Towers Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The executive headteacher, head of school and assistant headteacher are highly ambitious for pupils.

Their ambition and high expectations for pupils are shared fully by governors and staff. Governors are skilled, knowledgeable and provide effective support and challenge to the school. Leaders and managers work effectively as a team, and have been successful in improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, which are now good.

As a result of improvements in teaching, all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, pupils with disabilities and those with special educational needs, make good progress in reading, writing and mathemat...ics. Pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has been well above the average since the previous inspection. There is strong support for leadership amongst staff.

Morale in the school is high and there is a shared commitment and determination to secure further improvements. Pupils are very polite, kind and courteous. Their behaviour is good, and they have strong attitudes to their learning.

Pupils' personal development and welfare are good. There is a strong culture of safeguarding, care and support for pupils. This ensures pupils feel safe, attend regularly and achieve well.

Provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. This helps in their understanding of what is right and wrong, and in showing respect for each other and beliefs of other people. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Pupils do not always know their learning targets in English and mathematics to help them check their own progress towards achieving them.

Sometimes, teachers' questioning is not probing enough to deepen pupils' understanding and extend their thinking. Marking and feedback on pupils' work in mathematics and other subjects are not as strong as in English to strengthen pupils' understanding. Achievement in mathematics is not as strong as in reading and writing.

The school's work on preparing pupils for life in modern Britain is not sufficiently developed.

Information about this school

The school is an averaged-sized junior school. A large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.

The proportion of pupils with disabilities and those with special educational needs is average compared with similar schools nationally. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support from pupil premium funding (additional money provided by the government for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority) is below average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average.

Since the time of the previous inspection, there have been a number of staffing changes, including the appointment of an executive headteacher, senior leadership team and new class teachers. A joint governing body has also been established with Towers Infant School, with a new Chair of the Governing Body. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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