‘an outstanding school’

Ofsted Report 2011

‘Learning to Thanks to the passion, aspirational commitme

PAST and PRESENT- St Ives Junior Schoo An amazing learning journey, sho

Here's to continuing to make a real differe Every day matters and every day is

Congratulatio

ogether, free to fly.’ ent, drive and hard work of all pupils, staff, parents, carers and governors-

l is now rated one of the best 'outstanding' schools in the country. owing that 'Stickability really is the super secret of success'.

nce to the life chances of the children in our care each and every day. new, fresh, exciting and positive...where anything is possible...

ons and heartfelt thanks to one and all.

Sue SmithHeadteacher SIJS

Main findingsThis is an outstanding school.Sustained, dynamic and highlyeffective leadership by theheadteacher, other senior leadersand the governing body has broughtabout continuous improvement overa considerable period of time. In2011, attainment by pupils leavingYear 6 was high in English andabove average in mathematics,continuing the trend of improvementseen in previous years. Thisrepresents excellent progress bypupils, most notably in their writing,which had been a particular focus ofthe school’s work. It is now rightlyfocused on bringing standards inmathematics up to the same level. Allgroups of pupils make equallyoutstanding progress. Their progressis tracked in a highly effective way,with any shortcomings being quicklyidentified and tackled. The schoolhas made particularly good use ofone-to-one teaching to raiseattainment, and can demonstrate thepositive impact of this on pupils’progress through high-qualitymonitoring.

A notable feature of the school ispupils’ superb behaviour. Theyrespond to teachers’ instructions veryquickly and calmly, enabling learningto proceed at a fast pace in alllessons. This is because of excellentteaching, in which all teacherspromote equally high expectations ofpupils and use an agreed commonapproach to teaching and classroommanagement. As a result, all pupilsknow exactly what is expected ofthem from early in Year 3. Lessonsare exciting and pupils always carryout tasks enthusiastically. There ismuch high-quality discussionbetween pupils about their learning.Teaching assistants support thosewho need extra help with greatsubtlety and skill. The outstandingcurriculum has been researched indepth and ideas from a wide range ofsources are used to motivate pupils,from local Cornish history to linkswith schools in Africa and other partsof the United Kingdom. Opportunitiesin subjects such as music, drama andsport give pupils a wide range ofopportunities to meet and competewith others, enhancing their excellent

Inspection report:

St Ives Junior School, 20–21 September 2011

www.stivesjunior.org.uk

/about-the-school/what-makes-us-special/

/about-the-school/curriculum/

Inspection judgementsOverall effectiveness: how good is the school? 1The school’s capacity for sustained improvement 1

contribution to the community. Pupils’great enjoyment of school is shownby the fact that attendance, an areaidentified for improvement at the lastinspection, is now high.

The school’s work to support pupilsand their families, especially thesignificant proportion whosecircumstances make themvulnerable, is of very high quality.Excellent partnerships with otherschools and a wide range of externalagencies ensure that the needs of allare met. Parents and carers receivehigh-quality advice and guidance, forexample on how to maintain learningduring the summer holiday break.The outstanding work to keep pupilssafe is exemplified by the use of ahealth and safety consultant whoworks in school on a weekly basis.Pupils have excellent knowledge ofhow to stay fit and healthy, and enjoyrunning and using their healthy tuckshop at break times.

The headteacher has built a staffteam which is highly motivated andwhich is committed to ensuring that

teaching is of the highest quality. Staffwork together to identify the mosteffective approaches, to rigorouslymonitor the impact of teaching onpupils’ learning and to challenge eachother to improve. The school’s work isevaluated with great accuracy, leadingto very effective identification of thepriorities for development. Themembers of the outstandinggoverning body understand their rolevery well and effectively challengeschool leaders, especially on issuesconcerning priorities for thedeployment of resources such as thepurchase of information andcommunication technology (ICT)equipment, or the value of a trip toLondon for Year 6 pupils. All thesevery positive features mean that theschool has an outstanding capacityfor further improvement.

What does the school need to do

to improve further?

� Further raise pupils’ attainmentand progress in mathematics tomatch that in English by fullyimplementing the existing plans todo this.

‘All groupsof pupilsmake equallyoutstandingprogress’

‘superb behaviour’

‘excellentteaching’

‘outstandingwork to keeppupils safe’

‘staff teamwhich is highlymotivated’

‘outstanding governing body’

‘Excellentpartnershipswith otherschools’

‘outstandingcurriculum’

‘excellent contributionto the community’

‘Sustained, dynamic andhighly effective leadership’

‘Lessons are exciting’

‘continuousimprovementover aconsiderableperiod oftime’

“excellentprogress bypupils”

A Year 6 pupil was observed tellingher story to her partner. She did sowith great expression and fluency,occasionally referring to notes.Vocabulary was of the highest order,for example: ‘I made a consciousdecision to …’. Her partner and theinspector listened with rapt attention.This approach leads to writing that isof very high quality as the next step.In Year 4, pupils worked onmultiplication problems. Crucially,they were able to correctlyreorganise the problem, for example4x6=24, so 24÷4=6. This is anadvanced skill for pupils of this ageto have mastered. Work in books andthe school’s records show that allpupils are making rapid progressfrom typically below average startingpoints. Almost all achieve theirdemanding targets and many makegreater progress than that expected.Pupils show high levels of skill insubjects such as music, drama andphysical education. They have a verygood understanding of other faithsand cultures because they have lotsof opportunities to meet with peoplefrom a range of backgrounds.

When staff ask pupils to dosomething, they do it quickly andreadily. This is not to say that theylack initiative, as there is oftenlively conversation and activity inclassrooms, but this is alwaysunder the teacher’s control. Pupils,parents and carers agree thatpupils are very safe in school. Theylearn to manage risk, such as whenusing the climbing wall in physicaleducation. They care for eachother and have many opportunitiesto take responsibility. They arekeen to help others, such asthrough charity collection. Pupils’high attendance contributes totheir excellent preparation forsecondary education. Not only dothey leave the school with well-developed skills of literacy,numeracy and ICT, but they havealso learned to studyindependently and collaborate withothers. The school places greatemphasis on developing pupils’self-esteem and hence on leavingthey are confident and positive,and excited to tackle the nextphase of their lives.

Inspection report:

St Ives Junior School, 20–21 September 2011

www.stivesjunior.org.uk

/learning-zone/

/about-the-school/homelearning/

/about-the-school/our-staff/

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

/stars-of-hope/

/about-the-school/inclusion/

Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy

their learning

Taking into account:

1

Pupils’ attainment 2

The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress 1

The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

1

The extent to which pupils feel safe 1

Pupils’ behaviour 1

The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 1

The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and

wider community

1

The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other

skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

Taking into account:

1

Pupils’ attendance 1

The extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

development

1

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes

‘parents andcarers agreethat pupils arevery safe inschool’

‘on leaving they are confident andpositive, and excited to tackle thenext phase of their lives’

‘They learn tomanage risk’‘They care foreach other’‘They arekeen to helpothers’

‘excellentpreparationfor secondaryeducation’

‘learned to study independentlyand collaborate with others’

Inspection grades:1 is outstanding2 is good3 is satisfactory4 is inadequate

Teaching is consistently of highquality. The pace of lessons is brisk,instructions are clear andexpectations are high. In English,great emphasis is placed on theteaching of grammatical structurefrom an early age. Year 3 pupilswere introduced to the concepts ofimperative verbs and sequencingconnectives. While some struggledwith these ideas initially, by the endof the lesson sensitive interventionby adults ensured that all made atleast good progress. Identicalterminology is used throughout theschool, hence by Year 6 pupils arevery confident in their learning.Actions, role play and recitation areused extensively and consistently toreinforce learning throughout theschool and pupils clearly enjoy theirinvolvement in these routines.Assessment is used exceptionallywell to identify and plan for pupils’individual needs, which are met verywell by highly effective supportteachers and assistants. Pupilsroutinely assess their own, eachother’s and even the teacher’s work,such as when telling a story. ‘Your

actions could have shown us more,’a Year 6 pupil correctly told histeacher. Well-planned work tofurther enhance attainment inmathematics to bring it into line withEnglish is already beginning havinga positive impact.

Pupils enjoy an exciting range ofactivities. Work in Year 6, forexample, was based around the storyof An Gof, a Cornish hero of the 15thcentury, which enabled pupils tolearn about their local history andenvironment. Additional activities arevery well planned, for example allpupils have a residential experience,starting overnight in the schoolbuilding for Year 3 and progressingto three days in London for Year 6.

On receiving news that an outbreakof sickness was circulating in a localschool, the headteacher ensuredthat all surfaces touched by pupils oradults, including those such ascomputer keyboards, weredisinfected. This is an example ofthe excellent care, guidance andsupport that pupils receive, as is the

How effective is the provision?

Inspection report:

St Ives Junior School, 20–21 September 2011

www.stivesjunior.org.uk

/about-the-school/ict-suite/

/london-london-london/

/about-the-school/parent-groups/

fact that each pupil has acomprehensive record of theirachievements since startingschool in the infants’ school.This is continually updated,making clear the next steps thepupil needs to take in his or herlearning and the targets theyshould be aiming for. Pupilswhose circumstances makethem potentially vulnerable,such as those in public care, aregiven the support they need tosucceed and as a result makeexcellent progress in line withtheir peers. For example, theyare enabled to have fullattendance.

The quality of teaching

Taking into account:1

The use of assessment to support learning 1

The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs,

including, where relevant, through partnerships

1

The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 1

These are the grades for the quality of provision

‘Teaching isconsistently ofhigh quality’

‘Assessment is used exceptionally well’

‘excellent care,guidance andsupport thatpupils receive’

‘given the support they need tosucceed’

‘make excellentprogress in line withtheir peers’

Inspection grades:1 is outstanding2 is good3 is satisfactory4 is inadequate

The outstanding leadership of theheadteacher has transformed thisschool. Always striving to give pupilsthe best possible educationalexperience, she has built a dedicatedteam around her who share her driveand ambition for success. Staff areself-critical and continually strive forimprovement through research intoeffective teaching and very well-targeted professional development.Appointments from all parts of theUnited Kingdom and overseas havebroadened pupils’ experience of theworld and have made a strongcontribution to the school’s excellentcontribution to community cohesion.The small but highly effectivegoverning body shares theheadteacher’s vision and has given herthe tools to do her job, while rigorously

monitoring progress and asking hardquestions of school leaders. No formof discrimination is tolerated, as shownby the school’s uncompromisingresponse to the occasional case ofcyber bullying. The equally highachievement of all pupils demonstratesthe outstanding commitment toequality of opportunity. The school’soutstanding practice to ensure pupilsare safe is further enhanced by highlevels of training in the requirements ofchild protection and excellentpartnerships with, for example, thepolice and social services, and otherschools. The school keeps parents andcarers fully informed of their child’sprogress and involved in theireducation, for example throughnewsletters and consultation, and notleast through its excellent website.

How effective are leadership and management?

Inspection report:

St Ives Junior School, 20–21 September 2011

The effectiveness of leadership and management in

embedding ambition and driving improvement

Taking into account:

1

The leadership and management of teaching and learning 1

The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging

and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled

decisively and statutory responsibilities met

1

The effectiveness of the school’s engagement with

parents and carers

1

The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and

well-being

1

The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality

of opportunity and tackles discrimination

1

The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 1

The effectiveness with which the school promotes

community cohesion

1

The effectiveness with which the school deploys

resources to achieve value for money

1

These are the grades for leadership and management

‘outstandingleadership ofthe head-teacher’‘dedicatedteam aroundher who shareher drive andambition forsuccess’‘outstandingcommitmentto equality ofopportunity’‘schoolkeeps parentsand carersfully informedof their child’sprogress’www.stivesjunior.org.uk

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