Patcham Junior School

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About Patcham Junior School


Name Patcham Junior School
Website http://www.patchamjun.org.uk/
Inspections
Ofsted Inspections
Headteacher Mr Alister Sutherland
Address Ladies Mile Road, Patcham, Brighton, BN1 8TA
Phone Number 01273087513
Phase Primary
Type Community school
Age Range 7-11
Religious Character Does not apply
Gender Mixed
Number of Pupils 350
Local Authority Brighton and Hove
Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Patcham Junior School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this welcoming school. The school's motto of 'be curious, not judgemental' is embedded into the life of the school. Pupils are proud of their school.

They value the high level of support and care they receive from staff. Pupils are happy and safe. They described the school as 'fun', 'exciting' and 'amazing'.

Pupils are polite and behave well. They know that if they are worried about anything they can speak to any adult or put a concern in the 'worry box'. Pupils said that bullying can sometimes happen.
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However, staff listen and resolve things immediately. Pupils are confident that teachers care about what they say and help them when they need it.

Staff have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Relationships between staff and pupils are extremely strong and based on mutual respect. Pupils spoke with great enthusiasm about the many opportunities on offer which deepen their knowledge and understanding further. They enjoy attending after-school clubs such as choir, football and cross-country.

Pupils also enjoy the educational visits that staff organise to enhance their learning, for example visits to the Brighton Pavilion, a Roman villa and the local church.

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

The school has sustained the good standard of education since the previous inspection. Leaders, including governors, are passionate about providing the best-quality education for their pupils.

Pupils achieve well and are ready for their next stage of education.

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. In most subjects, the school has identified the important knowledge and skills it wants pupils to learn.

For example, in mathematics, teachers design activities that require pupils to revisit and reuse knowledge they have learned previously. This helps to strengthen understanding. However, in a few subjects, the exact order of learning is at an earlier stage of development.

This means pupils cannot always see how their learning builds and connects over time. The school recognises this and has developed a clear strategy to develop the curriculum in an organised and manageable way.

Pastoral care is a strength of the school.

The welfare needs of all pupils are well identified and catered for. Staff are skilled at supporting pupils with SEND. Well-trained staff provide therapeutic care for pupils in multi-sensory areas, such as the 'nurture room' and the 'sensory room'.

The school works closely with families to ensure that pupils with SEND develop genuine and trusting relationships. The school also works effectively with a range of external specialists to help provide bespoke support. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

The school has placed reading at the heart of its curriculum. Pupils experience a wide range of texts that bring variety, diversity and high levels of engagement. A new phonics scheme has been introduced since the last inspection to support pupils at the early stages of learning to read.

Extra support is provided for pupils who start to fall behind with their reading knowledge. The school ensures that pupils' early reading books match closely to the sounds that they know.

The school is calm and orderly.

Pupils behave well in and around the school. Pupils really value the school's rules and rewards. Robust and effective systems are in place to ensure that pupils continue to attend school regularly and on time.

Personal development is a strength of the school. Opportunities to perform, work together and compete in sporting events help to develop pupils' resilience and independence. Pupils relish the opportunity to develop their leadership skills as part of the school council.

Council members play an active part in looking after their environment. Pupils learn to respect people's differences and diversity well.

Staff morale is high due to the collaborative culture that exists at the school.

They appreciate the clear focus on managing their workload and looking after their well-being. All staff said they are proud to work at the school.

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's curriculum thinking, including its assessment of pupils' learning, is not as well developed in a few subjects. This means that teachers are not able to finely tune what they teach and pupils are not able to connect with and build on prior learning well enough. The school needs to ensure that teachers use the most effective strategies to check what pupils know so that pupils can learn equally well across the breadth of the curriculum.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in May 2015.


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