High Down Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The executive headteacher and associate headteacher provide high-quality leadership across the newly formed federation. They have established reliable systems to check, secure and sustain improvements. Teachers regularly check the progress pupils make.

They quickly identify pupils who are not making at least expected progress. As a result, no pupil is allowed to fall behind. Teaching is good because teachers have high expectations of behaviour, and teachers use their secure subject knowledge to plan activities to engage pupils.

As a result, pupils are enthusiastic learners. Disadvantaged pupils and those who are disabled or have special e...ducational needs make good progress because they benefit from carefully focused support. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well.

Pupils understand and can explain how the school's values help them to become good citizens. Pupils' behaviour is good. Pupils enjoy trusting, respectful relationships with staff and each other.

These strong relationships ensure pupils work hard and try their best. Parents speak positively about how they are involved in their child's learning. Termly meetings with their child's teacher ensure they are clear how they can support learning at home.

Governors understand their role well and have been the driving force behind the formation of the new federation. They have successfully communicated their 'together we are better' vision to the whole community. It is not yet an outstanding school because : The most-able pupils are not always sufficiently challenged to do the best they can or apply what they already know.

Teachers' guidance in subjects other than English and mathematics does not always show pupils how to improve their work.

Information about this school

High Down Junior School and High Down Infant School became a federation on 1 January 2015. High Down Junior is a larger than average-sized primary school.

Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below the national average. The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is well below the national average.

(The pupil premium is additional government funding to support looked after children and pupils known to be eligible to receive free school meals.) The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is lower than the national average. There is a breakfast and after-school care club on the school site.

Both are run by the school and have been part of the inspection. The school has worked in close partnership with the local authority's link adviser. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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