Godwin Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Godwin Junior School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Developing a love of reading is at the heart of the school's curriculum.

The school library is treasured by staff, pupils and parents and carers. Pupils are keen to apply for the highly prized pupil librarian roles.

The school is ambitious for pupils' academic and personal development.

Its broad curriculum includes gardening lessons in Years 3 and 4, and chess lessons in Year 5. The school aims to prepare pupils for secondary school while also teaching them how to be good citizens for the future. Pupils achieve well in their learning.

Pupils are kind and respectful ...to each other and polite to staff and visitors. They collaborate well in lessons and behave calmly in the school building. In the playground, pupils play together happily in the spacious, tree-lined outdoor area.

Bullying is rare and when incidents occur, staff deal with them effectively.

Pupils are kept safe here. They learn about online safety, road safety and positive relationships.

Pupils know that they can talk to a trusted adult in school if they feel upset or worried. They value the class 'talk boxes' where they can post messages to their teachers about things that worry them.

Parents look forward to the warm welcome from staff at the start of the school day.

They appreciate how well staff know their children as individuals and support their learning.

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

The school has developed an aspirational curriculum for pupils that reflects the local context and diversity of the school community. For example, in Year 4, pupils learn about the history of the nearby London Docklands and explore the theme of migration.

In Year 6, pupils study Noor Khan and the significant role she played in the Second World War. Across the curriculum, the school has identified the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils need to know and when. In some subjects, however, the school completed this work recently.

As a result, pupils have not developed a deep body of knowledge in these subjects.

The school prioritises reading. There are clear systems for identifying and supporting pupils who need help with learning to read fluently.

Teachers assess pupils when they start school in Year 3. If pupils need to catch up, they take part in daily phonics sessions to help them build up the phonics knowledge that they need. Pupils read books that match their stage in phonics learning and this helps them to practise their skills.

Staff at school are passionate about promoting a love of reading. Teachers read carefully chosen books to their classes daily. They read with enthusiasm and expression.

As pupils move through the school, they become fluent, confident readers who enjoy books.

Staff help pupils to remember essential knowledge. For example, at the start of mathematics lessons, pupils practise concepts that they have learned before.

Sometimes, teaching expertise is not developed enough to help pupils to fully understand the planned learning. This leads to gaps in the knowledge and understanding of some pupils in these subjects. Leaders are aware of this and have planned a programme of staff professional development to address it.

Teachers check what pupils know and can do. They provide effective support for pupils who need more help with their learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) study the same subjects as their peers.

Their needs are well identified and understood by the school. Teachers adapt their resources and provide well-planned additional support from staff to help pupils with SEND in lessons.

Staff and pupils have high expectations of behaviour at school.

They understand the school behaviour policy. The policy focuses on reflection. Pupils learn to understand their emotions and the impact their behaviour has on other people.

Pupils feel motivated by the school reward system. They particularly like the opportunity to have lunch at 'the golden table' with senior leaders.

The school plans and funds educational trips and a variety of after-school activities.

This includes cookery club, Debate Mate, film club and girls' football. Leaders make sure that all pupils are able to access a wide range of enrichment activities.

Through the school's 'learning powers', pupils are taught about positive character traits and are encouraged to approach challenges with confidence.

The curriculum also teaches pupils about important concepts related to discrimination and treating others with respect and kindness.

Governors and leaders at all levels understand what the school does well and what it needs to do to be even better. Encouraging pupils to come to school every day is a priority for leaders and governors.

School attendance figures are improving as a result.

The school makes sure that staff have the training they need to do their jobs effectively. Staff have mixed views about the support they are given by the school to manage their workload.

The school is aware of this and is working with staff to address their concerns.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has recently finished developing curriculum thinking for some of the foundation subjects.

In these subjects, pupils struggle to recall the knowledge and skills that they have learned previously. The school should embed its new curriculum thinking, so that pupils' learning is consistently strong across all subjects. ? The school is still working on securing teachers' subject-specific pedagogical knowledge in some curriculum areas.

As a result, at times, teaching does not enable pupils to learn in depth the knowledge and skills intended. The school should develop staff expertise further to ensure that the intended curriculum is consistently implemented in 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2014.

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