George Romney Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in this vibrant and harmonious school community. They benefit from an exceptional curriculum that is delivered by deeply committed and expert staff.

Pupils are happy to be in school and delight in all that it has to offer.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are avid learners. They relish the fresh challenges that each day brings.

Pupils try their utmost to reach the high standards that the school sets for their achievement. They make excellent progress through the ambitious curriculum. Pupils spoke confidently and enthusiastically about their learning.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. The...y follow well-established routines closely. Pupils are highly respectful to staff, visitors and to each other.

Pupils enjoy a wealth of experiences that extend well beyond the academic curriculum. These include residential visits to major cities as well as opportunities to take part in large-scale Shakespearean performances. Pupils relish visits from established authors and poets that help to deepen their love of reading.

They take part in projects with local engineering businesses with enthusiasm. Pupils are exceedingly well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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

The school has developed a rich and ambitious curriculum.

It has identified with great clarity the most important knowledge that pupils should learn and when this should be taught. The curriculum flows seamlessly from the time that pupils start in Year 3 to the end of Year 6.

The school has highly effective processes in place to accurately identify any additional needs that pupils may have.

As a result of carefully considered adaptations, the school ensures that pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Pupils with SEND achieve extremely well.

Staff benefit from high-quality training that supports them to deliver the curriculum with great skill.

They appreciate the time given to them to hone their practice. This includes a recent focus on making sure that pupils have plentiful opportunities to solve challenging mathematical problems. This means that current pupils attain better in mathematics than the most recent key stage 2 published data would suggest.

Teachers are adept at using assessment information to identify misconceptions or any gaps in knowledge that pupils may have. These are addressed quickly and effectively at the point of learning so that they do not persist. Pupils build a rich body of subject knowledge that deepens over time.

They use this knowledge to make powerful connections across a range of subjects.

Reading is central to the school's curriculum. From the moment that pupils enter Year 3, they are exposed to a wide range of books and authors.

This supports pupils to read books that increase in complexity over time. Older pupils enthusiastically told inspectors how much they enjoy acting as reading buddies to younger pupils. Staff thoughtfully choose books that help pupils to expand their vocabulary, spark their interest and challenge their thinking.

Pupils spoke of the importance of non-fiction books in developing their knowledge and of fiction books in nurturing their creativity.

Pupils who join the school with gaps in their reading knowledge are quickly identified. They benefit from a phonics programme that expertly trained staff deliver consistently well.

Pupils quickly learn the sounds that letters represent. The books that pupils read are matched carefully to the sounds that they have learned. This ensures that almost all pupils become confident, accurate readers by the end of Year 3.

The school has a carefully crafted programme to support pupils' wider development. Pupils know how to keep themselves both mentally and physically healthy. They learn how to act appropriately to keep themselves safe online.

Pupils spoke confidently about the values that support living in modern Britain and how the law protects people with different characteristics.

Pupils experience a wide array of opportunities to nurture their talents and interests. For instance, pupils take part in a variety of after-school clubs such as those for art and sports, and one using virtual reality headsets.

Pupils take their lunchtime duties, including answering calls in the school office, very seriously. They take great delight in representing the school at different sporting and performance events.

Attendance is a high priority for the school.

Effective systems to track attendance enable the school to quickly identify any pupils who may need further support. Staff work effectively with families to rapidly improve the attendance of these pupils.

Members of the governing body carry out their roles with diligence.

They offer appropriate support and challenge to the school. Governors are committed to ensuring the very best educational outcomes for pupils and are well informed about how well pupils achieve throughout the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.