Staveley Junior School

Staveley Junior School Inspection report

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112627 Unique Reference Number Derbyshire Local Authority 325649 Inspection number 9 October 2008 Inspection date Lynne Blakelock 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 Community School category 7–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 123 School (total) The governing body Appropriate authority Mr M Patmore Chair Mrs H Ellis Headteacher 31 October 2005 Date of previous school inspection College Avenue School address Staveley Chesterfield Derbyshire S43 3XE 01246 472325 Telephone number 01246 472325 Fax number

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7–11 Age group 9 October 2008 Inspection date 325649 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. 2 of 10 Inspection Report: Staveley Junior School, 9 October 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector who evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: the effectiveness of the school's strategies to raise standards, particularly in writing and for higher attaining pupils; the extent to which marking and pupils' targets are helping to raise standards through the school and the capacity of governors and subject leaders to drive the school further forward. Evidence was gathered from observing work in classrooms, scrutinising school documentation and parental questionnaires. Discussions were held with the school's senior and middle leaders and with pupils. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspector found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in the report.

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Description of the school

Staveley Junior School is a smaller than average school serving the Middlecroft area of the town. Numbers on roll are falling. Very few pupils are from minority ethnic groups or speak English as an additional language. An above average percentage of pupils are eligible to free school meals. Most pupils enter the school with skills lower than might be expected. The proportion of pupils having learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. The school has Health Promoting Schools status, Artsmark and has achieved the first two sections of the International School's award. It has gained the Basic Skills Mark for the fourth time. The school participated in the local authority's Intensifying Support Programme from 2004 to 2006, in its drive to raise standards. It is part of the Chesterfield Excellence Cluster.

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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: Staveley Junior School, 9 October 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school in which pupils are happy and make good progress in all aspects of their work. The school has improved since the last inspection and present practice and planning confirm that it has a good capacity for further improvement. Pupils' good personal development is the key to their positive attitudes to school and learning. In particular, the school's efforts to involve pupils in a range of activities, both on the school site and in the local community, enables them to develop important interpersonal skills ready for the next stage of their education. Year 6 pupils' delivery of 'seed science' to the Year 3 children has not only strengthened their reading skills but developed their organisational, leadership and decision making skills. Teachers' expectations that pupils take on responsibilities from the time they join the school raises their self-esteem and confidence and helps them to

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Grade: 2

understand the accountability that they have as young citizens. Enterprise activities are developing, although at present this is mainly for the older pupils, who run a yearly 'Enterprise Fayre'. The policy of the school is to broaden pupils' experiences by providing a wide range of opportunities including involvement in the town's art and civil war days. Pupils' satisfactory understanding of other cultures and the diverse society in which we live is developing well. Their personal, spiritual, moral and social development are all good partly because of the strong links within the school's good curriculum. For example, citizenship lessons are used well to explain the democratic society in which we live with pupils visiting the council offices and voting for the school council. All of this adds to pupils' enjoyment of their school and promotes their positive behaviour and attitudes. Almost all pupils appreciate the importance of good attendance which, because of a range of

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Grade: 2

initiatives put in place by the school, has improved since the last inspection and is now satisfactory. Pupils have a good understanding of how to lead healthy and safe lives. The well thought out arrangements for supporting pupils during the day helps to ensure that every pupil is included and that they feel safe. For example, playground 'buddies' provide good support by helping to resolve any bullying issues quickly. The standards that pupils reach in English and mathematics ensure that their overall preparation for secondary school is satisfactory. Strong systems and procedures are at the heart of the good pastoral care, guidance and support for pupils, facilitating their well-being, security and engagement in school life. Systems to keep pupils safe and protected are in place and work well. Learning mentors are improving pupils' attitudes to work and thus their access to learning. Outside agencies, providing specialist help,

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Grade: 2

support the school's practices well. Academic guidance has improved as teachers are making good use of tracking systems to ensure that they are knowledgeable about the levels at which pupils are working. Pupils know their personal targets, which give them goals to aim for, but they do not have enough ownership of them. This is because they are not used regularly or consistently enough in lessons and thus are not a key focus in learning. Teaching assistants' skills lead to good classroom support of learning for pupils who find learning difficult and for those who need further challenge. The standards that pupils reach show some variation from year to year. In 2008, Year 6 pupils made good progress from their low starting points achieving broadly average standards in English and mathematics, and higher than average standards in science. The percentage of pupils reaching higher levels in English and mathematics fell from 2007, particularly in English.

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Grade: 2

This was due to lower standards in writing and fewer pupils reaching the higher levels in reading. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Staveley Junior School, 9 October 2008 Writing is a priority in the school's development plan and a focus in lessons. Boys performed less well than girls in the 2008 national tests although in 2007 boys out performed girls point to this being a characteristic of the different year groups. Pupils' good progress is due to good teaching across the school. Teachers know their subjects well and most use a wide variety of teaching styles to stimulate the interest of both boys and girls. Learning objectives are shared with pupils and revisited during lessons. The clear focus for learning is strengthened by effective questioning in some lessons. Pupils are busy because tasks usually match their needs. Whilst activities during the inspection were interesting and sometimes exciting, writing tasks do not always fire pupils' imaginations and so inspire them

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Grade: 2

to produce their best work. Nonetheless, the pupils' compilation of a 'blog' in information and communication technology (ICT) is an excellent example of how the school is seeking to use technology to excite and enthuse pupils into wanting to write by relating activities much more closely to their interests. Pupils enjoy being actively involved in lessons: for example, in their science investigations about mould, and making bread in technology. They are also taking more responsibility for assessing their own work with initiatives such as the introduction of 'passports' and portfolios in ICT and French respectively. There is, however, some variation in the quality of marking. Most is of high quality, explaining to pupils what they have done well and how to move on in their learning. In a few lessons, it is not regularly diagnostic but the school is aware of this and has plans to rectify it. The development of the curriculum has focused on increasing the relevance of subjects and

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Grade: 2

how they are taught, in order to better match pupils' interests and preferred ways of learning. Whilst literacy and numeracy are the basis of learning, with speaking, listening and writing activities featuring heavily, there are many opportunities for pupils to develop their creative and practical skills. Much improved provision of ICT has also enlivened learning, with pupils achieving good levels of skills and competences by the end of Year 6 and looking forward to regular opportunities for independent learning via computers in other subjects. Growing opportunities to link subjects allows pupils to transfer the skills they have learnt and make learning more relevant. The construction of a shelter as part of a study of World War 2 and a National Gallery project helped to bring learning alive and promote many skills. Provision for more able pupils and those with particular gifts and talents has improved since the last

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Grade: 2

inspection, with more careful planning of lessons to ensure such pupils are well catered for. For example, the new engineering activity, developed in partnership with local schools, is offering opportunities to develop diverse concepts and skills and so challenge and extend pupils' creative thinking. Those who find learning difficult find setting in literacy and numeracy helpful, because it allows them to access learning at the right levels and make good progress. A varied range of visits and activities matches most pupils' interests, promotes their personal development and broadens their horizons. The leadership and management of the school are good. School development planning demonstrates the headteacher's accurate understanding of the areas for improvement and the good progress the school has made since the last inspection. The school actively seeks opportunities to work with parents and the wider community to promote community cohesion.

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Grade: 2

The staff's shared ethos and commitment along with the partnership with the local authority has strengthened the school because it has laid foundations on which to secure sustainable improvement. Monitoring is carried out regularly to evaluate the impact of improvement strategies, for example, to establish how well teaching is impacting on raising writing standards across the school. Professional development of staff is linked to standards, so that good practice evolves. Subject leaders know their areas well and have a good understanding of the levels at 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Staveley Junior School, 9 October 2008 which pupils are working. They make a strong contribution to school improvement. Committed governors have a sharper focus than at the time of the last inspection, which has led to their greater knowledge of the performance of the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards, particularly in writing, by ensuring that activities are better matched to pupils interests and experiences. ■ Develop pupils' cultural understanding so that they have a greater knowledge of the richness of our society and the world in which we live. ■ Ensure that targets are used consistently and regularly in lessons as a major focus of learning for pupils. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Staveley Junior School, 9 October 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Staveley Junior School, 9 October 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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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

2 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 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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: Staveley Junior School, 9 October 2008

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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 The extent to which 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

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 3 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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: Staveley Junior School, 9 October 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

10 October 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Staveley Junior School, Staveley, S43 3XE Thank you for making me so welcome when I visited your school recently. I enjoyed my day with you. I send special thanks to those of you who shared your views about school and the activities that make it special to you. This letter will tell you the judgements that I have made. Your school is a good school and you are cared for well. You are happy at school and get on well with each other. There is a lot for you to do including opportunities for you to take responsibility. A good range of clubs allows you to develop new interests. You make good progress in your learning because teaching is good. Although standards are average overall, your writing skills are not as developed as other skills and this makes it difficult for you to reach higher levels in English. The writing tasks that you are given are not always as interesting as

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

they could be and your headteacher is keen for this to improve. I was pleased to see that you enjoy most of your lessons. You like learning across subjects and in topics because you can learn lots of different things and learn for yourselves. You are able to practise skills you have learnt in a number of other lessons and this is helpful to your progress. Your ICT skills, for example, are used in lots of activities, with much improved resources in place. Your headteacher agrees that you do not know enough about the different cultures in our society. It will help you when you grow up and go to work if you know more about the world in which we live. Another way that your school can improve is in the way you use targets. Although you know your targets, they do not yet play an important enough part in helping you to make progress in your lessons. I know that you will help the headteacher and staff, who all work hard for you, to make your

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

school even better. I send you my best wishes for the future. Lynne Blakelock Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Staveley Junior School, 9 October 2008

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