Joy Lane Primary Foundation School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

Pupils' achievement is good because pupils make good progress from their starting points, especially in mathematics. Standards in both English and mathematics have risen since the school's previous inspection. The quality of teaching is good and is improving.

Teachers use their good subject knowledge well. They have high expectations of pupils and make sure that they understand what they need to do to improve their work. Pupils enrolled in the specialist provision receive a good standard of education and care, which enables them to make at least as good progress as other pupils.

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the schoo...l. They are kept safe, feel safe and have few concerns about bullying. Leaders and managers have accurately identified the school's strengths and what it needs to do to become even better.

They have addressed the improvement points from the previous inspection, acting decisively and effectively to improve the quality of teaching and pupils' achievement, particularly in writing. The curriculum provides pupils with a rich blend of experiences. It promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development successfully and prepares them well for the next stage of their education.

Governors know how well the school is doing and what leaders are doing to improve teaching and to accelerate pupils' progress. The governing body keeps a close eye on the school's finances. This has enabled leaders to significantly improve the school's facilities.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : During lessons, teachers do not always check pupils' learning carefully enough and adapt activities when necessary, which results occasionally in pupils making slower progress than usual. The role of teaching assistants in lessons is not always sufficiently clear. This sometimes limits their ability to support pupils as effectively as they could.

Not all parents are convinced that the school does enough to provide them with timely information or to respond to their concerns.

Information about this school

This is a much larger-than-average-sized primary school. Most pupils are of White British heritage.

The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below the national average. About one in three pupils is eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional funding provided for children in local authority care, children with a parent in the armed services and those known to be eligible for free school meals. This proportion is above the national average.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported through school action is above the national average. About one in eight pupils is supported through school action. The proportion of pupils, about one in seven, supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above the national average.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics. The school has specially resourced provision, managed by the governing body, for up to 24 pupils with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). These pupils are based in a new annexe on the school site, which was opened in September 2012.

There is an on-site nursery, which is managed by the school's governing body. This is subject to separate inspection arrangements. Since the school's previous inspection, there have been several changes in staffing, especially of staff employed as teaching assistants.

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