Crofton Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Crofton Junior School continues to be an outstanding school.

The headteacher of this school is Susie Sargent.

This school is part of Connect Schools Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Andrea Harris, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Scott Pinder.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive an exceptional education at Crofton Junior School.

Despite being a very large school, it is a place where pupils and staff know one another well. Pupils are respectful and courteous to staff and to their peers. They are confident to report a...ny worries they may have and trust staff to deal with these swiftly.

This ensures that pupils feel safe and are kept safe in school.

Staff have high expectations for pupils' learning. Pupils study a broad range of subjects and achieve very well, including in national assessments.

Pupils are highly motivated and learn to study with increasing independence as they move up the school. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are 'Proud to be Purple' and embody the Crofton values: creative, resilient, open minded, friendly, tolerant, optimistic and neighbourly.

Pupils display these values in lessons, around the building and in the playground.Pupils' wider development is exemplary. The enrichment programme identifies 51 things to do before you leave the school, for example staying away from home, seeing an orchestra and toasting a marshmallow.

Through these experiences, pupils' cultural capital is further enhanced.

There is a flourishing outdoor learning environment. This includes the outdoor garden and forest school, where pupils learn about growing fruit and vegetables and how to care for plants and wildlife.

Pupils look forward to their lunchtimes, when they take part in a wide range of organised games and activities, including a common room.

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

Staff have a shared ambition to develop pupils into competent, confident and motivated readers. Leaders work closely with the infant school to ensure that pupils struggling with their reading are identified promptly and get the support they need.

Pupils greatly benefit from high-quality phonics teaching. The school makes sure that staff are experts through frequent training and coaching. Pupils that struggle, including those with SEND, benefit from high-quality interventions and become increasingly confident and fluent readers.

Pupils access a wide selection of interesting and culturally diverse books via an online library, dedicated reading areas and the reading dens.

The school has embedded a highly ambitious and broad curriculum that has been carefully designed to build on what pupils have learned previously. Careful consideration has been given to sequencing so that pupils build up the knowledge they need to take on more complex learning further up the school.

For example, in art, pupils are introduced to and practise different techniques such as 'slab', 'coil' and 'rolling'. Over time, pupils select which technique they want to apply and can confidently create their own clay sculptures. Similarly, in French, pupils build their understanding of vocabulary, phonics, appropriate articles and verbs.

This enables them to read and write increasingly complex texts.

The planned curriculum has been adapted in all subjects to ensure that pupils with SEND learn the knowledge and skills they need. Staff are well trained to support pupils to access the curriculum.

Behaviour is a strength across the school. Leaders work effectively with outside agencies to ensure that staff are well trained to manage behaviour and pupils receive the support they need. The curriculum and assemblies are used to reinforce expectations and what it means to behave well.

There is a clear and stepped approach to rewards and sanctions that supports the consistent management of behaviour. The school sets high expectations for attendance. Effective systems are in place to ensure that pupils attend regularly and on time.

Consequently, attendance rates are high.

The way the school develops pupils' character is exceptional. Pupils enjoy taking on additional responsibilities and make a positive contribution to their community.

For example, specifically trained anti-bullying ambassadors have led the school's work on ableism and online safety. They have won awards for their work and recently took part in the Lord Mayor's parade. The pupil parliament is equally active, currently campaigning for additional road crossings near the school.

Pupils have a strong knowledge of how they can help take care of their environment, peers and their own well-being. Pupils access a wide range of extra-curricular activities to develop their talents and interests in different areas such as robotics, chess, gardening and Yoga.

Staff are rightly proud of being part of the team at Crofton Junior.

They are well trained and value the detailed support and guidance that is available. Staff appreciate the ways in which leaders support them to manage their workload and well-being. Those responsible for governance have a highly accurate and detailed understanding of the school's many strengths.

They continue to be ambitious and have identified aspects of the school they wish to develop further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Background

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

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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in February 2019.

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