Staincliffe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Staincliffe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and feel safe in this welcoming, friendly school. The school ethos is firmly grounded in the values of respect, trust, courage and joy.

These values are also used as the names of the school's houses. This helps pupils to remember them.

Leaders, governors and staff have high expectations for every pupil.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils' behaviour in lessons is excellent. They try hard and are proud of their work.

Bullying is rare. Occasionally, a very s...mall number of pupils do not meet behaviour expectations at breaktimes or lunchtimes. Staff manage these rare occasions effectively.

Most pupils are kind, respectful and play together happily. Pupils trust staff to listen to them and help them if they have any worries. Staff help pupils to recognise and manage their feelings.

Leaders have provided a 'chill and chat' room, where pupils can go if they need extra help.

Leaders help pupils to learn about people who are less fortunate than themselves. Pupils want to help.

They have great fun planning and taking part in events to support charities in the local area and around the world.

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

Leaders make sure the curriculum is broad. Teachers model learning step-by-step for pupils.

This helps pupils to understand new concepts. Teachers revisit learning and provide quizzes to check pupils have understood. This helps pupils to remember more over time.

Teachers make suitable adaptations for pupils with SEND. They follow the same curriculum as their peers. In a few subjects, the curriculum is new.

In these subjects, teachers do not consistently select the best lesson activities to help pupils learn well.Leaders are developing these subjects further. They provide curriculum training for teachers where necessary.

Some pupils start at the school in Year 3 with significant gaps in their knowledge. Leaders have strategies in place to help these pupils to catch up. For example, leaders have put a phonics scheme in place to help pupils who are not fluent readers when they are admitted to the school.

The scheme is well sequenced and staff follow a consistent routine. Pupils know the routine well. This helps them to learn new sounds quickly.

The books pupils have to practise their reading match the sounds that they know. This helps them to become confident readers. Teachers check pupils' phonic knowledge regularly.

They put right any misconceptions straight away. This helps everyone to keep up. The curriculum for writing helps pupils to master the small steps they need to develop as writers.

Pupils learn about people from different backgrounds, including other faiths and cultures. They enjoy meeting visitors who are different to themselves. These visitors have included a Sikh musician.

Leaders provide many opportunities for pupils to be leaders, including as prefects, librarians and ambassadors for the school. The ambassadors recently visited another school, described Islam and explained what it means to be a Muslim. Pupils enjoy the clubs that they attend at lunchtime and after school.

These include a range of sports and dance clubs. Pupils who cannot stay behind after school appreciate the lunchtime clubs on offer.

Staff are well supported by leaders.

Teachers and teaching assistants appreciate the training they receive. They feel valued because of the consideration leaders have for them and their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders carry out rigorous checks on all adults who come into contact with pupils. Staff are well trained to keep pupils safe. They know the pupils well and are quick to spot any signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm.

Leaders take swift action when a concern is raised. They seek support from specialist agencies when necessary.

Pupils learn about keeping safe in a range of situations, including online.

Leaders provide information about internet safety for parents and carers. They have helped some parents to install parental controls at home to keep their children safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, teachers do not consistently plan activities and work that match the curriculum well enough.

As a result, pupils do not learn and remember important knowledge securely. Leaders should ensure that teachers use their training and the school's resources well to deliver sequences of learning that match the intended curriculum.

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 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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good/outstanding in November 2017.