Portway Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve well, as the school continues to raise expectations of what pupils should know and understand. Pupils take pride in their learning.

They enjoy taking on responsibilities within the school, such as being a house captain. Pupils' voice is heard in and makes a difference to school life. The school recognises and celebrates pupils' achievements through weekly assemblies and certificates.

This strengthens the positive and supportive culture within the school.

The 'Portway Code' sets clear expectations for pupils' behaviour. This helps them to make the right choices in class and around the school.

Classrooms are settled and focused. Rare ins...tances of bullying are dealt with effectively. This helps pupils to feel confident in talking to staff about any concerns.

Pupils appreciate the opportunities that the school provides for learning beyond the classroom. Raft-building, survival skills and BMX riding help to develop their confidence. Residential trips help to foster pupils' teamwork.

Visitors help pupils to learn about unusual themes like the geography of chocolate. As well as providing enjoyable and memorable experiences, these opportunities help pupils to think about different perspectives. In turn, this helps with ideas for their writing and learning across the curriculum.

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

The school's curriculum is aspirational and well-designed. Leaders have made well-considered changes to many aspects of the curriculum. As a result, it is both challenging and accessible to all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Teachers have a strong understanding of the knowledge and skills set out in the curriculum. This helps them to explain new learning in ways that pupils understand well.

The school's ongoing programme of training for staff is helping to establish consistent approaches to teaching.

Staff have the expertise to deliver much of the curriculum well. In subjects where this is most secure, for example in mathematics, teachers make sure that pupils' learning builds on what they have learned previously. As a result, pupils learn and achieve well, including disadvantaged pupils.

In a few subjects, the tasks that pupils complete do not always enable them to connect new learning with what they already know. This is most noticeable in subjects that have had more recent changes to the curriculum. Where this is the case, pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

There is a strong emphasis on reading throughout the school. Staff are skilled at identifying pupils who need help with their reading and what this help should be. Targeted support helps weaker readers to catch up effectively.

The school's approach to identifying individual needs also helps to make sure that staff understand the starting points of pupils with SEND. However, there are instances when teachers are not as thorough in checking on pupils' understanding within lessons. This results in some errors or gaps in pupils' learning not being spotted or addressed.

The school's work on attendance is highly effective. Staff work in partnership with families to address potential barriers to attending. There is a consistent emphasis on the importance of pupils being in school every day.

This has led to sustained reductions in persistent absence, especially for disadvantaged pupils.

The school has a real focus on supporting pupils' behaviour. A small cohort of pupils sometimes find it hard to manage their behaviour.

The school provides them with a range of targeted strategies. Over time, these help pupils to be ready to learn independently.

The school works with parents as well as taking account of emerging local needs when putting the personal, social and health education provision in place.

Pupils learn about how to keep safe online and in their community. All pupils benefit from the school's promotion of mental health and wellbeing. The school enhances pupils' cultural awareness, both through academic learning and wider opportunities.

They develop a strong understanding of a range of faiths and heritage backgrounds, for instance through the school's links with the Nepalese community in the local area. This helps pupils to be tolerant and welcoming of others.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

[If the school has judgements that are not outstanding] What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some teachers are not systematic enough about checking and correcting what pupils understand within some lessons. When this happens, pupils' gaps in learning, errors or misconceptions are not addressed well enough. The school should make sure that all staff have the expertise and knowledge to support pupils to secure their understanding and achieve well.

• Sometimes, the work set for pupils does not enable them to fit new learning into their wider understanding within a subject. As a consequence, some pupils find it difficult to connect what they are learning with what they have learnt before. The school should make sure that teaching is building pupils' understanding over the long term by integrating new learning into larger ideas.