Norwood Green Junior School

Inspection of Norwood Green Junior School Thorncliffe Road, Southall, Middlesex UB2 5RN

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The previous ‘outstanding’ judgement reflected the school’s overall effectiveness in February 2010 under the relevant inspection framework at that time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

The new judgement of ‘good’ reflects the current inspection framework as well as any changes at the school since the last inspection.

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Overall effectiveness Good

The school has not been inspected for ten years, which is longer than the five-year maximum interval between inspections. Changes in school effectiveness may have happened at any point in that period. The long time between inspections is because the law changed in 2011; it made outstanding schools exempt from routine inspection. 10–11 March 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where leaders put a high priority on the well-being of pupils and staff. Relationships between adults and pupils are warm and caring. Staff have high expectations for pupils. Pupils are a delight to talk to. They are highly respectful and value the many opportunities available in the school. Pupils take their responsibilities seriously.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and pupils enjoy being part of a diverse community. Those from different backgrounds are respected and included. For example, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) participate fully in school life. For example, pupils with hearing impairment learn and play alongside their peers. Many pupils praised the ‘atmosphere’ across the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave extremely well. They follow very clear routines and love to share their learning. The school’s behaviour system is understood throughout the school. Pupils shared their enthusiasm to gain ‘privilege points’. This helps them to strive for their best. All pupils spoken to said that they felt safe. When incidents of bullying do occur, leaders have very clear procedures on how to deal with these. Pupils said that staff were quick to deal with any incidents when they occurred. However, a minority of parents shared that leaders did not resolve issues they raised as well as they expected.

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better?

Pupils’ knowledge in English and mathematics is strong. These subject plans are well thought out. Leaders know what pupils need to learn and when. Staff place an increased focus on developing pupils’ vocabulary. This helps pupils to use sophisticated language in their writing. In mathematics, pupils have strong calculation skills. Staff encourage pupils to use different strategies. Pupils’ outcomes in these subjects at the end of key stage 2 have remained high.

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better?

Pupils read regularly. The school’s recent initiative to raise the profile of ‘recommended reads’ is popular. Pupils shared the names of their favourite authors and books. Pupils who need extra help in their reading receive effective support, including those pupils with SEND. Teachers help these pupils to read challenging texts. Careful questioning helps pupils deepen their understanding of characters, vocabulary and story plots. However, a minority of the lower-ability pupils do not have enough opportunities to read books using their phonics knowledge to decode words. This limits these pupils’ reading fluency.

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better?

The development of foundation subjects has not been as high a priority until recently. These subjects are not as well developed as those in English and mathematics. Leaders have recognised this and have started to improve the planning for these subjects. As a result, pupils’ experiences in these subjects are 10–11 March 2020

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increasingly stronger. For example, Year 6 pupils shared the causes of the Second World War and the role of ‘propaganda’. In science, pupils showed strong knowledge and understanding of scientific enquiry. However, pupils’ knowledge and understanding across different subjects are inconsistent across the school.

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Leaders have clear plans to improve the provision in foundation subjects. Newly appointed subject leaders take their responsibilities seriously. Leaders help subject leaders by providing professional development, including the use of external specialists. However, subject leaders are at an early stage of development. Their precision in evaluating the impact of their own recent work is variable.

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Governors, leaders and staff place a high emphasis on pupils’ well-being. Pupils’ personal development is excellent. They are encouraged to be actively involved in issues that affect the whole community. For example, they reflect maturely on the issue of litter in the wider community. Pupils have a very strong understanding of those with different views and beliefs to their own. They take their responsibilities very seriously. Pupils can have many roles, including as prefects and playground leaders. These pupils are proactive in helping others to ‘solve problems’ should they arise. Pupils value opportunities to take part in visits and sporting competitions. They enjoy their learning about strategies to manage their anxiety levels.

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Staff praise the positive culture at the school. They said that senior leaders placed great importance on the staff’s workload. Staff value leaders’ ‘open door’ policy. They feel lucky to work at the school and are unanimous in their support for leaders’ actions to keep morale high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Governors and leaders have a strong understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. Leaders understand about the potential risks in the community. They work proactively to deal with these. For example, leaders took action to make staff and pupils aware of domestic violence. Leaders support vulnerable families effectively with additional help when required.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about keeping safe. For example, they know about the dangers of gangs, smoking and inappropriate use of social media. Many pupils shared that writing to a ‘special adult’ helped them to feel safer. This initiative is designed to make sure each pupil can share a concern with a member of staff if the need arose.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced in foundation subjects. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to plan next year’s curriculum and train staff in how to deliver it 10–11 March 2020

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that they are in the process of bringing this about. For this reason, the transition arrangement has been applied in this case. Leaders should ensure that these subject plans are all started from September 2020.  Most pupils read widely and often. However, a minority of the lower-ability pupils do not have enough opportunities to read books using their phonics knowledge. As a result, these pupils do not develop their reading fluency. These pupils benefit from phonics sessions, but not as often as is required. Leaders should ensure that these pupils have regular opportunities to develop their reading fluency and increased opportunities to practise their phonics.  Subject leaders are mostly new to their roles. They understand their priorities well and have opportunities to monitor their plans. However, the plans are at an early stage of development. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders are supported

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so that they can evaluate the implementation of their plans with precision.  Most parents are positive about how the school deals with any concerns that they raise. A minority of parents feel that leaders do not resolve issues as well as they should. Leaders must ensure that they work more proactively with these parents so that their issues are resolved effectively.

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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. 10–11 March 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10110514 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection The predecessor school was inspected in February 2010

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Information about this school

 The school converted to an academy in July 2013. The predecessor school was judged as outstanding.  The current headteacher was appointed shortly after the predecessor school’s inspection.  Since the predecessor school’s inspection, the school expanded from a three-form to four-form entry per year.  The school operates a ‘Centre for the Deaf’, which caters for pupils with profound and severe hearing impairment. There are 11 pupils in the provision, who also attend mainstream classes.  The school uses no alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act. 10–11 March 2020

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 We met with the headteacher, deputy headteachers, senior leaders and subject leaders. We held a meeting with a group of governors. A representative from the local authority held a meeting with an inspector.  We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, geography, writing and art. This included meeting with subject leads, visiting lessons and holding discussions with staff and pupils. We also considered other subjects as part of this inspection.  We checked the school’s documentation, including information relating to safeguarding, bullying and attendance.  We met with pupils across the school, formally and informally, to discuss their work and gather their views about behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

Noeman Anwar, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Daniel-John Constable Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Colenso Her Majesty’s Inspector 10–11 March 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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