Wavell Community Junior School

Inspection of Wavell Community Junior School Wavell Road, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire DL9 3BJ

p.1

Inspection dates: 28 and 29 September 2021

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 28 and 29 September 2021

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this school. They talk about how teachers look after them and keep them safe. They have a comprehensive knowledge of how to stay safe online and offline. Pupils are respectful of each other and the adults they work with. Relationships are positive. Pupils told us that bullying is not a problem at their school and parents agree with this.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is good at Wavell Junior School. Most pupils try their best in lessons and are proud of their work. Pupils play together well at breaktime and lunchtime. In the breakfast club and after-school club, pupils are content and actively participate in the activities on offer. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere throughout school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

This school experiences a high proportion of pupil movement. Leaders recognise this. They strive to be a warm and welcoming place for families when they first move to the area. Parents are very appreciative of the support they receive on arrival. Parents of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are particularly positive about the support they receive.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Learning is not as well planned as it could be in all subjects. Some pupils’ reading knowledge is not sufficiently well developed. Because the curriculum is not well planned, in some cases, expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough. Leaders have begun to make changes to address this. This includes a new approach to how the curriculum is organised in order to support pupils to achieve more in all subjects.

p.2

better?

This school has been through a difficult time. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the school community. Much of the school community was deployed as part of the COVID-19 Support Force and a number of families moved away to live with their extended families. The staff team experienced extended periods of absence due to long-term illness.

p.2

better?

The headteacher has worked closely with governors and leaders to stabilise the staff team. Since September, there has been a senior leadership team in place across the federation of the infant and junior schools. Together with the wider school staff, this team is working to make improvements. Staff report that throughout this period of change, the current leadership team has considered their well-being. However, many of these changes are new and have not yet led to improvements in the quality of education that pupils receive.

p.2

better?

The curriculum leader is working with subject leaders to develop curriculum planning across all subjects. In personal, social, and health education (PSHE) and relationships and sex education (RSE), the curriculum is well planned and supports 28 and 29 September 2021

p.2

3

pupils to know and remember more. It prepares them for the next stage in their education. Leaders are using this as a model to develop all subjects.

p.3

3

In subjects, such as mathematics and science, pupils can talk with some confidence about their learning. They answer questions well and use appropriate vocabulary accurately. In other subjects, the curriculum is still in its infancy. Pupils’ knowledge is patchy and disjointed. Lesson visits showed a lack of consistency in the delivery of the curriculum. Monitoring and evaluation of how well the curriculum is planned and implemented are weak.

p.3

3

Leaders are developing the curriculum for reading. Fostering a love of reading is a priority in school. All classes have daily whole-class reading time and each year group has a class novel. Pupils enjoy time reading with their peers and can talk with confidence about the books they have read. They enjoy the opportunities to read longer texts. Leaders are working with the English hub to develop a list of class texts. This will provide pupils with the opportunity to experience higher quality novels and books.

p.3

3

Some pupils join the school with reading skills and knowledge below where they should be. Staff teach these pupils phonics to help them to catch up. However, this is not yet delivered with fidelity to the chosen scheme and is not followed up with appropriate support in the classroom.

p.3

3

The support for pupils with SEND is carefully considered. Pupils can access the curriculum and learn alongside their peers. Pupils have individual plans which are tailored to their needs and support them in making progress. Despite this, expectations of what pupils with SEND can achieve in the classroom are not always ambitious enough.

p.3

3

The PSHE and RSE curriculum is a strength of the school. Leaders monitor this and check pupils’ progression from year to year. As a result, pupils have an appropriate understanding of equality. Leaders are unafraid to adapt this curriculum as needed and address issues as they arise. Pupils are fully prepared socially, emotionally and culturally for the next stage of their education.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders have made sure there is a strong culture of safeguarding to keep pupils safe. All staff are vigilant to possible concerns. Leaders have provided staff with up- to-date training on the latest government guidance. They have a clear understanding of the local risks to pupils, and this is built into their curriculum design in PSHE.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders check pupils’ attendance, behaviour and safeguarding records to spot pupils who might be at risk. Staff develop close relationships with families. They provide 28 and 29 September 2021

p.3

4

help and support as soon as concerns are raised. There are clear systems in place that ensure that every pupil in this school is seen and heard.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is well planned in PSHE, mathematics and science. In other subjects, there is not the structure and detail in place to build pupils’ knowledge and skills. As a result, pupils do not receive a consistently good quality of education. Leaders needs to build on the successful model they have used in PSHE and mathematics. They need to design a curriculum that is carefully sequenced in all subjects. This will support all pupils to achieve the best possible outcomes whenever they start or leave the school.  There are inconsistencies in the leadership of each subject area. In most subjects, leaders have not checked that teachers are delivering the curriculum well enough. This means that pupils are not achieving as well as they might. Subject leaders should monitor the delivery of the curriculum more closely. They should identify weaknesses and provide the right support and training for teachers.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils who have not passed the phonics screening check in key stage 2 are not receiving the help they need quickly enough to improve their reading. Many members of staff do not understand the whole-school approach to teaching pupils to read. Leaders should ensure that all staff receive training in the school’s chosen phonics approach. A sharp focus on early reading is needed to support leaders in implementing the new programme with consistency.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

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 .

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 28 and 29 September 2021

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10200667 Type of school Junior

p.5

School details

Co-chairs of governing body Elaine Richardson and Linda Wilson

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 23 and 24 January 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 This is an average-sized junior school. It federated on 16 July 2019 with Wavell Infant School, which is located on the same school site.

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.5

Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID 19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held meetings with the executive head teacher and the senior leadership team. Inspectors also held meetings with the curriculum leader, subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, the joint co-chairs of the local governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors visited lessons, looked at pupils work and listened to pupils reading to familiar adults in school. 28 and 29 September 2021

p.5

6

 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around school and during lunchtime. An inspector visited the school’s breakfast club and after-school club.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, history and science. Inspectors reviewed curriculum plans for a range of other subjects with school leaders.  Inspectors examined safeguarding records, including the single central record and recruitment checks on staff.  Inspectors considered the views of parents by reviewing the 12 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. They also spoke with parents as they brought their children to school.  Alongside the 16 responses to the online surveys for staff, inspectors also considered views by meeting with various groups of staff.  Alongside the 28 responses to the online surveys for pupils, inspectors also considered views by meeting with single sex and mixed groups of pupils.

p.6

Inspection team

Zoe Lightfoot, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Susan Waugh Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 September 2021

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7