Town Junior School

Inspection of Town Junior School Ebrook Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B72 1NX

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 14–15 January 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

School leaders, governors and staff are ambitious for all pupils. They have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils rise to these expectations. The reading, writing and mathematics curriculum is well developed. As a result, pupils are achieving well in these subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the exciting trips, visitors and activities that teachers plan for them. They are linked to the curriculum. This helps to bring pupils’ learning to life. As a result, pupils are enthusiastic about their lessons and their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy school. They are polite, courteous and respectful to each other and staff. Pupils trust the adults they work with. They say they are well cared for and feel safe. Pupils behave well, know the school rules and follow them. They understand what bullying is and say that when it happens staff deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand how to keep themselves healthy. They learn to do this through assemblies and healthy eating workshops. Pupils enjoy a wide range of sporting clubs. They get the chance to study different cultures. Pupils are encouraged to become thoughtful and responsible citizens.

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better?

Leaders and governors have a good understanding of what the school needs to do to improve. They have high expectations. Leaders have ensured that all aspects of the school have improved since the last inspection.

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better?

Leaders have put together an ambitious curriculum that prepares pupils well for life. Staff are skilled in teaching reading, writing and mathematics. They possess good subject knowledge in these areas due to effective training. The leaders of these subjects have thought carefully about the plans that set out what they want pupils to learn. Teachers help pupils to remember and understand basic skills by ensuring that they put them to use in other subjects.

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better?

Pupils understand and remember what they have learned in history and art from previous years. This is because they practise the skills they have learned in other subjects. For example, when studying Vincent van Gogh, Year 6 pupils use their knowledge of chronology and place his art work on a timeline. They also use this activity to explore how his style of art had changed over time.

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better?

Pupils learn the full range of the national curriculum subjects. Yet, in some subjects the plans leaders have produced do not ensure that all pupils are being taught the full range of knowledge and skills. Leaders are currently reviewing the geography, music and modern foreign languages curriculum to put this right. 14–15 January 2020

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In most curriculum areas, teachers have good subject knowledge. They plan lessons that build on what pupils already know. However, in music, geography and modern foreign languages, teachers’ subject knowledge needs to be improved.

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The school has prioritised reading. Pupils enjoy reading. They say that lots of adults hear them read in school. They are encouraged to read at home. Staff work closely with pupils who struggle with their reading. Staff check the sounds pupils do not know and support them to learn these quickly. This helps pupils to catch up.

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Most subjects are well led. Curriculum leaders have a good understanding of the knowledge and skills that need to be taught. They check to make sure that pupils are learning these in the correct order. However, some curriculum leaders are new to post and are still learning how to do this. Stronger leaders are beginning to support these new leaders to help them improve their subject areas. They need to ensure that pupils are learning the full content of the national curriculum in the correct order.

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Leaders are ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND are fully involved in lessons. Teaching assistants provide them with extra help when required. This means that they are able to join in with the learning with the rest of the pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a strength of the school. Leaders carry out the necessary checks to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Staff and governors have a good understanding of current safeguarding guidance and procedures. This is because they have received appropriate training. Staff know the pupils very well and take prompt action when they have concerns. Safeguarding records are well organised and detailed.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In most subjects, the curriculum is well sequenced and planned. However, this is not the case in all subjects. In music, modern foreign languages and geography pupils do not develop their knowledge and skills as well as they could. Leaders have started to revise the curriculum in these subjects. Leaders need to ensure that pupils’ knowledge and skills are developed well over time in these subjects.  Senior leaders have ensured that most subjects are well led. However, this is not the same across all subjects. Some curriculum leaders do not check that pupils are learning the intended knowledge and skills. This means that some parts of the curriculum are being left out. As a result, pupils are not learning the full content of the planned curriculum. Leaders need to support and develop all 14–15 January 2020

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curriculum leaders so that they make regular checks on pupils’ learning and what is being taught.  Teachers’ subject knowledge in most curriculum areas is strong. However, some teachers are less confident, especially in music, modern foreign languages and geography. This means that pupils are not always taught the full breadth of the curriculum. Leaders need to ensure that teachers receive further training and support to develop their subject knowledge in these areas.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 14–15 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10122465 Type of school Junior

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26–27 September 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Plantsbrook Learning Trust.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with members of the local governing body and the trust board. In addition, we held a conversation with a representative of the national lead in education, who is supporting the school. We met with the executive headteacher of the Plantsbrook Learning Trust.  We held meetings with members of staff, including the headteacher, senior leaders and curriculum leaders.  As part of this inspection, we did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, geography, music, history and art. We made visits to lessons with leaders, checked pupils’ work and spoke with pupils about their learning. We discussed the curriculum in these subjects with teachers and leaders. 14–15 January 2020

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 We checked safeguarding. This involved speaking with leaders, staff, pupils and parents. We checked a sample of relevant school policies, procedures and leaders’ records of checks on the suitability of adults to work in a school.  We held formal and informal meetings with groups of pupils from each year group. We observed pupils’ behaviour, interactions and conduct during lunchtimes and breaktimes.  We considered the views of staff, pupils and parents and carers, shared through the Ofsted surveys. Inspectors also held discussions with parents at the start of the day.

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Inspection team

Kerry Rochester, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Sutton Ofsted Inspector 14–15 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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