Carrington Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and feel safe. They confirm that bullying is not a problem and trust adults to quickly sort out any worries. Relationships are warm and caring.

Most pupils behave sensibly.

Pupils know that it is important to value everyone, no matter their family background or beliefs. They talk confidently about the importance of upholding the school's values of respect, learning, friendship, responsibility, kindness and resilience.

Pupils like to make the most of school life by attending the many clubs on offer, including the school's thriving choir.

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to achieve well. In the short time that they have been in ...post, leaders have put much in place to get things back on track.

However, weaknesses in the wider curriculum mean that pupils do not achieve well in some subjects. Pupils who are behind with reading and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not consistently get the support that they need.

Most parents have nothing but praise for the school and the care that their children receive.

As one parent commented, 'The staff at the school are all wonderful. They are very approachable and always quick to help with any issues.'

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Changes of staff and the leadership of the school, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, have stalled Carrington's journey of improvement.

Leaders and governors are resolute and united in their ambition to improve the school.

Leaders have made improvements to some key aspects of the school during this turbulent period. They have implemented a well-thought-out curriculum in mathematics and science.

This has brought about greater consistency and means that teachers are clear about what pupils need to learn. This is helping pupils to achieve well.

Leaders are continuing to make improvements to the English curriculum.

There is now a consistent approach to teaching reading comprehension. Pupils get to know and enjoy lots of good-quality texts. Rightly, leaders plan to strengthen the curriculum further to make more explicit the key knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn.

Leaders have not yet embedded a systematic approach to the teaching of phonics for those pupils who have fallen behind or not yet learned to read. Extra support is not consistently precise or effective. This means that specific gaps in pupils' learning are not identified or addressed well enough.

Some pupils are not catching up quickly enough and becoming competent readers.

The wider curriculum is still a work in progress. Content is typically driven by cross-curricular topics and not always sequenced logically.

Leaders have not identified what precise knowledge they want pupils to learn and remember. Weaknesses in the curriculum are mirrored in how well staff check what pupils have learned and address any gaps. There are also lengthy periods when pupils do not learn some subjects.

As a result, pupils' learning is patchy. Some struggle to remember or make links with previous units of learning.

Teachers generally explain things well and 'hook' pupils into learning.

They plan activities to interest pupils and get them involved in lively discussions. Teachers make sure that pupils with SEND, including those in the specialist resource base, have access to a wide curriculum offer. Pupils' additional needs are identified quickly and accurately.

However, teachers do not consistently take enough account of the needs of pupils with SEND. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they could across the whole curriculum.

Through the school's well-planned curriculum for pupils' personal, social and health education, pupils learn how to keep safe, including online.

They learn what it means to be a good friend, and how to recognise peer pressure. Pupils are encouraged to be good citizens and to understand and debate important values such as equality and diversity.

Staff are upbeat and enjoy working at the school.

Staff and parents particularly value leaders' work and support through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in this school.

Staff are alert to anything that may indicate a problem and pass on their concerns quickly to leaders. When needed, leaders refer any concerns to external safeguarding partners. They actively pursue these referrals to ensure pupils and families get prompt support.

Leaders have ensured that staff have received up-to-date training about specific safeguarding issues. These include online safety and peer-on-peer abuse, to reflect the risks pupils face online and changes in statutory requirements. Recruitment processes are thorough, and records are maintained well.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not yet embedded a systematic approach to the teaching of phonics for those pupils who have fallen behind or not yet learned to read. Specific gaps in pupils' learning are not identified or addressed well enough. Leaders must implement their plans to introduce a structured synthetic phonics programme and provide training for staff.

They must ensure that phonics and reading are taught well to enable pupils who are still learning to read to catch up quickly. ? Not all teachers consistently take enough account of the needs of pupils with SEND and adapt teaching and activities to meet their needs. This means that pupils with SEND are not always supported well and do not build their knowledge well.

Leaders should ensure that they provide training for staff to support them in knowing how to adapt teaching effectively to more consistently and effectively meet the needs of pupils with SEND. ? In most foundation subjects, leaders have not identified with precision the essential component knowledge that they want all pupils to learn. Content is typically driven by the cross-curricular topic and not always sequenced logically to enable pupils to build their knowledge effectively.

This means that pupils are not building on what they have learned before and struggle to remember previous learning. Leaders should ensure that they identify clearly the specific knowledge they want pupils to learn and remember in each subject. Additionally, leaders need to ensure that they provide training for new and inexperienced subject leaders to enable them to play a full and effective role in strengthening the curriculum.

• In some foundation subjects there are very lengthy blocks of time when pupils do not learn these subjects. This makes it difficult for pupils to reconnect with and remember previous learning and build on their knowledge. Leaders need to review their current arrangements for the teaching of foundation subjects and address this issue.

• Assessment processes such as teachers' checks on how well pupils are learning in the foundation subjects are not precise enough. This means that teachers do not have the information that they need to identify and address any gaps in pupils' knowledge well enough. Leaders should ensure that staff receive appropriate training to enable them to use assessment information well to inform teaching.

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