Victoria Park Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embody the school value of respect at this welcoming school.

They strive to meet the school's high expectations for their behaviour. Year 6 pupils take pride in being buddies for those in Year 3 and act as excellent role models. Pupils behave impeccably and their learning is rarely interrupted.

Those pupils who need extra help to manage their emotions are well supported by caring staff.

The school is ambitious for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils progress well across the range of learning opportunities that the school provides.

Many pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well across ...the curriculum.

Pupils are happy at this school. They know that the school will act upon their suggestions and opinions to make the school the best it can be.

For example, reading ambassadors have played an important role in the creation of the new school library. Pupils also trust that staff will help them to resolve any concerns that they may have.

Pupils benefit from the broad range of clubs available to them.

These include different sporting activities as well as sewing and cookery clubs. The school ensures that many pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, benefit from these clubs.

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

The school has carefully considered the important knowledge that pupils should learn across the majority of the curriculum.

The curriculum is ambitious for pupils, including for those with SEND. High-quality training enables teachers to deliver the curriculum consistently. The school has effective systems to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND.

Teachers successfully adapt the delivery of the curriculum content for these pupils. Overall, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education.

In a small number of subjects, some of the important knowledge that pupils should learn is not clear.

This is especially true for vocabulary. This makes it difficult for teachers to know what vocabulary they should prioritise when designing lessons. As a result, in these subjects, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and do not learn as well as they could.

In English and mathematics, teachers check on what pupils know and remember. They quickly address any gaps in knowledge that pupils have. However, in a small number of other subjects, the school has not finalised how teachers should do this.

In these subjects, this leads to a small number of pupils having unidentified gaps in important knowledge. At times, these pupils are moved on to new concepts too soon and they struggle to make sense of new learning.

Reading sits at the heart of the school curriculum.

Pupils read a broad range of books that include novels and poetry. Pupils read with fluency and achieve well. The school has implemented an effective approach to teaching phonics for pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read.

Well-trained staff teach the school's phonics programme consistently. These pupils benefit from regularly reading books that are closely matched to the sounds that they have learned. This helps to build their confidence and experience success when reading.

Pupils are very well mannered. They are courteous and helpful. Behaviour across the school is excellent.

Pupils have a strong moral conviction to treat others in the same way that they would like to be treated themselves. Pupils have superb attendance at school. The school's systems and procedures around attendance are highly effective.

Any attendance concerns are swiftly picked up and addressed at an early stage.

The school has carefully selected a broad range of opportunities to enhance pupils' wider development. For example, pupils understand the hazards of the local train lines.

The school ensures that pupils learn about healthy relationships. Pupils take part in a range of community activities such as litter picks and fundraising for local initiatives. This helps them to understand the role that they can play in bringing about positive change.

Governors have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and priorities for further improvement. They provide effective support and challenge linked to the quality of education. Staff value being part of the school.

They are positive about what the school has done to further support their workload and well-being. This includes changes to the marking policy and access to training that enables them to deliver the curriculum well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, the school has not finalised its curriculum thinking with regards to the important knowledge pupils should learn, especially in relation to vocabulary. This hinders teachers from designing learning that helps pupils to learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that it finalises its curriculum thinking so that it is clear what pupils should learn and when this knowledge should be taught.

• In a small number of subjects, the school has not ensured that staff check on pupils' understanding of the knowledge that they have been taught. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that staff check that pupils have the knowledge that they need to make sense of new learning.