Westende Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Westende Junior School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who attend Westende Junior School have a thirst for learning. They enjoy school and are proud of their work.

Staff expect that pupils will concentrate hard and try their best. Pupils say that 'lessons are really fun' and that 'teachers are good at checking that we understand our work'.

This is a happy school.

Pupils say that they feel safe and valued. They all get along well together. Pupils from The Acorns specialist resource provision are fully included in all aspects of school life.

Staff and parents consider that pupils behave well in this school. In le...ssons and when moving around the school, pupils are polite and kind to each other. Pupils told me that there is very little bullying.

The school acts swiftly if there are any concerns. Pupils have strong views that bullying is unpleasant and wrong.

Pupils enjoy the many extra activities that the school provides.

In sports, they enjoy competing in team games against local schools. Over a fifth of the pupils attend the after- school running club. Pupils are excited about using the school's own swimming pool again in the summer.

They said that they found the recent visit from a Paralympian to be 'inspiring'.

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

The school's curriculum is ambitious and carefully planned. For example, leaders make sure that pupils have lots of opportunities to go over their learning so that they can remember it.

Teachers are well trained. They have a thorough knowledge of the subjects that they teach. Staff have high ambitions for pupils.

They expect and receive work of high quality. As a result, pupils do well and their achievements are often above the national average in English and mathematics.

Most pupils arrive at the school having done well in their phonics screening check.

Teachers ensure that any pupil who needs to catch up is given the support to develop their reading skills quickly. Pupils enjoy different types of books. They quickly become fluent readers because staff inspire in them a love of reading.

Pupils are confident mathematicians. They talk enthusiastically about solving problems. Their skills in French are well developed.

They acquire a wide vocabulary and are able to hold simple conversations. Pupils develop effective musical skills. They can use notation to write down simple tunes.

However, pupils can sometimes get confused about what is historical and what is geographical. For example, they do not know if Mercia was an area of Britain in Anglo-Saxon times or a county in Britain today.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) who attend the school's specialist resource provision make strong gains in all subjects of the curriculum.

They do well because teachers have clear support plans to guide learning. However, other pupils with SEND who are based in the main school do not benefit from the same clear plans.

Parents are supportive of the school.

They consider that their children have a good range of exciting experiences, such as when Year 3 visited an open-air museum. Parents praise the wide range of clubs that the school provides, although some parents do not think that the school gives them enough information about the curriculum their children are studying. This means they cannot support their children as well as they could in their learning.

Pupils enjoy taking on positions of responsibility in the school. For example, junior wardens make sure that the school is well kept and litter free. Pupils have a clear understanding about how our country is governed and the legal system.

Leaders make sure that pupils are kept up to date with the latest news. For instance, pupils have recently been thinking about the terrible impact of the Australian bush fires.

Pupils are keen to learn.

They told me, 'If we are talking, it's usually about the lesson.' They also confirmed that their learning is not disturbed by the poor behaviour of others.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The two designated safeguarding leads make sure that staff are well trained. All adults at the school keep vigilant to make sure that pupils are safe. Any concerns are acted upon quickly.

There are careful checks to make sure that new staff are suitable to work with children.

Pupils feel confident to speak to staff if they are worried. Leaders make sure that pupils know how to stay safe when online.

Pupils know that it is not safe to give out personal information or arrange to meet anyone who contacts them when using the internet.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Teachers do not have all of the guidance they need to support pupils with SEND who are not based in The Acorns. As a result, small steps in learning are not always identified.

Leaders must make sure that targets in support plans for all pupils in the school with SEND are measurable and precise, so that they achieve as well as they should. . Sometimes pupils are confused about some aspects of history and geography, muddling what is historical and what is geographical in nature.

Teachers should ensure that pupils' understanding is more secure, to avoid further confusion in the future. . Leaders do not inform parents well enough about the curriculum that their children are studying in school.

As a result, pupils miss out because parents cannot support their children as effectively in their learning as they might. Leaders must improve curriculum information so that parents and school are partners in each child's education.

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 a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 30–31 January 2012.

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