Pickering Community Junior School

Inspection Report Pickering Community Junior School

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121356 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire LEA 280993 Inspection number 15 March 2006 to 16 March 2006 Inspection dates Mr Ralph Higgs CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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

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Middleton Road School address Primary Type of school Pickering Community School category North Yorkshire YO18 8AJ 7 to 11 Age range of pupils 01751 472873 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01751 472956 Fax number 309 Number on roll Mrs K Hartas Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr A Clark Headteacher 25 September 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280993 15 March 2006 - 7 to 11 16 March 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

This large junior school serves a widespread rural community around the market town of Pickering, North Yorkshire. Pupils come from a wide range of family circumstances and almost all are white British. Attainment on entry is broadly average and the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is also average. The school provides training for new teachers and holds a number of awards, including Investors in People and local authority awards for its work with pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Pickering Community Junior School, 15 March 2006 to 16 March 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school, which is continuing to improve. It gives good value for money. Pupils' personal development is outstanding. Inspectors confirm the school's view of its overall effectiveness. The headteacher provides very clear direction and has created a culture of improvement that is evident in the work of the whole staff. Inspection evidence indicates that as a result, the standards achieved are rising, albeit slowly. Pupils reach standards that by Year 6 are broadly average overall, and significantly above average in mathematics, which reflects good progress. However, more could be done to boost the achievement of gifted and talented pupils and check on their progress. The quality of teaching is consistently good and the curriculum is rich and varied, meeting most pupils' needs well. Pupils' personal development is outstanding. Their behaviour is excellent and they are very keen to learn. Pupils are very willing to help one another and relationships are

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Grade: 2

first class. Their commitment to keeping healthy is outstanding. Pupils feel very safe, well looked after and greatly enjoy coming to school. They attend school regularly and their punctuality is very good. Parents are very pleased with how their children develop and have great confidence in the school. Self-evaluation is effective, giving senior leaders and governors a clear picture of the school. Hence, their priorities for improvement are the right ones. The school has continued to develop well since the last inspection and has a good capacity to further improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Extend the use of the new system for monitoring pupils' progress to check that all groups are reaching their potential. • Ensure that provision for gifted and talented pupils is more coherent and more effectively monitored.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enter the school with broadly average attainment, although fewer are above average than in the past. Standards are broadly average at the end of Key Stage 2, though there was a dip in the school's performance in national tests in 2004. Despite this dip, pupils' progress is improving and their achievement is now good. The pupils' best performance is in mathematics, as it generally has been over the past five years. The current Year 6 pupils are on course to reach above average standards in this subject. In English, standards are higher than they were because more pupils are reaching higher levels. This is due to improvements in the teaching of writing and the impact of creating smaller classes in Year 6. Science standards are also improving as pupils' benefit from learning through investigations. As a result, more pupils are reaching both the average and higher levels. 2 Inspection Report: Pickering Community Junior School, 15 March 2006 to 16 March 2006

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Grade: 2

In work seen, pupils are making good progress in all year groups. The school has taken effective action following the dip in standards in English and science. Test results have been scrutinised carefully to enable teachers to focus on the areas most needing improvement. This has meant the school has been able to set more challenging targets, particularly in English. Support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities has been sharpened, and they too are making mostly good progress from their starting points.

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Grade: 1

This is outstanding. Pupils enjoy school a great deal, reflected by their high attendance levels. They know how they should behave and abide closely by the rules. Pupils work hard and play responsibly even when unsupervised. The school is a hive of activity and pupils enthusiastically take part in the many activities on offer. Whether solving a mathematics problem, performing in the band or playing for a school sports team, pupils co-operate very well together. They are also very clear about what to do to become fit, healthy and stay safe. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils gain a true sense of wonder in many areas of the curriculum. This fires their imagination and makes learning exciting. Pupils learn to care for each other and relationships are constructive. For example, 'peer mediators' quickly settle the occasional playground dispute. Pupils also develop good cultural awareness. They enjoy working with skilled

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Grade: 1

visitors, such as potters, poets and dancers. The skills, practices and attitudes developed prepare them well for their future well-being. The school has a very strong community spirit and pupils play an important role in its running. School councillors take their roles very seriously, reaching democratic decisions. As one councillor explained, 'without the school council, we wouldn't be able to discuss how to make the school better!'

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good. As a result, pupils achieve well. Teachers' high expectations create a very good atmosphere for learning. Mathematics is very well taught. Teachers have responded strongly to the need to improve writing standards and are systematically implementing a new programme of work throughout the school. Teachers are increasingly linking work in different subjects to give pupils' writing greater relevance and purpose. Significant strides have been made in the teaching of information and communication technology (ICT). It is being used well for homework for older pupils. Interactive whiteboards are creatively exploited, often making learning fun. 3 Inspection Report: Pickering Community Junior School, 15 March 2006 to 16 March 2006 There is very good provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Their needs are precisely diagnosed. Teaching assistants provide very effective support,

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Grade: 2

both in lessons and in the withdrawn group sessions. Assessment is now sharper and so progress more secure. However, opportunities are sometimes missed to encourage these pupils to speak to the class. Although more able pupils are achieving better, it is only recently that those with particular gifts and talents have been identified. They could be given more consistent challenges to extend their learning. The quality of assessment is very good. Teachers listen carefully to pupils to evaluate their responses. This is evident at the end of many lessons when pupils discuss their work with the class. Marking is equally well used to give praise, analyse weakness and set clear targets for improvement.

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school that the curriculum is good. It meets statutory requirements. Pupils benefit from a broad and stimulating curriculum that is kept under constant review. For example, a theme based approach is being developed as part of the drive to raise standards of writing. Increasingly, ICT is being used to enhance and link work together across different subjects. The curriculum is adapted very well for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, but less so for pupils with special gifts and talents as there are few specific opportunities provided to extend their learning. The school has achieved an Artsmark, an Active Mark and an International Schools' Award, which recognise the quality of provision in these areas. The school grounds have been creatively adapted to provide a broad range of learning challenges, such as a climbing wall and chess boards. Sport is promoted strongly within lessons, at break

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Grade: 2

times and beyond the school day. Pupils learn to develop a healthy lifestyle and how to keep safe. Many visits, clubs and activities extend their interests.

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Grade: 2

Inspectors confirm the school's view that the care, guidance and support for pupils, including for the most vulnerable, are good. Staff provide a high level of care for all pupils. This is evident in the comprehensive procedures to ensure pupils' health, safety and well-being. Child protection systems are very thorough and well understood by all adults. Very effective partnerships with external support services ensure high quality provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Detailed records enable pupils' personal development to be closely monitored. Pupils are provided with clear advice to reinforce and reward positive behaviour, including by the use of a 'citizens' card'. The school works hard to gain the support of parents and involve them in their child's learning. Teachers know how well their pupils are learning through careful marking and use this effectively to give positive feedback to promote improvement. However, the whole

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Grade: 2

4 Inspection Report: Pickering Community Junior School, 15 March 2006 to 16 March 2006 school tracking of progress has not developed fully. It has not yet been fully exploited to check how well all groups of pupils have progressed and if they have reached their potential. For example, gifted and talented pupils have only recently been identified and their progress is not yet tracked.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides very good leadership with a strong focus on raising standards and extending opportunities for learning. He has created a culture of improvement, which is shared by the whole staff. Teachers and teaching assistants have responded very well to the pace of change and display a strong commitment to the success of the school. This is evident in the high degree of consistency in the quality of teaching, in the very good support given to pupils, and in the positive ethos for learning. Staff and governors work effectively together to move the school forward and the school takes account of the views of parents and pupils in arriving at priorities for improvement. Systems of self-evaluation are robust, enabling governors and senior leaders to establish a clear picture of strengths and weaknesses. However, the use of data to evaluate the progress of different groups of pupils across the school is less

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Grade: 2

well developed. The school is managed very well and runs smoothly. The addition of a representative of the teaching assistant staff to the senior leadership team is indicative of the partnership between staff. The school invests productively in professional development. The budget is used wisely and resources and staffing levels are good. The school uses its accommodation very well. Excellent partnerships with external agencies, for example, with a national scheme for teacher training, benefit the school. The points arising from the last inspection have been dealt with effectively and the school has a good capacity to sustain improvement. 5 Inspection Report: Pickering Community Junior School, 15 March 2006 to 16 March 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: Pickering Community Junior School, 15 March 2006 to 16 March 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 1 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 3 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 1 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 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 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 the welcome you gave the inspection team during our recent visit. We were impressed by your friendliness and by how confidently you expressed yourselves. The information you gave helped us a great deal to understand your school. These are the main things we found out during the inspection. Your school provides you with a good education and, as a result, we judged your personal development to be outstanding. We were very impressed by how well you behave and get on with one another. We noticed that you work very hard and try to do your best in lessons. You obviously feel part of the school and take great pride in it. There is a buzz of excitement about your school. We agree with you that school is really enjoyable because lessons are interesting and there are lots of clubs and teams and different things to do at playtimes. Teachers carefully plan activities for you to learn, so you can improve your work and acquire useful skills. You clearly enjoy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

mathematics lessons and are good at using computers. You clearly know how to keep safe, healthy and fit. We were impressed by the interest you take in the wider world and your willingness to share your views and act upon them; for example, in the school council. Although your headteacher, governors and staff are working hard to make sure you get a good education, there are a few other things that could be done. You make mostly good progress but your school could help you learn even better. Your teachers will be keeping a closer check on your progress and ensuring that if you have special gifts or talents that you will be given extra challenges. Once again, thank you for talking to us and being helpful during the inspection.

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