Telford Junior School

125556 Unique Reference Number Warwickshire Local Authority 328357 Inspection number 23–24 September 2008 Inspection dates Alison Grainger 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 342 School (total) The governing body Appropriate authority Diane Lawson Chair Richard Siviter Headteacher 15 November 2005 Date of previous school inspection Telford Avenue School address Leamington Spa CV32 7HP 01926 424664 Telephone number 01926 422417 Fax number

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7–11 Age group 23–24 September 2008 Inspection dates 328357 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: Telford Junior School, 23–24 September 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This large junior school draws its pupils not only from the immediate area but also from further afield. Most pupils are White British and about 15% are from minority ethnic backgrounds. A few pupils are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is slightly above average. Most of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties.

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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: Telford Junior School, 23–24 September 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. It has a balanced approach to the promotion of pupils' academic achievement, and to their personal development and well-being. The majority of parents are pleased with the school and almost all pupils enjoy school a lot. As one parent commented, reflecting the views of many, 'The school always has a good atmosphere.' Relationships are positive among pupils and between pupils and adults. Pupils show genuine care for others. They make a good contribution to the school and wider community, for example, by raising funds for charities. Behaviour is consistently good in lessons and around the school. As a result, lessons proceed in a calm and orderly atmosphere and pupils feel safe. Pupils know a good deal about how to stay safe both in school and outside. Their adoption of healthy lifestyles, particularly their enjoyment of the school's excellent sporting opportunities, is also good. The effective

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Grade: 2

development of pupils' personal attributes, together with good academic achievement, results in pupils being well prepared for their future lives. By the end of Year 6, standards are above average. These standards represent good progress in relation to the pupils' broadly average starting points in Year 3. Pupils achieve well not only because they are enthusiastic and have good attitudes to learning, but also because the overall quality of teaching is good. Many strengths in teaching are evident across the school. In particular, lessons are well structured and activities have a clear purpose. However, not all teaching is equally effective. There are occasions when teaching is not closely enough matched to all pupils' needs and does not challenge all groups of pupils fully. When this is the case, pupils' progress slows. The good curriculum contributes significantly to pupils' enjoyment of school, their all-round development, and to their academic achievement. The

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Grade: 2

range of visits, visitors and activities additional to daily lessons is outstanding. Pastoral care and attention to pupils' personal welfare, health and safety are good. Academic guidance is less effective and is inconsistent. While there is some good practice developing, too many pupils are not given clear enough advice on what they are doing well and on what they need to do next to improve their performance. Linked with this shortcoming, not all parents feel that the school gives them sufficient information about how well their children are progressing or about how they can help their children's learning at home. Leadership and management are good and have promoted good improvement since the last inspection. Self-evaluation is mostly accurate and effective. Since the last inspection staff with key responsibilities and governors have been more involved in evaluating what the school does. Based on the school's recent track record of improvement, it has good capacity to improve

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that teaching is always closely matched to all pupils' needs and challenges them fully.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Provide all pupils with clear guidance on what they are doing well and on how they can improve their performance, and involve parents in this process. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Telford Junior School, 23–24 September 2008

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Grade: 2

Standards are above average in English, mathematics and science, and pupils' achievement is good. The school's tracking data show that pupils make good progress throughout the school, particularly in reading and writing. Although the school's results in the 2007 national tests indicated that some pupils made less progress than they should in mathematics, particularly those who have low attainment or learning difficulties, effective action has been taken to rectify this. Significant improvement has been made since the last inspection in the proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels in writing. While progress is good overall, variations in the quality of teaching mean that not all ability groups are challenged fully all the time.

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Grade: 2

Moral, social and cultural development is good. The outcomes are evident in the high standards of behaviour, the way in which all groups of pupils mix well, and in pupils' understanding of the needs of those less fortunate than themselves. When pupils raise funds for charities, it is with a real desire to help others in this country and overseas. Pupils are confident and polite when talking with adults, many showing considerable maturity. Spiritual development is a less secure area, although it is satisfactory. Although pupils are very well motivated and work hard, they are not given enough responsibility for their learning or sufficient opportunities to take initiative and risks as learners. The consistently above average attendance rate reflects pupils' good enjoyment of school and their desire to do well.

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Grade: 2

All teaching is at least satisfactory and much of it is good, with the result that its influence on pupils' learning during their time in the school is good overall. In almost all lessons, teachers tell pupils the purpose of activities. As a result, pupils know what they are aiming to achieve. Usually, each activity builds securely on the previous one to move learning on. In the most effective lessons, teaching assistants are well deployed to give support to groups, particularly those who need extra help with their learning, or to circulate and give focused help to individuals. Expectations of the standards all pupils are capable of attaining are high. However, in the less effective although satisfactory lessons, not enough account is taken of the full range of pupils' needs to ensure that all ability groups are challenged consistently at the right level. Sometimes, the middle ability pupils miss out because of this, and sometimes the more able

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Grade: 2

Effective coverage of the different subjects supports pupils in achieving well and this is enhanced by the range of group strategies now in place to help lower attaining pupils or those with learning difficulties. Significant strengths include the opportunities for pupils to learn modern foreign languages and music and sporting activities. However, there are few links between 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Telford Junior School, 23–24 September 2008 subjects to make the content of lessons more meaningful and to allow skills developed in one subject to be built on further in another. Enrichment of the curriculum is outstanding. A wide variety of clubs are on offer at lunchtimes and after school. Visits and visitors support learning well and contribute a good deal to pupils' personal development. A lot is done through the curriculum to help pupils to make informed choices about their lifestyles.

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Grade: 3

Pastoral care is good and pupils say that they are sure that they have an adult to whom they can turn should the need arise. As one parent observed, 'The school staff are caring and good role models.' A high level of attention is given to ensuring pupils' safety. Risk assessments are very thorough and arrangements for safeguarding pupils are robust. A good deal is done to help pupils to know how to stay safe, such as when using the Internet. However, the school does not always follow up unexplained absences as swiftly as it should. The school works well with outside agencies to meet pupils' specific needs, including those of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who are new to learning English. Academic guidance is patchy. Some good practice is developing, for example in Year 6 in English. However, not enough is done to ensure that all pupils have clear advice on what they are already

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Grade: 3

doing well and on how they need to improve their work, for example through the use of targets and marking. There are missed opportunities to involve parents in their children's learning as targets are not routinely set for pupils in mathematics and writing and are not shared with parents. In contrast, there is some good involvement of parents in setting personal and organisational targets and this contributes to pupils' positive attitudes to learning.

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Grade: 2

Since the last inspection, the school has become much more aware of its effectiveness in meeting pupils' needs and this has promoted good improvement. The whole senior leadership team and the governing body are now more actively involved in the process of school self-evaluation. There are examples of high quality subject leadership. The provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is very effectively managed. The school makes a good contribution to community cohesion as seen in the harmonious relationships and pupils' respect for traditions and faiths other than their own. Data on pupils' progress are used effectively to identify pupils who are doing less well than expected. As a result, resources, including teaching assistants, are deployed where they are most needed. However, data on pupils' attainment and progress are not used fully by senior leaders to identify issues for exploration regarding how well teaching meets the needs of

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Grade: 2

different groups in each year group and class. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Telford Junior School, 23–24 September 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Telford Junior School, 23–24 September 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? 2 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: Telford Junior School, 23–24 September 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 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 3 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 2 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: Telford Junior School, 23–24 September 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

25 September 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Telford Junior School, Leamington Spa, CV32 7HP Thank you for helping us when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking with you and watching your lessons. We saw that you behave well, form good relationships and have positive attitudes to learning. You are very polite and friendly young people. You told us that almost all of you enjoy school a lot. You are lucky to have so many interesting activities to take part in at lunchtimes and after school. There is also an excellent range of visits and visitors that add to your enjoyment and broaden your experiences. You say that you feel safe at school and you know a lot about how to stay safe too. You have a good understanding of the importance of eating healthily and taking regular exercise. You also do a good deal to help other people in this country and overseas, such as when you raise funds for charities. Your school is providing you with a good education. It makes sure that by the time you move

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

on to secondary school you have made good progress from where you started in Year 3. You do well because you are keen to learn and because the teaching and curriculum are good. The adults have made sure that your school has improved well since inspectors last visited it. To help the school to become even better, we have asked the headteacher, staff and governors to improve two things in particular:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ ensure that all of the teaching is always at the right level for each of you and gives you enough challenge ■ provide all of you with clear guidance on what you do well already and what you most need to improve in your work. This should help you to take more responsibility. We also think that your learning will be helped if your parents are involved in this process. Thank you once again for your help. It was lovely to meet you and we wish you well for the future. Keep working hard and doing your best. Yours sincerely Alison Grainger Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Telford Junior School, 23–24 September 2008

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