St Joseph’s Catholic Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Joseph's Catholic Junior School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe here.

They learn in a positive and nurturing environment. Leaders have high expectations of all pupils. Pupils behave well in and out of lessons.

They are well mannered and show maturity when speaking to adults. Pupils reported that bullying is rare. When it does happen, staff are quick to address it.

Leaders have high ambitions for what pupils can achieve. The curriculum is broad and well sequenced. Leaders support pupils' wider development throughout the curriculum.

Leaders encourage pupils to respond with care and interest ...to people's differences. Pupils are patient and kind to each other. They learn about a range of different cultures and faiths.

Leaders ensure that pupils are taught to respect the views of others.

Pupils spoke with excitement about the range of clubs and educational trips they take part in. Leaders have built valuable partnerships to give pupils different opportunities, particularly in sports.

Pupils enjoy clubs in boxing, taekwondo and cricket, led by outside coaches. They compete in a variety of sports competitions.

Older pupils are supported to develop their leadership skills and confidence.

They act as role models to the younger ones. Pupils in Year 6 help to organise games during breaktime for younger pupils. The pupil chaplaincy team lead mass during collective worship.

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

Pupils study a broad range of national curriculum subjects. They learn Spanish from Year 3 onwards. Leaders have considered the key knowledge they want pupils to learn in each subject.

The curriculum has been structured so that pupils build their learning successfully over time. Occasionally, leaders' emphasis on linking learning in English, mathematics and science with other subjects detracts from the key subject content that pupils need to know in those subjects.

Teachers have secure subject knowledge.

Their explanations are clear. Teachers use assessment well to identify what pupils know and can do. They address any misconceptions that pupils have.

Teachers use activities which help pupils to remember what they have learned. This helps them to build their long-term memory.

Teachers use strategies to help all pupils to achieve well in the classroom.

They focus on building pupils' vocabulary. This is particularly helpful for pupils who speak English as an additional language. Teachers model learning clearly.

However, teachers do not routinely check that pupils have securely understood and learned new content before moving on to new work.

Leaders ensure that pupils are given the support they need to become fluent readers. All teaching staff have the skills to teach early reading through phonics to any pupils who may need it.

Teachers select books to read in class which reflect a diverse range of authors. Although pupils speak with confidence about the books they read with their teachers, some pupils do not read widely outside of school.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do well here.

Leaders identify the specific needs of these pupils and work with families to offer support. Leaders ensure that the school provides a range of in-class and specialist support to help pupils with SEND to access the curriculum. In physical education (PE), where pupils with SEND attend bespoke sporting competitions for pupils with SEND, they flourish.

Pupils are offered a range of wider opportunities to develop their skills and character. Leaders make sure that all pupils can benefit from the wide range of educational visits and enrichment clubs. Each year, many pupils complete 100 hours of extra-curricular activity.

Staff are proud to work at this school. They feel trusted by leaders. Leaders make sure that staff receive the training they need to develop their skills.

Staff appreciate the ways that leaders help them to manage their workloads.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure a strong culture of safeguarding runs through the school.

All staff have received training to know when and how to report concerns about the welfare of pupils. The safeguarding team knows the families in the school community well. Leaders ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families receive the help they need.

Governors fulfil their statutory duties to ensure the safety of pupils in the school. They regularly visit the school to discuss safeguarding with leaders. Leaders make sure that the procedures for the safe recruitment of new staff are secure.

Pupils learn about ways to keep themselves safe, including online. They feel confident to speak to adults in the school if they need help.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils do not express an enjoyment of reading and do not read for pleasure at home.

Leaders should ensure that they encourage pupils to read widely and often. They should seek ways to develop pupils' love of reading. ? In a few foundation subjects, leaders' efforts to build cross-curricular links dilute the key knowledge that pupils need to learn.

This means that, occasionally, lesson time does not focus enough on knowledge and skill acquisition for the foundation subject. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in foundation subjects consistently supports pupils to develop a strong understanding of subject content. ? Teachers do not routinely check pupils' understanding in lessons.

They risk not identifying when pupils' learning is not secure and introducing new content too quickly. Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment to check that pupils are ready to move on.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2013.

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