Yatton Church of England Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Yatton Church of England Junior School High Street, Yatton, Bristol BS49 4HJ

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Outcome

Yatton Church of England Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Yatton Juniors is a welcoming and inclusive place to learn. Pupils are rightly proud of their school. They can explain how the motto of ‘grow, celebrate and make a difference’ guides them in all they do. Pupils speak positively about the care, help and support they receive from all staff. This makes them feel safe and happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders continue to refine and improve the curriculum. Pupils benefit from rich and varied experiences. An example of this is ‘learning college’ when staff, parents and local groups provide pupils with activities to complement the curriculum. These include bushcraft, animation, cross stitch and origami. Pupils say this helps to develop their interests and talents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well because they know what is expected of them. They follow the ‘be ready, be safe, be respectful’ rules most of the time. Pupils report that if bullying happens, it is dealt with quickly by staff and the anti-bullying ambassadors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders give careful consideration to pupils’ emotional and personal development. They provide personalised support for any pupils experiencing anxiety or trauma. Older pupils carry out roles of responsibility, such as school councillors and mini police, with maturity. They are well prepared for secondary education.

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

Leaders have created a happy and united community. Staff are proud to work at the school. They know that leaders, including governors and trustees, look out for them and care about their workload and well-being. Staff speak highly of the training they receive to develop their expertise. Most parents comment positively on the nurturing and supportive culture.

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

Leaders are prioritising reading. Staff work closely with local experts to improve their subject knowledge. They ensure that extra phonics learning and practice are in place for 25 and 26 May 2022

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the few pupils at the early stage of reading. This improves their confidence to become fluent readers. Pupils talk enthusiastically about reading. Many develop their expressive reading skills by joining in with strategies such as ‘choral reading’.

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Leaders ensure that the mathematics curriculum sets out what pupils need to learn in a sensible order. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They use this well to check pupils’ understanding and challenge misconceptions. Pupils value regular opportunities to recall number facts during ‘flashback’ sessions. They say this helps to cement their learning to become better mathematicians.

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With support from the trust, leaders have introduced a well thought out and ambitious curriculum in many subjects. In history, leaders have mapped out what they intend pupils to learn and in what order. Pupils confidently compare different historical periods. For example, pupils in Year 4 can explain the similarities and differences between Roman and Anglo-Saxon houses. They understand the concepts of invasion and empire across the different periods they study. However, leaders recognise that due to the impact of the national pandemic and staff absence, not all subject leaders have had the opportunity to check how well pupils learn the intended curriculum.

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Leaders understand the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are well-trained. They adapt learning so that pupils can learn the same curriculum as their peers. Specialist staff provide bespoke support to meet pupils’ precise needs, especially for those with social and emotional needs. This helps them to manage their feelings and emotions. However, sometimes planned learning across subjects does not make pupils think hard, including those with SEND. When this happens, pupils do not deepen their understanding as well as they should.

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Leaders provide pupils with many opportunities to learn beyond the formal curriculum. The Yatton values, such as trust and compassion, guide pupils in their personal development. For example, staff ensure that pupils play an active role in the community by writing letters to welcome residents to a new care home. Through assemblies, leaders teach pupils about accepting others and embracing differences. These and many other experiences inspire pupils to be responsible and caring young people.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have effective systems in place to keep pupils safe. Staff receive regular training so they can identify any safeguarding concerns. Leaders act quickly to make sure that pupils and families at risk of harm receive the help they need. Governors provide an extra layer of vigilance by ensuring that appropriate checks are in place for staff recruitment.

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Safeguarding

Pupils recognise different ways to keep themselves safe. For example, they understand not to share personal details online. Pupils know why it is important to report any concerns they have to an adult. 25 and 26 May 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not always provide learning activities that are well matched to the intended curriculum. This limits the opportunities for pupils to build and deepen their knowledge as successfully as they could, including pupils with SEND. Leaders need to ensure that work given to pupils supports the intended learning and reflects the ambitious curriculum.  Not all subject leaders have the precise knowledge of how well pupils are learning their subject. This means they do not know whether pupils have understood what they have been taught. Subject leaders should routinely check how well pupils learn and remember the most important curriculum content.

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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 predecessor school, Yatton Church of England Junior School, to be good on 25–26 April 2017.

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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 .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 25 and 26 May 2022

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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. 25 and 26 May 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10231293 Type of school Junior

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 and 26 April 2017

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Information about this school

 The school converted to become an academy in April 2018. It is part of Lighthouse Schools Partnership. This is a multi-academy trust of primary and secondary schools across North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset.  Yatton Juniors is a church school. At the most recent Section 48 inspection of the school, carried out in 2015, the school was judged to be good.  The school has its own local governing body with delegated responsibilities.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 school leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, other school staff, central trust staff, the chief executive officer and representatives from the board of trustees and local governing body. 25 and 26 May 2022

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector listened to pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 read to an adult.  The inspector reviewed the school’s safeguarding documentation, including safeguarding checks carried out on staff working at the school. The inspectors talked to pupils and staff about how the school keeps everyone safe.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The inspector considered 80 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses, and responses to the pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Dale Burr, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 25 and 26 May 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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