Waverley Junior Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have created a welcoming and inclusive environment for pupils. They expect pupils to be kind and respectful to each other.

Pupils live this out in their interactions with peers and adults. Pupils know the difference between bullying and isolated unkind acts. Bullying is rare within the school.

Adults address these infrequent instances effectively. They listen to pupils' concerns and act quickly to resolve them.

Pupils engage in a rich and diverse set of experiences that significantly enhance their personal development.

They undertake multiple charitable activities that contribute to the wider community, for example raising funds for local hos...pitals. Pupils performed the school show 'Matilda' for residents in the local care home. Leaders use residential visits to develop pupils' independence.

Leaders enrich the curriculum well. For example, children in the early years participate in 'wow moments' such as visits from the emergency services to learn about safety. In science and technology, pupils visit multi-national businesses at the local advanced manufacturing park.

These visits help pupils to learn about possible careers in engineering.

Pupils are well behaved. They contribute positively to lessons.

Pupils play well together at social times. Many pupils participate in meaningful leadership roles. For example, sports leaders facilitate some of the activities that their peers participate in at lunchtime.

Younger and older pupils play together well. Older pupils act as positive role models to those in the younger years.

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

Leaders are aspirational for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to reach their potential.

Leaders have carefully sequenced the knowledge and skills that they want pupils to know. They have considered the cross-curricular links between subjects and how these strengthen pupils' knowledge of both subjects. Subject leaders know how their subject builds from the early years curriculum.

Pupils develop a secure base of knowledge from across the curriculum. Pupils' strong recall of this knowledge enables them to access new learning effectively. Opportunities for pupils to build skills, such as analysing sources in history, are currently less well established.

Subject leaders have started to develop this aspect of the curriculum, for example by introducing new fieldwork units within the geography curriculum.

In lessons, teachers explain new knowledge clearly. They check effectively on what pupils know and remember from the curriculum.

Teachers make sure that pupils have secure prior knowledge before introducing new content. Teachers regularly revisit important knowledge to aid pupils' recall.

Leaders are determined that children in Nursery and Reception have the knowledge and skills required to begin key stage 1 confidently.

The early years curriculum is extremely well planned. Adults deliver this curriculum skilfully to make sure that the children are thoroughly prepared for the transition to key stage 1. Although language and vocabulary underpin the curriculum, all aspects of children's development are equally well considered.

The activities that children engage in are precisely matched to what leaders intend children to learn. Children sustain their concentration extremely well during these activities. Adults skilfully extend children's understanding by using carefully planned questions.

Teachers regularly check on the impact of children's learning. If a child falls behind, leaders act swiftly to ensure that they catch up quickly. As a result, children in the early years achieve strongly.

Staff are knowledgeable about teaching early reading. They teach phonics lessons in a consistent way. Pupils read with increasing accuracy and fluency as they progress through the school.

Pupils who struggle are well supported by adults. This helps them to catch up with their peers. Pupils' secure knowledge of how to read prepares them well for learning across the wider curriculum.

Leaders understand the needs of pupils with SEND extremely well. Teachers support these pupils effectively in lessons. A small number of pupils access their learning through the school's enhanced resource provision, known as the ARC.

Leaders ensure that these pupils with SEND are fully included in all wider-school activities. They receive effective additional help, for example when learning about relationships education. These pupils with SEND significantly benefit from this support.

Leaders have carefully planned the extensive wider curriculum to ensure the exceptional personal development of pupils. Leaders make use of external speakers in a range of fields to develop pupils' cultural awareness. Pupils develop a detailed understanding of the fundamental British values and protected characteristics.

Pupils, including those in the ARC, discuss and debate current issues.

Pupils attend school regularly. Rates of pupil absence and persistent absence are lower than the national average.

Despite this, the attendance of some groups of pupils, such as disadvantaged pupils, is declining.

Governors and trustees have an accurate understanding of the school. The multi-academy trust has supported leaders well as the school has grown in pupil numbers and become established.

Leaders focus staff workload on actions that impact on pupils most positively. Leaders provide governors and trustees with accurate information about the performance of the school. Governors make their own checks on leaders' work.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding leaders are knowledgeable about the risks that pupils may face within their community. Pupils learn about keeping safe near water and the risks associated with construction sites as these are local risks that pupils need to understand.

Leaders ensure that staff receive appropriate training. Important messages are reinforced through regular staff briefings. Adults know how to report concerns about a pupil's welfare.

Ensuring pupils are safe is of paramount importance to all adults and leaders act effectively to resolve these concerns. Leaders make referrals to external agencies, such as early help, where required. Leaders make suitable pre-employment checks on adults who work with children.

The school's safeguarding processes to record and respond to incidents are not as clear as they could be. At times, the information recorded lacks efficiency. This makes it difficult for the school to identify any patterns that they may wish to act upon.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's record keeping process for safeguarding are not as precise as they could be. This impacts on how efficiently leaders can analyse and evaluate school data. Leaders must ensure that record keeping processes for safeguarding are formalised and that the data recorded is detailed and robust.

• Opportunities for pupils to develop and practice the skills specific to a subject are not as clearly planned as the knowledge for each subject. Pupils do not regularly engage in the disciplinary practices specific to a particular subject and have a variable knowledge of these. Leaders should ensure that pupils have a secure understanding of subject-specific practices and skills.