Exhall Junior School

Inspection Report St Giles Junior School

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125585 Unique Reference Number Warwickshire Local Authority 293303 Inspection number 22 °23 January 2007 Inspection dates Gerald Griffin 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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Hayes Lane School address Junior Type of school Exhall Community School category Coventry CV7 9NS 8 °11 Age range of pupils 024 76313375 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 024 76731041 Fax number 207 Number on roll (school) Claire Patterson Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Anne Perry Headteacher 2 July 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 293303 22 °23 January 2007 8°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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Pupils are from many different ethnic groups. A small number are at the very early stages of learning English. Pupils enter the school with average standards. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is above average. The headteacher has been in post for just over one year. The other school leaders were appointed more recently. Out-of-school care is provided on site for the pupils; this provision is externally managed.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Giles Junior School, 22 °23 January 2007

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Grade: 3

St Giles Junior is a satisfactory school. The school is rapidly improving under the headteacher's very good leadership; she provides clear drive, direction and purpose. The recent history of underachievement and poor behaviour is being successfully redressed through detailed planning and improvement strategies that are enthusiastically implemented by staff. Standards in all years are average but are improving, which represents satisfactory achievement given pupils' starting points. Progress in mathematics is good because of successful strategies to improve mental arithmetic skills. Progress in English is variable. It is good in reading because pupils clearly understand the meaning of the different texts they read. Progress in writing is sound, but is not as rapid as in reading. Pupils have not had enough opportunities to learn to use punctuation accurately and to broaden their vocabulary when they write. Teaching is satisfactory and improving.

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Grade: 3

Classes are orderly and relationships are positive. As a result, pupils' behaviour is good and they are keen to learn. However, teachers do not consistently provide feedback to pupils about what they need to do to improve their work, which means the pace of learning sometimes slows. Pupils' personal development is good and they thrive in the school's happy atmosphere. Pupils, especially girls, report that the new anti-bullying policy is extremely effective and that they now feel very safe and secure and enjoy school. Pupils' good community involvement is shown by their readiness to accept responsibility as monitors and their support for a range of charities. The curriculum is good and promotes pupils' personal development through activities such as well-attended sports clubs and regular visits to places of interest. Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. Parents are very happy with the quality

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Grade: 3

of pastoral care the school provides. Typically they say, 'The teachers are approachable and supportive and my child is very happy at school'. The academic targets that the school sets for pupils are challenging and the procedures to check their progress towards them are robust. The guidance and support given to pupils with learning difficulties and those at the early stages of learning English are satisfactory and improving and ensure that they make sound progress in relation to their individual targets. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Self-evaluation ensures the school has a good understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. Many weaknesses, such as standards of behaviour, have been effectively and quickly rectified. The new subject managers do not yet play a big enough part in checking the work in their areas. As a consequence, the school is too dependent on the headteacher for the breadth and

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Grade: 3

pace of improvements. The recent improvements show the school has satisfactory capacity to make further gains. 2 Inspection Report: St Giles Junior School, 22 °23 January 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve pupils' progress in writing by giving greater emphasis to developing accurate punctuation and the broadening of vocabulary. • Ensure pupils know what they need to do to further improve their work. • Make sure that subject managers play a full part in monitoring and evaluating the work of the school.

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Grade: 3

Standards are average by the time pupils leave school and achievement is satisfactory for all groups, including those with learning difficulties and the pupils at the early stages of learning English. Pupils' performance in the 2006 national tests in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6 was at the national average. The school's targets were not met because these pupils underachieved in earlier years. The legacy of underachievement in past years depressed the results and the school missed some of its targets. There are many signs that the standards and progress of current pupils are rapidly improving. Progress in mathematics is good because of the school's successful drive to increase skills in mental calculation and the ability to apply knowledge of number in investigations. In English, pupils' skills in reading are better than those in writing. Pupils read a wide variety of texts fluently and have a very clear grasp of their meaning. When writing,

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Grade: 3

pupils' spelling and handwriting are of a sound standard but their use of vocabulary to develop and 'add colour' to their work and the accuracy of punctuation are weaker elements. The school recognises this and has recently made changes to the English curriculum to improve pupils' use of vocabulary and punctuation. Already there are clear signs of improvement in the written work of pupils in Years 4 and 5, but it is too early to judge the success of these plans in other years. Progress in science is rapidly improving because the school is providing more time for pupils to develop their practical and observational skills. The progress of girls has also improved and it is now similar to that of the boys. This is the result of the school's robust action to stop bullying. Girls now feel much safer in school and, as a consequence, have positive attitudes in the classroom.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils respect and value each other and the world around them. They are very polite to each other and to adults. Pupils' good behaviour comes from a clear understanding of right and wrong. Their good cultural development is especially seen in pupils' appreciation of their place in a multicultural society. 3 Inspection Report: St Giles Junior School, 22 °23 January 2007 Pupils feel secure and report that the very rare incidences of bullying are effectively resolved. They are confident that they can approach a member of staff if they have a worry, knowing their concerns will be quickly dealt with. Pupils have a good understanding of the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. While they make every effort to keep fit by taking regular exercise, they do not share the same enthusiasm for maintaining a healthy diet. Pupils enjoy coming to school, and are particularly

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Grade: 2

enthusiastic about the new school library and the good range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils are very keen to help others and their community. Their standards in literacy and numeracy provide pupils with a satisfactory preparation for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 3

Teachers have good subject knowledge, provide clear explanations and make lessons interesting. As a result, pupils are eager to learn and work hard. Teaching is improving as a result of the school's focus on raising standards of behaviour and developing planning so that it includes different styles of learning. For example, good opportunities are provided for pupils to clarify and extend their ideas with their 'talk partners'. The use of discussion is proving successful in helping pupils understand the subject matter; discussions are lively and accelerate pupils' progress through challenging questions. Teachers do not always use marking and other feedback to tell pupils how they can raise the standard of their work. As a result, the pace of learning sometimes slows. Teaching assistants are well informed and ensure that pupils with learning difficulties and those at the early stages of learning English participate fully in lessons.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum supports pupils' personal development well. Music provision is good and gives pupils many opportunities to develop their confidence and self- esteem through learning to play musical instruments and singing. Throughout the school, provision for physical development is good. Swimming, popular dance clubs, sports teams and physical education lessons support pupils' good efforts to keep fit. Regular visits to places of interest, such as museums, broaden pupils' horizons and raise their aspirations. Changes to the English curriculum have improved achievement. Provision for information and communication technology (ICT) is sound. The school is currently refurbishing the computer suite to improve ICT opportunities.

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Grade: 3

The school provides satisfactory care, support and guidance. Sensitive support and care is provided for pupils with learning difficulties. This enables these pupils to 4 Inspection Report: St Giles Junior School, 22 °23 January 2007 participate fully in lessons and make satisfactory progress. The pupils at the early stages of learning English learn as well as other pupils because of the good support provided by teachers and classroom assistants. The school makes good use of external agencies and specialists to promote pupils' welfare when the need arises. Child protection procedures and health and safety arrangements are robust. The school is using effective measures, such as rewards and not allowing long holidays to be taken in term time, to improve the already average level of attendance. Procedures to assess pupils' work and track their progress are satisfactory. Pupils are now largely meeting the challenging targets set for them. However, pupils are not

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Grade: 3

always clear as to what their academic targets are and how they can improve their work to meet them. The school provides very effective additional support through booster classes for individual pupils who under-perform, and this is having a positive impact on rising standards.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher provides very clear leadership that ensures that pupils make good gains in their personal development. She has effectively tackled the legacy of low standards and underachievement with zeal, and as a consequence, standards have significantly improved over a short period of time. She is well supported by senior managers and other staff, who have high expectations for pupils and strive to do their very best for them. However, the subject managers are not yet taking full responsibility for monitoring standards and initiating improvements in their areas. This means the breadth and rate of school improvement is currently over-reliant on the headteacher. The school's accurate view of its strengths and areas for development stems from the systematic checking of its performance by the headteacher. Weaknesses have been tackled well. For example, underachievement has been successfully redressed by

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Grade: 3

providing challenging targets for pupils to achieve, which have raised teachers' expectations for the quality and quantity of pupils' work. The governing body provides the headteacher with enthusiastic support. Through their developing understanding of data, governors are asking searching questions about standards and the progress of pupils. The record of improvements since the last inspection and clear strategic planning that is identifying the right priorities show that the school has a satisfactory capacity to maintain its advance. 5 Inspection Report: St Giles Junior School, 22 °23 January 2007 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: St Giles Junior School, 22 °23 January 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 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? 3 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 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 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. 7 Inspection Report: St Giles Junior School, 22 °23 January 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? 8 Inspection Report: St Giles Junior School, 22 °23 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming us to your school and being so friendly. You clearly enjoy being in a school where you get on with each other very well. We enjoyed our conversations with you about your work and the other things that you do at school. The school is improving rapidly and provides you with a satisfactory education. Here are some of the 'highlights' • You are making good progress in reading and mathematics. • You work hard in your lessons. • Your behaviour is good. • You show a good community spirit by taking responsibility and collecting for charities. • Your music is good and you enjoy practising and performing in the choir. • You have a very interesting range of clubs which most of you attend. • All the staff care for you very well. • The headteacher, staff and governors are working together well to make the school even better. What we have asked your school to do now • Help you make your written work better by improving your punctuation and vocabulary.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• Keep you informed about how you can improve your work. • Ensure that those teachers with responsibilities for subjects check on the work that you do. Best wishes for your future education and the future of the school. 9 Inspection Report: St Giles Junior School, 22 °23 January 2007

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