Ewanrigg Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Ewanrigg Junior School Ennerdale Road, Maryport, Cumbria CA15 8HN

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Outcome

Ewanrigg Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending school. Teachers make learning interesting. Pupils listen with care and respect the views of each other. They can get on with their learning because everyone behaves well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils try their hardest. They have high aspirations. Older pupils are beginning to think about the jobs they would like to do when they are older. Visits from professionals inspire them. Pupils try their best to live out the school values. They try to do things to the best of their ability.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that name-calling and bullying did not happen at their school. They said that, sometimes, pupils were silly and noisy when playing outside. Teachers are fair. Pupils know that they can speak to them and that they will listen and respond.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that healthy eating and regular exercise are important. They enjoy taking part in the daily one-mile walk around school. They appreciate the many clubs and activities that are on offer after school. Pupils enjoy learning about other religions and cultures. Visiting places of worship and museums deepens their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They know how to stay safe while using the internet and social media. Pupils’ work with the community police has been recognised locally and nationally. Pupils are aware of the dangers in their community. They know how to cross busy roads and wear a helmet if they cycle to school.

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

Leaders have refined the curriculum to make sure that pupils develop their knowledge and skills in a logical way. Leaders ensure that pupils receive appropriate challenge, regardless of their ability. They have considered the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The provision for pupils with SEND is well organised. Leaders provide support to pupils with SEND to ensure that they achieve as 2–3 October 2019

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well as other pupils. Governors are supportive of school leaders. They know how well pupils do in English and mathematics. Governors do not challenge leaders about pupils’ work in other subjects.

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Leaders plan learning which develops the skills pupils need to become active citizens. Pupils engage in a wide range of projects. They raise money for charities that support the local community. Pupils have worked alongside the community police to help clean the beach. They have created videos outlining how they want their town to improve. Pupils have opportunities to sing and perform. They develop a love of painting and poetry through exciting arts projects.

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Leaders promote reading well. Staff follow the agreed approach to the teaching of reading. Staff help pupils who did not achieve the required standard in key stage 1 to catch up. Pupils benefit from reading aloud to adults regularly. Pupils read well. Books are appropriately challenging. Teachers choose books to read to pupils that are relevant to what they are studying. Some pupils do not have an awareness of a wide range of authors.

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Leaders acted on disappointing mathematics outcomes in 2018. A renewed focus on the teaching of reasoning is evident across all year groups. Teachers follow an agreed calculation policy. Teachers present pupils with exciting challenges. Pupils use a range of resources to help them work out problems. Pupils told me that teachers explain new learning well. Pupils know where to get support if they are stuck. They enjoy explaining and demonstrating their mathematical ideas in front of their friends.

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Pupils have a good understanding of where they live. Through the geography curriculum, they learn about the unique features of the locality. As pupils move through the school, they learn more about national and global issues. Pupils enjoy field trips and practical experiences. Sometimes, pupils do not remember key geography facts from previous years.

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Staff appreciate leaders’ effort to reduce workload. They told me that the culture in school is positive. Leaders and staff take their well-being into consideration. Staff said that training in mental health awareness has helped them to do their jobs better. They said that leaders listen to them. Staff feel supported by leaders when dealing with challenges.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a high priority at Ewanrigg. Leaders are diligent and proactive in keeping pupils safe. Well-trained staff know how to record and communicate safeguarding concerns. The school learning mentor provides the first contact point for parents and carers. Leaders work with a wide range of external agencies and national charities to tailor support for vulnerable families. The community police inform leaders about concerns from outside school. This helps leaders support pupils better in school. 2–3 October 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers ensure that pupils are exposed to a wide range of texts as part of the English curriculum. Many pupils enjoy reading and enjoy the online quizzes that help to develop their comprehension. Despite these positive features, the teaching of reading is not developing pupils’ awareness of a wider range of authors. Many pupils continue to choose books from authors with which they are familiar.  Governors are provided with a wide range of information about how well pupils do in English and mathematics. Governors are not provided with information about how well pupils do in other subjects. Governors need this information so that they can hold leaders to account for the achievement of pupils across the wider curriculum.  The geography curriculum has been devised well. Some pupils are not able to remember more of what they have learned because teachers are not using assessment of prior learning regularly. Teachers should provide pupils with more opportunities to

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

revisit taught concepts so that pupils remember more and apply what they know to new learning.

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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.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 25–26 March 2015.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 2–3 October 2019

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 2–3 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10082060 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Mrs Karen Mumberson

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24–25 March 2015

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Information about this school

 There have been no significant changes to this school since the previous inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 During this inspection, I met with the headteacher and the senior leaders.  I met with teachers, support staff and subject leaders. I spoke to them about their roles in school, their workload and their well-being.  I met with three members of the governing body.  I held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  I spoke to pupils about behaviour and expectations in the school and observed behaviour around the school and in lessons.  I considered the 34 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and the 14 free-text responses. I considered the 19 responses to the staff survey and the 76 responses to the pupil survey.  I scrutinised records in relation to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  As part of this inspection, I considered carefully how phonics (letters and the sounds they make) and reading are taught. I considered how the curriculum is planned in

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mathematics and geography. I met with subject leaders and visited parts of lessons. I spoke to teachers about the lessons that they had taught and pupils who had been in the lessons. I viewed examples of pupils’ books and listened to pupils read.

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Inspection team

John Donald, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 2–3 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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