Newquay Junior Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff take every opportunity to make school interesting. Teachers plan exciting and enjoyable lessons. Pupils also benefit enormously from the various clubs and other activities on offer, such as beading and residential visits.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. As a result, pupils behave well throughout the day, including breaktimes. Pupils treat everybody with the same respect and courtesy to make this a happy and safe school.

Pupils are proud of their school. They enjoy having responsibilities, for example being a 'fab four' or 'super six' helper to care for other pupils.

Pupils say bullying is rare.

If it happens, staff deal wit...h it quickly. Bullying is not tolerated in any form at Newquay Junior Academy. Pupils understand the importance of the school's rules.

Their behaviour reflects the school's values of 'kindness, equality, independence and resilience'. Pupils are proud to earn badges and rewards when they have successfully shown these qualities. Pupils want to be here and are well prepared for the next stage of their education when they leave.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has been through many changes. These led to a decline in the school's performance. However, the work of the headteacher and deputy headteacher, following their appointments during the past 26 months, has been impressive.

They understood what was needed to improve the school and wasted no time in getting on with it. They have raised teachers' expectations of pupils so that all pupils do well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Senior leaders, including subject leaders in mathematics and English, are particularly effective.

They have revised what they want pupils to know and the order in which they expect pupils to build knowledge. These well-sequenced steps are suitably challenging so that all pupils benefit. Pupils, including those with SEND, are challenged to achieve well.

The very best examples of this exist in mathematics and physical education (PE). However, a few subjects are not as well developed, most notably religious education (RE). Leaders are not clear about what they want pupils to know.

This leads to pupils sometimes being confused, for example in their knowledge of world faiths.

Leaders and teachers have worked diligently to improve pupils' reading. Pupils enjoy books.

They also enjoy using the library and taking quizzes when they finish reading their books. Reading is celebrated at every opportunity. Teachers also make sure that any pupils who start school without knowing their letters and sounds are quickly identified.

These pupils are given work which helps them to catch up. However, teachers do not check closely enough what these pupils know. This is also true for some older pupils who struggle with reading.

Consequently, a few pupils do not move as quickly as possible towards being confident, fluent readers.

Pupils' good behaviour helps them to learn well. For example, in PE, Year 5 pupils are adept in coaching each other.

They take turns, listen and advise each other on how to improve their performance. Pupils lead warm-ups and take responsibility for parts of the lesson. This helps pupils to be confident in expressing their thoughts and ideas.

The curriculum also gives pupils opportunities for strong personal development, such as through performing in the choir at Wembley or representing the school in sports. Furthermore, as school councillors or 'eco-avengers', pupils are being well prepared to be good citizens.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Senior leaders and governors maintain high expectations of safeguarding in the school. This includes training and checking staff and volunteers to ensure that they are suitable to work with pupils. Staff know what to do to look after pupils.

This includes robust systems for working with external agencies to keep children safe.

Pupils say they feel safe. They know how to stay safe in different ways, including applying the 'SMART' strategy when working online.

Pupils trust staff, who act quickly when pupils need their help.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The reading strategy is effective and supports most pupils well. However, teachers' assessments of pupils who still need phonics teaching (as well as some other weaker readers in the school) lack precision and rigour.

This holds a few pupils back from becoming confident, fluent readers. Leaders need to ensure that teachers plan precise and meaningful next steps to help pupils to catch up. .

Senior leaders ensure that most subjects are well sequenced, with clear intentions which enable pupils to achieve well. However, there are a few subjects, particularly RE, which are not planned as well. Leaders need to ensure that their high ambitions and expectations are consistent in all subjects.