Copley Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Copley Junior School Cadeby Road, Sprotbrough, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN5 7SD

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 January 2022

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Outcome

Copley Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Copley Junior School. They value the learning experiences that the school provides beyond the classroom. On a recent visit to Murton Park, pupils learned about the role of women in the Second World War. Visits like this enthuse pupils and capture their interest. Pupils say that experiences like this bring learning to life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high ambitions for all. Pupils have opportunities to understand how to be good citizens. Leaders care about pupils and encourage them to develop independence. Pupils take on roles of responsibility, such as house captains and ‘mini life coaches’. This helps them to develop their confidence and resilience while helping others. Pupils are polite, articulate and respectful. Their voice is heard in the school and they enjoy sharing their ideas and opinions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is never less than good at this school. At times, behaviour is exceptional. Pupils say that bullying is rare. If it occurs, staff deal with it quickly and fairly. Pupils feel safe. They know that staff will always help and support them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The new headteacher has created a team approach at Copley. Governors and staff are dedicated and determined to improve the school further. They recognise that further detail is needed to ensure that learning is progressive in all subjects. This will help pupils to know and remember more of what they learn.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and staff work hard to make sure that pupils are interested and engaged with learning. In some subjects, such as science and mathematics, there are detailed plans in place. These help teachers to plan lessons that build on prior learning. However, there is still work to do to ensure that plans have sufficient detail to help pupils gain key knowledge in all subjects. Leaders are in the process of bringing this about. They will then be able to accurately assess what pupils know and remember about their learning. 13 and 14 January 2022

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Teachers carefully assess pupils when they enter the school in Year 3. Leaders found that some pupils had joined the school with significant gaps in their learning, due to COVID-19 disruption. Leaders have adapted the curriculum to enable teachers to focus on the key principles in subjects such as mathematics. Further interventions to help pupils catch up are planned. However, staffing changes linked to COVID-19 mean that these do not always take place. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same ambitious curriculum as other pupils. Teachers adapt tasks to support individual needs. This helps all pupils to achieve well.

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Some pupils at the earliest stages of reading are struggling with phonics. Leaders are in the process of introducing a new phonics programme. This is so that staff who teach early reading can do so effectively and consistently across school. All pupils have daily reading lessons and are encouraged to talk about books. Leaders are supporting teachers to identify texts to aid the development of fluency across the school.

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Leaders have introduced a new curriculum to help prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils have started to learn about topics such as gender, disability and ethnicity. Leaders have identified people who have overcome adversity to reach the top of their professions. These include people such as Marissa Mayer in computing and Stephen Hawking in science. Teachers use these people, along with the school’s links to past winners of the Copley Medal, to raise pupils’ aspirations.

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Pupils are encouraged to learn how to be good citizens through fundraising linked to charities or by raising eco awareness. They plan and organise events to inform parents about planting trees or about the impact of cars on the climate. Parents recognise the importance of these causes; however, some feel that the events take place too often and can prove to be expensive.

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New leaders in the school are very keen to make further improvements. They are driven and determined. Governors recognise the importance of supporting staff to manage their workload. Leaders value the support that they have received from the local authority to develop the curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders promote a culture which ensures that safeguarding is strong and effective in the school. Staff know pupils well and work together to ensure that they are safe. Any concerns are quickly reported and dealt with appropriately. Good use is made of external support when it is appropriate. Parents say that the school cares for the families and have gone over and above to support them through the pandemic.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves mentally and physically healthy. There are specific opportunities, such as road safety lessons and e-safety lessons, in which they learn how to protect themselves in the world beyond school. Pupils respect others and know that it is important to talk to adults about worries or concerns. 13 and 14 January 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders are reviewing all of the subjects in the curriculum. Due to delays caused by the pandemic, not all subject planning identifies the key knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn. However, it is clear from leaders’ actions that they are in the process of bringing this about. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied. Leaders should ensure that all subject plans include the essential knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember.  Assessment does not always identify what pupils know and remember in some subjects. This means that teachers do not fully understand what pupils have or have not remembered over time. Leaders should ensure that assessment systems reflect the knowledge taught in the curriculum and that teachers use this information to extend learning.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 . 13 and 14 January 2022

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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. 13 and 14 January 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 April 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has undergone significant changes in staffing since the last inspection. The headteacher was appointed in September 2021 and the deputy headteacher joined the school in January 2022.  There have been other changes in staffing at all levels since September 2021 and the school has found recruitment difficult.  The school uses one alternative provider that is registered.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy and assistant headteachers, the special educational needs coordinator, the designated safeguarding lead, subject leaders and governors, including the chair of the governing body. A meeting was also held with the local authority school improvement partner. 13 and 14 January 2022

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 Deep dives were carried out in reading, mathematics and history. These included meetings with the subject leaders, lesson visits and a scrutiny of pupils’ work. The inspector also met with pupils to discuss their learning and observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The inspector checked the school’s safeguarding arrangements and school records. Meetings with leaders of safeguarding were held to look at policies and case studies.  A range of documents were scrutinised, including leaders’ self-evaluation, improvement and curriculum plans. The inspector also looked at the school website. Minutes from meetings of the governing body were checked.  The inspector spoke with parents during the inspection. She considered responses, including free-text comments, to the Ofsted Parent View online questionnaire. The responses to the staff questionnaire and pupils’ questionnaire were also considered.

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Inspection team

Andrea Batley, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 January 2022

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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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