Croftlands Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Croftlands Junior School Oakwood Drive, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 9JU

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 September 2022

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Outcome

Croftlands Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that their teachers are supportive and that they make lessons interesting. Pupils told inspectors that they feel happy. Parents typically said that their children enjoy attending school and that they come out smiling every day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), live up to leaders’ high expectations for what they can achieve. In the main, pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well. They are well prepared for the next stages of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All staff have the highest expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils know the rules and try their best to behave well. They are polite and respectful towards each other and adults. Lessons are rarely disrupted by poor behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn a lot about different forms of bullying. If bullying happens, staff act quickly to put a stop to it. Pupils said that this helps them to feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience many opportunities to enhance their wider learning and development. They are suitably prepared for life in modern Britain. For example, pupils learn what it means to be a compassionate citizen. They raise funds for charities and become involved in their local community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking on leadership roles. For example, they become school councillors, librarians and playground leaders. Pupils explained that visiting artists, authors and musicians spark new interests in them.

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that reflects the ambition of the national curriculum. It is sufficiently broad and balanced. The curriculum is generally well organised and it is delivered in a logical order. Leaders are determined that all pupils, including those with 28 and 29 September 2022

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SEND, will achieve their very best. Overall, they are successful in making this happen. For the most part, pupils at Croftlands Junior School learn a great deal of new concepts and topics.

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In most subjects, leaders have ensured that teachers know what subject content to teach and when to teach it. In these curriculum areas, they use assessment systems well to check on pupils’ understanding. Teachers are also quick to address misconceptions. This means that, in the main, pupils build on what they already know and can do as they move through the school.

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Although the curriculum is well planned overall, in a minority of subjects, leaders are finalising the most important knowledge that they want pupils to learn. As the curriculum content is still being defined in a few subjects, the way that teachers assess pupils’ understanding is not as well developed. This means that, in some subjects, leaders do not have a clear enough view of pupils’ learning over time.

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In general, teachers are well trained to deliver the curriculum. They choose appropriate activities to deliver new topics and concepts to pupils.

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Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Teachers also promote a love of reading in everyday lessons. Pupils recommend books that they have enjoyed in ‘book talk’ sessions. They benefit from visiting authors and from participating in events such as World Book Day.

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Teachers act quickly to identify those pupils who are behind with their reading. Leaders have planned a phonics programme which ensures that pupils, at the early stages of reading, learn new sounds in a logical order. Books are closely matched to the sounds that they have learned. This helps them to experience success and develop confidence in reading.

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Leaders ensure that pupils learn to read with accuracy and fluency by the end of key stage 2. They make sure that pupils read regularly, practise often and experience the joy of books.

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Staff are highly skilled in identifying pupils who may have SEND. They work closely with families and specialist professionals to provide high-quality personalised support for each pupil. Teachers skilfully adapt the delivery of the curriculum, and the learning environ- ment, so that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as others .

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Pupils apply themselves to their learning in lessons. When moving around school and in the playground, pupils conduct themselves well. They listen well in lessons, participate enthusiastically with one another and show a keen interest in different subject matter. Learning is seldom interrupted.

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Leaders have planned an effective curriculum with opportunities for pupils’ wider personal development. Curriculum visits, such as field trips in history and geography, enhance pupils’ learning. They learn respect for people’s differences and other faiths and religions. 28 and 29 September 2022

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Governors know the school well. They understand their responsibilities and are not afraid to ask challenging questions to hold leaders to account for the quality of education. Staff appreciate the support leaders and governors provide to protect their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding.

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Safeguarding

All staff receive regular safeguarding training to help them identify pupils who may be at risk. Safeguarding leaders know pupils and their families well. This helps them to be alert to any potential signs of harm or neglect. All staff are aware of what to do if they have any concerns about a pupil. Records show that staff and leaders act on any concerns quickly.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe when using the internet and social media.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not finalised the most important knowledge that they want pupils to learn. Furthermore, in these remaining subjects, the systems to check how well pupils are remembering key content are underdeveloped. Occasionally, this hinders some pupils from building up subject knowledge as securely as they should. Leaders should ensure that teachers are clear about the essential knowledge that pupils should learn across the curriculum. They should also ensure that teachers know how to assess pupils’ learning in these subjects.

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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 an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2017. 28 and 29 September 2022

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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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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 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10226237 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.croftlands-jun.cumbria.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, assistant headteacher and members of staff.  The inspector scrutinised a range of safeguarding documentation, including the single central record. She spoke with staff to check how well they understood their safeguarding responsibilities.  The inspector considered a range of documentation, including leaders’ self-evaluation document and their plans for improvement.  The inspector completed deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. 28 and 29 September 2022

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 The inspector spoke with subject leaders, looked at curriculum documents, and visited lessons. She also spoke with teachers and some pupils about their learning. The inspector observed pupils reading to a member of staff.  The inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority by telephone.  The inspector spoke with parents to gather their views about the school. The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  The inspector spoke with staff to gather their views about their workload and well- being. She considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.  The inspector gathered the views of pupils during the inspection and considered responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Julie Morley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 September 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted 28 and 29 September 2022

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