Victoria Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • leaders frequently evaluate the impact of their actions on improving pupils’ achievement.
• Strengthen the quality of teaching by ensuring that:
  • planned learning activities have a consistent, positive impact on improving pupils’ progress
  • teachers move pupils’ learning on in a timely way
  • pupils are given a wider range of opportunities to develop and practise their mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since her appointment in January 2016, the headteacher has galvanised the school. She is ambitious for the school. The school self-evaluation document and development plan are both accurate and precise. The headteacher, governors and other leaders use these documents as a steer to strengthen the quality of teaching and drive up pupils’ attainment and progress. As a result, the school is improving rapidly.
• The headteacher and senior leaders have worked hard to instil a strong sense of ambition. As a team, they have ensured that expectations are high and they have worked hard to build positive and supportive relationships with staff, parents and pupils. Staff and parents agree that the school is well led and managed.
• The headteacher and other leaders work collaboratively to drive forward improvements. The monitoring activities in place to improve teaching are having a positive impact. Leaders have created a culture of continuous improvement. Staff appreciate this and they are well aware of the headteacher’s high expectations. Teamwork is commonplace among staff and, as a consequence, staff morale is high. As a result of this, pupils’ attainment and progress are strongly continuing to improve.
• The senior leadership team holds class teachers to account regularly through ‘pupil progress meetings’. As a result, leaders and teachers know the pupils well. Systems for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress are robust. Leaders and staff use pupil assessment information to ensure that no pupil falls behind in their learning. Indeed, if they do, support is put in place to help them to catch up swiftly. Sometimes, however, leaders’ evaluations of the strategies used to boost pupils’ achievement in this way are not incisive enough. Leaders acknowledge that they need to evaluate the impact of strategies more frequently and adjust where necessary.
• Middle leaders have been supported well in developing their roles. As a result, they have a clear understanding of the strengths and priorities for improvement in their subject areas. This is particularly the case in science and religious education (RE). Middle leaders relish the opportunity to work with their colleagues so that good practice is shared for the benefit of the pupils they teach. Middle leaders are ambitious and fully support the headteacher and her vision to strengthen the quality of teaching and drive up pupils’ outcomes further.
• The newly appointed special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) knows the provision and parents, but particularly the pupils, well. She has quickly ensured that those pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities are catered for through appropriate support, and that funding is being targeted accurately. As a result, the attendance and outcomes of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities have improved markedly.
• The funding for pupils who are disadvantaged is used effectively to provide these pupils with appropriate support. For example, targeted support in classrooms and opportunities to take part in a variety of activities enhance pupils’ skills and experiences. The pupil premium strategy plan is clear and, as a result, these pupils’ attainment and progress are improving. In some year groups, for example Year 5, their progress is much more rapid than that of other pupils. However, leaders acknowledge that they are yet to fully evaluate the impact of strategies across the school.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced, and provides pupils with a plethora of rich opportunities to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding. For example, the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum ensures that pupils are taught about values such as tolerance, respect and democracy, but also about how to be safe inside and outside of school. Pupils are provided with a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities to engage in, such as residential trips. These opportunities all contribute exceptionally well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• Leaders have ensured that pupils can access a wide range of sporting activities. Plans, and information about participation levels, demonstrate how funding is being used effectively to increase pupils’ participation in extra-curricular sporting activities and in local competitions. Staff are developing their skills so that they can sustain these activities.
• The headteacher is outward facing, and because of this humbly seeks opportunities to work with others. The local authority gives support to the school, when necessary, and this supports the headteacher when checking the school’s own self-evaluation and development plan. The school is also part of a local alliance that provides peer support and reviews of teaching and learning. This further demonstrates the headteacher’s commitment to strengthening the school’s effectiveness.
• Parents are very supportive of the school. Parents appreciate the information they receive from the school and they are given a host of opportunities to be a part of school life. For example, parents are invited to attend a celebration assembly every Friday. One parent stated, ‘The school is a strong part of the Rothwell community and strives to be inclusive. We find teachers and support staff to be committed to all pupils.’ There is a strong ethos of inclusion at the school.

Governance of the school

• Governors are knowledgeable about the school’s strengths and areas that need further improving. Their passion to support the headteacher and improve standards for the future lives of the pupils is unequivocal.
• Governors have a clear understanding of how the school’s performance compares to other school’s nationally and they are determined that dips in performance will not happen again. As a consequence of this determination, they ask leaders searching and challenging questions about pupils’ outcomes. They are also involved in monitoring and checking the quality of teaching through the visits they make to the school.
• Governors monitor spending carefully and they are aware of how it is being used. This supports them in the checks they complete, giving them further information to hold leaders to account for their actions.
• Governors have undertaken necessary training to support them in fulfilling their legal duties, for example safer recruitment and safeguarding training.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Throughout the school, there is a strong culture of safeguarding. This culture prioritises safeguarding pupils as the highest priority for all.
• Leaders’ rigour of safeguarding arrangements ensures that members of staff are well informed about safety procedures and what they need to do should a safeguarding incident arise.
• All relevant checks are carried out to ensure that staff are suitable to work in the school. All staff have received up-to-date training in safeguarding and child protection. For example, they are vigilant for the signs to look out for in relation to potential abuse, radicalisation and female genital mutilation.
• Record-keeping is meticulous and records are fit for purpose. A new system for recording concerns provides a very clear picture of any patterns of incidents, particularly in relation to vulnerable pupils. There are strong links with external agencies.
• Extensive opportunities, advice and guidance are given to pupils on how to keep themselves safe. As a result, pupils are knowledgeable and articulate when discussing how to stay safe online and when they are inside and outside of school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers and pupils have excellent relationships. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving. This results in a positive learning environment in which pupils enjoy participating in learning activities and are eager to join in discussions about their learning with their peers.
• Teachers have strong subject knowledge, and this instils confidence in pupils. Teachers use this to skilfully question pupils. Teachers’ questioning engages pupils, and develops and consolidates their knowledge and understanding. As a result, pupils confidently, and eagerly, share and explain their ideas with the class. Teachers develop pupils’ resilience by prompting them to justify their responses further. For example, in Year 3 and 4 English, teachers prompted and probed pupils to identify and explain the use of third person and past tense in a piece of narrative.
• Most teachers plan a variety of learning activities that engage, challenge and consolidate pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. This ensures that pupils do not lose focus on, or are left behind in, their learning.
• Teachers’ brisk movement around classrooms allows them to swiftly intervene where pupils are stuck or have a misconception. Where this is most effectively used, pupils make sustained and rapid progress.
• The teaching of reading and writing is a growing strength of the school. Pupils enjoy listening to and engaging with a range of texts. The new school library provides pupils with a vibrant area for them to practise their reading. The range of writing opportunities that pupils are given across the school is strongly contributing to their accuracy in writing, particularly their spelling, punctuation and grammar. Pupils’ ‘editing’ and ‘publishing’ books work well, as pupils and teachers can effectively track and monitor progress towards age-related expectations and, indeed, some instances of pupils working at a higher standard.
• Teachers work well with, and effectively use, support assistants to support the learning and progress of different groups of pupils. This is particularly the case for the low-prior-attaining pupils, for whom effective small-group intervention opportunities enable them to make similar progress to that of their peers.
• In a minority of instances, teaching and, as a consequence, planned learning activities do not contribute positively to pupils’ progress and pupils are not moved on in a timely way. However, leaders have put appropriate support in place to strengthen this.
• Teaching in mathematics, in the main, challenges pupils’ thinking and extends their understanding of new ideas and concepts. However, teachers in lower key stage 2 are not yet consistently making the most of opportunities to develop pupils’ problem-solving and reasoning skills.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils’ attitudes to their learning are excellent. They demonstrate skills of perseverance and resilience, and use these to drive their own and their peers’ learning forward.
• Pupils readily, eagerly and actively want to participate in their learning. Pupils relish taking part in the learning activities they are given. They enjoy challenge and, indeed, rise to the challenge of learning. Pupils are encouraged to edit and improve their work, and they take pride in doing this.
• Pupils and staff have extremely positive relationships. Pupils recognise that staff have their best interests in mind all the time. Staff work well with all pupils, particularly those who are more vulnerable than others. As a result, vulnerable pupils’ needs are catered for sensitively, and this enables them to engage in school life and learning.
• Pupils have high expectations of themselves and they speak with maturity and pride about their school. They demonstrate this as they wear their uniforms with pride. They take pride in their school and are immensely proud to be part of Victoria Junior School.
• Pupils welcome the various opportunities they have to celebrate the world around them and diversity, for example through visits to local care homes and charity work. Pupils are not fazed when discussing the importance of equality and diversity. One pupil poignantly stated, ‘It is good to be different’, and ‘We all have to look after each other.’ Such statements permeate the inclusive ethos that the school offers.
• Pupils appreciate the range of opportunities they have to engage in extra-curricular activities, such as sporting activities, residential visits and, more recently, their work in raising awareness about dementia and mental health issues. These opportunities have a positive impact on pupils’ confidence and self-assurance.
• Pupils learn and can articulate how to keep themselves and others safe, in an age-appropriate way. Pupils can express the different forms of bullying and, importantly, can explain what to do if any incidents of bullying take place. Pupils told inspectors that bullying happens very rarely and that, if it does, staff would deal with it very quickly and effectively. School records support this view.
• Pupils feel safe at school. They enjoy coming to school and they have a mature understanding of who to go to if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils are confident that staff would support them if they have any worries or concerns.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site is excellent. Pupils are respectful, courteous and very well mannered to each other, staff and visitors. Pupils and parents support this view. One parent stated, ‘Rothwell Victoria is a welcoming school where children are taught to respect each other, adults in school and visitors to the school.’ Inspection evidence wholeheartedly supports this view.
• Overall attendance across the school is in line with the national average. No pupils or groups of pupils are disadvantaged by low attendance. Persistent absence has reduced significantly and it is now well below the national average. Such improvements are down to leaders’ effective management of attendance, close monitoring of individual pupils and positive relationships with, and support for, families when needed.
• In classes, learning takes place without interruptions of poor behaviour. Teachers are skilled at dealing with any restlessness in a sensitive and unnoticed manner. The school’s records demonstrate that the few incidents of poor behaviour have been dealt with swiftly and effectively. Records also demonstrate the school’s positive approach to dealing with behaviour. Such positive attitudes and excellent behaviours are contributing to current pupils making much stronger progress in their learning.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Despite a dip in pupils’ outcomes in 2015 and 2016, the actions of the headteacher and other staff brought about marked improvements in outcomes in 2017. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standards by the end of Year 6 increased considerably and was in line with the national average.
• Current pupils across the school are achieving well from their starting points. The attainment of all groups of pupils is rising. This is particularly the case for those pupils in upper key stage 2.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes continue to improve steadily across the school. In some year groups, this is more rapid. For example, in Year 5, disadvantaged pupils are currently attaining more highly than their peers in reading, writing and mathematics. Work in pupils’ books also indicates that the progress of disadvantaged pupils is consistently improving across the school and in a wide range of subjects. They are achieving well.
• Leaders’ and staffs’ concerted efforts have ensured that progress is now at least good in reading and writing. As a result of strategic and planned opportunities for pupils to practise their skills in spelling, punctuation and grammar, they are making strong progress in writing. Work observed in pupils’ books supports this view.
• The attainment and progress of pupils’ reading markedly improved in 2017. In 2017, the proportion of pupils attaining at a higher standard in reading was above the national average. This upward trend in reading is set to continue. This is because of improved and effective teaching of reading skills. As a result, the vast majority of pupils read fluently and use their reading skills to explore texts for different layers of meaning. Pupils have a clear understanding of the importance of reading and of how being able to read well will help them when they are adults.
• Overall, pupils are achieving well in mathematics. Pupils develop secure number skills and can demonstrate age-related number skills. They make good use of these skills to help them develop their mathematical knowledge and understanding. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 could demonstrate how they calculate percentages. However, currently pupils’ progress in mathematics is not as good as it is in reading and writing. Opportunities for pupils to practise their mathematics reasoning and problem-solving skills are sometimes overlooked.
• Those pupils that enter the school with middle ability are also making strong progress across the school. This is because challenge in lessons is appropriate, and activities planned meet their needs and can push them towards achieving at a higher standard.
• Leaders and teachers effectively plan and provide opportunities for pupils to use and apply their skills in reading, writing and mathematics so that they make stronger progress in other subjects across the curriculum, for example in science, RE and art.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 107851 Leeds 10042198 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 163 Appropriate authority Chair Headteacher Local authority Mr Stuart Ward Mrs Amanda Burrow Telephone number 01133 932926 Website Email address www.rothwellvictoriajunior.co.uk office@victoria-jun.leeds.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 5–6 March 2014

Information about this school

• The school is a smaller than the average-sized junior school.
• Most pupils are White British. A small minority of pupils speak English as an additional language or are from minority ethnic backgrounds.
• A much higher-than-average proportion of pupils are disadvantaged.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is below average.
• Pupils arrive in the school in Year 3.
• The school was deemed to be a coasting school in 2015 and 2016. However, it was not in 2017.
• In 2017, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The headteacher has changed since the previous inspection and the current headteacher took up post in January 2016.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in a range of lessons and reviewed work in a wide range of pupils’ books.
• Inspectors observed and spoke with pupils during lessons and at breaktime. They also met formally with groups of pupils from Year 3 to Year 6, including representatives from the school council.
• Inspectors listened to pupils reading from Years 3, 4, 5 and 6.
• Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders. Meetings also took place with members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority. Inspectors analysed reports from the local authority and reviews from external sources.
• Inspectors looked at a wide range of documents, including the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, behaviour logs and pupils’ attendance information. Inspectors also looked at information about pupils’ current progress and attainment and leaders’ evaluations of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.
• Inspectors considered the views of parents through the 18 parental responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View.
• Inspectors considered the 31 pupil responses and 13 staff responses to Ofsted’s questionnaires.

Inspection team

Darren Stewart, lead inspector Lynda Florence

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector