Albany Junior School

122546 Unique Reference Number NOTTINGHAMSHIRE LEA LEA 281294 Inspection number 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005 Inspection dates Mr. David Speakman LI Reporting inspector

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

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Pasture Road School address Junior Type of school NG9 8HR Community School category 7 to 11 Age range of pupils 01159176550 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01159176551 Fax number 213 Number on roll Mrs.Averi Wynne Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr. Dave Allen Headteacher 25 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281294 15 November 2005 - 7 to 11 16 November 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Albany Junior School is an average sized school. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 are taught in three mixed-age classes and those in Years 5 and 6 in single age classes. The proportion of pupils on free school meals is average. Nearly all pupils come from a White British background. The proportion of children with special educational needs is about average. Attainment on entry to Year 3 is below average overall. The school has achieved the Investor in People Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Albany Junior School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005

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Grade: 2

This is an effective school, although the school more modestly judges its effectiveness to be satisfactory as it is always seeking further improvement. Pupils achieve well and attain satisfactory standards from a below average starting point. Standards in science and reading are good and they are average in mathematics. Although average overall, the school is working hard to improve the quality of pupils' writing in English and across other subjects. Inspection evidence indicates that standards are rising. The vast majority of parents are very happy with all that is done for their children. The school gives good value for money. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers are energetic in their approach to teaching and make learning interesting and enjoyable. Pupils, therefore, willingly engage themselves in lessons and are enthusiastic learners, showing very high levels of enjoyment. Pupils' behaviour is excellent. Spiritual, moral

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Grade: 2

and social development are good and cultural development is satisfactory, particularly in relation to pupils' multicultural awareness. The school provides a good quality and range of learning opportunities. The curriculum is carefully planned to meet the needs of the majority of pupils, including those in mixed age classes, but learning opportunities for the higher attaining pupil and those identified as gifted and talented need to be further developed. There is excellent provision for extra-curricular activities and curriculum enrichment. Leadership and management are good and have supported the good level of improvement since the previous inspection, especially in addressing the key issues. School self-evaluation is good. It accurately identifies areas for development and progress towards improvement is closely monitored. The school has a good capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Continue to raise standards of writing in English and in other subjects. - Ensure that higher attaining pupils and those classed as gifted and talented have opportunities to reach the levels of which they are capable. - Raise pupils' multicultural awareness.

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Grade: 2

Results of assessments made soon after pupils start school show attainment at the beginning of Year 3 to be below average, with weaknesses in the quality of writing. Pupils' achievement is good and by the end of Year 6, standards are average in mathematics, above average in science and reading. Writing, although broadly satisfactory, needs further improvement to address weaknesses in the basic structure of pupils' writing, such as sentence construction or basic grammar. There are also some weaknesses in spelling. Pupils who have special educational needs achieve well against the challenging targets set for them in their individual education plans. In recent national tests at the end of Year 6, not as many pupils achieved the higher Level 5 in writing and in mathematics as the national figure. The school is aware that it needs to provide more challenge for pupils capable of higher attainment and for those

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Grade: 2

2 Inspection Report: Albany Junior School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005 identified as gifted and talented. Scrutiny of pupils' work, lesson observations and the schools' comprehensive assessment and tracking data give clear evidence that standards are rising. There have been good gains in the areas of weakness identified at the time of the previous inspection. Standards in music are better, as shown by good quality singing in assembly and other aspects of music seen in lessons. Pupils' performance in information and communication technology (ICT) has improved. Standards in these two subjects are good.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Pupils of all ages report that they really enjoy school because their 'teachers make learning fun'. Pupils' willingness to rise to the challenge of demanding tasks significantly improves the quality of their learning, such as in Year 5 music where pupils put enormous enthusiasm and energy into successfully mastering complex musical tasks. Most pupils behave extremely well and relationships are very good. At lunchtimes, pupils play together happily and they say that they feel safe because bullying is rare. Attendance has improved and is currently close to the national average. Pupils understand the hazards that young people face, such as alcohol and drugs, and know how to avoid them. Consequently, pupils are adopting increasingly healthy lifestyles, which is reflected in their enthusiastic participation in lunchtime and after-school sporting activities. The active school council

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Grade: 2

promotes citizenship successfully and pupils contribute well to the school community, through activities such as litter picking and collecting supermarket vouchers for sports equipment. Opportunities to work collaboratively with other pupils, in addition to the acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills and good ICT skills, provide a good preparation for the next steps in their education and for the world of work. Spiritual, moral and social development is good. However, pupils do not fully appreciate the richness and diversity of cultures other than their own.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good. The teaching seen was never less than good and examples of outstanding teaching were observed. Teachers adopt lively and enthusiastic approaches to teaching, which capture pupils' interest and motivate them to become active participants in learning. There is a consistent approach to behaviour management across the school and teachers are very successful in supporting pupils' excellent behaviour and attitudes to learning. Teachers monitor pupils' academic progress well and plan effectively to meet their learning needs. They plan together to ensure that pupils in different classes in the same year group receive the same learning opportunities. Teaching assistants make a good contribution to pupils' achievement, including those pupils who have special educational needs. Marking is generally good and teachers' comments are helpful in enabling pupils to know where they might

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Grade: 2

3 Inspection Report: Albany Junior School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005 improve. However, there is inconsistency in the quality of marking which the school is working to address. Teachers' subject knowledge was criticised at the time of the previous inspection, particularly in ICT and music. There has been a significant improvement through effective staff development and the appointment of teachers with very good skills in these areas. All staff now show a good level of knowledge and understanding of the subjects they teach and this supports pupils' learning well.

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Grade: 2

The school offers a good quality and range of learning opportunities. Curriculum planning is thorough, ensuring that pupils in parallel classes benefit from the same opportunities. Provision for pupils who have special educational needs is good, but the school recognises the need to further develop learning opportunities for those capable of attaining the highest levels. There is good provision to enable pupils to acquire skills which equip them well for life. They learn about road safety. Opportunities to develop an understanding of sex and relationships and the dangers of drug abuse are included in the curriculum. Curriculum enrichment is excellent, with a wide variety of visits out of school and interesting visitors into school. For those who don't take part in the residential visit, there is an equivalent activity where good use is made of the school grounds and the community as a learning resource. Pupils enjoy and value

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Grade: 2

the outstanding range and quality of extra-curricular activities and the majority of pupils take part in these.

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Grade: 2

Standards of care are good. Procedures for ensuring pupils' safety and well-being are secure. The headteacher and governors check any potential hazards carefully and take suitable steps to safeguard the pupils. Child protection arrangements are thorough and recent training has ensured that all staff know how to respond should the need arise. The school works closely with other agencies to ensure that the school's most needy pupils receive appropriate support. Because staff provide a secure, happy and caring environment, pupils are confident that there is always somebody to turn to if they are hurt or upset. Staff monitor pupils' progress carefully and set challenging personal and group targets, which actively involve pupils in their learning and have been influential in raising standards. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities receive the support that they need to overcome these and achieve well. They are fully

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Grade: 2

included in all that the school has to offer.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher, working in close partnership with the deputy headteacher, provides good direction and has been effective in building and leading a team of enthusiastic and highly committed staff. 4 Inspection Report: Albany Junior School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005 Staff with responsibility for subjects and other important areas, such as assessment or special educational needs provision, do their jobs well and are effective in contributing to the good quality of education provided. This good leadership is moving the school forward well. It is ambitious and not afraid to take risks or to make difficult decisions. School self-evaluation is thorough. It is based on reliable evidence, including assessment of pupils' achievement and in monitoring carefully the quality of teaching and the curriculum. As well as all staff and governors' views, those of parents and

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Grade: 2

pupils are sought in establishing the school's strengths and weaknesses. Governance is satisfactory. The governing body is in a stage of transition with the appointment of several new governors. This is the result of the period of service of a number of governors ending simultaneously. The chair of governors has a good knowledge of the school. She is determined to develop the new governing body so that it has the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence so while remaining supportive is also more challenging in holding the school to account. Plans for the training and development of new governors are already in place. The governors ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and all statutory requirements are met fully. 5 Inspection Report: Albany Junior School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 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. 6 Inspection Report: Albany Junior School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 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 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 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 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 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

Thank you for being so friendly when we came to visit your school. We were pleased to meet you and we enjoyed the time we spent with you. Thank you very much for making us feel welcome, talking to us and helping us find out about you and your school. You go to a good school. The headteacher, teachers and all other grown-ups working at Albany Juniors do their very best for you. They look after you well and care for your well-being. Your teachers do their very best to make learning interesting and enjoyable and they work very hard to help you make good progress in lessons. Your excellent behaviour in class helps you to learn effectively. You had good things to say about your school, teachers and friends and it is obvious that you enjoy being there. You told us that you really like the after school clubs and we agree that these make an excellent contribution to the good learning opportunities the school provides for you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

There are some things that could be improved and we are asking your headteacher, teachers and the governors to think about helping you to improve the quality of your writing, to provide more challenging activities for those of you capable of harder work and to develop your knowledge and understanding of the lives and customs of people from other cultural backgrounds. We hope you all do well in the future.

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