Danesholme Junior Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Danesholme Junior Academy continues to be a good school.

The executive principal of this school is Nikki Lamond. This school is part of Greenwood Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school.

The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Wayne Norrie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mike Hamlin. There is also a head of academy, Karen Rolf, who is responsible for this school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Danesholme Junior Academy is a happy and caring place to learn.

The school's values of 'kindness, respect and achievement' underpin how pupils behave towards each other and staff.... The school is inclusive and welcoming. Pupils say that everyone is kind.

Staff have high expectations of all pupils. Pupils respond well to these expectations. They behave well in lessons and around school.

They are keen to learn. Pupils say that staff deal with any incidents, including bullying, quickly and fairly. Pupils are confident to talk to staff if they have any worries.

Pupils feel safe because they trust the adults around them. Staff know pupils and their families very well.

Opportunities to promote pupils' wider development are well considered by the school.

Pupils benefit from many experiences. They visit the museum at Duxford and see a pantomime at the theatre. Pupils value the opportunities they have to take part in clubs such as coding or cooking.

They enjoy taking on responsibilities. The eco-council has organised litter picking and placed compost bins on site.

Parents and carers have positive views of the school.

One parent, typical of many, said, 'Teachers are supportive and treat all children well.'

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

The school has established an ambitious and inclusive curriculum for all pupils. It aims to foster curiosity and wonder.

In most subjects, the precise knowledge and skills pupils should learn are well sequenced and build on what pupils have learned before. The school has considered how pupils develop a rich vocabulary in each subject. In some subjects, the curriculum is relatively new.

The key knowledge that pupils should know and remember has not been identified as precisely. It is too soon to see the impact on pupils knowing and remembering more in these subjects.

The school has built a strong culture of reading.

Teachers read to pupils every day. Pupils look forward to this story time and listen intently. Pupils enjoy the school's reading events, such as when parents stay at the start of the day to read with their child.

Pupils speak with enthusiasm about their library. It has plenty of high-quality books and comfortable spaces to read. Pupils who struggle to read are identified quickly.

These pupils receive extra support to catch up.

Teachers have good subject knowledge. They present information clearly.

They plan engaging learning activities and question pupils to deepen their understanding. Pupils in Year 5 are keen to learn how trade and travel helped the Black Death spread from Asia to Europe. Teachers are developing a range of ways to check what pupils know and can do.

Leaders are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their subjects. In some subjects, the school has not checked that the curriculum is being taught as intended. The school has not provided guidance on how to improve the teaching of the curriculum in these subjects.

Teachers have high expectations of what pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) will know and be able to do. There are clear systems in place to identify pupils with SEND. Teachers have the right information to make sure these pupils get the help they need in lessons.

This support helps pupils to access the full curriculum confidently.

Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They understand that families come in different shapes and sizes.

They learn from each other, in lessons and assemblies, about different faiths and cultures. Pupils have a strong understanding of equality and treating everyone with respect. They are polite and courteous.

The school supports pupils' mental health and well-being.

Staff feel well supported. They enjoy working at the school.

They appreciate the consideration the school gives to managing their workload and well-being. The multi-academy trust is well informed about the school's priorities. It offers valuable expertise to the school team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum for some foundation subjects is still relatively new. Key knowledge in these subjects is not yet identified as well as it could be.

Pupils do not always recall important content and concepts as well as they should. The school should ensure that there is clarity as to the knowledge pupils should learn in these subjects so that pupils are able to know and remember more over time. ? In some subjects, the school has not checked how well the curriculum is being implemented.

As a result, the school is not providing precise guidance on how to improve the teaching in these subjects. The school should ensure that it has a precise understanding of the effectiveness with which the curriculum is being delivered across all subjects.

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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2018.

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