Jesson's CofE Primary School (VA)

Jesson's CofE Primary School (VA) Inspection report

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103845 Unique Reference Number Dudley Local Authority 286785 Inspection number 10 °11 July 2007 Inspection dates Marian Harker Reporting inspector

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

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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 596 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Barbara Tredwell Chair Lucy Griffiths Headteacher 25 February 2002 Date of previous school inspection School Street School address Dudley DY1 2AQ

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01384 816825 Telephone number 01384 816826 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 10 °11 July 2007 Inspection dates 286785 Inspection number .

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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

In this large school, the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is very high. Almost three-quarters of pupils come from minority ethnic groups and nearly half of the pupils are learning English as an additional language.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Jesson's CofE Primary School (VA), 10 °11 July 2007

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Grade: 3

Jesson's Primary is a satisfactory school which is distinguished by a caring ethos where everyone works well together. One parent said, typically, 'The staff should be applauded for their commitment to the personal development of the children in their care.' Achievement is satisfactory but standards are exceptionally low. Children enter the Nursery with skills well below the expected levels for this age. Satisfactory progress is made in the Foundation Stage, although few children achieve their learning goals by the time they enter Key Stage 1. Pupils make satisfactory progress in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1. Standards at the end of Year 2 remain well below average but are beginning to rise in mathematics. Achievement is satisfactory in Key Stage 2, although rates of progress vary. By the time the pupils leave the school in Year 6, standards are broadly average in English but remain well below average in mathematics and science.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Pupils speak confidently about their achievements and enjoy their work. Relationships are harmonious. Attendance has improved since the last inspection and is good. The pupils are polite and mature young people who respect the adults they work with. They have a satisfactory awareness of how to keep healthy and safe. The curriculum is satisfactory and meets the needs of the pupils. It is suitably adapted for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, who are fully included and achieve satisfactorily. Specialist support staff make a positive contribution to these pupils' achievement and progress. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. In the majority of lessons, relationships are a strength, behaviour is well managed and learning is interesting. However, teachers are not making enough use of information about how pupils are doing in mathematics when planning

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Grade: 3

lessons. The school works well with outside agencies, and parents are positive and supportive. The quality of care, guidance and support is satisfactory. Individual targets for pupils' academic progress are not consistently used by all teachers. As a result, many pupils are unsure of what they need to do in order to improve their work. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher has formulated a clear direction for the school which is shared by the senior management team. The school has a sound understanding of the main areas for development and its self-evaluation is generally accurate. However, in otherwise satisfactory monitoring, lesson observations do not always lead to improvements because weaknesses are not followed up as rigorously as they could be. The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection and is satisfactorily placed to continue to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that targets and marking give pupils clear feedback that shows them what they need to do to improve. ■ Establish a more rigorous approach to monitoring the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils' learning so that improvement, particularly in standards, takes place more quickly. ■ Make more effective use of assessment information to plan work that offers appropriate challenge for all pupils. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Jesson's CofE Primary School (VA), 10 °11 July 2007

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Grade: 3

The school's strategies to raise attainment are beginning to have a positive impact, as shown in the recent improvement in standards in mathematics in Key Stage 1 and English in Key Stage 2. However, more work remains to be done to raise standards and achievement across the school to ensure all pupils reach the standards of which they are capable. When children enter the school their attainment is well below the expected levels, most noticeably in calculation, reading, writing, personal and social skills. Children make good progress in developing their personal skills in the Foundation Stage due to good quality care and support. Progress in reading, writing and calculation is satisfactory. In Key Stage 1, progress is satisfactory overall, but pupils make more rapid progress in mathematics because teachers' expectations are higher. In Key Stage 2, progress is stronger in Years 5 and 6, especially in English, where assessment

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Grade: 3

information is used effectively by teachers to support pupils' learning. Progress slows in Years 3 and 4 because the work pupils are given is not consistently challenging enough, particularly for the middle and lower attainers. Progress in mathematics is slower because not enough is expected of pupils; the tasks they are set are not matched well enough to their different learning needs and this slows the acquisition and understanding of new skills. Pupils make satisfactory progress in science. Pupils from minority ethnic groups are well supported and make satisfactory progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Although many children start school with levels of personal skills that are well below those expected nationally, they make good gains in the qualities that will equip them for their next stage of education. Pupils' progress in their key literacy and numeracy skills prepares them adequately for the next stage of their education. Pupils have good attitudes towards school and feel safe; this is reflected in the significant improvement in attendance, which is now above the national average. Pupils work hard in lessons and do their best even when the work is not well matched to their needs. Good behaviour and a tolerant attitude towards others contribute significantly to this caring school community. Pupils frequently participate in wider community activities such as fund raising, the performing arts and sports events. They know what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and make

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Grade: 2

sensible choices at lunchtime, but too many choose less healthy options for their morning snack.

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Grade: 3

This is a friendly school where relationships between pupils and staff are positive. In the Foundation Stage, there is a strong emphasis on developing children's social skills, which gives them a good foundation for their future learning. In Key Stage 1, the pupils are given interesting activities that are well matched to their age and abilities. In Years 3 to 6, teachers know and manage their pupils well. Pupils work hard in lessons and have opportunities to work in pairs or groups and contribute actively to their learning. For example, they are given the opportunity 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Jesson's CofE Primary School (VA), 10 °11 July 2007 to explain their thinking with a 'talking partner'. In a minority of lessons, particularly in Years 3 and 4, pupils' progress slows because the work is not matched well enough to pupils' different learning needs and the level of challenge for some groups is not high enough. Marking is

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Grade: 3

satisfactory, although the quality is variable. It helps pupils to progress in Years 5 and 6, particularly in English, where pupils are given information about how to improve their work. In mathematics, marking is not always as helpful as it could be. It does not inform pupils regularly about what they have to do to improve their work. This is a key reason why progress in mathematics is weaker than in English.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements. It provides satisfactory opportunities for learning and helps pupils to become confident, caring and respectful individuals. The school provides plenty of opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding and enjoyment of the arts, and uses a range of outside providers well to contribute to these aspects of pupils' learning. The curriculum is further enriched by a wide range of very well attended after-school activities. There is a particularly good range of enrichment opportunities for the younger pupils, including visits and visitors. For example, a nursery group were looking forward to their visit to the high school for a dance festival. This enrichment makes learning interesting and fun. The planning for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is a strong feature. Personal learning programmes for these pupils are well matched to their needs.

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Grade: 3

Orderly routines and high expectations of pupils' behaviour result in an environment where pupils feel comfortable and safe and able to seek help if needed. Child protection procedures and risk assessments are satisfactory and arrangements for safeguarding all pupils are secure. Inspections of the school site are regular, as are fire drills. Although the school teaches pupils how to lead a healthy life, including the importance of healthy eating and dental care, not enough is done to encourage pupils to put their learning into practice. Collective worship and assemblies are based on 'Values for Life' which contribute well to pupils' personal development. A significant strength of the school is the pastoral team who work with parents and outside agencies to help vulnerable pupils overcome difficulties and barriers to their personal development and achievement. The school has implemented a system for setting targets for

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Grade: 3

pupils to help them know how to improve their performance. However, pupils are not yet sufficiently aware of their academic targets and what they need to do to achieve them.

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Grade: 3

The school's collective leadership and management are satisfactory and have had a positive impact in moving the school forward. The arrangements for teachers' performance management are satisfactory. However, there is not a sufficiently rigorous check on the quality of teaching and the effect this has on pupils' achievement. Written feedback to teachers is not sharp enough and, as a result, teachers do not always know what to do to improve. Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities and hold the school to account for the standards achieved by the 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Jesson's CofE Primary School (VA), 10 °11 July 2007 pupils. They regularly visit school and are involved in monitoring the quality of provision on a regular basis. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Jesson's CofE Primary School (VA), 10 °11 July 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Jesson's CofE Primary School (VA), 10 °11 July 2007

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 4 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Jesson's CofE Primary School (VA), 10 °11 July 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Jesson's CofE Primary School (VA), 10 °11 July 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

12 July 2007 Dear Children, Inspection of Jesson's C of E Primary School, Dudley, DY1 2AQ Thank you for welcoming us to your school. We learned a lot about it through talking to you, seeing how you were getting on in your lessons, looking at your work and sharing your assemblies. We could see that you enjoy coming to school and try hard to do your best and help each other. The school is providing a satisfactory education. You told us how much you appreciate your school, particularly the opportunities to join after-school clubs and take part in music, art and drama activities. You also told us how the school takes reasonable care of you. We have asked the school to improve even further by:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ making sure that you all know what you need to do to improve your work

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ making sure that staff consitently check how well you are learning in lessons

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ making sure your lessons are always challenging and interesting.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We are also asking you to make your school healthier by bringing healthier snacks to eat at playtime! You can also help by making sure you know your targets and do your very best to achieve them. Yours faithfully, Marian Harker Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Jesson's CofE Primary School (VA), 10 °11 July 2007

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