Buxton Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve teaching and accelerate pupils’ progress further by making sure that teachers:
  • set the right level of challenge to enable pupils to make the best possible progress
  • provide tasks that fully develop pupils’ writing skills
  • provide varied ways for pupils to deepen their mathematical understanding
  • build strongly on what pupils learn in extra support groups.
• Strengthen leadership and management by helping teachers to improve the teaching of specific groups of pupils, particularly pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders, including governors, focus successfully on continued improvement. Their accurate evaluation of the effect of the curriculum and the quality of teaching on pupils’ achievement enables them to address any shortcomings.
• The headteacher is committed to the well-being of staff and pupils. She and her staff create a welcoming environment where pupils’ good behaviour and personal qualities flourish. This is greatly valued by parents. One parent commented, ‘The school is an enriching environment. It provides my child not only with a very wide and positive education but greatly supports development as a whole.’
• The headteacher and senior leaders support staff well in their professional development. They expect a consistent approach to teaching. They set targets linked to the school’s main priorities and help staff understand how to improve their work. They enable staff to share expertise with others, including those from other schools.
• Staff who are new to leadership roles receive good guidance from more experienced leaders. Subject leaders know about the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects. Some leaders, though, are not sufficiently involved in helping to improve the teaching of specific groups of pupils, for example those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The extra funding to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is used effectively to pay for additional adult support and resources, which are well matched to pupils’ needs. Sometimes, however, resources are not as well used during whole-class lessons as they are when pupils work in small groups.
• The school’s good work helps parents to see the negative effect of frequent absences on their children’s achievement. Good systems, and additional activities offered at the start of the school day, improve punctuality and reduce persistent absence.
• Leaders actively seek external help, including from the local authority, to improve provision for example, in reading and mathematics. They develop effective partnerships, within the local community and beyond, to promote pupils’ well-being and personal development.
• A review of the pupil premium spending has led to a more stringent evaluation of the effect of extra support on the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. This means that additional help given to those pupils who need it not only aids confidence, but improves their basic skills. As a result, pupils are now making much stronger progress than previously.
• The curriculum is broad, balanced and interesting. It is enriched well by visitors and trips to outside locations. Extra activities, including the use of the outdoor environment, and music and art, enhance pupils’ learning and enable their skills and talents to flourish.
• Learning in lessons and during assemblies effectively promotes the understanding of British values and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are encouraged to be thoughtful and to broaden their understanding beyond their own community. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong. They recognise the need for rules and the principles of democracy.
• The primary physical education and sport funding is used effectively to improve pupils’ skills and increase their participation in a range of sports. Work with sports coaches develops teachers’ expertise in delivering high-quality physical education lessons.

Governance of the school

• Governors are well informed about the school’s strengths and areas for development. They hold school leaders to account and raise questions over the quality of provision. Governors visit the school to gather first-hand evidence about aspects of the curriculum, for example mathematics, and they meet regularly with school leaders.
• Governors make the most of the expertise within their ranks. They ensure that new governors are clear about their roles. Governors undergo the necessary training to carry out their responsibilities and to keep well informed, including about safeguarding.
• Governors check information about pupils’ progress. They know the effect that additional spending, for example, the pupil premium has on pupils’ achievement. They, together with school leaders, now have a more rigorous approach to ensuring the effectiveness of spending since the findings of the review of the use of the pupil premium.
• Governors establish positive links with parents and attend various events. They, together with school leaders, gather parents’ views. They analyse the responses in a bid to bring about further improvement to the school environment and provision.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff receive regular training. Leaders check that staff know how to raise any concerns they may have about pupils’ welfare. The vetting of adults who work with pupils is thorough.
• Leaders use external agencies well to support their work and to address effectively any concerns they may have about child protection issues. Leaders maintain thorough and detailed records.
• Leaders establish good links with families and offer various ways to help them to deal with any difficulties they may experience. They offer frequent guidance to parents on subjects such as bullying and exploitation.
• Lessons and assemblies help pupils to understand how to stay safe, including when using technology. Leaders use visitors effectively, such as the NSPCC, to extend pupils’ understanding of issues, for example extremism. They encourage pupils to express any worries they may have freely.
• The school’s records show that incidents of bullying and unacceptable behaviour are rare. Any that do occur are dealt with and followed up quickly.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Staff expect pupils to respond positively to their learning and to behave well. They build pupils’ confidence in their own abilities and help them to see how they can do better. When teachers plan lessons, they follow up misconceptions from previous learning to ensure that pupils understand.
• Teachers motivate learning well. They waste no time in setting pupils quickly to work on tasks that are generally well matched to their ability, including for the most able pupils. In this way, pupils have time to practise their skills and make good progress in their learning.
• Changes made by leaders to the teaching of reading means it is consistent and regular, leading to pupils’ good progress in the subject. Staff provide varied opportunities for pupils to read, including for research during topics. They instil an enjoyment of reading and consistently check that pupils understand what they read.
• Staff expect pupils to use what they learn about grammar, punctuation and spelling in their writing, including when they write in subjects other than English. However, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to develop these skills fully in lengthy pieces of writing.
• The teaching of mathematics is improving strongly. Staff give extra help to those pupils who need to catch up and extend the learning of the most able pupils. They often link learning to real life so pupils apply their skills. For example, during the inspection, pupils in Year 5 used their mathematical knowledge to interpret bus timetables.
• A good start has been made across the school in ensuring pupils’ mastery of mathematics, but there is room to develop the depth of pupils’ understanding further.
• Teaching assistants often work with individuals and small groups of pupils to develop their basic skills, especially disadvantaged pupils who need to catch up and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Their work has a positive impact on pupils’ personal development and helps them to improve their learning.
• Occasionally, tasks are not pitched accurately enough to enable pupils to move quickly on from what they already know and can do. Teachers do not consistently build well enough upon previous learning for those pupils who receive extra help in support groups. This means that some pupils do not make as much rapid progress as they could.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Staff help pupils to see the importance of being healthy and physically active. Good pastoral care is offered to those whose circumstances may make them more vulnerable.
• Pupils are very keen to gain the school’s awards for effort. They contribute well to the school community and take on small jobs willingly around school, for example as librarians.
• Pupils are sociable. Older pupils are happy to help younger ones. They respond well to the opportunities they have to express their views, including on how to improve the school environment.
• Pupils say that they feel safe and that staff take good care of them. They say that bullying is not a problem in their school. They are proud to be anti-bullying ambassadors to help each other. Pupils know about the different forms of bullying, including the risks posed by using technology, because they receive good guidance from the school.
• Pupils get on well together and recognise the importance of being kind. They understand the importance of showing respect and tolerance to others. They know about democracy and say that voting is fair.
• The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils learn about cultural diversity during lessons and visits to various places of worship. This, together with their knowledge of key values, prepares them well for life in modern Britain.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. It aids the smooth daily running of the school. Pupils settle quickly to their learning. They respond well to tasks and to working with a range of adults. Their positive attitudes contribute well to the good progress they make.
• Pupils are interested in their learning. They recognise how they are helped to improve and they are proud of their achievements. Those spoken with during the inspection said that staff help them to develop their confidence in their own abilities.
• Pupils know the school’s rules and the system of rewards and sanctions because these are consistently applied by staff. Pupils say the system is effective and encourages pupils to behave well and to try their best.
• Pupils like receiving the school’s awards for good attendance. Leaders make sure that pupils and parents understand the importance of being in school regularly.
• Although pupils respond positively to the challenges set for them during lessons, the level is not always pitched sufficiently well to instil a real zest for learning and rapid progress.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Leaders’ analysis of a dip in standards by the end of Year 6 in 2016 led to improvements. Although the school’s information indicates that pupils made good progress from their starting points in reading and writing, leaders recognised that more should be done to increase the progress of specific groups of pupils and to improve the teaching of reading and mathematics.
• Leaders’ actions ensure that gaps in the curriculum are now being addressed. In 2017, the changes improved pupils’ progress throughout the school. However, pupils in Year 6, some of whom joined mid-year, had insufficient time to catch up and not all reached their full potential.
• Pupils currently in Year 6, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are on track to reach higher standards and are better prepared for their learning in secondary school than previously. These pupils, including the most able, build strongly on previous learning and achieve well.
• Leaders ensure that extra support is effective in improving the progress of disadvantaged pupils. Previously, by the end of Year 6, they had not achieved as well as their peers and other pupils nationally, but they are now catching up.
• Improvements to the teaching of reading mean that pupils make good progress in this skill. More are now reaching higher levels than previously because they are developing good comprehension skills.
• In grammar, punctuation, spelling, and in mathematical calculations, pupils make good progress. There is still some way to go to ensure that they consistently demonstrate a deeper understanding of how to use these skills in well-structured writing and mathematical reasoning.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make the best progress when they work closely with an adult or in small groups. This is because the work and resources are well matched to their abilities. Sometimes, their learning is not as strong during whole-class lessons.
• Work in books shows that most pupils achieve well in a range of subjects. They develop a good understanding of time and place due to their learning in history and geography. In science, they carry out investigations and learn through practical tasks.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 112521 Derbyshire 10037623 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Junior School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 7 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 225 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Emma Carroll Cecilia Minter 01298 22156 www.buxtonjuniorschool.co.uk info@buxton-jun.derbyshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 20–21 November 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The vast majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.
• In 2016, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed learning in 11 lessons, four of which were seen jointly with the headteacher. Inspectors observed the teaching of small groups of pupils. In all, 10 members of staff were seen teaching. An inspector also observed an assembly.
• The inspectors looked at samples of pupils’ work from all year groups. They spoke with pupils about their work during lessons and met with groups of pupils. They listened to pupils in Year 3 and Year 6 read.
• The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and at playtimes and lunchtimes.
• The inspectors held meetings with governors, school leaders and staff, and spoke with a representative of the local authority.
• The inspector analysed 54 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and took account of parents’ written comments. Inspectors also spoke with parents during the inspection.
• The inspectors analysed 13 responses to a questionnaire submitted by school staff.
• The inspectors scrutinised the school’s systems and documentation relating to safeguarding. They looked at information about pupils’ attainment and progress, and about their attendance. The inspectors looked at the school’s improvement plans and evidence of its checks on the quality of teaching.

Inspection team

Viv McTiffen, lead inspector Fiona Rigby Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector