Cove Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Cove Junior School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

There is an appetite for learning and success at Cove Junior School. Everyone aims high. Pupils know that they are expected to participate and do their best.

They strive to meet those expectations. Parents are very positive about the school, which they describe as caring, accommodating and a happy place for their children.

Pupils are an active part of the school community.

Their voice counts here. Their opinions are sought and valued. This helps pupils to feel included and safe.

Pupils are confident that any worries will be addressed. Staff regularly meet with groups ...of pupils to talk about learning in different subjects. This helps the school understand what is working well and how knowledge is building for pupils.

Pupils behave well. They take pride in their work. Pupils are keen to correct any errors and to talk about their learning and knowledge.

They work well together solving problems and challenges.

Pupils relish the opportunities that abound to be part of the wider life of the school. They discharge their responsibilities diligently, as house captains, sports leaders and book monitors.

The school council were inspired by a trip to parliament, which helped to develop their understanding of democracy.

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

The school has developed an aspirational curriculum to help deliver its ambition for pupils. The curriculum builds knowledge in a well-ordered sequence from Year 3 to Year 6.

Careful consideration has been given to the essential knowledge pupils need. This is regularly revisited so that pupils have a secure grasp of important concepts on which to build greater understanding.

In mathematics, the importance of knowing and understanding times tables has been given renewed emphasis.

The school responded quickly to a dip in published outcomes for the multiplication check in 2023. Pupils are very keen to 'earn their wings' by demonstrating how well they know all their tables.

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum and school life.

When pupils arrive at school in the morning, they are often involved in a reading activity. At the end of the day, they are enthralled by the stories read to them by staff. Any pupils who need to catch up with learning to read are prioritised and given the help they need.

This includes continuing to learn phonics. The school has worked closely with a local infant school to help ensure the phonics approach is consistent and that staff are well trained to be experts in early reading. Carefully selected books match what pupils are learning so that they can apply their knowledge.

The school also helps pupils to continue to read widely once they have mastered the basics. Pupils and staff have worked together to outline the system of 'Cove Readers'. This requires pupils to, for example, read a book that was written before they were born, or a joke book.

This helps enthuse pupils about continuing to read.

Staff check pupils' learning carefully in English and mathematics. This helps them to match teaching well to what pupils already know and can do.

Ways of checking knowledge across the rest of the curriculum are developing. This means that occasionally learning across the wider curriculum is not so well matched. Staff have strong knowledge of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils with SEND have their needs identified and supported well across the curriculum.

The school has ensured that a clear system is in place to manage and develop positive behaviour. Pupils are motivated by the certificates and house points they can earn.

They value additional awards, such as the 'Caring Cup'. Pupils attend school well. The school acts swiftly to understand and address any issues or instances of pupils not attending as well as they should.

The well-structured personal development curriculum and extensive wider programme help to teach pupils about themselves and the wider world. Pupils are well informed about a wide range of cultures and beliefs. They are inclusive and positive about the views and lives of others.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some of the foundation subjects have been more recently revised. In these subjects, the curriculum does not always sufficiently help pupils consistently build on what they already know and can do.

This means that not all pupils are learning the curriculum yet as well as intended in these subjects. The school should continue to support teachers in matching and assessing learning more closely as the curriculum embeds.

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 September 2014.