Eastborough Junior Infant and Nursery School

Eastborough Junior Infant and Nursery School Inspection report

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107602 Unique Reference Number Kirklees Local Authority 287865 Inspection number 2 °3 May 2007 Inspection dates Susan Walsh 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 Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 217 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs C Gott Chair Miss Nicola Roth Headteacher 24 February 2003 Date of previous school inspection Rockley Street School address Dewsbury West Yorkshire WF13 1NS

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01924 325285 Telephone number 01924 325289 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 2 °3 May 2007 Inspection dates 287865 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is an average sized primary school that offers part time nursery provision. Most pupils are of Pakistani heritage but a very small minority are from White British backgrounds. Few pupils speak English at home and many are not fluent in English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average as is the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. Many pupils join and leave the school at different points in their education than is usual but this situation is improving. The school has been through a difficult period since the previous inspection and many of the staff and the headteacher have been appointed relatively recently.

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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: Eastborough Junior Infant and Nursery School, 2 °3 May 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school that makes outstanding provision for pupils' care, guidance and support and has excellent links with parents and the local community. Parents are very supportive of the school, they recognise the important improvements that have been made and know that their children are looked after well. A typical parent's comment was, 'This is a school which is improving and doing its utmost for its pupils.' Parents say they feel welcome in the school because staff are very approachable. The school's close partnership with the parents and the local community has enhanced the quality of care for pupils and their personal development. Pupils really enjoy school and say their teachers are 'fun'. Pupils' good personal development is reflected in their positive attitudes to learning and good behaviour. They make a good contribution to their school and the wider community. The curriculum is good. There is very

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Grade: 2

good provision for personal, social and health education which helps ensure that pupils know how to keep safe and healthy. Pupils appreciate the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities and visits. Standards are below average but achievement is good. Pupils start school with skills well below those typical for their age. and the majority speak very little English. They make very rapid progress in the Nursery and Reception classes because of outstanding teaching and an excellent range of exciting activities. By the end of Year 6 standards are below average but pupils have made good progress in mathematics and science and satisfactory progress in English. However, progress in writing is slow. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who join the school late make good progress because of very good support. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Good teaching in mathematics helps pupils to

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Grade: 2

achieve well in this subject. Bilingual, and other support assistants, work exceptionally hard and ensure that pupils who are experiencing difficulties are very well supported. Improvements to the teaching of English, including a strong focus on speaking and listening, has resulted in accelerated progress in writing, particularly in Years 1 and 2, and improvements are starting to be seen in Years 3 and 4. However, standards in writing are still too low particularly in Years 5 and 6. There are weaknesses in the teaching of writing which result in deficiencies in pupils' creative writing, especially in Years 3 to 6. Teachers' expectations of spellings, presentation and handwriting are too low and pupils do not get sufficient opportunities to practise their writing skills in different subjects. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership and is well supported by an able management team. There has been a lot of work to do but very

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Grade: 2

good progress has been made in a short time. Accurate self-evaluation combined with effective development planning has ensured that the school has identified its weaknesses and rectified the majority of them. This shows the school has a good capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards and achievement in writing in Years 3 to 6. • Provide more opportunities for pupils to practise their writing skills across a range of subjects. • Raise teachers' expectations of pupils' spellings, handwriting and presentation. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastborough Junior Infant and Nursery School, 2 °3 May 2007

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Grade: 2

Standards are below average but achievement is good. Children start in the Nursery with skills well below those typical for their age. Many are at the early stages of speaking English and are not used to mixing with other children. Outstanding provision ensures that children make very rapid progress in the Nursery and Reception classes, but writing skills are still relatively weak when pupils join in Year 1. Improvements to provision in Years 1 and 2 have raised standards at the end of Year 2 to just below average in reading and writing and broadly average in mathematics. Achievement here is now good, but the improvements have not yet had time to work their way through Key Stage 2. Standards at the end of Year 6 were below average in 2006 and standards in English were exceptionally low. Pupils are making good progress in mathematics and science because of good teaching. Pupils make good progress in the speaking

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Grade: 2

and listening and reading aspects of their English work but whilst standards of writing are improving in Years 3 and 4, overall progress in this aspect is too slow. Pupils are not good at writing creatively. Handwriting and presentation are not good enough and pupils' work contains too many simple spelling errors.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. From the moment children enter the Nursery class they are encouraged to develop their personal and social skills. The smiles on the children's faces show just how much they enjoy their learning. They quickly become engrossed in their activities and 'soak up' new learning; as a result their behaviour is often impeccable. They have no time to misbehave. High expectations of pupils' behaviour and attitudes to work make the school a very pleasant place in which to learn. Pupils behave well and the majority get much pleasure out of learning. However, in some lessons there are times when a small number of pupils are allowed to be too passive so their attentiveness wanes. Pupils take a real pride in being very effective citizens, helping to improve the school and willingly taking responsibility for others. The 'befrienders' take on their mediation role with an exceptional level of maturity. They are appreciated by

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Grade: 2

other pupils who say, 'They help us a lot.' As a result of the befrienders' efforts, bullying is rare. The work of the school council is effective and gives a real voice to pupils' views, particularly in helping to develop the reward system to encourage good behaviour. Pupils gain a good awareness of healthy lifestyles and know how to keep safe. Playtimes are good social occasions and the pupils eagerly take part in a whole range of physical activities. Attendance has been below average because of religious observance and extended holidays but parents are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of good attendance and attendance rates are improving.

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Grade: 2

There is a good proportion of lively and imaginative teaching, particularly in the Nursery and Reception classes and Years 1 and 2. Relationships between pupils and staff are very good and ensure that pupils develop confidence. The valuable skills of bilingual and other support assistants are used very well to ensure that all pupils, including those with learning difficulties 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastborough Junior Infant and Nursery School, 2 °3 May 2007 and/or disabilities and those in the early stages of learning English, make good progress. Behaviour is managed positively and unobtrusively. Resources, including interactive whiteboards, are used very well in classes for younger pupils and mathematics lessons, but there are missed opportunities to use resources to make English lessons more exciting for older pupils. Teachers' expectations of pupils' presentation of their work are not always high enough and consequently

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Grade: 2

too much of their work is untidy and reflects poor handwriting.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It promotes good achievement overall and provides a varied range of enriching experiences. Speaking and listening skills are promoted well but there are too few opportunities for pupils to practise their writing skills across different subjects. The programme for personal, social, health and citizenship education is strong. There are many opportunities for pupils to discuss sensitive issues, share problems and gain an understanding of making choices to help them keep safe and healthy. Visits to places of interest and visitors to the school all bring an added richness to their learning. The curriculum prepares pupils well for their future life. Visits to a local university help to raise pupils' aspirations for further education and career options. Participation in the School Sports Partnership has led to increased opportunities for physical education and extra-curricular sporting activities. In the Foundation Stage the curriculum

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Grade: 2

is outstanding in the way it provides a wealth of exciting learning experiences both indoors and outdoors.

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Grade: 1

Pupils are very well cared for and helped through any learning or personal difficulty. Consequently, they are very happy in school and are able to make good progress. Procedures to protect and safeguard pupils from harm are in place and thorough risk assessments are carried out. Pupils' learning is very carefully tracked and this leads to good achievement. Teachers provide helpful comments when marking pupils' work so pupils know what to do next to improve. Pupils with little or no English and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because they are very well supported. The school actively encourages parents to become involved in their children's learning. Support for pupils who join the school late is good. There are very well thought out programmes to help children settle quickly in the Foundation Stage and transfer smoothly to secondary school.

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Grade: 2

Good leadership and management are driving forward improvements. Improved relationships with the parents and the local community have enhanced the level of care the school provides and had a very positive impact on pupils' personal development. Staff are very receptive to advice and new ideas and their open approach has helped them to improve the quality of teaching. This has accelerated the progress of younger pupils and the effect of improved provision is now starting to impact on the achievement of older pupils. Imaginative improvements have been made to the fabric and organisation of the historic school building which have allowed for a wider range of activities, for example space has been used particularly well to provide good quality outdoor play for younger pupils. Rigorous analysis of data has ensured that the 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastborough Junior Infant and Nursery School, 2 °3 May 2007

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Grade: 2

school has a good awareness of its strengths and weaknesses. The governors provide the school with good support but do not always provide enough challenge. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastborough Junior Infant and Nursery School, 2 °3 May 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastborough Junior Infant and Nursery School, 2 °3 May 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? 1 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 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

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 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 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 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?

1 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: Eastborough Junior Infant and Nursery School, 2 °3 May 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: Eastborough Junior Infant and Nursery School, 2 °3 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for being so friendly and polite when we came to inspect your school recently. We really enjoyed talking to you and listened very carefully to what you had to say. I am writing to tell you what we found out. You are quite right to be proud of your school. It is good. We were very impressed by your good behaviour, both in and out of lessons. You really enjoy school because you all get on well together and have a good range of things to do to help you learn. It is clear that you really like all the trips and visits and the sports activities. It was good to hear that you know how to keep fit and healthy. You make a good contribution to your school - well done! We were very impressed with the work the 'befrienders' do in sorting out other pupils' problems and with the work of the school council. The people who run your school do a good job. They make sure the school is a very happy place where you are very well cared for and safe. You told us that your teachers look after you very

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

well and you find them very helpful. You work hard in your lessons. You are all doing very well in mathematics and science but not quite as well in writing. The teaching at your school is good and you told us that you especially like your mathematics lessons. We have asked the teachers to help the older pupils do better in writing and to make sure that you have a chance to practise your writing in many subjects. You could help by trying hard with your spellings and trying to write neatly. I wish you well for the future. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastborough Junior Infant and Nursery School, 2 °3 May 2007

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