Alver Valley Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Pupils, including the high proportions who are disabled or have special educational needs, and the very high proportion who are eligible for extra support through pupil premium funding make at least good progress in all year groups. Teaching is consistently at least good and has clearly been so for more than the last two years.

Teachers make effective use of information from assessing how well pupils are doing to ensure work is well suited to their needs. Considerable improvement since the last inspection has resulted in pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning being good. The headteacher's drive and ambition for the school are outstanding.
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She is well supported by staff and governors in leading and managing the school very well. Support for those who are disabled or have special educational needs, and links with outside agencies, are particularly well managed. The school's track record of success in supporting pupils academically, as well as emotionally, shows real strength in its capacity for even further improvement.

This is a happy school where pupils, many of whom are particularly disadvantaged, are extremely well cared for. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Not enough of the teaching is outstanding. Occasionally, introductions to lessons are too long and pupils do not get to be active in their learning soon enough.

Too few pupils reach above average levels. This is more obvious in reading and in girls' performance in mathematics. Attendance rates are below average because : of the persistent absence of a very small minority of pupils.

Information about this school

This is a smaller than average-sized junior school. Virtually all pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion who speak English as an additional language is extremely low.

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, in the care of the local authority or whose parents are in the armed services, and so are entitled to extra support provided by additional government funding known as the pupil premium, is extremely high. This level of need is consistent with the top 20% of all primary schools nationally. The proportions of pupils who are supported by school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are all well above average.

The school narrowly missed the government floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in 2012. The school has recently completed its federation with Siskin Infant and Nursery School on the same site. The two schools now share an executive headteacher and have the same governing body.

Considerable new building work that brings the two schools into what is effectively one building is nearing completion. Part of this was only opened in the days just before this inspection. When it was inspected in 2009, the school was found to be in need of special measures.

Following three positive monitoring visits, the school was inspected again in 2011 and judged as satisfactory, no longer being in need of special measures. Since the last inspection, six out of the ten teachers, including the headteacher, are new to the school. The school does not manage any alternative provision for its pupils.

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