The Annunciation RC Junior School

Inspection of a good school: The Annunciation RC Junior School The Meads, Burnt Oak, Edgware HA8 9HQ

p.1

Outcome

The Annunciation RC Junior School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a section 5 inspection now. The school's next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and kept safe. They have high standards of their own and others’ behaviour. Consequently, behaviour during lessons, when moving around the school and when outside in the playground is strong. Pupils appreciate teachers always being there to help them if they need it. Bullying is rare. It is dealt with effectively if it does occur.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers have high expectations for all pupils , including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They want everyone to achieve well. A clearly planned and structured curriculum enables all learners to make good progress from their starting points.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. They work hard, whether on their own or with friends. Secure practices across all lessons with, for example, routines and assessment ensure that pupils understand expectations. As a result, they show remarkable responsibility and independence with their learning and are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the wide range of clubs on offer. They appreciate the opportunities provided to take on extra responsibility, such as representing their class within the school parliament. They take their work as lunch time monitors very seriously. Pupils enjoy the community ethos the school provides. As one said, ‘We are one big happy family’.

p.1

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

Behaviour is exemplary. High expectations ensure the importance of good behaviour is understood. Pupils are responsible, respectful and behave well. This strong behaviour, alongside established routines, enables teachers to teach and pupils to learn without interruption. 21 and 22 June 2022

p.1

2

Leaders have developed a broad and balanced curriculum. In mathematics, art and design, history, geography, computing, and design and technology, it matches, and in some areas exceeds, expectations nationally. Subject leaders are highly knowledgeable. They have identified the essential key knowledge to be learned from Years 3 to 6. This is broken down into small, well-sequenced steps, to build on previous learning and help pupils learn more over time. For example, in geography, pupils easily recall previous knowledge around map work and can relate this to new learning.

p.2

2

Teachers have detailed subject knowledge because of regular, subject-specific training and mentoring. Curriculum plans are detailed. They provide teachers with all the information they need to deliver their lessons effectively. Pupils are regularly prompted to recall their previous learning, to help them understand their current learning. Teachers continually check what has been learned. Those with misunderstandings or gaps in their knowledge are given additional help to make sure they are prepared for the next lesson. As a result, pupils keep up, remember what they have learned and deepen their understanding over time. For example, in history, pupils learn about legacy in ‘cause and consequence’ lessons. This learning is further deepened in mathematics, with reminders of when mathematical concepts were first seen in the past.

p.2

2

Leaders want all pupils to be confident, independent readers. Recent changes have been made to support consistency and transition from the infant feeder school. Those who teach reading are well trained. Pupils who still need to develop reading fluency have daily phonics sessions. Books used to teach these pupils are appropriately matched to the sounds they know. This is to make sure they catch up. A love of reading is evident across the school. Two well-resourced libraries support both the teaching of reading and reading for pleasure. Classroom doorway entrance displays provide a welcome that is focused on key books and authors. All pupils spoken to say they love reading.

p.2

2

Pupils with SEND access the same learning as their peers. Well-considered, effective adaptations within the established routines enable pupils to access all learning with a high degree of independence. As a result, those with SEND make progress in line with others.

p.2

2

Pupils’ wider development is prioritised. Leaders want to develop caring, responsible global citizens. They expect understanding, acceptance and respect for equality and diversity. This is realised, and well developed within school culture. Leaders also ensure that teaching of important personal, social and health content is tailored to pupil need. For example, pupils are taught about appropriate touch and consent. They know how to keep safe online.

p.2

2

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about leaders’ support with their workload. This includes the detailed plans and professional development internally. Staff feel listened to and valued. 21 and 22 June 2022

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Staff are well trained and consequently can identify concerns when they arise. These are reported quickly. Leaders know families well. They work with a range of external agencies to get families the help they need.

p.3

Safeguarding

The curriculum has been developed to give pupils the knowledge to make safe decisions. Leaders know that gang affiliation presents a risk locally, so have provided workshops to mitigate this risk. Pupils also link other learning, with remarkable maturity. For example, a group of year 5 and 6 pupils said they feel that learning about the reliability of sources in history would support them to identify whether information is reliable in a modern-day context with grooming and gangs.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2017.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.3

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 . 21 and 22 June 2022

p.3

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. 21 and 22 June 2022

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10228196 Type of school Junior

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

Head of School

Website www.theannunciationschools.co.uk/

p.5

Head of School

Date of previous inspection 25 and 26 April 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized junior school.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.  The school federated with an infant school in the diocese in February 2022. The headteacher is now the executive headteacher of both schools.  The school also has a head of schools, who is also the head of both schools within the new federation.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school’s last Section 48 inspection was in November 2018. 21 and 22 June 2022

p.5

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 their evaluation.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, the head of schools, subject leaders and members of staff. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority, and met with three governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also looked at curriculum plans and samples of pupils’ work for geography, art and design, design and technology, and computing.  The inspector looked at a range of documents, including leaders’ priorities for

p.6

Information about this inspection

improvement.  The inspector reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising records and through discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered through discussions, and Ofsted’s surveys were considered.

p.6

Inspection team

Samantha Ingram, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector 21 and 22 June 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