Arno Vale Junior School

Inspection Report Arno Vale Junior School

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122509 Unique Reference Number NOTTINGHAMSHIRE LEA LEA 281284 Inspection number 9 February 2006 to 10 February 2006 Inspection dates Keith Edwards AI Reporting inspector

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

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Saville Road School address Junior Type of school NG5 4JF Community School category 7 to 11 Age range of pupils 01159536400 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01159536406 Fax number 245 Number on roll Mr John Elderkin Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Chris Blount Headteacher 4 December 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281284 9 February 2006 - 7 to 11 10 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 a team of three Additional Inspectors led by Mr Keith Edwards.

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Description of the school

The school serves the suburb of Woodthorpe on the outskirts of Nottingham. Most of the children live locally. They are taught in eight classes. Most of the pupils are White British and come from homes where English is the first language. The socio-economic circumstances are favourable for most families, for example, the number of pupils entitled to a free school meal is well below average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties, including those with statements of special educational need, is below that in most schools.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Arno Vale Junior School, 9 February 2006 to 10 February 2006

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Grade: 4

Whilst the school provides a generally acceptable standard of education, underlying weaknesses remain. Since the last inspection, the school has eliminated the pockets of unsatisfactory teaching and has successfully enhanced its capacity for the teaching of information and communication technology (ICT). The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and the personal development of the pupils is good. Standards are above average. The accommodation is much better. These improvements demonstrate that the school has the capacity to improve itself further. However, there is still much inconsistency of practice, particularly in terms of assessment and the quality of self-review. The school lacks a robust process for self-evaluation and consequently its view of itself is too generous in many respects. For example, the leadership and management of the school cannot be good whilst the role of key personnel such as the deputy headteacher and the leaders in each of the core subjects

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Grade: 4

remain at an early stage of development. All too often the progress of the pupils is left to chance rather than being based on a careful analysis of their learning needs. This results in underachievement for different groups of pupils; this was particularly evident in the 2005 national test results for pupils in Year 6. The school recognises what needs to be done to raise achievement and the provision for multicultural education, but the necessary sharing of responsibility and accountability has not yet been achieved. The school does not provide satisfactory value for money. In accordance with the Section 13(3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majestys Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement because it is performing less well than in all the circumstances it could be reasonably expected to perform. The school is therefore given a Notice to Improve and significant improvement is required

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Grade: 4

in relation to aspects of leadership and management and pupils achievement.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Develop the leadership roles of the headteacher, deputy headteacher and subject leaders to establish rigorous monitoring procedures and to establish consistency of practice. - Implement clear and rigorous assessment procedures to inform lesson planning and raise achievement. - Fully implement the schools initiative to promote multicultural education.

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Grade: 4

From the time of the last inspection until 2004, standards improved steadily and were above the national average and the school received an Achievement Award. Standards remain above average in English, mathematics and science but the 2005 national test results reflect weaknesses in the pupils performance. The school did not meet all of the targets set for Year 6 because groups of pupils did not make the progress expected of them. Pupils with learning difficulties benefited from sensitive support and guidance, and were enabled to reach their potential; their progress in lessons was particularly 2 Inspection Report: Arno Vale Junior School, 9 February 2006 to 10 February 2006 good. Many of the potentially higher-attaining pupils in Year 6 succeeded in achieving the higher grades but many of the average-attaining pupils, particularly amongst the boys, did not achieve their expected grades. Results in these national tests were

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Grade: 4

impaired by the schools lack of rigour in its assessment procedures. Although the school analyses results to identify gaps in what is being taught, too little attention is given to using this data to raise expectations of achievement.

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Grade: 2

Pupils like coming to school and enjoy the majority of their lessons. They feel safe and are very well cared for. They feel confident to take any problems to their teachers and know that any incidents of bullying or racism will be dealt with firmly. Attendance is very good and consistently well above average. Moral and social development is very good. The outstanding behaviour found in the school reflects the hard work and consistent approach taken by all staff to maintain these levels. As a result, pupils are polite and friendly to visitors and understand how their behaviour and attitudes affect others. In most classes teachers motivate pupils well so that they learn to follow rules and are keen to take on responsibilities. The pupils spiritual and cultural awareness is satisfactory overall. While pupils are very active in raising funds for a range of charities, the school recognises it is not doing enough to develop multi-cultural awareness. The

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Grade: 2

school promotes pupils knowledge of healthy lifestyles very well. The school council has made a positive contribution to the community by its actions to recycle, reduce and reuse all forms of waste. There are good arrangements for the next steps in the pupils education and they are appropriately prepared for their wider role as young citizens.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The school has successfully eliminated the areas of unsatisfactory teaching reported in the last inspection. The teachers in each year group plan well together to ensure that provision is consistent. Teaching assistants make a good contribution to the pupils learning, particularly those with learning difficulties. In each year group there is good practice and there are examples of vibrant and exciting learning. For example, pupils in Year 5 were thrilled to make new paper by recycling waste. Other pupils applied their scientific knowledge and labelling skills well in practical design activities. In all classes, the teachers manage behaviour well and make good use of adult support. However, too little use is made of ICT to support learning in other subjects. The key weakness in teaching is the lack of structure to the assessment of the pupils work. There is little consistency in the

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Grade: 3

monitoring and recording of the pupils achievement. As a result teachers planning too frequently lacks a clear focus so that pupils are not always challenged as rigorously as they might be. While teachers mark pupils work regularly, their comments do not 3 Inspection Report: Arno Vale Junior School, 9 February 2006 to 10 February 2006 consistently show pupils how they might improve their work. Furthermore, too little attention is given to developing the pupils higher order reading skills in a systematic way and to discussing with the pupils what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory curriculum for its pupils. It includes all the subjects that it should and has taken steps to ensure that pupils build the skills in different subjects in a logical sequence. It has begun to improve the way that pupils use ICT to support learning in other subjects, though there is still some way to go. There is a wide range of after-school clubs, some of which lead to strong sporting success. While occasional visitors support pupils learning, for example of other religions, the school does not do as much as it might to develop their understanding of other cultures and lifestyles. Visits are limited in number.

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Grade: 3

The care, guidance and support for learners are satisfactory overall. There are real strengths in the pastoral care of pupils, but conversely some weaknesses on the academic side. Pupils are taught how to keep safe and there is good guidance about what they can do to stay healthy, such as having their food passport stamped if they choose healthy food for lunch. Child protection arrangements are clearly understood by all staff and they are regularly reviewed. Pupils are frequently reassured that they should talk to an adult if they are at all concerned. Risk assessments are carefully attended to. Any pupil at risk is identified early and support arrangements are put in place. Pupils with special educational needs are well cared for and supported. The school has recently begun to inform pupils about what they need to do next to improve their learning. As yet, however, not all pupils have a clear understanding of these

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Grade: 3

targets and some do not achieve as well as they might.

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Grade: 4

The long-serving team of the headteacher and the deputy headteacher have established a climate where each child is valued and where all feel safe and secure. Parents speak highly of the school and are very satisfied with the quality of education and care their children receive. The school has made some significant improvements since the last inspection. The quality of teaching has improved. The accommodation now meets the needs of the pupils and the school is far better equipped to provide for the ICT curriculum. All told, these changes suggest that the school has the means to improve further still. However, key issues remain unresolved. The school has no effective procedures for self-evaluation. The schools view of its own performance is too generous in key areas, particularly in achievement, teaching and learning, and assessment. The leadership team does not have a sufficient focus on standards and consequently has

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Grade: 4

4 Inspection Report: Arno Vale Junior School, 9 February 2006 to 10 February 2006 not ensured consistency of practice, particularly in terms of assessment procedures. The governors are very loyal but are not sufficiently mindful of the need to monitor academic standards. Although resources are used satisfactorily to improve the schools work, there are weaknesses in achievement and so the school does not currently provide satisfactory value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Arno Vale Junior School, 9 February 2006 to 10 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: Arno Vale Junior School, 9 February 2006 to 10 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 4 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 4 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 4 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 1 The behaviour of learners NA 1 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 3 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 3 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 4 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 4 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 4 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 4 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

The Pupils Arno Vale Junior School Saville Road Woodthorpe Nottinghamshire NG5 4JF 13 February 2006 Dear Pupils I really enjoyed my visit to your school recently. The other inspectors and I were particularly thrilled that we were able to see all of your classes and that we could watch some of you having so much fun recycling paper. I can understand why you enjoy being at school. Your teachers are kind and helpful and they do a very good job of looking after you. They plan many extra activities, especially in sport and music, to make your school interesting. In fact, there are many things that make your school special. Here are some of them:  You clearly try to do your best to learn in lessons and are working hard. Well done!  Everybody understands the school rules and you behave very well.  Everybody tries to be friendly, thoughtful and helpful.  The school provides a super range of activities

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to keep you interested. You seem to do very well at sport. But, of course, as in all schools, there are still things that can be done to make your school better for you:  Firstly, I know that you can do even better with your work, and I am asking your teachers to plan lessons more carefully, to make sure that the work is neither too hard nor too easy.  I am asking your teachers to make sure you find out more about other peoples cultures.  I am asking your headteacher and the governors to check the schools performance and to plan ahead more carefully to check that the school is as good as it possibly can be. Because of these matters, I have recommended that your school be re-inspected in a years time. Yours sincerely Keith Edwards Lead inspector

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