Town End Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Pupils work very well together. They are confident to intervene and to help when they see that another pupil is struggling. Most pupils are confident learners.

They enjoy coming to school and feel challenged by the work teachers set them. Pupils take advantage of opportunities to accept additional responsibilities and so develop their social and emotional skills. Pupils' attendance is in line with the national average and very few are persistently absent.

Pupils have excellent manners. They are considerate of each other and of staff. Pupils write for a wide variety of purposes and audiences.

The teaching of grammar, punctuation a...nd spelling is very effective. Teachers ensure that pupils learn to read well. Increasingly, pupils are reading and understanding complex texts.

Teaching assistants work effectively to support pupils to make good progress, particularly those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. Teachers set clear targets. Pupils know how to check the progress they make against the targets and, as a result, develop independent learning skills.

Teachers check pupils' understanding effectively and help them to correct any errors. Pupils develop their numeracy and literacy skills across the curriculum and a high percentage achieve fluency in both. Leaders accurately evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the school.

They have led substantial improvements in the quality of teaching and learning. The school curriculum is rich and diverse. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength.

Governors support and challenge leaders effectively. Pupils make strong progress in reading and writing. Leaders identified mathematical reasoning as a weakness but have not acted with sufficient urgency to ensure consistent improvements.

Teachers have not embedded reasoning in the mathematics curriculum across all year groups. As a result, pupils throughout the school do not consistently develop the skills to achieve the higher standard in mathematics. Teachers do not consistently ensure that writing tasks are accurately matched to the ability of all the pupils in the class.

Teachers do not consistently ensure that written and mathematical work is presented neatly.

Information about this school

Town End Junior School is an average-size junior school. Nearly all pupils have English as their first language.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is average. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is now average having risen from well below the national average. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.