Banstead Community Junior School

Inspection Report Banstead Community Junior School

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125023 Unique Reference Number Surrey LEA LEA 281862 Inspection number 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 Inspection dates Rob Crompton AI Reporting inspector

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

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The Horseshoe School address Junior Type of school Banstead Community School category SM7 2BQ 7 to 11 Age range of pupils 01737 351788 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01737 373055 Fax number 270 Number on roll Mr Colin Sutherland Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Steven Scott Headteacher 24 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281862 3 May 2006 - 7 to 11 4 May 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

A little above average in size, the school serves an affluent area in Surrey. Attainment on entry is above average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is broadly average. Most pupils are from a White British background with a very small number of pupils being from other ethnic groups. Staffing has been relatively stable but there have been some recent long term absences covered by supply staff.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Banstead Community Junior School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school where pupils thrive academically and personally. They thoroughly enjoy the wealth of activities on offer in and out of the classroom. Under the excellent leadership of the headteacher, there is a common sense of purpose and a continuous drive to improve on the already high standards. A poster exhorts pupils to 'Never Settle for Less Than Your Best' and this maxim captures the essence of the school. The headteacher's vision, shared across the school, is pivotal in moving the school forward. The complete lack of complacency and a determination to improve are revealed in the school's view of itself as good, which inspectors found to be underestimated. Rigorous assessment in English, mathematics and science underpins the effective teaching and challenging work motivates pupils to learn. The school is aware that this needs to extend to other subjects. Parents are almost unanimously very happy and pupils talk enthusiastically about all

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Grade: 1

the school has to offer. Their success in a wide range of subjects reflects the first class curriculum. The level of care, support and guidance is outstanding and contributes to pupils' excellent personal development. Pupils are self-confident and mature. The relentless commitment to improvement, shared by the headteacher, key staff and governors means that the school has an excellent capacity to improve. Weaknesses identified by the last inspection have been successfully addressed. In view of its numerous strengths, the school provides very good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve assessment in the foundation subjects, such as ICT, history and geography, to provide a manageable system for tracking pupils' progress

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well and reach high standards in English, mathematics and science. They build successfully on the good levels of attainment as they enter Year 3. Standards in Year 6 have been consistently well above national averages over recent years and current pupils are on course to reach similar levels. Indeed, standards in writing in Year 6 are higher than last year because this key skill has been given increased attention. The proportion of pupils set to achieve the higher levels in writing has increased significantly, although more able readers are not yet as successful in writing. However, the high standards across the board reflect the school's considerable success in helping pupils of all abilities to make good progress and meet the challenging targets they are set. The vast majority of pupils, including those with particular gifts and talents, fulfil their potential and many pupils identified initially as having learning needs reach the

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Grade: 2

expected levels by Year 6. Success in English, mathematics and science is not at the expense of other subjects. Good work is seen, for example, in information and 2 Inspection Report: Banstead Community Junior School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 communication technology (ICT), art and design, design and technology, history and geography.

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Grade: 1

Personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils love being at school and are very enthusiastic about their learning. One said andquot;We are all encouraged to do the best we canandquot;. Attendance is very good and reflects pupils' very positive views about the school. Behaviour is outstanding and relationships are excellent. Participation in school councils and in the buddy schemes is very high and pupils make a real contribution to the life of the school. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very effective. Pupils are thoughtful and mature. Music and art feature strongly in pupils' lives and they recognise and appreciate different forms and styles from a variety of cultures. However, their understanding of cultural diversity across the United Kingdom is less well developed. Healthy lifestyles are strongly promoted. Children feel that the school is a safe place and that there is always someone to turn to if they have a problem. Community links

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Grade: 1

are strong and the school has been very successful in developing pupils' basic skills and in filling them with self-confidence.

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Grade: 2

Consistently effective teaching enables pupils to develop good learning habits. The level of challenge means that pupils are well motivated and keen to improve. Teachers' skilful questioning builds well on pupils' existing knowledge and understanding and plenary sessions at the end of lessons help pupils to assess their own progress against specific objectives. Increasingly, practical approaches support pupils' understanding. For example, Year 6 gained a good idea of the solar system through imitating planetary movement in the playground. A purposeful atmosphere pervades all lessons. Teachers, ably supported by teaching assistants, organise work very carefully to enable pupils of all abilities to progress. This bespoke provision is possible because of the school's effective assessment systems for English, mathematics and science. These pinpoint each pupil's needs accurately and provide a secure basis for teachers to monitor their

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Grade: 2

progress. For example, this process has led to some excellent learning opportunities for extremely able pupils. In some lessons, the pace is so quick that there is little time for pupils to think about a question before responding to it. Occasionally, more able pupils find the work a little too easy and the level of challenge could be raised further. 3 Inspection Report: Banstead Community Junior School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006

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Grade: 1

The curriculum provision for pupils of all abilities is excellent. Work is adapted to meet their emerging needs; for example, increased opportunities for writing across the curriculum have led to significant improvements in pupils' performance. Further emphasis on the provision for more able pupils has led to even higher standards. For literacy and numeracy, the year groups are sub-divided into three ability groups and this enables them to achieve well. ICT, such as interactive whiteboards, (these project the computer image onto a large 'touch screen' and allow the teacher and pupils to write or move objects around the screen with their fingers rather than use the keyboard) laptops and digital cameras enrich the curriculum. A large number of pupils enjoy an excellent range of clubs, including an extensive range of sporting activities. Pupils remarked, 'The best thing we like is sport, especially taking part in tournaments.' Visits

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Grade: 1

and visitors, together with themed activities such as Creativity week, French week, Greek Day and Design and Technology Day make learning exciting and promote high standards. Pupils' self-confidence and independent team work are promoted as they take responsibility for organising events, such as cake sales for charity.

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Grade: 1

Outstanding personal development is a direct result of high levels of care, guidance and support. The school's strong systems ensure that academic and personal guidance go hand in hand. Risk assessment is rigorous and child protection procedures are firmly established. Pupils' are cared for exceptionally well and their welfare is paramount in the day to day life of the school. Staff know pupils very well and respond to any of their individual concerns effectively. Pupils and parents feel that the school manages the transition from the infant school and to their secondary schools very sensitively. Very few parents expressed individual concerns but these were not substantiated during the inspection. Pupils receive very good feedback during lessons and through marking. They are well aware of what they need to do to improve. Staff write comprehensive reports to parents but they are sometimes too descriptive and do not

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Grade: 1

give a clear picture of how well pupils are doing in relation to the expectations for the age group.

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Grade: 1

The leadership and management of the school are excellent. The headteacher promotes a caring and supportive ethos and has a strong commitment to improving standards which are already consistently above national averages. He is very well supported by the senior management team. They provide a well informed think tank for review and development and conduit for the ideas and suggestions by staff. The school has an accurate picture of pupils' performance and uses self-assessment efficiently to identify priorities for improvement. The analysis of assessment data and its use to set future 4 Inspection Report: Banstead Community Junior School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 priorities is excellent and is a significant factor in the continuous drive to sustain high standards. Equality of opportunity is promoted extremely well. The views of parents and pupils are sought and their views and opinions are valued. For example, after

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Grade: 1

consulting parents, home/school information was reviewed and improved. The monitoring of teaching and learning is well established and targets for improvement are closely linked to the school's priorities. Subject leaders are given sufficient time to monitor teaching and learning and, as a result, they have a clear view of the strengths and weaknesses in their subjects. For example, a review of pupils' books highlighted the need for more practical work in science and the use of scientific vocabulary. Governors are closely involved with the school's work. They pose challenging questions and hold the school to account for the standards it achieves. Financial management is efficient and the budget is closely linked to the priorities identified in the school development plan. The school provides very good value for money and, in light of its progress since the last inspection, it has excellent capacity for improvement.

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Grade: 1

5 Inspection Report: Banstead Community Junior School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 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: Banstead Community Junior School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 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 1 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 1 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 1 The attendance of learners NA 2 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 1 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 1 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

Pupils Thank you for making my colleagues and me welcome this week. We enjoyed seeing your work and how well you were doing in lessons. The discussions we had with the school council and around the school showed that you enjoy learning and all the extra activities. We think your school is outstanding. Your teachers work very hard to help you make good progress. We were impressed with the standards of work in each class. It's clear from our visits to lessons and from seeing you in and around the school that you get on very well with your teachers and with one another.We are sure that you appreciate the way Mr Scott and all the staff organise things to make your school life as successful and enjoyable as possible. You receive good feedback in lessons and from marking about what you need to do to improve in English, mathematics and science. We saw that you do good work in other subjects and we're suggesting that teachers keep a closer check on your progress in such subjects as ICT, history

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and geography. We're sure that your teachers would appreciate your own comments about the things you find easy and more difficult.With best wishes for the future, Yours faithfully, Rob Crompton Lead inspector

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