Willow Bank Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Despite uncertainties in leadership and management, achievement has improved since the previous inspection and is good in all year groups.

All groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those that have special educational needs, make good progress and standards are signficantly above average in English, mathematics and science. Teaching is led well and of good quality. Pupils thoroughly enjoy the good range of interesting activities that teachers generally provide.

Even so, a few lessons require improvement. This is because teachers sometimes waste time at the beginning of lessons and the pace of learning is slowed because introduct...ions are sometimes too long. Relationships across the school are positive and behaviour is good.

Pupils are happy and feel safe. By the time they reach Year 6, they are confident and secure and have high self-esteem. The school is led expertly by two outstanding headteachers.

Governors and staff are united in their determination to drive improvement and make the school even better. Effective initiatives, based on accurate school self-evaluation, have had a positive impact on teaching and learning. Child protection, health and safety and staff vetting procedures are of good quality and meet regulatory requirements.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Although some lessons are outstanding, there is not yet enough excellent teaching to make achievement outstanding. All groups make good progress and this leads to standards that are signficantly above average rather than high.

Information about this school

The school is of average size.

Most pupils live close to the school, although a few are from the surrounding area. Most pupils are of White British heritage and both the percentage of pupils from minority ethnic groups and the proportion who speak English as an additional language are well below the national average. Very few pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals and this is very low in comparison to the national average.

These pupils are entitled to the pupil premium (additional government funding). The number of pupils supported at school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs, is much below the national average. The school meets the current floor standards set by the government, which determine the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

The school's leadership and management have gone through a turbulent period in the past year. Currently there is an acting deputy headteacher. Since January 2012, the school has been under the interim headship of two acting headteachers.

One is an experienced headteacher who is a senior officer of Wokingham Borough Council. He is currently in the school for three days each week. The other two days are led by the second headteacher.

The governors are currently in the process of recruiting a new permanent headteacher. The two acting headteachers will remain at the school until the new headteacher takes up post. The school has started a breakfast club this term.

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