Cotmanhay Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Cotmanhay Junior School has high expectations of all pupils.

This is reflected in the school's aim for 'happy, safe learning'. Daily, pupils do their best to live up to this. The school is a calm, caring and nurturing community.

Each child is known, valued and wellcared for. Pupils feel understood and looked after. Relationships between staff and pupils are consistently exemplary.

Pupils behave well. They know the school's rules of, 'be kind, stay safe and work hard'. They add that there are 'no excuses' for not following these.

Earning reward points and the different coloured certificates motivate pupils. The gold certificate is held in very high re...gard. Pupils look forward to celebrating each other's achievements in special mentions assemblies.

Pupils who need help to live up to the school's expectations are well supported. They receive personalised help to understand and manage their behaviour. They are encouraged and supported by their peers.

In lessons, pupils work hard. They pay good attention and follow instructions carefully. However, there are some weaknesses in how well pupils learn the curriculum.

This means that pupils do not, over time, achieve as well as they should.

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

Overall, the school's curriculum is well organised. It makes clear what pupils are expected to know and remember at each stage of their education.

However, pupils have an inconsistent recall of what they have learned. In some lessons, teachers do not check carefully enough on how well pupils learn. There are inconsistencies in how well teachers help pupils remember what they have learned before.

A significant proportion of the curriculum has been recently reviewed and improved. While these improvements are fit for purpose, they are at an early stage of implementation. Therefore, they have not yet fully impacted on what pupils know and remember.

The school has prioritised reading. There is a well-structured reading curriculum in place. On the whole, it is taught consistently.

Pupils study a wide range of authors, texts and genres. However, the reading curriculum remains relatively new. It has not yet had time to fully impact on how well pupils achieve over time.

Those at an early stage of learning to read receive well-tailored support. The school promptly identifies the sounds that pupils have not yet learned and puts in place lessons to teach these. However, in some phonics lessons, teachers do not pronounce the sounds they are teaching accurately.

Pupils go on to replicate these inaccuracies.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. The school accurately identifies their needs.

It puts good quality help and support in place, including through provision in the Viking Room and the school's nurture group. The school ensures that parents, carers and pupils play their part in designing the help that is provided. The school has a successful track record in supporting pupils with SEND.

The school significantly enhances pupils' personal development. Pupils learn about a wide range of people, places and cultures from across the world. They learn about protected characteristics and fundamental British values.

They know what these are and why they are important. 'The Zones' help pupils to learn about and manage their feelings and emotions. The 'SMILERS' acronym helps everyone to understand how to stay mentally healthy.

Leaders at all levels, including governors, are relentless in their aspirations for pupils. Many of the school's pupils face challenges in their lives. The school addresses these head on.

Staff, pupils and the vast majority of parents hold the school in high esteem. Staff workload and well-being are prioritised. Although work on the curriculum has not yet impacted on the outcomes that pupils achieve over time, it is in a strong position to do so.

The school does everything within its power to prioritise and tackle poor attendance. It has an exhaustive and robust approach. However, attendance remains stubbornly low.

The school continues to prioritise this.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There are inconsistencies in how well teachers help pupils to know and remember content.

As a result, pupils do not remember what they have learned as well as they should. This is reflected in the low outcomes of national assessments over recent years. The school should ensure that teaching results in pupils consistently learning and remembering the content of the curriculum.

• In some lessons, teachers do not check closely enough on how well pupils are acquiring content. This means that teaching is not always closely matched to pupils' learning. The school should ensure that teachers consistently assess how well pupils achieve in lessons and, where necessary, adapt teaching in light of this.

• A significant proportion of the curriculum has been recently reviewed and improved. While these improvements are fit for purpose, they remain at an early stage of implementation. They have not yet had time to impact fully on what pupils know and remember.

The school should ensure that recent improvements to the curriculum are embedded and result in pupils recalling content consistently. ? In some cases, teachers do not teach the sounds contained in the school's phonics programme correctly. They use 'impure' sounds.

Pupils go on to replicate this when segmenting and blending words. As a result, some pupils do not use phonics as accurately as they should. The school should ensure that, across all phonics lessons, teachers use the correct pronunciation of sounds and ensure that pupils do the same.

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