Winterton Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Winterton Junior School West Street, Winterton, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire DN15 9QG

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Outcome

Winterton Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Winterton Juniors love going to school. They told me their teachers make learning fun. Pupils support each other in their work and play. They are polite, considerate and friendly. There is a caring atmosphere in the school. Bullying is very rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn a full and exciting curriculum. Teachers have high expectations of pupils. Pupils rise to this by working hard and behaving well. They are independent and concentrate well in lessons. They achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders focus on giving pupils diverse experiences. Pupils attend a wide range of extra- curricular clubs. These include choir, gardening, dance and crochet. All pupils learn to play a musical instrument. There are extra instrument lessons for pupils showing promise. These budding musicians then perform for parents, carers and pupils at biannual events.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils aspire to take on leadership roles, such as playground buddy, junior leader or head pupil. They are mature and responsible. They plan enterprise projects to raise funds for charity. Year 6 pupils also enjoy a residential visit. Pupils told me this was a time to develop courage and friendships while having an adventure.

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

The school has gone from strength to strength since the last inspection. Leaders, including governors, have further improved the quality of education provided.

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

High-quality teaching in English and mathematics is now the norm. Teachers make sure that pupils build their knowledge in a logical order. Pupils have lots of chances to revisit and practise important aspects. For example, during the inspection, Year 6 pupils were learning about the volume of shapes. In doing so, they also used their knowledge of times tables, three-dimensional shapes and percentages. Pupils achieve well. By the time they leave, they are well prepared for secondary school. 21–22 January 2020

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Leaders have put reading at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils have a varied and engaging ‘diet’ of different authors and book types. Teachers choose books about important issues that pupils find interesting. Themes, ranging from unemployment to refugees to climate change, have pupils hooked. Teaching staff are skilled in questioning and demonstrating to build pupils’ understanding. Pupils typically show a deep understanding of their reading.

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Leaders are well on the way with redesigning the curriculum for subjects outside of English and mathematics. They have chosen content deliberately aimed at broadening pupils’ horizons and giving them a global view. They also prioritise developing pupils’ communication skills. Leaders have mapped out the order in which knowledge should be taught. Yet, for some subjects, whole-school plans do not give teachers enough detail. This means that, sometimes, teachers do not put enough emphasis on important aspects. Pupils’ knowledge is then not as deep as it should be in all subjects. Leaders are working on these plans. They are also developing teachers’ checks on what pupils can remember.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access a suitably demanding curriculum. Teachers adapt lessons well so that all pupils can learn together. Adult support and carefully chosen resources make a positive difference to pupils with SEND. A small number of pupils need extra practice to remember vital knowledge. For some pupils, this is phonics knowledge. For others, it is basic number facts. These needs are not identified precisely enough. The extra sessions pupils have are not focused tightly on pupils’ needs. Also, pupils who are learning to read are often given books that are too difficult. These factors mean that pupils’ learning is hampered.

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Lessons and assemblies are carefully planned to support pupils’ moral and spiritual development. Pupils show empathy to others and are keen to make positive choices. During the inspection, many parents expressed their appreciation for the school’s work. One parent commented that the school helped pupils to thrive in all aspects of their lives.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained in safeguarding. They know the risks to watch out for and how to report their concerns. Staff know vulnerable pupils and their families well. Child protection records are well maintained. Leaders share information swiftly with external agencies where necessary. Appropriate checks of staff suitability to work with children are in place.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have invested in a team of staff to focus on pupils’ well-being. This team includes therapy dog, Rupert. Pupils speak highly of the difference this team makes. Pupils’ social and emotional needs are well supported. 21–22 January 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils with SEND need extra practice to remember crucial knowledge, particularly in English and mathematics. This includes phonics knowledge for the small number of pupils who are learning to read. These needs are not identified precisely enough. Extra sessions for these pupils are then not focused on the most important knowledge. Additionally, pupils who are learning to read have books which contain sounds they do not know. This hampers pupils’ learning. Leaders must ensure that they pinpoint the knowledge pupils with SEND need to unlock further learning. They should then make sure that additional practice is effective in helping pupils to remember these vital aspects. They should also make sure that the books used by pupils to practise decoding contain only the sounds they know.  Leaders have started to redesign the wider curriculum. However, whole-school plans for some subjects lack detail. Hence, teachers do not consistently emphasise the important

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

knowledge. Pupils’ knowledge is then not as deep as it should be in some subjects. Leaders should continue their work in developing the whole-school plans so that teachers have the guidance they need in all subjects. Leaders should also further develop their assessments in foundation subjects so that teachers check on whether pupils remember crucial knowledge.

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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 24–25 May 2016.

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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. 21–22 January 2020

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If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 21–22 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121826 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.thewintertonfederation.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24–25 May 2016

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Information about this school

 This school joined Winterton Church of England Infant School to form The Winterton Federation in January 2019. The two schools share a governing body. Leaders and staff now work across the two schools.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher, senior leaders and other members of staff. I met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body. I also met with a representative from the local authority.  I observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at playtimes and lunchtimes. I gathered pupils’ views about the school through formal and informal discussions.  I scrutinised a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, records of governors’ work and safeguarding documents.  I considered the responses to Ofsted’s parent questionnaire, Parent View, and the staff and pupil survey results. 21–22 January 2020

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 I did deep dives in reading, mathematics and physical education. In doing so, I visited every class and reviewed pupils’ work. I spoke to pupils about their learning and listened to them read. I also met with teachers.

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Inspection team

Karine Hendley, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 21–22 January 2020

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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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