Wenlock CofE Junior School

Wenlock C of E Junior School Inspection report

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109633 Unique Reference Number LUTON LA Local Authority 310047 Inspection number 21 °22 January 2008 Inspection dates Roderick Passant 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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Junior Type of school Voluntary aided School category 7 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 331 School The governing body Appropriate authority Rev Peter Budgell Chair Mrs Barbara Campbell Headteacher 22 March 2004 Date of previous school inspection Beaconsfield Road School address Luton Bedfordshire LU2 0RW 01582 730624 Telephone number 01582 725005 Fax number

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7-11 Age group 21 °22 January 2008 Inspection dates 310047 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

This is a larger than average Church of England school with a local intake. There has been a rapid increase in the number of learners from minority ethnic groups in the last three years. Over a third of pupils now come from this group and the percentage of pupils with English as an additional language is above average. The percentage of pupils eligible for a free school meal is nearly double the national average and a significant proportion of pupils have complex social or emotional needs. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties is slightly above the national average, although the proportion with a statement of special educational needs is below average. The school has a small number of looked after children. Attainment on entry to the school is broadly in line with the expectations for their age, and the attainment for the youngest pupils has recently improved. The school was awarded Investors in People status in

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Description of the school

2005. The school has been recently re-accredited as a healthy school. It is also part of two networks of schools with the focus on improving mathematics and the introduction of a foreign language in the summer term 2008.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Wenlock C of E Junior School, 21 °22 January 2008

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school which cares well for its pupils. It has a calm atmosphere and pupils are making the progress they should across all year groups. Year 6 pupils are on target to attain broadly average standards. The school now has a firm foundation on which to build future improvement. The school has recently emerged from a turbulent period caused by a period of high staff mobility and the rapid absorption of a large number of pupils following the closure of a local school. For example, a fifth of the current Year 6 joined the school in Year 5. Staff recruitment has been difficult, leading to the appointment of many teachers on short-term contracts. During this period of turbulence, pupils' behaviour deteriorated and they did not progress or achieve as well as they should have. There were often gaps in their learning causing a dip in the test results in 2007. Pupils' behaviour and the impact of the high turnover of staff have

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Grade: 3

understandably worried a significant minority of parents and rebuilding parents' confidence in the school and its leadership is an important priority. Staffing is now more stable and effective systems now support teachers. This has resulted in pupils' good personal development. Their behaviour is good because staff make effective use of praise, encouragement and rewards. Although the school has a few pupils who require intensive support, they are generally able to learn without distraction. Pupils enjoy school because they are gaining a sense of success, reflected in their good attitudes to learning. They report feeling safe and secure because the school's personal, social and health education programme means that pupils are now kinder to each other and they feel any incidents of inappropriate behaviour are tackled effectively. The school uses the information gained from the excellent assessment systems to ensure that pupils' progress is tracked carefully. As a result,

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Grade: 3

underachievement is identified early, and teaching assistants effectively target and support those pupils who need extra help. Teaching is satisfactory overall because, although variable, much of teaching is good and is improving. The school has developed a two-pronged approach to raising standards. In the upper school, effective catch-up programmes are helping to tackle underachievement caused by gaps in pupils' learning. In Year 3, changes to the curriculum ensure that links are made between subjects and as a result, key skills, particularly in language, are reinforced. Although the curriculum is satisfactory overall, this has not been extended to other year groups, as yet. In addition, along with the effective use of infant school approaches, means that pupils are settling to their new school more quickly, making at least steady progress and working at an appropriate level for their age. This provides a platform of achievement,

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Grade: 3

which can be built on in subsequent years. The headteacher has steered the school well through its turbulent period. She has a very accurate view of the school's strengths and its priorities for improvement. Leadership and management and the school's capacity for improvement are satisfactory overall. This is because, whilst subject and year group leaders are developing their skills and have good potential, it is too soon to see the impact of their work in raised standards.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ improving the consistency of good teaching

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What the school should do to improve further

■ modifying the curriculum beyond Year 3 by linking subjects and reinforcing key skills. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Wenlock C of E Junior School, 21 °22 January 2008 ■ Re-establish overall parental confidence in the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

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.

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Grade: 3

In 2007, pupils in Year 6 reached broadly average standards in English but below average standards in mathematics and science. Girls did better than boys in English but their performance in mathematics was very low. These pupils made slow progress during their time in junior school. The school's assessments shows that pupils currently in Year 6 are on track to attain standards close to the national average. They are making good progress in their writing, because it is a focus in the school, and satisfactory progress in reading and mathematics. In lessons, there was no difference between boys' and girls' performance. Pupils are now making at least the expected progress across all year groups. Pupils with learning difficulties make steady progress toward meeting their targets, especially those with emotional and social needs. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress because of the increased opportunities

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Grade: 3

for speaking and listening in classrooms and the induction and support that they receive.

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress in their personal development. They are learning to take responsibility for their actions and to manage their feelings because of the intensive work undertaken in personal, social and health education. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The school works hard on developing pupils' confidence and self-esteem. This is a faith school and this underpins pupils' spiritual development, but it is inclusive and embracing of other faiths. Pupils enjoy school, feel safe and know how to look after themselves. They understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Pupils who are consistently well behaved do not always feel that this is recognised. Pupils make a satisfactory contribution to the community and develop workplace skills satisfactorily. Attendance is around the national average.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. The school has acted on the need to improve the quality of teaching across the school and thus to halt the legacy of underachievement. Teaching is now good in Years 3 and 6. It is more variable elsewhere. In Year 3, working with a revised curriculum, teaching is ensuring pupils make at least satisfactory progress. In Year 6, good steps are taken to identify and tackle gaps in pupils' earlier learning and this is leading to better achievement than in previous years. Teaching places strong and effective emphasis on improving pupils' speaking and listening skills. Effective liaison and good relationships between teachers, teaching assistants and pupils contributes strongly to the good support for pupils needing additional help with learning, particularly those pupils for whom English is an additional language. Information and communication technology is used effectively to foster learning.

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Grade: 3

Excellent systems for assessing and tracking pupils' progress across the school are beginning 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Wenlock C of E Junior School, 21 °22 January 2008 to lead to improvement. Teachers are able to group pupils of similar ability within classes or sets and this means that challenging, yet achievable, targets are set for all.

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Grade: 3

The required curriculum is taught throughout the school. There is good provision in lessons to support pupils' personal development. The curriculum has been developed in Year 3 to improve the transition from the infant to the junior school. This is preparing pupils better for the different curricular expectations and helping to raise standards. Increased links between subjects make this wider curriculum more meaningful and brings learning alive for pupils. It also provides opportunities to reinforce key skills. These new approaches have yet to be extended to work in all age groups. The curriculum is enhanced well through a wide range of visits, visitors and extra-curricular activities. Many pupils participate in these enrichment activities, which have a positive effect on their enjoyment, health, social and cultural development.

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Grade: 2

Systems in place for safeguarding pupils and ensuring their health and safety are robust. Well-trained staff organise activities at lunchtime that helps pupils structure their free time. Good quality food encourages healthy eating. Learners at risk and those with learning or other difficulties are identified and supported; their progress is tracked and intervention strategies are used well. Good links with specialist outside bodies are used to help support pupils who need extra help with their learning. Home workers and behaviour support assistants provide good support to individual pupils and families. Induction systems for new pupils and those with English as an additional language are robust, enabling these pupils to make good progress. Attendance is closely monitored and poor attendance is tackled.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher provides resilient, dedicated leadership. She is very committed to, and ambitious for, the school, its pupils and its staff. She has an extremely effective working partnership with the deputy headteacher because they have complementary skills. Together they have established a firm foundation for the school's future development. The school makes effective use of targets to track, with teachers, the progress their pupils are making. Management is good; the school functions well on a day-by-day basis. Training is being provided to develop subject and year co-ordinators' skills. Some are new to their responsibilities and hence their work has yet to contribute to raising pupils' standards. Governance is satisfactory. Governors are committed but, as many are newly appointed, their roles in strategic leadership and critical friendship as yet are limited. Aware of this, some are undertaking training in order to improve their

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Grade: 3

effectiveness. They have a clear role to play, alongside staff, in re-establishing some parents' confidence in the school. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Wenlock C of E Junior School, 21 °22 January 2008 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Wenlock C of E Junior School, 21 °22 January 2008

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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? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 3 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Wenlock C of E Junior School, 21 °22 January 2008

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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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Wenlock C of E Junior School, 21 °22 January 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

23 January 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Wenlock C of E Junior School, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU2 0RW Thank you for making us so welcome in your school. I enjoyed the assembly I attended and the story of the twigs. There was a very warm family atmosphere and you all looked very smart. My particular thanks to those members of the school council and Year 6 pupils who gave up some of their lunchtime to talk to us. I was impressed by your thoughtful answers and what you had to say was very helpful. I thought I would share with you our findings. The school is helping you develop as young people well. Your behaviour is good and the school is a calm place of learning. You are now making the kind of progress that you would expect across the school and Year 6 is on track to attain standards seen in other schools. Well done! You have coped well with a period when this was not always the case and when, for many

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

reasons, some of you have had a number of different teachers. This has understandably worried some of your parents. It is important that the school helps them rebuild their trust and gain a picture of it as it is now. You told us that you enjoy school and now feel secure and safe in school because the teachers solve any incidents or unkindness. You think the behaviour systems are managed fairly for the most part, though I have told Mrs Campbell that some of you felt that children who are consistently well behaved are not always rewarded as much as children who turn over a 'new leaf'. We think that Mrs Campbell and the staff care for you a great deal and provide you with good support and keep a very close eye on the progress you are making. In many lessons, you make good progress in your learning and we have asked your teachers to work on ensuring this happens more often across the school. We also asked Mrs Campbell to ensure that you have a

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

chance to develop your writing and mathematics skills in other subjects. The school has established a firm foundation on which to build and improve further and, with your help, I am sure that it will. Sincere good wishes for your future school careers Roderick Passant Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Wenlock C of E Junior School, 21 °22 January 2008

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