Causton Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that additional support for pupils is routinely checked to maximise its impact on pupils’ progress
  • further developing the role of middle leaders to ensure that teaching and learning is providing challenging learning for all groups of pupils across the curriculum.
• Continue to work with parents so that pupils attend more frequently.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders are passionate about meeting the needs of pupils in the school. The school’s vision for pupils to ‘Enjoy, Achieve and Thrive’ is at the forefront of all of the school’s work. Leaders work hard to enable pupils to overcome challenges so that they can be successful in lessons and make good progress. As a result, the good quality of education seen at the previous inspection has been maintained.
• Leaders, including governors, have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. This is clearly seen in the relentless drive to improve the personal development and behaviour of pupils.
• Leaders work hard to meet the needs of the many pupils who join them during each academic year, many of whom have been unsuccessful at their previous schools, so that they settle quickly and learn successfully.
• To address a need in the community, leaders successfully opened a support centre for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder in September 2018.
• Leaders have an in-depth knowledge of pupils with SEND in mainstream classes and in the school’s support centres for pupils with complex needs. Funding for these pupils is used well.
• Leaders monitor the quality of teaching through regular visits to classrooms, looking at pupils’ work and through detailed analysis of assessment information. As a result, teachers are given useful guidance and training to help improve their teaching. Staff feel valued in the school and morale is high.
• Performance management is used effectively to support the development of staff. Objectives link to priorities in the school development plan so that all staff know how they are contributing to school improvement.
• The sports and PE funding is used well to provide pupils with opportunities to take part in a wide range of sports and to compete in competitions. As a result, participation in physical activity has increased.
• Leaders ensure that pupil premium funding is used to benefit disadvantaged pupils. Additional support is provided to meet pupils’ learning, social and emotional needs. As a result, disadvantaged pupils are supported to become successful learners. Leaders monitor additional support closely but recognise that more precise measures are needed to evaluate how each activity impacts on pupils’ progress.
• The vast majority of parents who met with inspectors or completed Ofsted’s online parent questionnaire, Parent View, say that the school is well led and managed. Parents praise leaders’ communication, particularly for pupils who need additional support.
• Leaders ensure that pupils access a broad and balanced curriculum which supports their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and promotes British values. Pupils particularly enjoy Wednesday afternoons, when they have the opportunity to work with pupils from other year groups in a wide range of enrichment activities. Pupils were observed playing chess, learning about rockets and completing high-quality artwork. Additionally, pupils’ learning is enhanced by visits and visitors.
• Middle leaders are developing in their roles, with the support of senior leaders. However, they do not check closely to ensure that the curriculum is enabling all groups of pupils to make strong progress in each subject, including those delivered through enrichment activities.

Governance of the school

• Governance is provided by a single governing board which works across the two schools in the Maidstone and Causton Federation. Governors have a strong knowledge of the local area and understand the challenges facing pupils and their families.
• Governors know the school well. They visit the school regularly and receive detailed information from the executive headteacher, head of school and other leaders about all aspects of the school’s work. This enables them to ask probing questions about how well pupils are doing.
• Governors check the use of pupil premium. They ensure that this funding is used to meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils so that they can make good progress.
• Governors ensure that their statutory duties, including the safeguarding of pupils’ welfare, are fully met. They attend regular training to enable them to check that safeguarding of pupils is effective.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong culture of safeguarding at Causton. Staff are vigilant and take pupils’ safety seriously. Records of concerns are diligently maintained by leaders. Risks to pupils are identified quickly so that appropriate action can be taken.
• Pre-employment checks are thorough and follow statutory requirements. Staff and pupils demonstrate a good understanding of how to raise concerns if they need to. Leaders work effectively with outside agencies to keep pupils safe.
• Staff and governors have regular training on safeguarding. This contributes to their increased awareness of safeguarding risks.
• Pupils can explain how to keep themselves safe online. They were able to tell inspectors about potential dangers when using social media and online gaming.
• Pupils who met with inspectors said that their school is a safe place and they know who to talk to if they have concerns.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Since the previous inspection, leaders have maintained the good quality of teaching at the school. Pupils say that they are taught well and most of the parents who met with inspectors or completed Ofsted’s online parent questionnaire, Parent View, agreed.
• Staff in the school have positive relationships with pupils and encourage them to work hard. They motivate pupils to choose work which challenges them. ‘Scorching Challenges’ ensure that the most able are fully challenged in English and mathematics lessons. Pupils persist when work is challenging and are not afraid to learn from mistakes. For example, pupils across the school showed inspectors how they responded to guidance from teachers to edit and improve their writing or correct errors in mathematics.
• Staff demonstrate good subject knowledge across the curriculum. For example, following a model from the PE coach, pupils from the specialist support centre successfully negotiated a range of obstacles and completed cartwheels over a bench.
• The teaching of writing and reading includes a focus on supporting pupils to develop a wider vocabulary which can be applied in different subjects. Writing in other subjects is encouraged so that pupils can reinforce their skills. For example, after a practical activity when Year 3 and 4 pupils mummified a doll, they wrote instructions about the process.
• In reading lessons, pupils are encouraged to find information, gain an understanding of vocabulary and consider what the author wanted them to think. Pupils enjoy talking about their favourite books or authors and most could recommend books for inspectors to read.
• Teachers use skilful questioning to challenge pupils and to help them explain their understanding. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson, the teacher’s questions helped pupils to identify the ‘unique characteristics of shapes’ using correct mathematical vocabulary.
• In mathematics, pupils are provided with opportunities to apply their mathematical skills to solve problems and use them in ‘real-world’ situations, such as running a tuck shop.
• Teaching in the specialist support centres, for pupils who have complex needs or autistic spectrum disorder, is adapted so that each pupil makes good progress against the targets in their education health and care plans. Teaching responds to pupils’ social, emotional and physical needs so that they are ready to learn. Additionally, teaching promotes the development of basic skills in reading, writing and arithmetic.
• Teaching assistants make useful contributions to lessons when working with small groups of pupils or when working one to one with a pupil. They encourage pupils to be independent so that they solve problems for themselves.
• In line with the school’s policy, teachers set homework that pupils find useful. Most of the views shared by parents and pupils about homework, during the inspection, were favourable.
• Teachers use accurate information to plan work which meets the needs of different groups of pupils in English and mathematics. However, work is not always as challenging in other subjects.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Staff know pupils as individuals and work closely with their families to organise relevant individual support, when needed. Planning for pupils with specific individual needs, including those in the school’s support centres for pupils with SEND, ensures that they learn effectively.
• Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and healthy. They know how to use computers safely and can talk about the importance of exercise and a balanced diet.
• The vast majority of parents are satisfied that their children are safe. They say that leaders deal with their concerns successfully.
• Pupils have trust in staff to deal with incidents swiftly. Pupils know what bullying is and say that it is uncommon. They told inspectors that when bullying happens, adults almost always deal with it effectively so that it is stopped quickly.
• Pupils enjoy coming to school. They work hard in lessons and support each other when working in pairs or small groups. Almost all pupils are friendly, polite and well mannered.
• Staff provide excellent support for vulnerable pupils who have emotional or behavioural needs. They encourage pupils to make good choices and take control of their behaviour. Pupils have access to a room where they are supported by skilled staff to control their behaviours so that they can return to classrooms ready to learn.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Staff encourage pupils to work hard and conduct themselves well. Pupils are provided with the skills to manage their own behaviour. They report themselves if they are not meeting the school’s expectations so that staff can support them.
• Breaktimes and lunchtimes are well ordered and safe. Playgrounds are well supervised and those children who prefer quiet activities can access clubs inside, including a computer club and café area.
• Rates of exclusion have been higher than national figures since the last inspection but leaders have effective reintegration programmes. They work with other agencies to meet pupils’ needs. The school has successfully integrated pupils who have been excluded from other schools.
• Parents and some pupils raised concerns about the behaviour of a small number of pupils. There are pupils in the school who require support to regulate their behaviour. However, staff manage this well so that it does not affect the learning of others.
• Pupils’ attendance has remained below the national average for the last couple of years and is currently slightly below average. There are still a number of pupils who are frequently absent from school. This does not reflect the enthusiasm that pupils have for coming to school or the efforts that staff make to improve their attendance and punctuality. It does reflect the complex needs that families in the community have.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Provisional 2018 results show that attainment declined compared to 2017 and was below the national average. However, mainstream pupils who attended the school from Year 3 generally made good progress and their attainment was broadly average.
• Approximately half of all pupils typically enter the school with skills below that expected for their age. A significant group of pupils with social, emotional or behavioural needs, joined the school during the last academic year and made good progress from their starting points.
• Pupils’ workbooks and the school’s assessment information shows that current pupils are making strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because of the good teaching they receive.
• The progress of disadvantaged pupils is improving because they have access to additional support as well as good teaching. As a result, their attainment is similar to their peers.
• Pupils with SEND, including those who are taught in the specialist support centre and autistic spectrum disorder centre, make good progress.
• Pupils who have social, emotional or mental health issues are well supported so that they make good progress.
• The most able pupils in current cohorts are making strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics due to the challenge provided by teachers. Pupils’ workbooks show that the challenge provided for the most able pupils in other subjects is inconsistent.
• Progress in science and foundation subjects is not as strong as in other subjects. Leaders do not track these subjects as closely as English and mathematics. They recognise the need to ensure that pupils receive greater challenge in some lessons.
• Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning, willingness to learn from their mistakes and development of emotional and social skills ensure that they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 124580 Suffolk 10086138 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 204 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Executive Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Jan Garfield Lizzie Girling 01394 283374 www.maidstoneandcaustonfed.co.uk caustonadmin@maidstoneandcauston.org Date of previous inspection 15–16 January 2015

Information about this school

• Causton Junior School is part of the Maidstone and Causton Federation. The schools share a governing body, executive headteacher, assistant headteacher, pastoral support manager and business manager.
• Causton Junior school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The majority of pupils come from a White British Background. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is lower than the national average.
• Causton Junior School has a specialist support centre which provides for pupils with complex SEND needs. In September 2018, an additional support centre was opened for pupils who have autistic spectrum disorder.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is much higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is above the national average.

Information about this inspection

• Teaching was observed in each class. This included some joint observations with the executive headteacher, head of school and assistant headteacher.
• Pupils read to inspectors and inspectors looked through a wide range of pupils’ work in different subjects.
• Inspectors spoke to two groups of pupils and had discussions with other pupils around the school, at breaktimes and during lessons.
• The views of 16 parents who completed Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, were considered and inspectors met with some parents at the start of the school day.
• The views of 22 staff who completed Ofsted’s online surveys were considered.
• Observations were made of pupils’ behaviour at lunchtime, when pupils were moving in and around the school as well as during lessons.
• Meetings were held with staff, governors and senior leaders. An inspector spoke on the telephone to a representative from the local authority.
• Meetings were also held with a selection of subject leaders, phase leaders and the special educational needs coordinator.
• Inspectors considered a range of documentation including information relating to pupils’ attainment and progress, leaders’ evaluations of the school’s performance and school improvement plans.
• Documents from external evaluations of the school were also reviewed. This included the report from the recent review completed by leaders from other schools in the local authority.
• Inspectors looked at behaviour records, including records of bullying incidents.
• Inspectors reviewed safeguarding documentation and how this related to daily practice, as well as speaking with staff and pupils.

Inspection team

Keith Pullen, lead inspector Lynda Walker

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector