Thames View Junior School

Inspection of Thames View Junior School Samuel Ferguson Place, Bastable Avenue, Barking, Essex, IG11 0LG

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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 3 and 4 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They said that leaders and staff have helped the school to get better and better. The school’s motto, ‘Striving for excellence’, reflects this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders expect all pupils to achieve well. Leaders make their high expectations clear to both pupils and staff. In most subjects, this has helped to improve pupils’ learning considerably. Pupils respond well to these high expectations and work hard. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. This includes pupils who attend the additional resourced provision. Staff adapt tasks and resources to help pupils with SEND to learn successfully alongside their peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well, both in lessons and at breaktimes. Leaders have improved the activities that are available for pupils in the playground. Playtimes are fun and well organised. Pupils enjoy the wide range of games on offer and get along well with each other. Pupils are taught about bullying and unkind behaviour. They said that bullying sometimes happens. However, staff deal with issues quickly. Pupils said that they talk to teachers or use the worry boxes if they feel unhappy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like being given responsibilities as school councillors and play leaders. They are proud to take an active role in supporting each other, both in the playground and in the classroom.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is broad and well sequenced. They routinely adapt and further improve curriculum plans. Leaders make sure that learning builds on what pupils already know and prepares them for what they need to learn next. Leaders’ effective curriculum planning enables pupils to make links between the knowledge they study in different subjects. This allows pupils to deepen their understanding and gives them a rich curriculum experience.

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better?

Staff and leaders use assessment effectively. They find out where gaps in pupils’ understanding are. This approach has been particularly helpful following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders quickly identified that some pupils’ understanding of important concepts was not fully secure, for example in mathematics. Leaders have adapted planning to ensure that these gaps are swiftly addressed.

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better?

Staff assess pupils’ phonics knowledge regularly. They know which pupils need additional help to be able to read confidently. Through the well-planned phonics programme, teaching focuses on building up pupils’ knowledge of letters and sounds, based on their needs and starting points. The books pupils use to practise reading are well matched to their phonic knowledge. Pupils quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident and fluent readers. Staff also 3 and 4 November 2021

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help to develop a love of stories and books through shared reading times. However, some pupils who find reading challenging do not enjoy reading at home. Leaders and staff are working with families, for instance by running workshops, to help develop pupils’ enthusiasm for reading.

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Staff are skilled in adapting teaching and resources for pupils with SEND. These pupils access the same subject content as their peers, but with additional, well- planned support.

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Pupils spoke enthusiastically about their work in all subjects. In history, for example, pupils can remember and connect significant dates and events from the historical periods that they have studied. However, in a small number of subjects the planned programmes of learning are not as well developed. Curriculum plans do not map out the steps that pupils need to take in order to extend and deepen their learning over time.

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The provision for pupils’ personal development is shaped by the school’s values. These values, such as perseverance and compassion, are woven through lessons and assemblies. Pupils aim to put these values into practice. For example, they behave well and try hard in lessons. They are also keen to help others by organising fundraising events for charities. Pupils also learn about their rights and responsibilities, both in school and beyond, for instance through learning about democracy and respecting others’ views.

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Leaders have reviewed their systems for managing pupils’ absence. This has resulted in a noticeable improvement in pupils’ attendance.

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Leaders continue to work on strengthening how they communicate with families. Many parents and carers commented on leaders’ positive work to improve the school. That said, some parents would like clearer communication from leaders about the improvements that have been made.

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Staff have benefited from training to improve their expertise in leading and teaching the curriculum. There have been many changes in the school over recent years. Staff are typically very supportive of leaders’ work to improve the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular safeguarding training and updates, for example through weekly briefings. This ensures that they can identify possible signs of abuse or harm. Staff report any concerns quickly. Safeguarding leaders follow the latest government guidance when recruiting staff or dealing with any safeguarding concerns.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work closely with external agencies. They seek out effective ways to support pupils. Leaders arrange for external organisations to speak with pupils about how they can stay safe in and out of school. 3 and 4 November 2021

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Pupils said that they feel safe. They know how to keep themselves safe, including online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not defined precisely the knowledge that they want pupils to learn. As a result, teaching is not focused sharply on the essential knowledge that leaders expect pupils to know and remember. Leaders should refine curriculum plans in these subjects. They should make sure that teachers know exactly what knowledge is most essential for pupils to learn and remember in the long term.  Strengthening communication with families is a key priority for leaders. Although much has been done, some parents feel it could be better. Leaders should continue to develop ways of building strong relationships with families. This includes making sure that expectations for the curriculum and pupils’ learning are shared consistently and that parents know how they might support the school’s work.

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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.

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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. 3 and 4 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200573 Type of school Junior

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School details

Headteacher Helen Williams (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16–17 January 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Partnership Learning, a multi-academy trust which comprises 12 schools. The school joined the academy trust in 2015.  An existing governor was appointed as the chair of the governing body in July 2021.  The executive headteacher was appointed to this substantive post in October 2021. The governing body has also appointed a new headteacher who will join the school in January 2022.  Leaders make use of one registered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation. 3 and 4 November 2021

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteachers and members of staff. Inspectors also met with members of the academy trust and the governing body.  Inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, music, history, and personal, social, health and economic education. For each of these subjects, inspectors held discussions with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with staff and pupils and looked at pupils’ work. Inspectors also considered the curriculum for other subjects.  Inspectors spoke with parents and considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the written comments from parents.  Inspectors spoke with pupils and staff about the school’s work to keep pupils safe. Inspectors also considered safeguarding records, documentation and the single central record of staff suitability checks.

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Inspection team

Adam Vincent, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Teresa Neary Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 November 2021

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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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