Glebe Junior School

Inspection of Glebe Junior School Hamlet Lane, South Normanton, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 2JB

p.1

Inspection dates: 20 and 21 October 2021

p.1

Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Inadequate Previous inspection grade Good 20 and 21 October 2021

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Weaknesses in the school’s safeguarding arrangements mean that pupils who potentially need help or protection are not supported. Safeguarding records are poor. It is not always clear what further actions staff have taken when concerns about pupils’ welfare have been raised. Not all staff have a good-enough understanding of the latest safeguarding guidance. Some safeguarding incidents are not treated with the importance that they should be.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They say that they feel safe. They behave well. They like the variety of clubs and trips that are on offer. Pupils enjoy receiving rewards for good work. They say that bullying is rare. They have a positive attitude to their education. They work hard. Staff have high expectations for all pupils. This includes disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers do not always plan tasks that help pupils to develop their knowledge and skills. Pupils develop gaps in their knowledge because of this.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents and carers have positive views of the school. One parent summed up the views of others in saying, ‘My child comes home and enjoys talking about her learning. She has enjoyed many enrichment activities. She can't wait to go on the residential next year.'

p.2

better?

In most subjects, the curriculum is well planned. In history, for example, links have been made with the infant schools to help teachers understand what pupils have previously learned. Pupils then build on this historical knowledge in Year 3 and beyond. In mathematics, pupils are introduced to addition and subtraction in Year 3. They are well prepared for the Year 5 topic of statistics. In some subjects there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge that have not yet been spotted. Pupils do not have a secure foundation of knowledge to build on. Teachers do not always implement the curriculum well. Sometimes the activities that they plan do not match the intended learning. For example, some art lessons are ‘one-off’ lessons that do not help pupils to improve their artistic skills. Pupils are not able to learn more and remember more in this subject.

p.2

better?

Teachers make sensible use of assessment to inform their teaching. The tests at the start and end of the units of work tell teachers what pupils have remembered. Shorter, more frequent tests help pupils to recall what they have recently learned.

p.2

better?

The teaching of phonics and reading is a priority and a strength. There is a consistent approach to teaching reading throughout the school. This matches the approach that is taken at the infant schools. Pupils enjoy reading many different books and texts. There are numerous books to choose from in the new library. Staff make sure that pupils’ reading books match the phonic sounds they are learning. Pupils’ reading books are at the correct level of challenge. Pupils enjoy listening to 20 and 21 October 2021

p.2

3

their teachers reading the class reading books. For the most part, teachers and teaching assistants support pupils with SEND well.

p.3

3

Pupils have positive attitudes to school. They behave well. Low-level disruption is rare. Lessons run smoothly. There are appropriate routines at lunchtime. Pupils’ attendance is good. Too many pupils, particularly in Year 3 and Year 4, do not arrive on time. They miss the start of the day and part of the first lesson.

p.3

3

Pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils discuss current affairs in the ‘thought of the week’ assembly. There is a wide variety of after-school clubs and activities. Pupils make good use of these. Leaders are working towards a mental health award. This work is helping pupils to regulate their own behaviour and to understand their feelings. The ‘Glebe way’ motivates pupils to grow, learn, enjoy, believe and encourage others.

p.3

3

The school’s leadership and management have many strengths. Despite some failings, many aspects of school life are working well. Governors do not receive sufficient information from school leaders. Members of the governing body are, therefore, not able to hold leaders fully to account for their actions.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders have not created a culture of vigilance. Staff do not fully understand the signs that a pupil may be at risk. Staff have had some safeguarding training. Not all staff have an up-to-date knowledge of current practice. This includes sexual harassment, peer-on-peer abuse and sexual violence. The safeguarding policy does not contain the latest safeguarding guidance. The procedures for recording and following up safeguarding concerns are not robust. Leaders do not routinely record the actions they take when concerns are raised. Pupils are potentially at risk.

p.3

Safeguarding

The governing body has not ensured that the school’s safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements.

p.3

Safeguarding

Procedures for the safe recruitment of staff are secure.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not made sure that the procedures for keeping children safe meet statutory requirements. Staff training is not robust. Record-keeping is weak. Staff do not acknowledge the seriousness of some incidents. Pupils are potentially at risk. Leaders must take rapid steps to ensure that all of the statutory requirements for safeguarding are met. They must ensure that all staff have up- 20 and 21 October 2021

p.3

4

to-date safeguarding knowledge and understand their responsibilities in recording the actions they take when a concern arises.  Governors do not meet their statutory duties, including those to make sure that the pupils are kept safe. They do not receive all the right information that they need in order to hold leaders fully to account for their actions. The governing body should ensure that they meet their legal requirements in the safeguarding of pupils and that they have the right information to be able to hold the school leaders fully to account for their actions.  In some subjects, such as religious education and computing, leaders have planned what they want pupils to know and when. However, the implementation of the curriculum is not fully embedded. There are gaps in pupils’ knowledge that teachers are not aware of. Leaders should ensure that teachers check pupils’ knowledge to ensure that the content builds on what pupils have learned before.

p.4

4

 There is no curriculum in place for art. There is no plan to show how pupils’ knowledge and skills will develop as they move through the school. Leaders must ensure that there is a curriculum in place so that pupils’ knowledge develops as they move through the school. They should make sure that this curriculum builds on what pupils have learned previously.  Sometimes the activities that pupils are asked to complete do not match the intended learning. Cross-curricular links sometimes result in the intended learning being missed. Leaders must ensure that the tasks pupils are asked to complete match the intended learning outcome, so that pupils’ knowledge and skills build effectively in all subjects.  Too many pupils arrive late in the morning. They consistently miss the beginning of the school day. They are, therefore, not punctual to the first lesson and miss some of their learning as a result. Leaders should ensure that pupils and parents

p.4

4

understand the importance of pupils arriving to school on time every day.

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. 20 and 21 October 2021

p.4

5

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. 20 and 21 October 2021

p.5

School details

Inspection number 10199758 Type of school Junior

p.6

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.6

School details

Chair of governing body Walter Greensmith

p.6

School details

Date of previous inspection 11 and 12 May 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.6

Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in September 2018.  The school does not use the services of any alternative providers.

p.6

Information about this inspection

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

p.6

Information about this inspection

This was the first 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.

p.6

Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held various meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. A telephone conversation was held with a representative from the local authority. 20 and 21 October 2021

p.6

7

A meeting was held with four members of the governing body, including the vice- chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in phonics and early reading, mathematics, computing and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  A meeting was held to discuss the school’s safeguarding arrangements. Training certificates were checked, and safeguarding records were scrutinised. Inspectors asked staff about their safeguarding training and the safeguarding procedures at the school. The single central record was checked.  Inspectors spoke with pupils from all year groups and observed them during social times.  There were 78 responses to the questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and to

p.7

7

Ofsted’s parent free-text service that were taken into consideration.

p.7

Inspection team

Peter Stonier, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

p.7

Inspection team

Janis Warren Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 October 2021

p.7

8

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.8

8

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.8

8

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.8

8

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

p.8

8

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

p.8