Linton Heights Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Linton Heights Junior School Wheatsheaf Way, Linton, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB21 4XB

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Outcome

Linton Heights Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this popular junior school feel happy and extremely well cared for. They enjoy attending school and taking part in clubs such as choir, arts and crafts, street dance and cross country running. They also appreciate opportunities to go on trips to places like Bletchley Park and Ipswich Museum, as well as residential visits such as the Year 6 trip to Aylmerton Field Study Centre. Class representatives greet every visitor and explain what the class is learning today, and some pupils are chosen to serve as play leaders, school councillors and house captains.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The headteacher knows the pupils and families well. Parents and carers value the speed with which leaders address any concerns. As many parents commented, staff are welcoming, supportive and approachable.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the topics they study, and talk confidently about their recent learning, for example comparing the lives of rich and poor families in Victorian England. Pupils love it when their teachers read to them. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are high.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in class and around the school. They listen carefully to adults and to each other. They are confident that instances of bullying are extremely rare. They know that staff will listen carefully if they are worried about anything.

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

The teaching of reading is particularly strong. Teachers encourage a love of reading. Teachers select quality texts such as ‘Street Child’ and ‘Goodnight Mister Tom’. The vocabulary and content of these extend pupils’ learning and link to the topics they are studying. English lessons include activities which develop pupils’ key skills well, such as comprehension, spelling and grammar. By the time they leave the school, many pupils are reading at a standard which is above, and often well above, the national average. 15–16 October 2019

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The teaching of mathematics is sound and well organised. Leaders have introduced a new approach to mathematics teaching, designed to give more emphasis to mathematical reasoning and problem solving. Teachers also want to ensure that pupils’ arithmetic and calculation skills become even stronger. At the moment, pupils are not always given enough work which challenges them to apply their skills to new situations. Outcomes in mathematics at the end of key stage 2 have been broadly in line with the national averages for the past two years, and leaders are rightly ambitious to raise standards to match the school’s strong results in reading.

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Senior leaders have introduced improvements to the way the wider curriculum is planned to deepen learning even further. As some of these changes are new, leaders need to keep a close eye on how well the new plans are being delivered, so they can accurately gauge their impact.

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Art is also a strength of the school. High-quality artwork is seen throughout the school. The art curriculum leader carefully monitors teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. This robust approach ensures that pupils’ skills are developed in a clear sequence, and that pupils are given plenty of opportunities to refine their talents, for example in sketching, painting and modelling in clay.

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French is extremely well taught by a teacher with specialist skills. As a result, pupils become increasingly confident when using common phrases and expressions in short conversations with their peers.

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Disadvantaged pupils receive additional support to help them make as much progress as their peers. If pupils are at risk of falling behind, they are given the help they need to catch up.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive good support and are fully included in all aspects of school life. Staff are well trained in meeting pupils’ needs and, as a result, pupils with SEND make good progress in their learning and personal development.

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Pupils behave well. Personal development is prioritised through the school’s positive ethos and pupils benefit from the good relationships between pupils, staff and parents. Attendance rates are above the national averages.

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The school is well led and managed and parents have every confidence in the headteacher and senior leaders. Staff know that leaders take an interest in their professional development and their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The use of an electronic system for recording and monitoring concerns is used effectively by staff, who have been well trained in how to use it. The adults understand their roles and responsibilities for keeping everyone safe. Leaders remain vigilant, and, as a result, 15–16 October 2019

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the culture of safeguarding is strong. Governors monitor leaders’ actions to be certain that the correct checks are made on everyone who works in the school. Leaders seek the advice of external agencies whenever the need arises.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teaching of mathematics is well sequenced and of a good standard. However, pupils do not always have opportunities to apply their arithmetic skills through reasoning and problem solving. This is because, in some lessons, these elements have been left until too near the end. Leaders have made recent changes to the way mathematics is taught to address this and maximise the level of challenge for all pupils. They need to make sure this is embedded and effective.  Leaders have recently introduced changes to topic planning across the curriculum for subjects other than English and mathematics. These changes have been designed to deepen learning and help pupils to remember more key information. Leaders should carefully monitor the impact of these changes to ensure that they are having a positive impact on pupils’ achievement.

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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 predecessor school, Linton Heights Junior School, to be good on 26–27 June 2013.

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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. 15–16 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. 15–16 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110251 Type of school Junior

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Linton Heights Junior School Academy was opened on 1 November 2016.  The school is part of the Chilford Hundred Educational Trust (CHET).  The proportion of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds is below the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 As part of this inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator and curriculum leaders. The inspector met with the multi-academy trust chief executive officer and executive headteacher. The inspector also met with teachers, teaching assistants, office staff and pupils.  The inspector spoke on the telephone with the chair of governors and with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector gathered the views of parents on the playground before school.  To inspect the school’s safeguarding arrangements, the inspector spoke to the designated safeguarding leaders, members of staff, parents, the chair of governors and pupils. The inspector checked the single central record and a sample of safeguarding 15–16 October 2019

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records.  The inspector observed playtimes and lunchtime. The inspector spoke to pupils about their school.  Reading, mathematics, art and French were considered as part of this inspection. The inspector spoke to curriculum leaders, visited lessons, carried out work scrutinies and met with teachers and pupils to learn about the quality of education.

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Inspection team

Nick Rudman, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 15–16 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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