Anston Park Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership, management and governance by ensuring that:
  • systematic procedures for analysing and evaluating behaviour are implemented to provide leaders with better information to inform their actions
  • support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is more precisely checked and evaluated to measure the impact on their progress
  • subject leaders develop the ability to contribute more significantly to improving the quality of teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility
  • governors receive regular and routine information about all aspects of the school’s work so they can more effectively hold school leaders to account.
• Secure consistency in the quality of teaching so that pupils make at least good progress over time by ensuring that:
  • learning is sufficiently challenging to enable more pupils to achieve higher standards, especially the most able pupils
  • pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are targeted and supported to make more rapid progress
  • pupils understand and respond to high expectations of their attitudes to learning.
• Improve pupils’ behaviour in lessons by:
  • making sure that lessons engage, challenge and interest pupils
  • ensuring that the same school-wide expectations are set for behaviour in all classes and by all members of staff.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Members of the wider senior leadership team are not effectively securing rapid improvements in their areas of responsibility. Monitoring and evaluation of these leaders’ actions is not rigorously bringing about the improvements needed.
• Leaders responsible for pupils’ behaviour do not analyse behaviour records stringently enough in order to inform their actions and look for any patterns. Leaders have not yet secured a consistent approach by all staff in their application of the school’s behaviour sanctions. Consequently, behaviour is not improving quickly enough.
• Leadership of provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is not effective in checking the impact on pupils’ outcomes, including those who are being educated in alternative provision. Learning targets set for pupils are too vague and leaders have not yet developed a robust way to demonstrate that these pupils are making sufficient progress. Consequently, this group of pupils do not always receive the best support to help them achieve well.
• Too many subject leaders have not developed the skills they need to accurately evaluate achievement in their subject. Their action plans do not always contain measurable success criteria or milestones from which to measure progress. Therefore, improvements have been slower in some subjects.
• The headteacher and deputy headteacher are together establishing a culture in which every child is expected to learn well and succeed. They have taken considerable action to address the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. Improvements have been slower than anticipated due to changes to staffing but this has not deterred the senior leaders from constantly striving for excellence and many encouraging steps forward have been secured.
• A wider group of leaders are now beginning to take a shared responsibility for improving pupils’ outcomes. Coupled with greater accountability through clarity of roles and responsibilities and links with performance management, this is providing a solid base for further and more rapid improvements.
• The headteacher and deputy headteacher are incredibly thorough when checking the impact of teaching, learning and assessment on pupils’ outcomes. Teachers receive very detailed feedback about all aspects of their teaching role with clear strengths and areas for development. Where teachers have taken the advice provided, there is considerable improvement in the quality of teaching in those classes.
• Leaders have established effective links with a wide range of partners through the local authority. This commitment by school leaders to partnership working in order to seek good practice provides staff with high-quality professional development and training, checks progress towards the school’s improvement plan and has been very successful. Leaders are now more effectively improving the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in mathematics and English, so that it is becoming more consistent and pupils are making better progress as a result.
• Leaders use pupil premium funding successfully to raise teachers’ awareness of these pupils and rigorously track their attainment and progress. Leaders and teachers work together to identify how to minimise barriers to learning and provide targeted support to address specific learning needs. This is having a positive impact on the achievement of this group of pupils.
• Leaders have used the primary school physical education (PE) and sports funding to provide increased opportunity and greater participation in a wider range of sports. A sports coach is providing opportunities to further develop teachers’ skills in the delivery of physical education lessons. The use of a sports coach at lunchtime is proving very popular with pupils and is supporting purposeful play. An increasing number of pupils enjoy the inter-school sports competitions and sports activities they take part in.
• Pupils largely enjoy a broad, balanced and interesting curriculum. Leaders have recently introduced a newly designed curriculum which has been successful in improving attendance as pupils are more interested in the topics they are learning about. The school pets add a different dimension to pupils’ learning and give opportunities for pupils to learn how to care for animals. Events such as the recent diversity week, along with regular assemblies about the school’s values, have a positive impact on pupils’ understanding of British values and on their growing social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.

Governance of the school

• A large proportion of governors are new since the previous inspection and subsequent review of governance. The introduction of a steering group has been instrumental in keeping the focus on the priorities for school improvement while the governing body has undergone its transformation. The result is a much more effective governing body who are skilled, knowledgeable and committed to the school’s journey of improvement.
• Governors have undertaken substantial training and work effectively as a team in carrying out their statutory duties and providing support and challenge for school leaders. They acknowledge that their next step is to ask school leaders for information about progress towards school improvement priorities and the impact of all leaders’ actions in a more systematic way.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and governors have put clear systems in place for safeguarding pupils. They are understood and carried out diligently by staff. Records are detailed, clear and up to date. Regular training supports staff in being alert to the possible warning signs of abuse that pupils may present. Staff report concerns promptly and the designated safeguarding lead acts swiftly.
• The school’s work on anti-bullying is supporting pupils in developing a greater awareness of the types of bullying and a range of strategies to use to keep themselves safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, while improving, remains too variable. There is a lack of consistency between year groups and across subjects.
• Teachers do not have consistently high expectations of pupils’ learning and their learning behaviours. At times, when teaching is less engaging, or not well matched to pupils’ needs, some pupils lose interest and do not get on with their work.
• The level of challenge for all pupils has improved in many classes but there are some cases where pupils, particularly the most able, do not have access to work that is demanding enough for them. This results in progress which is not strong enough for some pupils based on their starting points.
• There are frequent occasions when pupils are withdrawn from lessons with their peers as they are not able to easily access learning in the classroom environment. The teaching they receive from teaching assistants, in these instances, does not always successfully support them in making the necessary gains with their learning. For example, staff do not always pick up on errors or misconceptions during these lessons and, consequently, potential learning time is lost. These pupils often have special educational needs and/or disabilities and are the most vulnerable learners who need to make rapid progress.
• However, teaching assistants have a positive impact within some classes where teachers make clear their expectations for pupils’ learning. In these situations, teaching assistants provide support which encourages pupils, makes use of practical resources to aid understanding and is effective in developing pupils’ independence and thinking skills.
• Leaders have made sure that teachers have access to a range of assessment information about pupils which is supporting them in identifying any gaps in learning and making sure that work is well matched to pupils’ stages of development. This has been particularly effective in raising teachers’ awareness of disadvantaged pupils and other individuals who need to make more rapid progress to reach the expected standard. As a result, teachers are targeting the learning and progress of these individuals so they are quickly able to catch up.
• The teaching of mathematics has been a focus for leaders. The result of substantial training and support in this subject has been the development of teachers’ skills in teaching reasoning and problem solving, making use of practical resources to aid pupils’ understanding. This is becoming much more consistent and is supporting the improved progress seen in this subject throughout school.
• Leaders have transformed the teaching of reading. It is beginning to result in greater consistency in the approach used and pupils are developing comprehension skills at a higher level. The effective links made between reading and writing are also starting to support pupils’ writing across the curriculum.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are variable from class to class. This depends on the quality of teaching, including the challenge pupils receive and the expectations staff have of their learning and behaviour. Off-task behaviour in some lessons is too apparent.
• Arrangements for checking the personal development, behaviour and welfare of pupils educated in alternative provision are not routine or regular enough to be effective.
• A very small proportion of parents do not feel the school deals effectively with bullying. However, school records demonstrate that leaders take parents’ concerns seriously and respond appropriately. Pupils say they are confident that staff would deal with any concerns about bullying if they needed to raise them.
• The involvement of a local authority consultant to support the school’s anti-bullying approach shows that leaders are being proactive about concerns raised by parents. This approach has resulted in pupils demonstrating a greater understanding of the definition of bullying, an awareness of its different forms and a range of ways to respond. There has been a reduction in the number of racist incidents following a focus on the effect of spoken language on others. Pupils’ work on diversity is also helping them to show greater tolerance and respect for others.
• Pupils are encouraged to take on responsibilities around school such as playground buddies and learning ambassadors. This helps them work together as a school community and is an example of the school’s values in action. The vast majority of pupils are developing as confident individuals who are proud of their school and show good manners and respect for others as they go about their day.
• The introduction of a sports coach at lunchtime is contributing to pupils’ understanding of keeping fit and healthy and is also supporting the development of positive relationships. The curriculum is also effective in promoting pupils’ safety. For example, pupils talk about how they learn to be safe in the event of a fire, when riding a bicycle, crossing a road or on the internet.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. A small but significant proportion of pupils regularly push the boundaries and need close supervision to control their behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes. Action taken by leaders is not yet reducing these occurrences rapidly enough.
• However, more serious incidents, sometimes resulting in exclusion, have significantly reduced after a zero-tolerance approach following the previous inspection.
• Attendance overall is above the national average. Leaders’ checks on attendance are effective in identifying any group or individuals whose attendance is a concern. Action taken by leaders is resulting in improved attendance figures overall and, for vulnerable groups, better punctuality and a reduction in the proportion of pupils who are regularly absent.
• There has been an improvement in lunchtime and playtime behaviour due to the changes made by leaders to increase supervision and provide a wider range of activities for pupils to participate in.
• Where staff have the same high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, for example in assembly and when moving around school, pupils behave in a calm and orderly manner.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Over time, pupils have not made strong enough progress from their generally high starting points at the end of key stage 1. Overall, current pupils are making much faster progress. However, some pupils, particularly the most able and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are making variable progress. This depends on the quality of teaching they receive.
• Work in books for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities indicates that their progress is variable. This is particularly the case when they are unable to access learning with their peers. Too often, this results in incorrect work that is not spotted by teaching assistants or very little work being accomplished. Consequently, pupils have not had sufficient opportunity to make improvements and experience success during each lesson, which hinders their progress.
• Over time, although the proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics is in line with national figures, not enough pupils, including the most able pupils and disadvantaged pupils, reach the higher standards. However, in 2016, progress from pupils’ starting points in writing and mathematics improved from previous years and was broadly in line with the national average. Progress for current pupils overall, including those who are eligible for pupil premium funding, is improving. A greater proportion are working at, and beyond, the age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Progress in the wider curriculum, beyond mathematics and English, varies between subjects. This is because some subject leaders are not yet influencing achievement in their subjects sufficiently. However, displays around school demonstrate that some high-quality cross-curricular work is beginning to take shape.
• Leaders’ actions to support accelerated progress for disadvantaged pupils have been effective. These pupils are now making much more rapid progress as a result of the raised awareness and expectations for this group of pupils, along with carefully targeted provision. Equality of access to online learning has been achieved by enabling this group to access additional opportunities to develop their reading skills at school if this is not available at home.
• Following the disappointing reading results at the end of key stage 2 in 2016, when attainment at the expected standard dipped just below the national average, leaders responded with urgency. A wide range of high-quality texts are now successfully raising pupils’ interest in reading and, consequently, many pupils enjoy reading for pleasure. Stimulating reading spaces in each classroom are also successfully promoting a love of reading. The well-chosen texts are allowing pupils to access reading comprehension at a deeper level. This is having a positive impact on their understanding of what they are reading and is resulting in improving outcomes for current pupils.
• Leaders identified that the quick recall of basic mathematics facts was a barrier to some pupils, particularly when tackling new mathematical concepts. A focus on developing this aspect of pupils’ mathematical understanding is proving successful. Pupils now feel much more confident with these skills and are using them with greater ease.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 106896 Rotherham 10023810 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 Maintained 7 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 277 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Mrs Sylvia Hudson Mrs Amanda Bartholomew Telephone number 01909 550779 Website Email address www.anstonpark-jun.rotherham.sch.uk/ anston-park.junior@rotherham.gov.uk Date of previous inspection February 2015

Information about this school

• The headteacher joined the school just before the previous inspection. A large proportion of staff have left the school since that time. Four teachers have been replaced with an experienced teacher and four newly qualified teachers. The school is currently restructuring the leadership team and there is also a vacancy for a learning mentor.
• The local authority has brokered a wide range of support to help leaders address the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.
• Anston Park Junior School is larger than the average primary school.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is just below the national average.
• The large majority of pupils are White British. The proportion who speak English as an additional language is well below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have additional support to meet their special educational needs and/or disabilities is just above the national average. The proportion who have an education, health and care plan is in line with the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed teaching in every class. Some observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors observed an assembly and listened to pupils read. They talked to pupils about their school and evaluated the quality of work in a sample of pupils’ books.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and the wider leadership team. They also met with a representative from the local authority and representatives from the governing body.
• A range of documentation was considered including the school’s self-evaluation; records of the monitoring of teaching and learning; the school improvement plan; the school’s performance data; information on the progress of particular pupil groups; information relating to attendance and behaviour of pupils; safeguarding and child protection records; and minutes from governing body meetings. Documents outlining the arrangements for the use of pupil premium funding and the primary school PE and sports funding were also considered.
• Inspectors spoke to parents informally at the start of the school day in order to seek their views about the school. Inspectors took account of the 46 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View.

Inspection team

Kirsty Godfrey, lead inspector Sue Birch Marianne Young

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector