Campsbourne Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Campsbourne Junior School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. They are friendly, polite, and considerate of others. Pupils listen to their teachers and behave very well in lessons and around the school.

They feel safe in school. Pupils know what bullying is, but they say that it is very rare and it is dealt with effectively if it does happen. Every classroom has a 'bubble box' where pupils know they can report any concerns that they have.

Pupils benefit from a very well-thought-out curriculum that helps them to achieve well. Leaders have made sure this curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including th...ose with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). When deciding what pupils should be taught, leaders have considered the school's diverse community and the opportunities that the school's location offers.

For example, the very popular forest school in the nearby park and woods encourages pupils to explore and learn from the natural environment.

Pupils enjoy the additional opportunities they have, such as the range of lunchtime and after-school clubs, and visits to local places of interest. There are opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles, such as anti-bullying ambassadors, playground buddies and members of the school council.

Staff say they are proud to work in this school.

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

The educational provision at Campsbourne Junior School helps pupils to enjoy their learning and to achieve well. Leaders have thought carefully about the curriculum so that pupils can see and understand links between subjects.

For example, in art lessons, pupils make mosaics, putting into practice what they have previously learned about Roman Britain in history. Leaders have made sure that pupils build on important knowledge. In mathematics, for example, key content is revisited regularly.

This helps pupils to develop confidence and to develop their skills over time. Teachers know their pupils well and make sure that pupils with SEND can follow the same rich curriculum as their peers.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge.

They understand leaders' curriculum thinking and make sure that subject content is covered as intended. Leaders have focused on the development of classroom practice so that teachers continually check how well pupils are doing. On occasions, however, lessons move on too fast before this checking has taken place and before the content has been properly understood by pupils.

Throughout the school, reading is given a high priority. The teaching of reading is carefully considered and leads to success. Pupils learn to read a wide range of texts through a variety of activities across all year groups.

Pupils who are behind with their reading are taught the strategies needed to help them decode unfamiliar words. This helps them to become more confident and to learn to read fluently. Staff are very well trained to teach reading effectively.

Leaders use the school's locality and community to enhance the curriculum and support pupils' wider development. Pupils, parents and carers value leaders' work to encourage an understanding of the environment, as well as teaching skills such as team building and decision-making. A well-thought-out programme of personal, social and health education (PSHE) helps pupils to understand about relationships, healthy lifestyles and staying safe in an age-appropriate way.

The effective physical education curriculum keeps pupils active, and pupils to learn to swim in the on-site pool.

Pupils show positive attitudes to their learning, exemplified by high rates of attendance. Leaders and teachers promote and celebrate positive behaviour around the school.

Pupils like being rewarded for their good behaviour. They show respect to each other and know that unkind language is not tolerated.

Governors are committed and knowledgeable.

They understand their statutory duties and know that safeguarding is a priority. Governors and leaders take staff workload and well-being seriously. Staff are very positive about how leaders engage with them to reduce workload.

Leaders ensure all staff, including those who are new to teaching, benefit from high-quality training so that they are well placed to deliver the school's curriculum.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding is prioritised across the school.

Leaders ensure staff are appropriately trained so that they know to report any concerns, no matter how small, in a timely way. Leaders work with outside agencies, including the local authority, to secure appropriate support for vulnerable children and families.

Leaders have ensured that safeguarding is a central part of the school's curriculum.

As well as carefully thought out PSHE lessons, pupils also benefit from workshops delivered by the NSPCC and other agencies. They have been taught how to stay safe in the local community and online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, teachers do not check pupils' understanding quickly enough before moving on.

This means that pupils have not properly understood content before new learning is introduced. Leaders should develop teachers' classroom practice further so that pupils' understanding is more routinely checked and any misconceptions are addressed quickly.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2013.

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