Reedings Junior School

Inspection Report Reedings Junior School

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117280 Unique Reference Number HERTFORDSHIRE Local Authority 290781 Inspection number 4 October 2006 Inspection date Ruth Frith 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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Bullfields School address Junior Type of school Sawbridgeworth Community School category Hertfordshire CM21 9DD 7 °11 Age range of pupils 01279722578 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01279723144 Fax number 230 Number on roll (school) Mr Terry Coleing Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Ann Arrandale Headteacher 29 April 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 290781 4 October 2006 7 °11 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 an Additional Inspector over one day.

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Description of the school

This is an average sized junior school. Most of the pupils come from Sawbridgeworth and a few from neighbouring towns and villages. The socio-economic background of pupils is mostly favourable and the percentage of pupils receiving free school meals is below the national average. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds with a few coming from a range of minority ethnic groups. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is slightly lower than in most schools.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Reedings Junior School, 4 October 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school which provides good value for money. Pupils make good progress and achieve well so that by the time they leave school they reach standards that are at least above average and frequently high. Staff are successful in creating an environment in which pupils feel safe and are keen to learn. Pupils are happy at school and say that learning is fun. They particularly like the 'House system' which motivates them to do well when they receive rewards for their successes. Because expectations are high and clear procedures are in place, behaviour is good. No time is lost and pupils get on with their learning. Pupils are encouraged to express their ideas and given opportunities to take responsibility. This helps them to develop in confidence as they progress through the school. As some pupils said, 'It makes you feel great ... happy that you can think up things to help people ...you feel proud.' Their personal

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Grade: 2

development is good. They know how to stay safe and healthy and make an outstanding contribution to the school community and beyond, through the school council, eco committee and developing enterprise skills when organising and running fund raising events. Good literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills combined with their good personal development ensure that pupils are well equipped for the next stage in their education and life beyond. Attendance is satisfactory. Teaching is good because lessons are well planned to take into account pupils' differing abilities and their favoured learning styles. The recent work on developing pupils' thinking skills is proving successful as pupils develop a more independent approach to their learning and respond well to challenging questions. The way teachers check what pupils can do and use this information to set targets is good and has been a significant factor in the raising of standards. Staff recognise the

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Grade: 2

need to focus on improving pupils' writing, particularly the boys, so that standards equal those in other areas and more capable pupils are consistently challenged. Pupils know how to improve their work and show pride in their successes. Effective support is given to those pupils who find learning difficult. They are given short-term rewards that help to motivate them. Pupils enjoy an excellent range of clubs and activities which introduce them to new interests, such as chess, and help to develop their skills. Staff are beginning to improve the curriculum further by making links between subjects but pupils need more opportunities to apply their skills across different areas of learning. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher, staff and governors have a clear view of how the school is doing because they regularly check to see if they have met their school improvement goals. The senior management team is

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Grade: 2

particularly effective at analysing information and correctly identifying the school's priorities. The school has addressed the issues identified in the last inspection. The recent improvements and the continuing good progress that pupils make show that the school has a good capacity to improve even further.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Improve pupils' standards in writing, particularly boys and ensure that more capable pupils consistently achieve the higher levels in national assessments. - Develop the curriculum by ensuring that pupils have opportunities to make connections between 2 Inspection Report: Reedings Junior School, 4 October 2006 subjects through applying their knowledge, skills and understanding in one subject to their work in another.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' attainment on entry varies but is typically above average. Pupils make good progress throughout the school and achieve well so that in the Year 6 national assessments, standards in English, mathematics and science are consistently at least above average and frequently high. All groups, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, generally do equally well although last year a smaller percentage of boys than girls achieved the higher Level 5 in English. Although English standards were above average overall, they were higher in reading than in writing. There was a significant improvement in mathematics and results were high. This reflects the school's successful focus on raising standards in this area. The school met its targets for English and mathematics with pupils performing better than expected at the higher Level 5 in mathematics.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Staff have created a supportive environment where pupils feel happy and do well. Pupils learn what is expected of them through becoming familiar with the school's clear policies and through the friendly day-to-day contacts with staff. They successfully learn how to become healthy individuals and have a good understanding of personal safety. Particularly good work has been done by the school to achieve its Healthy Schools status. Features such as the school council, the eco-committee and the buddy system are particularly effective and encourage pupils to care for each other and the school community. Pupils develop good basic skills and learn to work well with others. This prepares them well for their next stage of education and beyond. A small number of pupils have had long absences over regular intervals

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Grade: 2

and this has brought down the overall attendance rate.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good because staff are very clear about what they want pupils to learn in each lesson and plan work which systematically builds on previous learning. Relationships are very good and staff use their knowledge of individuals to provide activities which generally match pupils' capabilities and are sufficiently challenging. Teachers are not as effective at encouraging pupils to reach the higher standards in writing as they are in other subjects. Recent work has focused on teachers recognising 3 Inspection Report: Reedings Junior School, 4 October 2006 pupils' preferred learning styles and they have been successful in developing their teaching in response to this. A wide range of teaching methods are now used and in particular, teachers are making very effective use of computers and interactive whiteboards to stimulate interest and develop learning. Pupils also benefit in lessons when they have the opportunity to work with partners and share their ideas. In one

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Grade: 2

outstanding lesson seen, all these features were present and pupils responded very well to the teacher's high expectations and challenging questions. Particularly good progress was made because the pace of learning was very good.

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Grade: 2

Several recent improvements to the curriculum, for example the teaching of thinking skills, are ensuring that pupils enjoy what they are doing. Improved facilities, better resources and more effective teaching in ICT have also widened the curriculum and helped pupils to make better progress. Although the curriculum is good overall, more work is needed on making links between subjects to ensure the systematic development of pupils' skills and the best possible use of teaching time. An excellent range of very popular clubs and activities help pupils to develop new interests and extend skills. School visits, visitors and themed weeks add another dimension to pupils' learning when they have the opportunity to focus on a specific subject such as mathematics or science and are offered a more 'hands on' experience.

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Grade: 2

Pupils feel safe and happy in school because of the good quality of care, guidance and support. This is reflected in pupils' comments, 'If you have a problem, teachers help you' and 'You get good memories .... everybody's caring'. Teaching assistants are deployed well and make a significant contribution to the progress pupils make, particularly those who find learning difficult. The school has attempted to introduce before school provision and has plans to renew its efforts. All the required procedures to ensure pupils' health, safety and welfare are in place and regularly reviewed. The newly introduced yearly planners provided for each child are particularly effective at supporting pupils with, for example, the completion of homework on time and showing them what they need to do next to improve their work. Pupils like these a lot and those in Year 6 think it will prepare them well for secondary school.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are very clearly focussed on improving the quality of provision and raising standards. The headteacher has been very effective at developing an excellent senior management team who have particularly good expertise in English, mathematics and science and share a clear determination to improve the school. They are especially effective at evaluating the school's success and identifying which areas 4 Inspection Report: Reedings Junior School, 4 October 2006 of its work they should focus on next. They use the information gained from analysing data very well to target resources in order to raise standards. This can be seen in the mathematics work done last year and the very recent work to improve boys' writing. Governors have a clear understanding of the school and support its development well through regular visits and working in committees. Procedures are in place to get the views of parents and most are supportive of the school and what it achieves.

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Grade: 2

5 Inspection Report: Reedings Junior School, 4 October 2006 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Reedings Junior School, 4 October 2006

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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 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? 2 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 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 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?

2 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. 7 Inspection Report: Reedings Junior School, 4 October 2006

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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? 8 Inspection Report: Reedings Junior School, 4 October 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

5 October 2006 Dear Children Reedings Junior School, Bullfields, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, CM21 9DD Thank you for making me feel so welcome when I recently visited your school. I enjoyed talking to you and finding out about the work you have done. I was pleased to hear that you enjoy school and could talk enthusiastically about all the good things that happen there. These are some of the best things about your school. - You work hard and do well in English, mathematics and science. You are developing your thinking skills particularly well. - You are interested in learning and are keen to do good work. - All the staff work very well together as a team. They enjoy teaching you and the teaching is good. - You behave well, look after each other and work and play together well. The buddy system works very well. - The activities you do and the things you study are interesting which helps to make lessons fun. -

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

The work you do in the school council and eco committee is excellent and helps you to understand how to improve the school and local community. - Staff look after you well and you feel safe in school. I was pleased to hear that you would talk to a member of staff if you had problems. Mrs Arrandale manages the school well and she is well supported by staff and governors. We have agreed that things will be even better if the staff help you to achieve as well in your writing as you do in your reading, particularly the boys, and also if they link subjects together and help you to practise your skills across different areas of learning. I left your school confident that it will continue to improve and wish you all well in the future. Ms Ruth Frith Lead inspector 9 Inspection Report: Reedings Junior School, 4 October 2006

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