Ramnoth Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Ramnoth Junior School are well prepared for the next stage of their education, academically and socially.

Expectations of pupils are high. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), show respect and understanding of the wider community the school serves.

Pupils enjoy the wide offer of first-hand experiences that complement the interesting and varied curriculum.

For example, a recent visit to an air museum helped pupils recall historical facts, while a visit to photograph the wetlands provided ideas for pupils' artwork. Careful planning and delivery of these experiences helps pupils to remember important kn...owledge and skills.

Pupils behave well and enjoy taking on extra responsibilities.

This includes helping younger pupils and showing visitors around the school. Pupils are very friendly. Bullying is rare but if it does happen adults respond quickly to sort things out, so pupils feel safe.

They use the 'worry box' or talk to trusted adults if they have any worries.

Through debates, pupils learn to listen to one another's views, sharing their own ideas respectfully. Pupils make decisions, for example, about how to help families affected by the war in Ukraine and whether to donate to charities locally.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. Plans set out a wide range of knowledge and skills for pupils to gain by the end of Year 6. Leaders have provided training and support to ensure staff typically have the subject knowledge and confidence to deliver plans well.

Occasionally, teachers misinterpret aspects of the curriculum when planning tasks to teach the knowledge pupils need. This means that pupils sometimes complete activities that are not the most effective in helping them secure the knowledge leaders want them to know.

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum.

Pupils have opportunities every day to read a variety of texts. Staff promote a range of authors through inviting displays and reading areas. These include comic book style novels, topical magazines and historical fiction.

Pupils at an earlier stage of reading, including those who are new to speaking English, receive daily practise to learn letter sounds and use them to read words. This support works well, so pupils build their confidence and improve their reading fluency.

Ramnoth Junior is an inclusive school.

Pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Additional needs are identified, and the correct support is put in place, so pupils achieve well from their starting points. Where pupils are new to speaking English, they have support from the English as an additional language pupil ambassadors.

Effective assessment systems are in place to check pupils' knowledge. Time is then built into lessons for any extra recapping that is needed. This supports pupils to draw upon what they know and remember what they have learned to apply to new learning.

Most pupils show positive attitudes to learning. Staff are consistent in their use of rewards and warnings, getting the most out of pupils. Pupils enjoy the challenge of 'getting to gold' on the behaviour chart.

When pupils need support to improve their behaviour, leaders ensure professional advice is sought. Although leaders and staff capture incidents of unacceptable behaviour, the cross-referencing of information from different systems means that arranging additional support for pupils can sometimes take longer.

Pupils' personal development is promoted well across the curriculum.

Trips introduce pupils to places and people outside their local area. Visits to the Royal Opera House and taking part in 'Young Voices' enables pupils to showcase their creativity. The wide range of extra-curricular clubs helps pupils find and develop their talents and interests, including bushcraft and art club.

As part of the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum, pupils learn about healthy relationships. Staff do not shy away from sensitive issues. Pupils are mature when discussing them.

Trust leaders govern the school well. Their regular visits help school leaders to identify and to continue to make improvements. This support underpins the swift action taken to address the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection.

Staff feel appreciated. They recognise how leaders ensure staff's workload is manageable.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that staff are well trained to spot any concerns about pupils. Staff use reporting procedures well and leaders respond to these concerns swiftly. Leaders work with pupils, parents, carers and other agencies to provide families with the support they need.

There are clear and effective processes for managing allegations against staff.

While pupils are safe, information about behaviour and welfare concerns are recorded across separate systems. Some records are not easily accessible in chronological order.

Leaders are in the process of improving their recording system.

Pupils are taught to keep themselves and others safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Although safeguarding is effective and pupils are kept safe, records relating to pupils' behaviour and welfare are not cross-referenced as well as they could be.

This makes it harder for leaders to identify and put in place additional help to benefit pupils quickly. Leaders should streamline how they and staff capture records relating to pupils' behaviour and welfare. They must ensure the system focuses on staff recording incidents in a way that leaders can more efficiently monitor the information, so that support for pupils is accessed as quickly as possible.

• On occasion, teachers deviate from or misunderstand leaders' clear curriculum plans. Pupils then complete activities that are not the most effective in helping them learn the important knowledge they need to know. Leaders should ensure all staff have the subject and pedagogical knowledge to teach the curriculum confidently and well.

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