Diss Church of England Junior Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are flourishing at this school.

Staff have created calm and caring environment. Pupils are happy and settled. Pupils and staff have forged positive, productive relationships.

This gives pupils confidence in their learning. Pupils behave well in lessons and support each other in their learning. Their teachers are enthusiastic about sharing new knowledge and about helping pupils to become fluent readers.

Teachers praise pupils when they do well and seek to understand the reasons why pupils might be struggling.

Pupils feel safe and know who to go to if they have a worry. They like the fact that teachers take the time to help them navigate the ups... and downs of friendships.

Bullying is rare and, if it does happen, adults quickly sort it out.

There are plenty of clubs and experiences for pupils to get involved in. Staff create opportunities for pupils to take part in community celebrations, such as singing for the Queen's Jubilee.

Older pupils relish the responsibilities that they can take on, such as becoming a 'peer mediator' or a play leader.

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

Leaders and teachers have equipped themselves with a strong knowledge of what a good curriculum and effective teaching look like. This knowledge is rooted in valuable research about high-quality education.

Leaders have used this understanding to choose subject curriculums that set out the knowledge and skills pupils need to learn in order to succeed.

Leaders, supported by the trust, have provided staff with training and resources to help them teach the curriculum. Teachers choose activities that help pupils to understand and remember knowledge taught in lessons.

This combination of an ambitious curriculum, taught well, is reaping rewards. Pupils are learning more and remembering more. For example, in geography, pupils can explain the features of rivers with confidence and accuracy.

In art, pupils' drawings and paintings emulate the most beautiful and powerful details of the work of famous artists.

In some subjects, leaders' use of assessment is not as helpful as it could be. It helps teachers to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils, but does not allow leaders to determine how much pupils remember in the longer term.

Staff are committed to helping pupils become fluent readers and to develop a love of reading. They have been given training in the school's new programme of reading, so that they can help pupils at an earlier stage of reading to catch up. Occasionally, pupils' phonics errors and misconceptions are not picked up when pupils are reading to an adult.

Leaders are aware of this and have plans in place to monitor teaching and provide extra training. Reading lessons help pupils to learn new knowledge and vocabulary. This helps pupils to better understand the texts they are studying.

Leaders and teachers have carefully chosen the books that will be read to pupils. Pupils enjoy the exciting storylines and settings of these books.

Leaders and teachers have placed great emphasis on developing good relationships with pupils.

This is key to the school's approach to fostering a positive environment for learning. Teachers are consistent in their expectations of how pupils should behave. Pupils develop a positive attitude to education.

In lessons, pupils listen, focus and are eager to work hard.

Providing well for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is central to leaders' vision for inclusive education. Leaders identify pupils' needs promptly and accurately.

Leaders make sure that every kind of barrier that pupils with SEND may experience is thought about carefully. Leaders and teachers work together to adapt learning and the classroom environment. This helps pupils with SEND to get the most out of their lessons and take part in the wide range of clubs and experiences.

Leaders choose trips and experiences for pupils that help them to become more independent and responsible. Pupils appreciate these opportunities to feel more 'grown up'. Pupils learn about acceptance and difference as part of their personal, social and health education lessons.

They also learn about the school's key values of 'resilience, aspiration and respect'.

The headteacher and her team, supported by trust leaders and governors, have built relationships in the community. The school is held in high regard by parents, and they say that leaders go above and beyond to help pupils and families get the most out of what the school has to offer.

Staff, too, feel supported to do their jobs well and they feel listened to.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and teachers have a strong knowledge of pupils, families and the wider factors affecting the community.

This helps leaders to be able to identify and support pupils who may be at risk. Staff receive appropriate safeguarding training. They record and follow up concerns with accuracy.

Leaders are tenacious when working with external agencies and in securing additional support for pupils. Leaders make suitable checks of staff and visitors who come to the school.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Aspects of the implementation of the early reading programme are relatively new and support for pupils at an earlier stage of reading is not as effective as it could be. As a result, some pupils are not catching up quickly to where they need to be. Leaders need to make sure that all staff are suitably trained and supported to help pupils who are at an earlier stage of reading.

• As the curriculum in some subjects is at an earlier stage of development, assessment in these subjects is also relatively new and does not give leaders consistent information about how much pupils are remembering over time. Leaders are aware of this. Leaders need to continue their work to embed the curriculum and develop a consistent use of assessment that helps leaders to better understand how to evolve the curriculum going forward.