Thomas Russell Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

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

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve very well at this high performing school. It is a warm and nurturing place to be. The school does all it can to make sure pupils feel happy and cared for.

Some pupils need a little extra support to help them feel ready to face the day. The school provides this in a carefully considered way.

The school is determined that all pupils should reach their full potential.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils show excellent attitudes to learning. Ever...y pupil can learn without disruption.

Classrooms are calm and purposeful because pupils behave well and work hard. They produce high-quality work that they are proud of. Pupils also behave extremely well at all other points of the day.

They are respectful and have beautiful manners.

Pupils understand the importance of living healthy lives. The school does all it can to ensure pupils spend as much of the day being as active as possible.

The school has adopted a new approach to how it organises playtimes. Pupils benefit from these. They learn to cooperate with each other and develop team-building skills.

Pupils learn to be a good friend and value the importance of kindness.

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

The school has the highest expectations for its pupils. The commitment to maintaining its high standards is clear to see.

Pupils learn to read and write to a very high standard. Staff are quick to identify any misconceptions pupils might have. Staff address these misconceptions with a high level of expertise.

Pupils are also confident mathematicians.They remember important facts and calculations that help with more difficult problems. Pupils with SEND learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

Staff use their knowledge of individual pupils and their needs to adapt the curriculum effectively. The approaches the school takes are highly effective and enable these pupils to make strong progress.

The school ensures pupils at the earlier stages of learning to read keep up with their peers.

Pupils receive extra sessions in school that help them read with greater accuracy. This targeted support leads to the vast majority of pupils becoming confident and fluent readers. Pupils have access to a wide variety of interesting and engaging texts.

The school has thought about these carefully. The books expose pupils to a wide range of different experiences and cultures.

The school checks regularly how well pupils learn the curriculum.

Across most of the curriculum, this helps pupils build learning in a coherent way. However, in a small number of subjects, this effective approach to assessment is not as well established. This means the gaps pupils might have in learning are not as easily identified and subsequently addressed.

The school supports pupils who need extra emotional support very well. The impact of this is clear to see. It is evident in how calm and settled pupils are in school.

This leads to pupils who want to be in school as often as possible and, therefore, attend regularly. It is a praiseworthy aspect of the school's work.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary.

Their attitudes to learning are second to none. They engage in learning, and they always aim to do their very best. Staff are excellent role models.

They demonstrate a high level of respect to all pupils. It permeates every aspect of the school's work. Pupils are keen to emulate this, and they do.

When a small number of pupils struggle to manage their behaviour, the school responds with compassion and care. Pupils learn to reflect on what they would do differently in the future.

Pupils value the wide range of opportunities to develop as leaders of the future.

They understand the power of their voice. The school helps pupils to develop into well-rounded, responsible citizens of the future. Pupils talk confidently about not judging people based on stereotypes.

Pupils enjoy attending a variety of clubs after school that develop their talents and interests.

The school is led very well. Staff work with determination to maintain high standards and build on their success, including consistently strong academic results.

Parents are overwhelmingly appreciative of the care, guidance, support and education their children receive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On a small number of occasions, the school's assessment of what pupils have learned is not as well embedded.

This means that some pupils do not have their precise gaps in learning identified. Consequently, these gaps are not addressed. The school should ensure that it consistently applies the effective systems they have in place for assessing pupils.

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 outstanding 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in January 2019.