Shelton Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Shelton Junior School Shelton Junior School, Carlton Avenue, Shelton Lock, Derby, Derbyshire DE24 9EJ

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Outcome

Shelton Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are at the heart of Shelton Junior School. Leaders have raised ambitions for what pupils can achieve. High expectations permeate throughout the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a calm, orderly and purposeful atmosphere. Pupils value the clear expectations and the ‘corridor code’. They are keen to show the ‘Shelton standard’ in lessons. Disruption is rare. Pupils stay on task and respond readily to their teachers’ questions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that leaders and staff care for their well-being and happiness. Leaders consider pupils’ views when making changes. For example, pupils asked to be able to use the extensive grounds during playtimes. They now enjoy a wider range of activities as a result. Whether they are on the football pitch, in the reading hut or the ‘eureka room’, pupils play and get on well together. Pupils say that unkind behaviour, such as bullying, is rare and is always dealt with.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many wider opportunities for pupils. Staff provide a wide range of clubs. There are exciting trips and events. Sports day included a family picnic lunch.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, parents and staff speak with pride about Shelton Junior. They said that, ‘the school has become an amazing place to learn and achieve’.

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

Leaders have created a curriculum that inspires and motivates pupils. They enrich the curriculum with exciting event days. They spark pupils’ ambition. Pupils learn from special visitors and experts. Leaders have set out the important things they want pupils to learn over time. They have identified the core knowledge and skills that will help pupils to be successful beyond school. 28 and 29 June 2022

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Teachers have good subject knowledge and present information clearly. They check that pupils remember what they learned in previous lessons. Through their assessments, teachers identify some of the gaps in pupils’ knowledge. However, teachers do not always address these learning gaps. They do not always build successfully on what pupils already know. Sometimes, pupils do not have the opportunity to fully grasp new learning. This prevents them from developing a deep understanding of the things that they are learning about.

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Leaders are determined that pupils develop a love of reading and gain the necessary skills. Teachers read to pupils every day. They carefully select texts that captivate pupils. They help pupils learn the meaning of many new words to add to their vocabulary. Staff regularly listen to pupils read. Some pupils have weaker reading skills. Leaders have made some changes to how they teach reading. They quickly identify pupils’ difficulties and provide extra help. Pupils continue to learn phonics to help them catch up. For the weakest readers, this is not as effective as it could be. Leaders are introducing a more systematic approach to the teaching of phonics. They are developing staff expertise.

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Leaders are equally ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These pupils are supported to access the same curriculum as other pupils effectively. In lessons, adults provide timely help and support. Leaders make sure that pupils’ difficulties are accurately identified. They put in place suitable support plans. Parents appreciate that leaders, ‘think outside the box’ to provide personalised support.

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Pupils’ personal development is at the heart of the curriculum. Staff inspire and encourage pupils to be resilient, collaborative, reflective and curious. Pupils learn to be inclusive and show respect for everyone. They enjoy learning about different cultures and religions. Pupils learn how to be responsible citizens, including through roles on the school council. Leaders encourage pupils to lead healthy lives by starting the day with breakfast and running the ‘daily mile’. They worked with parents to develop appropriate relationships and sex education.

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In spite of leaders’ best efforts, some pupils do not attend school regularly enough.

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Leaders understand the school’s strengths and priorities for improvement. They have supported new subject leadership teams to develop the curriculum. Leaders consider staff well-being and work in ways that support staff to manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils’ safety is everyone’s priority. Leaders train staff on the most up to date risks, putting these at the forefront of their minds. Pupils learn how to stay safe. They are confident to talk to staff about their worries. Leaders and staff know pupils well. They refer concerns appropriately. Through the family ‘breakfast bagel bar’, leaders have built supportive links with families. They make sure families get the right support. 28 and 29 June 2022

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Leaders make the necessary checks on adults at the school to ensure that they are safe to work with children.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is at an early stage of implementation in some subjects. Leaders have not made sure that teachers fully know and understand what they want pupils to learn. This means that teachers do not routinely plan learning that builds on what pupils already know. As a result, pupils do not always learn as well as they could in some subjects. Leaders should further support teachers in the implementation of the curriculum so that pupils across the different year groups know and remember more and can make secure connections with what they have learned previously.  Leaders have not developed a systematic enough approach for teaching phonics to pupils who have fallen behind with reading. A small number of pupils do not get the right help to become fluent readers. Leaders should make sure that they implement a rigorous and sequential approach for teaching phonics. They should make sure that staff receive the necessary training to deliver it effectively.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A very small number of pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means that they miss crucial opportunities to catch up on missed learning and to achieve well. Leaders should take further steps to work with their families to improve the attendance for these pupils.

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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 on 2 and3 November 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. 28 and 29 June 2022

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The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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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. 28 and 29 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211586 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2 and 3 November 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, there have been significant changes in the leadership of the school. The headteacher took up post in September 2019.  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 leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and groups of staff and pupils. The inspector met with four representatives of the governing body and spoke to a representative of the local authority.  The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the written comments from parents. The inspector also spoke with several parents. 28 and 29 June 2022

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 To inspect safeguarding, the inspector spoke with parents and pupils. She scrutinised documents that the school keeps and spoke with leaders and staff.  The inspector took account of responses to the staff survey and pupil survey.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. Inspection activities included discussions with curriculum leaders about their curricular thinking, lesson visits and discussions with both teachers and pupils about learning. The inspector also looked at plans for other curriculum subjects.

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Inspection team

Claire Stylianides, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 June 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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