Leys Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The headteacher and governors have tackled the weaknesses identified by the last inspection with increasing success. As a result, over the last year the quality of teaching has improved to a good standard, progress has increased and standards have risen in writing.

Pupils are now making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics and achieving well. The teaching is lively. The teachers use their subject knowledge well to teach pupils about a range of interesting topics.

Reading is strongly promoted and pupils' progress is accelerating. Although classroom spaces are small, they have attractive displays and are well organised. Pupils... behave well, concentrate on their work and respond very positively to the headteacher's and teachers' high expectations.

The school's systems for rewarding good behaviour and promoting hard work are particularly effective. The school has good arrangements to keep pupils as safe as possible. The headteacher keeps a very careful check on the quality of teaching and the progress that the pupils make.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Pupils' progress in mathematics is not yet as rapid as in reading and writing. The adults who work alongside the teachers do not have a big enough impact on the pupils' learning in some lessons. The headteacher and governors are not yet evaluating whether their spending of the pupil premium is resulting in good value for money.

Information about this school

The school is smaller than average for schools of this type. Most of the pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and the proportion who speak English as an additional language are both well below the national averages.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs at school action (pupils who need extra support with their learning) is above average. The proportions supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs are also above average. The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is well above the national average.

This funding supports those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, any in the care of the local authority, and pupils who have a parent serving in the armed services. In some year groups the number of pupils supported by this funding is very small. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

The headteacher has been in post since just before the last inspection in September 2012. A new Chair of the Governing Body, and a new Vice Chair, were elected in September 2013. Two new classrooms are under construction to provide more space for teachers and pupils to work in comfortably.