Watton Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an inadequate school Over time, leaders, governors and the trust have failed to address declining standards.

The trust and the local governing body (LGB) have not worked collectively to challenge leaders over weaker standards since the previous inspection. Pupils make inadequate progress across the key stage. By the end of Year 6, attainment is low for all groups of pupils.

Considerable changes to senior leadership, including the LGB, have brought instability. Current leaders have been in post for a short period of time. Their work to raise standards is still in its infancy.

Teaching, learning and assessment are weak, especially, but not exclu...sively, in English and mathematics. Teachers do not take account of pupils' prior knowledge, understanding and skills. Teachers' expectations are too low, and pupils make inadequate progress.

Teachers do not challenge pupils about the quality of their written work. The teaching of writing is weak. Often, work that is untidy or illegible is not picked up by teachers.

Pupils make inadequate progress in writing. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) underachieve in most year groups from their varied starting points. Teachers fail to tackle inappropriate behaviour.

Pupils' attitudes to learning are poor in too many lessons. Leaders, the LGB and the trust have not had sufficient impact on developing a suitably broad and rich curriculum. Pupils are not provided with the depth and breadth of learning experiences they need to achieve well.

The trust and LGB do not have strategic oversight about what needs improving in the school's specialist resource base. The school has the following strengths Recent changes in the school's leadership have improved the day-to-day running of the school. Leaders have ensured that the most vulnerable pupils are having specific support, which is enabling them to have increased confidence and feel safe.

Information about this school

This is an average-sized junior school. The school is in the Norfolk Academies, part of the TEN group. The overall governance sits with the board of trustees of the academy trust, and the academy has a local governing body.

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is broadly in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average.

The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is in line with the national average. Some pupils with SEND receive part-time support in the school's specialist resource base for learning and cognition. The provision is managed by the school and funded by the local authority.