Jessie Younghusband Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Strengthen the use of assessment so that teaching builds effectively on what pupils know and can do at each stage of their learning journey.
• Further support and develop middle leaders to improve the impact on the progress pupils make.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and other leaders are focused on continually improving the school. Leaders regularly evaluate the effectiveness of their work. They accurately identify the right priorities that will make the school even more successful.
• Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. Their work to improve pupils’ outcomes in mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2 is working well. Pupils are making good progress in mathematics.
• Leaders work to develop pupils’ writing skills is effective, particularly in Key Stage 1. High quality reading books engage pupils in writing for instruction and other styles of writing well. Year 1 pupils write confidently, and their writing skills improve as they move through Key Stage 1.
• Teachers value the professional development opportunities they receive highly. All teachers undertake action research projects, linked to school priorities. Their research is shared across the staff and is focused on the difference it makes to learning. Consequently, they feel empowered and motivated to support leaders to further improve the school.
• Leaders have developed a broad curriculum, with many interesting topics. Pupils confidently shared with inspectors a list of topics they enjoy learning about, for example sea animals in Year 1 and ‘The Blitz’ in Year 6. Pupils have many opportunities to deepen their subject knowledge and understanding through these motivational topics.
• The wider curriculum of activities before and after school strongly supports pupils’ learning. The many trips, such as the visit to the ‘Titanic Museum’ by Year 4 and the O2 for ‘young voices’ choir performances for Year 5, greatly enhance pupils understanding of their learning in lessons. Pupils are well prepared for life in the modern world.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported effectively. The provision for pupils with SEND has been recently strengthened by senior leadership oversight. Pupils with SEND are making appropriate progress.
• Leaders spend the sports premium very wisely. Specialist teaching in dance engages many pupils in before-school sessions. The school’s work to develop the sporting provision for pupils has been recognised through the accreditation of a national award.
• The pupil premium money received by the school is thoughtfully spent. Disadvantaged pupils make the same progress as other pupils with the same starting points nationally.
• Some middle leaders are developing in their roles. They require further support and training to improve their impact on school improvement and pupil progress.

Governance of the school

• Governors are skilled and knowledgeable. They know the strengths of the school and the areas to develop well. They visit the school regularly to check the progress being made against the action’s leaders take.
• Governors understand their legal responsibilities well. They often check that the school’s processes to recruit staff safely remain effective.
• Governors have a good understanding of how the pupil premium and other additional funding is spent to support vulnerable pupils. They often challenge school leaders to show the impact of their work on pupils’ academic achievements. They effectively support school leaders to continue improving the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The culture to ensure the safety of children is good. The school buildings are secure and safe. Staff are vigilant in carrying out appropriate checks on visitors to the school.
• Staff are well trained in their safeguarding responsibilities. They are up to date with current legislation to keep children safe in education. They know who to talk to with any concerns they have and say that these will be addressed swiftly by appropriate leaders.
• Leaders work well with other agencies to support vulnerable pupils and their families. Matters are reported properly and in a timely manner. Leaders are in regular contact with external agencies to ensure the needs of pupils and families are well served.
• A very small minority of parents expressed concerns during the inspection, with the security of the school site. Inspectors found procedures are appropriate to ensure the site is safe and secure for pupils.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching, learning and assessment are good. Teachers’ strong subject knowledge allows them to design challenging and creative activities for pupils. Teachers use their secure subject knowledge well to plan appropriate learning activities for all pupils. They skilfully question pupils to check they understand the work. They allow pupils time to reflect and discuss their work. Consequently, pupils make good progress in their subjects.
• Teachers use editing and proof-reading activities effectively to help pupils improve their work. Pupils learn these skills well in the younger year groups. They become progressively more expert as they move through school. This practice is helping pupils become better writers across many of their subjects.
• Strong relationships between pupils and each other, and between pupils and teaching staff, support learning well. Pupils engage enthusiastically with learning. Classrooms are focused and purposeful. Year 5 and Year 6 pupils work in a calm and determined manner in lessons. Very little time is lost in learning because pupils enjoy getting on with their class work.
• Pupils read many books that are cleverly linked to developing their writing. Year 1, wrote detailed descriptions, improving their use of adjectives. Pupils enjoy writing about the books they read. They make good progress in writing, especially in Key Stage 1.
• Teaching assistants support pupils with SEND and other pupils with additional needs well. They plan helpful and challenging activities, so that these pupils make good progress.
• Teachers adapt activities well to engage pupils in learning. They use drama and dance to stimulate pupils’ interests. Year 2 were seen clapping out rock rhythms to learn about this music genre and Year 1 enjoyed singing a song to help them remember how to write better. Year 3, dressed as pirates, learned to fence as part of their new learning about the lifestyle of pirates, in history. Pupils enjoy their lessons and value the work their teachers do to help them learn more.
• The teaching of mathematics is good and improving. Teaching challenges pupils to solve increasingly complex problems and therefore deepen their mathematical knowledge. Pupils make good progress in mathematics.
• Some teaching does not build effectively/progressively on what pupils know and can do at each stage of their learning journey.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school's work to promote pupils' personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils are incredibly confident and self-assured. They talk proudly to adults and visitors about their school and how they enjoy coming to school.
• Pupils feel safe at school. They know who to talk to if they have any concerns. They are very happy in school.
• Pupils know how to use technology safely. They are very aware of risks when using the internet and mobile phones inappropriately. They told an inspector how important it is for them to think about the personal information they share online, and when it is not safe to do so. They also told an inspector that they would tell an adult about ‘pop-ups’ appearing on their computer screens. The curriculum prepares them well to live in a modern, technological society.
• Pupils respect others’ differences. They are tolerant and respectful of each other. They have many opportunities to develop their social, moral, spiritual and cultural understanding. For example, they learn about the Chinese New Year and about the Hindu festival of Diwali. Pupils write to other pupils of a similar age in Thailand, as part of a pen-pal scheme. Year 5 learn about the importance of not stereotyping people.
• Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of extremism and radicalisation. Pupils often talk about and reflect on items they see in the news with their teachers. They learn about democracy by voting for the student council representatives.
• Pupils develop confident leadership skills in their student council meetings, a very popular ‘eco-team’ committee and a digital leaders forum. Pupils have led fundraising activities to support a range of global charities.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils conduct themselves well around the school buildings. Most follow their teacher’s instructions well. Classes are focused and calm places for learning.
• Pupils respect the school site. They take good care of the wide range of school facilities available. They play together safely. On a few occasions during the inspection, a minority of pupils found it difficult to self-regulate their behaviours. Some made some inappropriate comments to an inspector.
• Pupils’ attendance at school is similar to or better than other pupils nationally. The very few cases of poor attendance are monitored effectively by school leaders. Leaders support pupils and families appropriately so that no groups of pupils are disadvantaged by poor attendance.
• There are very few fixed term exclusions from school and no permanent exclusions. Pupils and their families are supported well to help pupils return to school successfully after an exclusion.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils’ outcomes are good. In recent years, the progress pupils make by the end of Key Stage 2 has been average. More recently, pupils have been making stronger progress. Pupils’ outcomes in mathematics are good and improving quickly.
• Most pupils write at expected or higher standards. Work in pupils’ books supports the schools’ current assessment information. More pupils are working within the expected or higher standards in the current Year 2 cohort.
• Pupils read well. Books are used widely to support the development of reading and writing skills. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 read strongly and their writing skills are improving well.
• Pupils’ phonics skills are very good. Most pupils achieve the phonic screening check in Year 1.
• Science outcomes are good. Pupils’ work demonstrates improving scientific knowledge and understanding. Year 6 pupils learn about micro-organisms, evolution and electricity, amongst other topics. Pupils develop their scientific investigative skills well.
• Pupils’ outcomes across the wider curriculum are good. Pupils learn to draw expertly in art; they learn to play different musical instruments, for example, the baritone in Year 3. Pupils experience interesting history, geography and religious education topics. Pupils’ work in their books shows that they are deepening their subject specific knowledge effectively.
• Opportunities for pupils to develop their physical health and fitness are very well established across the school. The sports curriculum widens pupils’ participation in a range of sports, including fencing. As a result, pupils have good physical education skills.
• Pupils are well supported to make the next steps in their education. Year 6 pupils visit their secondary school of choice. Members of staff from local secondary schools attend assemblies to inform Year 6 pupils about the expectations of moving to secondary school. Vulnerable pupils are provided with extra support to help them transition to their new secondary schools.
• Most pupils with SEND make good progress. Support from teachers and other staff provides suitably for pupils’ individual needs. A few parents, however, voiced their concerns about the timeliness of support on occasions.

Early years provision Good

• Children in the early years receive a good standard of education.
• Teaching in the early years is consistently good. Teachers plan learning around a range of interesting topics, often linked to the children’s own interests. As a result, children make good progress in the early years.
• Parents are very happy with the education their children receive in early years. They are kept well informed about their child’s progress. Teachers use parental feedback regularly to help plan learning activities for children.
• Children are well prepared for the next steps in their education. The proportion of children who achieve a good level of development by the end of early years is similar to or better than other pupils nationally. Current children are progressing well and their current learning shows that they are well prepared for Year 1.
• Children with SEND are well supported in the early years and make good progress towards their individual targets.
• Transition from nursery to early years is very effective. Early years staff communicate positively with the families of new children so that they settle quickly into their new setting.
• Children enjoy learning in a well-resourced indoor and outdoor environment. An inspector observed some children fully engaged in building child-sized chairs out of square shapes, accurately describing how the shapes fit together. Other children confidently shared their phonics skills with an inspector, as they helped each other to practise writing the letters they had learned in previous lessons.
• Leadership of the early years is secure. Leaders know the starting points of children well. Sometimes the information they collect about children’s learning does not accurately pin-point the most suitable next steps for all children.
• Teaching assistants are very effective in the early years. They are skilled and experienced. They use their subject knowledge well to ask children challenging questions. Children learn to have a go at the answer, because teaching assistants expertly adapt questions to maintain children’s focus and motivation. Consequently, children make good progress.
• Children are safe in the early years. Staff are well trained and know how to identify any concerns that may arise. Staff in the early years know how to report their concerns to leaders, who deal with these quickly.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 125880 West Sussex 10084277 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 213 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Martin Tomlinson Mandy Sadler 01243782192 http://jys.org.uk head@jys.org.uk Date of previous inspection 4 July 2013

Information about this school

• This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils receiving the pupil premium is well below average.
• The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is well below average
• The school shares its site with a special school, which caters for pupils with complex learning needs.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors carried out several learning walks, most with senior leaders. One learning walk focused on the school’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural provision and another looked at the progress made by pupils with SEND.
• Inspectors considered 109 responses to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View. Inspectors also met with parents on both mornings of the inspection. The lead inspector considered an email sent to the Ofsted duty desk during the inspection and two parental letters received during the reception.
• Inspectors spoke with pupils during lessons and at breaktimes. An inspector also met with a group of pupils.
• Inspectors met with senior leaders and other staff, and the lead inspector met with a group of governors.
• The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority and spoke on the telephone with the local authority virtual school headteacher
• Inspectors considered the published information and school’s documentation relating to pupils’ achievement, and leaders’ evaluations of the school’s effectiveness.
• Inspectors reviewed other documentation, including additional funding plans, governor minutes and external evaluation reports. An inspector reviewed the school’s safeguarding procedures and policies.

Inspection team

Dylan Davies, lead inspector James Munt

Her Majesty's Inspector Ofsted Inspector