Wrockwardine Wood Church of England Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Wrockwardine Wood Church of England Junior School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school are happy and safe and bubble with enthusiasm. They exemplify the school's vision of 'Love, laugh and learn'. Teachers have high expectations, and pupils are keen to meet these.

They work hard and try hard because they want to do the best that they can. They are confident and resilient.

Pupils' behaviour is good.

They understand and refer to the three simple school rules: 'ready, respect, safe'. They are very clear that they should be respectful towards one another as well as towards their teachers. As a result, they are kin...d and caring.

This means that bullying very rarely happens. Pupils say that bullying simply is not tolerated. They say that they learn to be 'active bystanders' who never turn a blind eye to the distress of others.

They are proud to be 'bully busters'.

Pupils have many opportunities to develop new interests and learn new skills through the wide range of clubs provided. These include drama, craft and writing clubs.

They talk enthusiastically about the 'memorable experiences' they have, including visits to museums and art galleries. They aspire to achieve one of the many pupil leadership roles available in the school.

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

Leaders and teachers are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

The curriculum identifies the most important building blocks of knowledge in each subject. The sequence of learning builds on these so that all pupils can work towards the planned end-points.

Leaders work closely with pupils' previous schools so that when they arrive in Year 3, any additional learning needs are well understood from the beginning.

Teachers understand pupils' needs and make sure that support is in place. Very occasionally, additional support is too dependent on oversimplification rather than adaptation. When this happens, the pupils who most need the practice and skills to access complex texts or ideas may have the least chance to do so.

Teachers have good subject knowledge. They are skilled in selecting the best ways to present new learning and making best use of the high-quality resources available. Teachers consistently model the use of spoken and written language.

As a result, pupils use their well-developed vocabulary confidently and precisely.

Reading is a high priority in the school. Leaders have ensured that classrooms are vibrant, resource-filled learning environments that include accessible reading corners.

The well-stocked school library is popular with pupils. Pupils enjoy reading. They talk about their favourite authors and genres and the books they are reading in school and at home.

Leaders have made sure that those pupils who need more support to become fluent readers are helped to catch up rapidly when they join the school.

Teachers use assessment strategies effectively to check that pupils have understood and remembered what they have learned in each lesson. Regular formal assessment informs pupils' next steps in learning and the additional support that may be needed.

Pupils very quickly develop effective learning behaviours. They are supported by their teachers to understand why these are important, as well as to meet the high expectations set. As a result, there is rarely any disruption of learning.

Pupils play together happily at breaktimes. However, sometimes outside play can become very boisterous. A few pupils feel that there is no calm space for the quieter activities they prefer.

Leaders have ensured that pupils have a wide range of additional activities that broaden their understanding of the world around them and raise their aspirations. Pupils have an excellent understanding of fundamental British values and how these link to the Christian values they learn at school. They demonstrate a real desire to be respectful and tolerant of the choices and beliefs of others.

Teachers say that leaders always take their workload and well-being into account. They feel that their achievements are celebrated alongside those of pupils. As a result, teachers feel valued and supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have made sure that safeguarding pupils is central to all aspects of their work. They have established a highly effective team that brings together a range of expertise to ensure that pupils and their families receive rapid and appropriate help.

Leaders have ensured that all staff and governors have received appropriate training. Staff know when and how to raise a concern. They are alert to any sign of need.

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

Leaders have received training in safer recruitment and they make sure that all appropriate checks are completed and recorded.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• At breaktimes, the shared outdoor space for pupils is sometimes dominated by boisterous play.

These means that some pupils struggle to find a calm area for the quieter activities they prefer. Leaders should ensure that pupils' breaktime behaviour is further regulated so that the shared outside space makes provision for those who wish to sit quietly. ? Occasionally, teachers simplify work set for pupils who need additional support by too much.

When this happens, these pupils do not get the opportunity to develop and practise the skills they need to access more complex ideas and texts. Leaders should ensure that all teachers have a thorough understanding of the difference between oversimplification and making adaptations to enable pupils to achieve the ambitious end-points set.

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 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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2011.

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