Norton Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff are very proud of their school. Pupils look after each other. They show high levels of respect to each other and adults, including visitors.

The school is determined for pupils to succeed. There is a clear passion from leaders and staff to give pupils a wide range of opportunities and experiences. This ensures that pupils, including those with special educational needs/and or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged, experience success.

Pupils who need it receive precise and personalised support. This creates a highly inclusive culture. As a result, pupils are thoroughly prepared for their next stage of education.

Adults demonstrat...e the highest levels of care for pupils. Parents and carers agree with this. Pupils of all ages thrive in this nurturing school.

The 'zones of regulation' give every pupil a chance to talk about their feelings. Pupils consistently rise to the school's high expectations for their behaviour. This ensures that pupils are happy, safe and well cared for.

Pupils benefit from carefully chosen experiences that build their understanding of the world around them. These experiences help them to become active citizens by developing their social conscience and understanding of modern Britain. Pupils relish opportunities to take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities.

This helps them to develop and pursue their talents and interests.

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

The curriculum is unique and ambitious. Pupils learn through expeditions that result in them producing a high-quality product or presenting their learning to a public audience.

Staff teach this curriculum well. They receive effective support from subject leaders. Pupils show high levels of engagement in lessons.

They talk enthusiastically about their learning. They take great pride in their work. Pupils with SEND are quickly identified.

The curriculum is adapted so that pupils with SEND access the same learning as their peers and achieve well.

The school has recently developed the curriculum to identify the most important knowledge it wants pupils to learn in all subjects. In subjects such as mathematics, the precise knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn is clearly sequenced so that they can effectively build their knowledge over time.

However, in some subjects, this knowledge has not been sufficiently sequenced to ensure that pupils build on what they already know and can do. In these subjects, pupils do not develop a deep knowledge and understanding of subject specific concepts over time.

The reading curriculum enables pupils to understand a range of texts.

Leaders have recently implemented a phonics programme for pupils who are not on track with their reading. Well-trained adults ensure that pupils develop their phonic knowledge effectively. The books that they read are matched to their reading ability.

However, the school realises that there is more work to do to enable pupils who have fallen behind to catch up. Pupils who need the most support with reading are missing some essential knowledge from the reading curriculum. The school has not yet fully instilled a love of reading for pleasure and enjoyment among these pupils.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Pupils follow the 'habits of work and learning' to 'work hard, get smart and be kind'. The rewards on offer, such as raffle tickets and special mentions, motivate pupils to do their best.

Pupils are empowered to manage their own behaviour exceptionally well through 'crew' sessions. This can be seen in the extremely respectful way that pupils conduct themselves around school. Pupils quickly learn the well-established routines and expectations of how to behave in school.

This creates highly positive attitudes to learning.

The curriculum for pupils' personal development goes beyond what is expected. Crew sessions are held daily and bring the school community together.

Pupils develop a deep sense of respect for themselves, for others and for the school and wider community through crew sessions and expeditions. Pupils flourish due to the extensive opportunities that the school makes available to them. They strive to lead and suggest community projects to make a difference.

For example, pupils developed and launched a charity single to local businesses about climate change.

Leaders are considerate and care about staff well-being. Workload is supported by collaborative working across the trust.

Leaders have high ambitions for staff. Staff value the carefully planned opportunities provided for their continued professional development. They appreciate the professional support they receive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the key knowledge that the school has identified as important is not sufficiently sequenced. It is not always clear where teachers are expected to revisit knowledge.

This means that pupils are not always able to build effectively on what they already know and deepen their understanding. The school must ensure that the important knowledge that pupils need to learn is clearly sequenced in all subjects so that pupils can embed their learning over time. ? Pupils who have fallen behind with their reading are missing some vital elements of the reading curriculum.

This means that they are not developing their reading knowledge as quickly as they might. These pupils do not show enough interest in reading. The school must ensure that pupils who need the most support are accessing all aspects of the reading curriculum and given access to a wider range of texts to develop their love of reading.

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