Coalway Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff have a deep sense of community and care for one another at Coalway Junior School. This encourages pupils to make the most of the wider enrichment provided by the school.

Leaders have designed a comprehensive personal development programme for pupils. Staff encourage pupils to be good citizens and care for each other.

Pupils feel safe and enjoy attending school.

Behaviour is good, and there is very little bullying. Pupils are confident that, if bullying does occur, leaders will deal with it promptly.

Staff have high expectations of pupils' learning and behaviour.

Leaders have developed a curriculum that helps the pupils 'to d...evelop and nurture an inquisitive mind and a passion for lifelong learning'. Teachers explain learning clearly. They make sure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

Pupils value their learning. As a result, they take care with their work.

Pupils, parents and carers appreciate the trips and visitors that leaders organise, including trips abroad, the Young Voices choir competition in Birmingham, and art workshops.

These events help learning to come alive.

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

Leaders have set out what pupils will learn each year for all subjects. They have ensured that teachers have the training and resources they need to teach the curriculum.

Leaders' priority is to make sure that pupils can read well. Leaders have recently improved the way that pupils learn how to read words. Leaders make sure that the books pupils read match the sounds they know.

Teachers use assessment well to check how well pupils are reading. They provide support to help pupils keep up. Pupils enjoy reading events and competitions, such as visits from the school's reading patron and local author.

This encourages them to read often and to develop a lifelong love of reading.

After the pandemic, leaders adjusted the curriculum to fill gaps in learning. This helped pupils to learn well and produce good work.

Teachers check whether pupils have the understanding to move on to a new topic. This helps pupils to learn in subjects like mathematics. Teachers use resources and practical equipment to help the pupils understand new ideas.

Pupils are keen to learn, and they behave well.

Staff are well trained to support pupils with SEND. They make adaptations to teaching so that all pupils can succeed.

These include, for example, providing simplified instructions or visual prompts for pupils who need them.

In most subjects, learning is broken down into small steps, which helps pupils to learn. However, in some foundation subjects, leaders have not broken down all of the learning into these small steps.

As a result, it is harder for pupils to learn these aspects of the subject.

Leaders are keen that pupils have a wide range of opportunities to develop their leadership. They plan for pupils to have new experiences so they will be well prepared for life.

There is a clear plan to develop pupils' understanding of British values, equality and diversity. They learn how to debate issues, understand their rights and to respect others. Pupils have access to a wide range of clubs and sporting activities.

Staff teach them to be healthy, and they learn about relationships and consent.

Leaders follow a rigorous pupil attendance policy. They work with families to overcome any barriers that prevent pupils from attending school.

Consequently, attendance has improved since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff are positive about the school's leadership. They are proud to work at the school and say that leaders do everything they can do to support their well-being and workload.

Governors work hard to support the school. They focus on making sure all pupils will be safe, happy and successful. They check all aspects of the work of the school and challenge leaders if needed.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have comprehensive safeguarding training. They build relationships with pupils and families.

This means staff are vigilant in raising concerns, which supports leaders to identify any pupils who may need support. Leaders make prompt referrals to appropriate external agencies and follow these up diligently.

Procedures for staff recruitment are rigorous, with appropriate checks to ensure that adults are safe to work with pupils.

Governors check how staff keep pupils safe.

Pupils learn how to be safe through the school's personal development curriculum.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few foundation subjects, leaders have not been precise in describing what pupils will learn.

As a result, teachers are not able to implement the curriculum as well as leaders would like. Pupils do not develop the depth of knowledge in these subjects that they should. Leaders should support teachers by making clear the small steps needed.

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