has identified that further resources and staff training are required. Pupils have very good opportunities to investigate and solve problems in science. There is scope for extending this very good practice further to include more problem-solving activities in mathematics.

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Grade: 1

'My child soon settled into the school and made several wonderful friends. I am sure he was helped tremendously by the warm and caring staff and by the pupils around him.' This comment made by one parent sums up the views of most parents. Pupils are exceptionally well cared for pastorally and academically. Staffing levels are very good and ensure pupils' safety. Careful attention is paid to health and safety and child protection procedures are very thorough. Arrangements for transition, both within school and between schools are very good and contribute to pupils settling in quickly and happily into their new classes. Provision for the few pupils who speak English as an additional language is excellent. The school actively seeks and acts upon the views of pupils and parents to ensure that the pupils' academic and pastoral needs are met. 4 Inspection Report: Robert Kett Junior School, 11 °12 October 2006

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Grade: 1

The headteacher's leadership is outstanding. He provides strong direction and is very ably supported by senior managers and by well informed governors. All are highly effective in supporting the school's self-evaluation processes. There are clear links between the outcomes of self-evaluation and the school improvement plan, which is focused firmly upon raising standards further and promoting the well-being of all pupils. The recently revised management structure is based upon a clear rationale. Management at all levels is very good, including the management of special educational needs. The senior management team has a clear remit and is well guided by the headteacher to formulate longer term strategic objectives to meet local and national priorities. Outstanding features are the leadership team's rigorous approach to tracking pupils' progress and attainment from year to year and the use that is made of the

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Grade: 1

information to target resources efficiently in order to support pupils' learning. Communication with parents is excellent. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the leadership and management of the school. One parent wrote: 'We feel that the school is run and managed excellently. Views are always sought and any problems, no matter how trivial, are always taken on board.' 5 Inspection Report: Robert Kett Junior School, 11 °12 October 2006 .

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Grade: 1

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Robert Kett Junior School, 11 °12 October 2006

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 1 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Robert Kett Junior School, 11 °12 October 2006

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Robert Kett Junior School, 11 °12 October 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

October 2006 The Pupils, Robert Kett Junior School, Hewitts Lane, Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18 0LS Mr Miller, Ms Richmond, and I enjoyed meeting you when we visited your school on 11 and 12 October. Thank you for making us so welcome and for talking to us about your work. Your school is very good. It sets and achieves high standards. You and your parents are right to be so proud about the education you receive. We were very impressed with lots of aspects of the school. In particular, we congratulate you on your behaviour and the presentation of your work. Your teachers work hard to plan interesting lessons. Lessons are well timetabled to enable you to get a very good balance between all the other subjects. In addition, you have many opportunities to join out-of-school clubs. These all contribute to the good progress you make and the exceptionally high standards achieved in English, science and mathematics by

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

the end of Year 6. You have lots of opportunities to experiment and solve problems in science and we have suggested that you are given similar problem-solving opportunities in mathematics. We also know that boys have not done as well as girls in writing previously but we are pleased to see how keen both boys and girls are to improve the quality of their writing. The teachers are rightly focusing on helping you to improve the quality of your writing and you are making good progress. We enjoyed seeing you use the new library and computer suite to support your learning. Your school is very well led and managed. Mr Gray's leadership is outstanding and he is very ably supported by staff and governors. Robert Kett School is successful because it is always striving to get even better. It does not stand still! I wish you all good luck for the future. Yours sincerely Tricia Pritchard HMI 9 Inspection Report: Robert Kett Junior School, 11 °12 October 2006

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