Cavendish Close Junior Academy

Inspection of Cavendish Close Junior Academy Deborah Drive, Chaddesden, Derby, DE21 4RJ

p.1

Inspection dates: 18 and 19 January 2022

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 18 and 19 January 2022

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

At Cavendish Close Junior Academy, staff ensure that the needs of pupils always come first. They know pupils and families well. Pupils say that they are happy and safe at school. They enjoy working and playing together. A typical comment from a pupil was, ‘Teachers are supportive. They help us with hard work.’ Pupils feel that the school’s ‘harmony pledge’ enables them to be ready to learn.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in school is orderly and calm. Pupils are polite and well mannered. In lessons pupils can concentrate and focus on their work. Pupils understand the school rules. They value the rewards and certificates they receive in assemblies for demonstrating the school’s ‘character competencies’. Pupils know what bullying is. They are confident that adults in school will sort out any incidents of behaviour or bullying quickly.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the range of sports clubs on offer. They understand how to stay healthy and how to be safe online and offline. However, pupils are less confident in their understanding of different faiths and cultures.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want all pupils to be ready for their next stage in education. However, some pupils do not attend school regularly enough to benefit fully from the school’s curriculum.

p.2

better?

Leaders have designed a new and ambitious curriculum around the principles of ‘aspire, collaborate and experience’. In all subjects, leaders have ensured that the key knowledge is outlined. Leaders have provided some training for teachers to help them to understand their intentions for the curriculum. The implementation of new curriculum planning is further ahead in some subjects than in others. In mathematics, teachers adapt the learning for pupils who have gaps in their knowledge, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This approach enables teachers to make the right choices in the activities needed to help all pupils, including those with SEND, to know more of the curriculum. This is not the case in all subjects. Leaders have started to address this, but this work is in the early stages.

p.2

better?

Reading is prioritised for all pupils. For pupils who are learning to read, leaders have ensured that they receive a daily session to help them sound out words. Teachers make regular checks on the sounds that pupils have remembered. Pupils receive books that reflect their stage of reading development. Pupils with SEND get extra help with reading.

p.2

better?

Leaders have provided staff with training in the school’s approach to the teaching of reading. Teachers make regular checks to ensure that all pupils read at home and 18 and 19 January 2022

p.2

3

school. Most pupils enjoy reading because they say it helps to develop their imagination and vocabulary.

p.3

3

Pupils learn about healthy relationships. Adults help pupils to understand key ideas such as consent and personal space. However, pupils are less confident in their understanding of diversity, religions and faiths.

p.3

3

Leaders make robust checks to ensure that all pupils attend school. However, some pupils do not attend school well enough.

p.3

3

Leaders from the trust have supported and challenged leaders to ensure that the right improvements are in place. Most parents and carers acknowledge the changes that leaders have brought about. In the words of one parent, ‘This has become a really good school.’ However, pupils with SEND do not consistently receive the most effective teaching to enable them to know more over time.

p.3

3

Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel valued and supported by school leaders. They understand the part they play in ensuring that the school continues to improve. Teachers new to the profession receive support to improve their understanding of effective teaching. In discussion with school leaders, the inspection team agreed that further improvements in attendance, ensuring effective strategies are used to support all pupils with SEND, and improving pupils’ understanding of other cultures and faiths may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular training around safeguarding. Staff understand the different types of abuse and the signs to look for. Leaders ensure that all concerns for safeguarding are recorded accurately. When additional support is needed, leaders respond swiftly. They ensure that attendance, behaviour and safeguarding information is used accurately to keep pupils safe. Leaders foster positive relationships with families. They understand the needs of the community. For example, leaders have ensured that relevant information is sent to parents when any issues around social media occur in the school community.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear from leaders’ actions that they are in the process of bringing this about. Leaders need to complete the process of reviewing the curriculum in all subjects within their identified timescale. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied. 18 and 19 January 2022

p.3

4

 Some curriculum plans are less well developed than others. This means that these pupils, including those with SEND, do not remember enough of the school’s curriculum to catch up over time. Some staff do not make the most effective pedagogical choices to help all pupils, including those with SEND, catch up. Leaders need to ensure that all curriculum planning is of the same high quality across all subjects and that all staff are supported to develop the knowledge and expertise to support all pupils, including those with SEND, to know more of the school’s curriculum and be prepared for their next stage in education.  Several pupils do not attend school regularly. The improvements to attendance seen prior to the pandemic have not been maintained. This means that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. They need to rigorously address absenteeism to ensure all pupils attend school.  Knowledge of other cultures and faiths is less well developed than other aspects

p.4

4

of personal development. Leaders should ensure that the school’s curriculum provides meaningful opportunities to know about other cultures and faiths, so pupils have an appreciation of diversity and difference in British society.

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. 18 and 19 January 2022

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10212015 Type of school Junior

p.5

School details

Website www.cavendish.theharmonytrust.org

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Cavendish Close Junior Academy converted to become an academy school in September 2017. When its predecessor school, Cavendish Close Junior School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  The school joined the Harmony Trust in September 2017.  The current leadership team took up post in September 2020. Significant changes in staff have occurred since the school joined the trust. The trust has recruited a new senior leader for SEND, early reading leader and leader for mathematics.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors held meetings with school leaders and representatives of the trust. Meetings were also held with the special educational needs and disabilities 18 and 19 January 2022

p.5

6

coordinator, the early reading leader and leaders for attendance, behaviour and safeguarding.  In order to judge the quality of education, inspectors focused on specific subjects of the school’s curriculum. This involved meeting with subject leaders, consideration of leaders’ curriculum organisation, visiting lessons, meeting with staff and pupils and sampling pupils’ work. The subjects that were selected for this focus were early reading, mathematics, geography and computing. Aspects of the school’s personal, social, health and economic education programme as well as religious education and art and design were also sampled.  Information on attendance, behaviour logs and safeguarding records, including the school’s single central register, was considered.  Pupils’ behaviour was considered at various times of day, including in lessons, around the school and at lunchtime.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the start of the school day. Pupil, staff and parent

p.6

6

online questionnaires were also reviewed.

p.6

Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Janis Warren Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 January 2022

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