Giles Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Giles Junior School is a happy place to learn in. Pupils enjoy coming to school.

Pupils are respectful and kind to each other. Bullying rarely happens. Pupils are polite and have positive relationships with staff.

Pupils trust adults to resolve any problems quickly.

Pupils behave well. They work hard during lessons.

They follow the clear routines that are in place to ensure that everyone moves sensibly around the school.

Pupils across the school like to read. Most pupils learn successfully, and those who need extra help get the right support.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pu...pils develop positive habits such as perseverance, which helps them to be better learners. Pupils play a helpful role in the school community by taking on responsibilities, such as being a school leader, or by fundraising for local charities.

Pupils learn about other cultures and diversity. This prepares them well for understanding and living in the wider world.

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that enables pupils to develop their knowledge across all subjects.

They have identified the essential information and content that pupils must learn and the order in which this needs to be taught.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. Work is well matched to pupils' stages of learning.

Teachers explain new concepts clearly to pupils. In some subjects, such as history, teachers' checks on pupils' understanding during lessons are inconsistent. As a result, some pupils develop misconceptions and gaps in their learning.

Leaders promote a love of reading across the school. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about the books they have read. Pupils learn how to understand the texts that they read.

They have opportunities to practise what they have learned. This supports pupils to become confident and fluent readers. Pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read have books matched to their reading stage.

Leaders' chosen approach to teach phonics to pupils who struggle with reading is not consistent across the school. Some staff have not been suitably trained, and lack confidence. This means that a few pupils do not learn to read quickly enough.

Gaps in their phonic knowledge are not identified quickly enough, nor are they addressed consistently.

During lessons, teachers use positive language to motivate pupils. Pupils are keen to learn, and help each other.

Teachers encourage pupils to be independent. For example, pupils appreciate the way that they can choose what equipment to play with at lunchtimes.Teachers identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND accurately.

They understand how best to help pupils learn. Leaders make good use of external expertise to ensure that pupils receive the support that they need. Pupils with SEND, including those who attend the school's resourced provision, have opportunities to practise and remember the knowledge they have been taught.

These pupils are fully involved in the life of the school.

Leaders ensure that the curriculum supports pupils' personal development. Pupils learn to recognise their own emotions and those of others.

This helps them to manage their feelings and behaviour. Pupils learn to appreciate difference and to contribute to the local community. Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to learn about people from different cultural backgrounds.

This helps to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.

Staff are proud to work at Giles Junior School. They feel part of a close-knit team.

Staff appreciate the way that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being.

Governors work in partnership with school leaders, but do not always hold leaders to account as well as they should. Governors do not know enough about the quality of education in subjects other than English and mathematics or for pupils with SEND who have more complex needs.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make pupils' safety a priority. They have established a strong safeguarding culture.

There are clear processes for identifying and managing concerns. Staff and governors receive regular training so that they are confident to spot and report concerns. Leaders work closely with a variety of external agencies to support pupils and their families effectively.

They put support in place promptly to keep pupils safe.

Pupils learn about risks when online and learn how to keep themselves safe in different situations.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, staff do not check what pupils have learned and understood systematically.

This means that some pupils' misconceptions are not being identified. Leaders must ensure that staff check pupils' understanding and address any gaps in pupils' knowledge effectively in all subjects. ? Leaders do not have clear expectations for identifying and supporting pupils at the early stages of reading.

Some staff have not been sufficiently trained. Some pupils have gaps in their phonic knowledge, and these are not identified quickly enough to enable pupils to become fluent readers. Leaders must ensure that all staff have the knowledge and skills to teach phonics effectively.

• Governors do not know enough about the quality of education and pupils' achievement in foundation subjects or for pupils with SEND who have more complex needs. This means that governors do not hold leaders to account as well as they should. Governors should ensure that they have sufficient information and understanding to both support and challenge leaders appropriately.

Also at this postcode