Durrington Church of England Controlled Junior School

Durrington Church of England Controlled Junior School Inspection report

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126324 Unique Reference Number Wiltshire Local Authority 315494 Inspection number 12 °13 February 2008 Inspection dates Diane Wilkinson 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 controlled School category 7 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 210 School The governing body Appropriate authority David Cranston Chair Jenny Whymark Headteacher 12 January 2004 Date of previous school inspection Bulford Road School address Durrington Salisbury SP4 8DL 01980 652237 Telephone number 01980 654587 Fax number

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7-11 Age group 12 °13 February 2008 Inspection dates 315494 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

Durrington is an average sized junior school. Standards on entry are around average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. The school has a specialist centre for pupils with complex learning needs. As a result, the proportion of pupils who have a statement of specific educational need is high. None of the small number of pupils from minority ethnic groups is at the early stages of learning English. Around 15% of pupils come from a service family background. A special focus on their achievement formed part of this inspection.

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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: Durrington Church of England Controlled Junior School, 12 °13 February 2008

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Grade: 3

Durrington Junior School provides a satisfactory standard of education. Although in the past the school was slow to address weaker aspects of its work, development over the last year has been rapid. Progress has improved and standards are rising, although the full effect of current developments has yet to be seen. Nevertheless, the school's recent success gives confidence that it is well placed to improve further. The headteacher's strong and supportive leadership has resulted in staff and governors working well together to improve provision and raise standards. Much improved systems for monitoring the school's work and pupils' progress ensure weaker areas are now quickly identified and addressed and the school knows where further improvement is needed. Governors support development work well. However, leadership and management are judged satisfactory because subject leaders have only recently had the expertise and opportunity to make a successful

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Grade: 3

contribution to monitoring and school improvement. Standards have risen well this year and are average although there has been insufficient time for pupils to catch up on gaps in writing skills. Investigation and enquiry skills in mathematics and science, although much improved, are still developing. Achievement is satisfactory, including for the higher attaining pupils, although staff miss opportunities to extend their learning further. Pupils who speak English as an additional language or those who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve satisfactorily. However, the latter make good progress when working in small groups and especially good progress in the Specialist Learning Centre (SLC). Pupils from service families are integrated well into school life as their families tend to be settled in the area. As a result, they achieve as well as their classmates. Good quality care and pastoral

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Grade: 3

support help pupils do well in their personal development. They behave well and relationships throughout the school are good. Pupils enjoy lessons, work hard and are very good at taking on responsibility. For example, through their work as 'Playground Buddies', pupils have helped to significantly decrease bullying. The rich and interesting curriculum motivates pupils and enhances their attitudes to school. A number of parents praised the range of activities on offer and their children's evident enjoyment of school life. Attendance is above average. The work of the Specialist Learning Centre is very effective and supports pupils who attend it especially well. The school has a number of productive partnerships with other schools and agencies, which benefit pupils' progress and welfare, and the school is seeking ways to involve parents more in its work. Teaching and learning have improved over the past year and are satisfactory. Well planned lessons, with an

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Grade: 3

emphasis on encouraging pupils to discuss their work and explain their answers, are helping to bring about better progress. However, strengths seen in some lessons are not evident in others. In some the pace is too slow and when this happens a number of pupils lose concentration. Academic guidance is satisfactory overall, although the quality of marking is variable and does not always show pupils how to improve. The school has put in place successful systems for assessing and tracking pupils' progress. This allows staff to set challenging improvement targets for individual pupils which are beginning to accelerate their progress. However, these are not sufficiently referred to in lessons, which limits opportunities for pupils to focus on how they should improve their work. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Durrington Church of England Controlled Junior School, 12 °13 February 2008

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve pupils' writing, and their investigation and problem solving skills in mathematics and science. ■ Ensure that teaching is consistently rigorous and of a good pace, that higher attaining pupils are challenged throughout lessons and that marking indicates how pupils can improve. ■ Involve pupils more in checking progress towards their targets so that they are very clear about what they to need to do to improve. 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 the past pupils' progress was not monitored regularly enough to allow the school to intervene when this slowed. As a result, standards declined and were below average in the national tests for Year 6 pupils last year. However, much improved systems for checking on how well pupils are doing, introduced over the past year, have allowed the school to quickly identify and address any weaknesses. As a result, pupils are rapidly catching up on skills missed in the past and their achievement is satisfactory. Careful tracking of pupils from service families helps them to achieve as well as other pupils. Pupils with special education needs make very good progress in the Specialist Learning Centre and good progress in small group activities. Standards in English are around average because the good progress in reading and above average standards in this aspect compensate for pupils' lower writing skills. Standards are average in mathematics

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Grade: 3

and science due to good progress this year although pupils' investigation and enquiry skills remain underdeveloped. The past decline in standards was partly due to higher attaining pupils not making the progress of which they were capable. Although their progress is now satisfactory, more could be done to improve it further.

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Grade: 2

Pupils get on well together and those who attend the Specialist Learning Centre are integrated well into school life, as are pupils from service families. Pupils are kind and courteous and are happy to take responsibility for their actions. They behave well and appreciate the school's strategies to maintain discipline and reward achievement. There are a few occasions when pupils lose concentration when lessons are insufficiently interesting. A minority of parents expressed concerns about bullying. However, pupils spoken to during the inspection see this as a minor issue, mainly associated with name-calling, which they feel the school deals with well. The school council helped draw up the anti-bullying policy and 'Buddies' monitor playtime behaviour. Pupils feel safe and well cared for, like their teachers and respond well in lessons. Through an appreciation of art, music and language, and links with many schools overseas, pupils gain a

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Grade: 2

good understanding of the spiritual and cultural aspects of life. They have a good awareness of how to keep healthy and safe although not all choose healthy food for their packed lunches. Pupils play a major part in helping create the friendly atmosphere in the school and contribute especially well to its smooth running. For example, they help governors to monitor health and safety aspects. Through the many opportunities to work co-operatively and to take responsibility, 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Durrington Church of England Controlled Junior School, 12 °13 February 2008 such as in running the school tuck shop, pupils develop a good range of skills to support their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 3

Practical and interesting lesson activities engage and motivate pupils. Tasks are mostly adapted appropriately for pupils working at different levels, encouraging them to do their best. However, when higher attaining pupils complete their work early they are not always given more challenging tasks to help them progress even further. Focused questioning, increasing in difficulty, helps pupils understand new concepts. Teachers are good at encouraging pupils to work with a partner to explain their methods of working and give reasons for their answer, which consolidates their learning and enhances progress. Good expertise in music, physical education, French and Spanish leads to good learning in these subjects. However, the quality of teaching is not consistent, as lessons do not always provide rigour and excitement in learning. When this happens some pupils lose interest and progress slows. In addition, there is a

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Grade: 3

considerable range in the quality of marking. In particular, not all teachers give pupils sufficient advice on how their work could be improved.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy the rich and stimulating curriculum. Opportunities in a wide range of subjects help pupils to develop skills, for example, in modern foreign languages and in music where all have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument. Much more emphasis is now given to the development of problem solving and investigation skills and the school is aware of the need to extend this further. The good personal, social and health education programme supports pupils' personal development well. Subjects are successfully linked together, giving pupils many opportunities to develop their literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology skills, for example in science lessons. However, the use of information from the relatively new assessment procedures to help adapt curriculum planning is not yet fully in place. Many opportunities for sport, visits including residential trips and school clubs help enhance pupils'

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Grade: 3

Pupils are well cared for and parents appreciate this, one writing, 'My son loves school and is very happy and settled.' Systems for promoting pupils' health and safety are robust. Child protection procedures and staff vetting arrangements fully comply with government guidelines. Pastoral care and support are good and pupils think the school's systems for encouraging good behaviour and progress are very fair. In the past, academic support and guidance was unsatisfactory because the school did not collect sufficient information about how well pupils were doing to allow staff to set challenging enough improvement targets. However, current systems for assessing and monitoring pupils' progress, including a specific check on those from service families, are now satisfactory. The new information helps staff set individual pupils challenging improvement targets although they miss opportunities to discuss these with the

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Grade: 3

pupils to encourage faster progress. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Durrington Church of England Controlled Junior School, 12 °13 February 2008

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Grade: 3

The headteacher provides strong and determined leadership and has the full support of staff and governors. As a result teamwork is good, ensuring that clear direction for improvement is being given at all levels. In the past, procedures for monitoring the school's work and checking on pupils' progress were not rigorous or regular enough for early identification of weaknesses. Consequently, the school was too slow in putting in place strategies to address them which led to declining progress and falling standards. However, more recently, due to the hard work of the headteacher and senior leaders, comprehensive and helpful systems have been put in place, which give the school an accurate picture of how well it is doing. Weaknesses are now speedily identified and are beginning to be successfully addressed. However, a number of strategies are relatively new and the full effect of the school's work is yet to be seen.

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Grade: 3

Previously, subject leaders did not have the skills or opportunity to contribute well to school monitoring and development although they are increasingly involved in supporting improvement strategies, which is helping to raise standards. Through the good information now available to them on the school's work and pupils' progress governors are well informed. Their well organized committees help governors to play a successful part in monitoring and development work, especially in supporting the good level of care and pupils' personal development. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Durrington Church of England Controlled Junior School, 12 °13 February 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. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Durrington Church of England Controlled Junior School, 12 °13 February 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? 2 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 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 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: Durrington Church of England Controlled Junior School, 12 °13 February 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Durrington Church of England Controlled Junior School, 12 °13 February 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils Inspection of Durrington CofE VC Junior School, Durrington SP4 8DL Thank you for welcoming us to your school. I particularly want to thank the pupils who showed us around the school and who gave up their time to speak to us. We think your school provides a satisfactory standard of education although it has improved well over the last year and is in a good position to improve further.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Here are some of the things we found out were good about the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Adults take good care of you. They give you good support and advice for your personal development and sound help with your learning. ■ You are friendly, polite and helpful and behave well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are very good at taking on responsibility, and the 'Playground Buddies' are especially good at helping to stop people being unkind to others. ■ Staff plan many interesting activities so you enjoy school and work hard.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are making satisfactory progress and are reaching the standards you should. Those of you who need extra help do well when they work on their own or in small groups, especially in the Specialist Learning Centre. ■ Your headteacher leads the school well and together with governors and members of staff she is working hard to help the school improve.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Here are the things we have asked your school to improve.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You still need to get better at writing, carrying out science investigations and solving problems in mathematics. You can help by trying very hard to improve these. ■ Make sure that you learn at a good rate in lessons and give pupils who find work easy extra tasks to help them do even better..You can help by always working as hard as you can. ■ Give you better advice on how to improve by always pointing this out when they mark your work and by referring regularly to your improvement targets. You can help by continually checking on how you can improve your work. Thank you again for all your help and good luck for the future. Yours sincerely D Wilkinson Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Durrington Church of England Controlled Junior School, 12 °13 February 2008

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Annex B

Inspection of Durrington CofE VC Junior School, Durrington SP4 8DL

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Annex B

Thank you for welcoming us to your school. I particularly want to thank the pupils who showed us around the school and who gave up their time to speak to us. We think your school provides a satisfactory standard of education although it has improved well over the last year and is in a good position to improve further.

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Annex B

Here are some of the things we found out were good about the school. • Adults take good care of you. They give you good support and advice for your personal development and sound help with your learning. • You are friendly, polite and helpful and behave well. • You are very good at taking on responsibility, and the ‘Playground Buddies’ are especially good at helping to stop people being unkind to others. • Staff plan many interesting activities so you enjoy school and work hard. • You are making satisfactory progress and are reaching the standards you should. Those of you who need extra help do well when they work on their own or in small groups, especially in the Specialist Learning Centre . • Your headteacher leads the school well and together with governors and members of staff she is working hard to help the school improve.

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Annex B

Here are the things we have asked your school to improve. • You still need to get better at writing, carrying out science investigations and solving problems in mathematics. You can help by trying very hard to improve these. • Make sure that you learn at a good rate in lessons and give pupils who find work easy extra tasks to help them do even better..You can help by always working as hard as you can. • Give you better advice on how to improve by always pointing this out when they mark your work and by referring regularly to your improvement targets. You can help by continually checking on how you can improve your work.

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Annex B

Thank you again for all your help and good luck for the future.

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