Granby Junior School

112571 Unique Reference Number Derbyshire Local Authority 319447 Inspection number 26 °27 June 2008 Inspection dates Robert Drew Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Junior Type of school Community School category 7 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 319 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr David Morgan Chair Mr Brian Allsopp Headteacher 25 April 2007 Date of previous school inspection Heanor Road School address Ilkeston Derbyshire DE7 8DX 0115 9322424 Telephone number 0115 9322971 Fax number

p.1

7-11 Age group 26 °27 June 2008 Inspection dates 319447 Inspection number .

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

The school is larger than average, serving the urban area of north Ilkeston. On balance, most pupils' backgrounds are economically disadvantaged, though attainment on entry is broadly average. More pupils than average have learning difficulties. The great majority are White British, with very few coming from minority ethnic communities. At its last inspection, the school was given a Notice to Improve.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Granby Junior School, 26 °27 June 2008

p.3

Grade: 3

'In accordance with legislation HMCI is of the opinion that this school no longer requires significant improvement.' Overall effectiveness and value for money are now satisfactory. Leadership and management are satisfactory and the school has made steady improvement since the previous inspection. It has established secure monitoring arrangements leading to greater consistency in teaching, better use of tracking and further gains in the achievement pupils make. In each of these areas, the school is right to see scope for further development, but it has demonstrated a satisfactory capacity for improvement. Self-evaluation is satisfactory. The headteacher has prompted these improvements and involved colleagues effectively. The governing body is now considerably better placed to lend support because it is more effectively organised and has far better knowledge of the school than at the time of the last inspection.

p.4

Grade: 3

Its current impact on the school is satisfactory, but improving strongly. Coordinators of literacy, numeracy and science have each helped their subjects improve but they are given too little responsibility for setting and meeting expectations in their subjects. Their capacity to assist the headteacher in this way is underused. More and better use is made of assessment information, which has helped raise standards so that they are now broadly average. Consequently, achievement is satisfactory, and continues to improve steadily. Some data is still not accessible to all staff and pupils show variable understanding of their targets. Targets are generally adequate, good in some areas, but not consistently as high as they could be. However, the work of Year 6 is now broadly average, matching national levels in English and marginally exceeding those in mathematics and science. Younger pupils are reaching significantly higher standards than previously. Recent weaknesses

p.4

Grade: 3

in writing, especially that of boys, have been reduced, though not fully eliminated. Improved teaching and learning also promote these improvements. The overall quality is satisfactory, and although some inconsistencies persist in aspects of marking, pace and expectations, good lessons are becoming more common and outstanding practice exists. In the best lessons, pupils' work rate and enjoyment are impressive and teachers set very challenging tasks. A similar proportion of lessons is satisfactory and here relationships and subject knowledge remain good, but pace tends to be steady and expectations modest. The curriculum benefits from a well-planned emphasis on pupils' skills and greater scope for creativity, but it also has some limitations and is satisfactory overall. Teaching starts considerably later than it might each morning and time loss at other points is significant. Personal development is good. Pupils behave well, both in lessons and around school. They

p.4

Grade: 3

report that they feel safe at school. They lead increasingly healthy lifestyles through ample sports provision, twice-daily warm up sessions and better school diet. Many contribute well to the school and wider community through buddy systems, the School Council and charity fund raising. Their enjoyment of school is strong and preparation for future economic well- being satisfactory, reflecting strengths in care, guidance and support. The overall quality here is satisfactory: tracking academic progress is less effective than the promotion of personal development. Parents' support is generally strong. A significant minority express reservations about several aspects of the school's work, but these concerns are not borne out by the inspection. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Granby Junior School, 26 °27 June 2008

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise achievement by setting more challenging targets and ensuring that assessment data is collected more often and shared more widely. ■ Take additional steps to increase consistency in teaching, so that the strong pace and high challenge in the best lessons become standard practice. ■ Give coordinators a central role in setting and meeting whole-school targets in their subjects.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ Use teaching time more efficiently, especially in morning sessions

p.5

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.

p.5

Grade: 3

Because the school has improved provision since the previous inspection, standards are now broadly average and achievement satisfactory. A steady rise is taking place in the standards in English, mathematics and science. Weaknesses in boys' writing have been adequately addressed, though there is still room for further improvement. While standards in the current Year 6 continue a gradual upward trend, the work of younger children shows even greater improvement. These gains have been achieved through better teaching and a more systematic, if not yet fully embedded, use of assessment data. Achievement levels have by no means reached their limit and the good learning attitudes of pupils can be further exploited. Targets are generally appropriate, but are not as demanding as they could be.

p.5

Grade: 2

Social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils work well together in class and support each other in their learning. Attendance is satisfactory. Most pupils enjoy coming to school. They like their teachers because they 'make learning fun'. They trust the adults at school and know that they can turn to them and find help. Pupils say that the anti-bullying work the school has done has made it a much better place. Behaviour is good. Pupils have healthy lifestyles and talk confidently about their rejection of smoking and substance abuse. They enjoy their responsibilities, which may be in the playground to ensure all pupils are involved, or supporting new Year 3 pupils. The School Council provides a pupil voice and they feel that their ideas, such as fund-raising for Romanian children, which they planned and managed, are valued.

p.5

Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Recent strategies introduced by the school are having a positive impact, with the quality of teaching more consistent and the rate of learning across the school improving. Relationships between pupils and adults are good. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subjects taught and pupils have many opportunities to work in pairs and groups. The variety of methods used promotes interest and the time limitations given to tasks assist the pace. Teachers create an environment in which pupils are ready to learn and contribute. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Granby Junior School, 26 °27 June 2008 Learning is less successful in a minority of lessons in which pupil participation is limited or the pace steady rather than swift. Tasks that challenge pupils of all abilities are generally, but not always, provided. The quality of marking has improved, but does not always explain how to

p.5

Grade: 3

improve or review targets frequently enough.

p.6

Grade: 3

The school provides opportunities for all learners, including those who find learning more difficult, to progress and perform at a suitable level. It has rightly concentrated on raising standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science and is now bringing in more activities to develop skill areas and promote creativity and enjoyment. There is a good range of enrichment activities, with good use made of visitors. Extensive use is made of visits to places of educational interest, especially those in the local area. The new music partnership is already producing competent musicians and the new range of physical activities contributes to developing understanding of a healthy lifestyle. Provision for gifted and talented pupils is at an early stage of development. The structure of the school day does not make the most use of learning time. For example the length of registration, assembly and the warm-up routine means that, although all these elements have

p.6

Grade: 3

a value in their own right, almost three quarters of an hour passes before formal learning begins.

p.6

Grade: 3

The school works hard to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. They are rewarded for good attendance and for bringing a nutritionally balanced packed lunch. Those who find learning difficult are supported by a team of teaching assistants and make satisfactory progress. The school has good relationships with Local Authority agencies, helping pupils who require extra support. Safeguarding and health and safety provision meet national requirements. The provision for pastoral support is good and has a positive impact on pupils' personal development. While academic monitoring is satisfactory, pupils' individual targets in English and mathematics are not understood or used as consistently as they could be. The best marking is informative and supports pupils' learning, but again, this is inconsistent.

p.6

Grade: 3

This is an area of recent improvement and is now satisfactory. The capacity for further improvement is already satisfactory and expanding. Crucially, the headteacher has improved systems for monitoring the school's work so that they are more systematic and extensive and have an impact on standards and teaching. The school is aware that further consistency is required. Data is also handled more effectively and has helped shape provision. Expectations are now acceptable, but not as fully challenging as they could be. Staff and pupils know much more about standards and how to improve them, though there is scope for this to rise to higher levels of use and understanding. Subject coordination is satisfactory and the school is aware of the need to give coordinators greater responsibility. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Granby Junior School, 26 °27 June 2008 The governing body has significantly improved its organisation and activity. Its impact on the

p.6

Grade: 3

school is satisfactory and rapidly improving. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Granby Junior School, 26 °27 June 2008 .

p.7

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: Granby Junior School, 26 °27 June 2008

p.8

Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

learners?

3 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 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

p.9

and interests of learners?

3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

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: Granby Junior School, 26 °27 June 2008

p.9

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: Granby Junior School, 26 °27 June 2008

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

30 June 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Granby Junior School, Ilkeston, DE7 8DX Thank you for your warm welcome when we recently came to inspect Granby Junior. Your school has improved since the last inspection and is now satisfactory overall. It doesn't need the 'Notice To Improve' any more. There are already some good features at your school, for instance:

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your own behaviour and general maturity are good.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Lessons in some classes regularly have good teaching and learning. Occasionally the quality is excellent. ■ The school provides good opportunities for you to become healthy, stay safe and contribute to others. When we spoke to some of you, your views about school were very positive. ■ Standards are steadily rising.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

If the school is to continue improving, it needs to:

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Lift standards even further by setting you really challenging targets and giving you and your teachers the very latest assessment information for checking your progress. ■ Make sure all lessons have the liveliness and high expectations we saw in the best ones.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Give teachers in charge of subjects more responsibility for helping to run the school.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Use time more efficiently, especially in the mornings when your lessons start very late compared with other schools. Best wishes for the rest of your time at Granby Junior. Yours sincerely Robert Drew Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Granby Junior School, 26 °27 June 2008

p.11