Wroughton Junior School

Inspection Report Wroughton Junior School

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126245 Unique Reference Number Swindon LEA 282079 Inspection number 21 September 2005 to 22 September 2005 Inspection dates Ian Hodgkinson RISP Reporting inspector

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

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Inverary Road School address Junior Type of school Wroughton Community School category Swindon, Wiltshire SN4 9DL 7 to 11 Age range of pupils 01793 812339 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01793 812339 Fax number 379 Number on roll Mrs Julie White Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Steven Menham Headteacher 20 September 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 282079 21 September 2005 - 7 to 11 22 September 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 a team of three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school serves the large village of Wroughton and surrounding communities just south of Swindon. It is much larger than most junior schools. Nearly all of its pupils transfer directly from Wroughton Infants School, and move on to the neighbouring Ridgeway Secondary School. Pupils come from a full range of backgrounds, although generally families enjoy favourable social and economic circumstances. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is below average, and the proportion with statements of special educational needs is line with the national average. Seven children attend the school from a nearby permanent site for the traveller community. There is a small number of pupils from minority ethnic groups. English is not the first language for a small proportion of pupils. There are fewer pupils than at the time of the last inspection because there are not so many children locally. This has involved considerable re-adjustment to the staffing

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Description of the school

of the school, including redundancies for teachers. Most of the current teaching staff have joined the school within the last three years.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Wroughton Junior School, 21 September 2005 to 22 September 2005

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Grade: 2

Wroughton Junior is a good school which delivers good value for money. This is the school’s assessment of its own performance, and inspectors agree. The achievement of its pupils has improved over the last two years, and strongly so in English. All groups of pupils achieve well, and their personal development, including their attitudes, values and behaviour, is good. All pupils are very well cared for. The improvement in standards has been brought about by a clear appraisal of the school’s strengths and weaknesses by the school’s very effective leadership. Members of staff have been fully involved in planning for improvement, and parents and pupils have been properly consulted. Clear expectations have been established for the standards of pupils’ work and conduct. Regular assessment of pupils’ performance against clear and challenging targets has helped teachers, subject co-ordinators and school managers to get a clear idea about how well their plans are working. Pupils

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Grade: 2

help to set their own targets for improvement in English, and this highly effective strategy needs to be extended to other subjects, especially mathematics. The quality of teaching is good overall with some outstanding practice. However, where teachers are not fully aware of when pupils are ready to move on, some lessons do not have enough pace and challenge. In the best lessons teachers help pupils to develop their understanding through their skilful use of questions, but in a few lessons questions are not used well enough to check pupils’ grasp of new ideas. The school’s curriculum is now satisfactory following a curriculum review, but pupils still have rather too few opportunities to study some subjects, such as religious education. Given the good improvement in the school’s performance and environment in the last two years, the school is well placed to make further progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

• further raise standards of teaching by ensuring consistently better pace in lessons and better questioning of pupils • extend from English to mathematics the very good procedures for involving pupils in setting their own targets to improve their skills • fully implement the school’s curriculum review to ensure that pupils are able to make progress in religious education and all National Curriculum subjects.

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Grade: 2

Standards of attainment are above average by the time pupils leave the school in Year 6. Their results in Key Stage 2 national tests improved from average in 2003 to above average in 2004, when results were particularly strong in science. In 2005, results in English, and especially in writing, improved very strongly to well above the average. Results in mathematics have generally been in line with national averages. The school 2 Inspection Report: Wroughton Junior School, 21 September 2005 to 22 September 2005 sets challenging targets for pupils’ national test results in English, mathematics and science which most achieve and which many, especially in English, exceed. Given that they join the school in Year 3 with average standards of attainment, pupils make good progress. Higher attainers do particularly well, and their results at the higher Level 5 in the Key Stage 2 national tests are above average and have improved

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Grade: 2

consistently and strongly in all subjects over the last 5 years. Pupils with learning difficulties and those with English as an additional language make good progress too.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy school and the attendance rate is above the national average. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and, in a recent questionnaire, the vast majority agreed that: “This is a good school and I am proud to be here”. Pupils’ behaviour is good, with the rare incidents of inappropriate behaviour being managed effectively by the staff. Well-established routines are followed, and the school is a calm, orderly and safe place, which helps pupils to learn. Pupils like and respect their teachers, and these feelings are reciprocated. As a result, pupils feel valued and secure, and know that the staff have their best interests at heart. Pupils are aware of the importance of healthy living as a result of the school’s actions, often taken in partnership with parents. The school makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Through assemblies and work across the curriculum, pupils became

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Grade: 2

aware of the wonders of the natural world, respect the values and beliefs of others, and learn from the examples of spiritual and other inspirational figures. Pupils have ample opportunities to work together in shared tasks during lessons, and they co-operate amicably and constructively with their classmates. They willingly take on responsibility, as school councillors, as designated ‘mentors’ for those who need support during playtimes, or simply when distributing resources during lessons. Given their good development of basic skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology, pupils are therefore becoming well equipped with the skills that will be important to them in later life.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good. As a result, pupils make mainly good progress in their learning. Across the school, teachers plan their lessons well and know exactly what they expect pupils to learn. The management of pupils’ behaviour is consistently good and tasks are generally matched accurately to pupils’ different capabilities. In the most effective lessons, teachers make very skilful use of questions to probe pupils’ understanding and to challenge their thinking. Many pupils work to the best of their capabilities in the best lessons, and make rapid progress. In a minority of lessons, the pace of learning is more pedestrian, especially for the most talented pupils, and 3 Inspection Report: Wroughton Junior School, 21 September 2005 to 22 September 2005 questions are not used as effectively to check pupils’ grasp of new ideas. Occasionally, teachers talk for too long and pupils do too little. Assessment procedures are good. Pupils’ progress is tracked particularly well in English

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Grade: 2

and mathematics, and those who need extra help are identified and supported effectively. Teachers’ marking is very good and this helps pupils to recognise their achievements and to know how to improve. Pupils are involved in setting well judged individual targets for improvement in English which focus their learning, but such target setting is not yet securely established in mathematics. The work set for pupils with learning difficulties is firmly based upon the results of assessments and by regular reviews of their progress.

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Grade: 3

Curricular provision is satisfactory, but is improving and has a range of good features. Ample attention is given to the development of pupils’ basic skills in literacy and numeracy. Provision for information and communication technology has improved since the last inspection, and is sound. Statutory requirements are met. However, following a thorough curriculum review, the school has only recently put in place improved procedures to ensure that pupils’ progress in certain subjects is sufficient. These good new programmes and procedures still need to be securely established in the school. For example, to ensure that there is a more consistent approach in the implementation of the religious education curriculum. Pupils benefit from a satisfactory range of after-school clubs, and their learning is considerably enriched by many visitors and educational visits.

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Grade: 2

The care provided by the school is good. When learners were asked about their school life they said that they felt happy and safe and that teachers and other staff are very approachable. Child protection procedures are thorough and all other requirements are met. Those learners who are vulnerable for a range of reasons are carefully nurtured and the school has developed constructive links with a range of other agencies. There is good support for those with learning difficulties, for learners who need help with learning and for other groups – for example, those from traveller backgrounds. Teaching assistants are well trained and effectively deployed. Where pupils are taught alone or in very small groups their progress is good and sometimes outstanding. Staff and pupils report that there is very little bullying and what there is is firmly dealt with. With no hot school meals the school does what it can to ensure a healthy diet;

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Grade: 2

for example all learners have a full bottle of drinking water at their desks. 4 Inspection Report: Wroughton Junior School, 21 September 2005 to 22 September 2005

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management of the school are good. The governing body and headteacher have recognised the key challenges facing the school and taken resolute action to improve pupils’ achievement and the quality of the school’s accommodation. The headteacher has been highly effective in diagnosing weaknesses in school performance and building on its strengths. Staff and governors have been fully involved in setting priorities for the development of the school, and the views of parents and pupils have been carefully analysed and incorporated into school planning. Clear expectations have been set for improvements in the performance of the school, its staff and its pupils, and progress against targets is monitored carefully and constructively. The effectiveness of staff with responsibility for co-ordinating subjects and aspects of the school’s work is good, and in particular the leadership and management of literacy in the school have been highly effective. The school’s evaluation

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Grade: 2

of its own performance is accurate and rigorous. Governors have given outstanding support and direction in responding to the need for restructuring of the school during its period of falling rolls, and in maintaining the school’s focus on improving standards and quality of provision. Resources are managed well. Accommodation still has shortcomings, especially in the small size of the classrooms, but the general quality of the school site has been improved rapidly in the last two years. 5 Inspection Report: Wroughton Junior School, 21 September 2005 to 22 September 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: Wroughton Junior School, 21 September 2005 to 22 September 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 2 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 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 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 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 1 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

Wroughton Junior School Inverary Road Wroughton Swindon Wiltshire SN4 9DL 23rd September 2005 Dear Pupils, Thank you very much for welcoming us when we visited your school. We enjoyed meeting you and looking at your work. We were very pleased to see how much the school buildings are improving, and how many more opportunities you have to use computers since inspectors last visited. We know how much you like your school, because you and your parents told us. After looking carefully at the work of the school, we agree with you that Wroughton Junior is a good school. These are some of the things we liked best: The school helps you make good progress, especially in reading and writing Your teachers show you clearly what you need to do to get better You get on well with your teachers and with each other You behave well, and many of you are very willing to help out and take on responsibilities The headteacher, staff, governors and you the pupils have helped the school to improve well

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

in the last two years. There are some ways in which the school can get even better: We feel that in a few lessons, the activities don’t move on quickly enough for some of you, so we’re asking teachers to check when you are ready to learn more The way you set targets to improve your work in English is very good, and we think you should use similar target setting in maths The school needs to continue to find ways to help you to study topics in more subjects, such as religious education. Once again, thank you for helping us during the inspection. Best wishes for the future. Ian Hodgkinson (Lead inspector)

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