Ramnoth Junior School

Inspection of Ramnoth Junior School Ramnoth Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE13 2JB

p.1

Inspection dates: 18 and 19 October 2022

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Inadequate 18 and 19 October 2022

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Ramnoth Junior School are well prepared for the next stage of their education, academically and socially. Expectations of pupils are high. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), show respect and understanding of the wider community the school serves.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the wide offer of first-hand experiences that complement the interesting and varied curriculum. For example, a recent visit to an air museum helped pupils recall historical facts, while a visit to photograph the wetlands provided ideas for pupils’ artwork. Careful planning and delivery of these experiences helps pupils to remember important knowledge and skills.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and enjoy taking on extra responsibilities. This includes helping younger pupils and showing visitors around the school. Pupils are very friendly. Bullying is rare but if it does happen adults respond quickly to sort things out, so pupils feel safe. They use the ‘worry box’ or talk to trusted adults if they have any worries.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Through debates, pupils learn to listen to one another’s views, sharing their own ideas respectfully. Pupils make decisions, for example, about how to help families affected by the war in Ukraine and whether to donate to charities locally.

p.2

better?

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. Plans set out a wide range of knowledge and skills for pupils to gain by the end of Year 6. Leaders have provided training and support to ensure staff typically have the subject knowledge and confidence to deliver plans well. Occasionally, teachers misinterpret aspects of the curriculum when planning tasks to teach the knowledge pupils need. This means that pupils sometimes complete activities that are not the most effective in helping them secure the knowledge leaders want them to know.

p.2

better?

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils have opportunities every day to read a variety of texts. Staff promote a range of authors through inviting displays and reading areas. These include comic book style novels, topical magazines and historical fiction. Pupils at an earlier stage of reading, including those who are new to speaking English, receive daily practise to learn letter sounds and use them to read words. This support works well, so pupils build their confidence and improve their reading fluency.

p.2

better?

Ramnoth Junior is an inclusive school. Pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Additional needs are identified, and the correct support is put in place, so pupils achieve well from their starting points. Where pupils are new to speaking English, they have support from the English as an additional language pupil ambassadors. 18 and 19 October 2022

p.2

3

Effective assessment systems are in place to check pupils’ knowledge. Time is then built into lessons for any extra recapping that is needed. This supports pupils to draw upon what they know and remember what they have learned to apply to new learning.

p.3

3

Most pupils show positive attitudes to learning. Staff are consistent in their use of rewards and warnings, getting the most out of pupils. Pupils enjoy the challenge of ‘getting to gold’ on the behaviour chart. When pupils need support to improve their behaviour, leaders ensure professional advice is sought. Although leaders and staff capture incidents of unacceptable behaviour, the cross-referencing of information from different systems means that arranging additional support for pupils can sometimes take longer.

p.3

3

Pupils’ personal development is promoted well across the curriculum. Trips introduce pupils to places and people outside their local area. Visits to the Royal Opera House and taking part in ‘Young Voices’ enables pupils to showcase their creativity. The wide range of extra-curricular clubs helps pupils find and develop their talents and interests, including bushcraft and art club. As part of the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum, pupils learn about healthy relationships. Staff do not shy away from sensitive issues. Pupils are mature when discussing them.

p.3

3

Trust leaders govern the school well. Their regular visits help school leaders to identify and to continue to make improvements. This support underpins the swift action taken to address the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. Staff feel appreciated. They recognise how leaders ensure staff’s workload is manageable.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that staff are well trained to spot any concerns about pupils. Staff use reporting procedures well and leaders respond to these concerns swiftly. Leaders work with pupils, parents, carers and other agencies to provide families with the support they need.

p.3

Safeguarding

There are clear and effective processes for managing allegations against staff.

p.3

Safeguarding

While pupils are safe, information about behaviour and welfare concerns are recorded across separate systems. Some records are not easily accessible in chronological order. Leaders are in the process of improving their recording system.

p.3

Safeguarding

Pupils are taught to keep themselves and others safe. 18 and 19 October 2022

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Although safeguarding is effective and pupils are kept safe, records relating to pupils’ behaviour and welfare are not cross-referenced as well as they could be. This makes it harder for leaders to identify and put in place additional help to benefit pupils quickly. Leaders should streamline how they and staff capture records relating to pupils’ behaviour and welfare. They must ensure the system focuses on staff recording incidents in a way that leaders can more efficiently monitor the information, so that support for pupils is accessed as quickly as possible.  On occasion, teachers deviate from or misunderstand leaders’ clear curriculum plans. Pupils then complete activities that are not the most effective in helping them learn the important knowledge they need to know. Leaders should ensure all staff have the subject and pedagogical knowledge to teach the curriculum confidently and well.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

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. 18 and 19 October 2022

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10241124 Type of school Junior

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 8 – 9 June 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Ramnoth Junior School became a sponsored academy on 1 October 2013. It is sponsored by the Elliot Foundation Academy Trust.  The school is part of a federation and shares the same school site as Nene Infant & Nursery school. They are inspected as two separate schools.  The head of school has been the acting executive principal over both schools since September 2022.  Leaders and staff work across both schools.  Leaders do not use any alternative providers.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures. 18 and 19 October 2022

p.5

6

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors held meetings with the head of school, the vice principal, other leaders, staff, pupils, the regional director of education for the trust and a trustee.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. In early reading this took the form of listening to pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about PSHE.  As part of the evaluation of the school’s safeguarding processes, inspectors

p.6

6

reviewed the single central register, met with the designated safeguarding leads, reviewed safeguarding files, looked at behaviour and attendance records and spoke with pupils and staff.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documentation, including the school self- evaluation and improvement plan, school policies and minutes from trustees’ meetings.  Inspectors reviewed the 12 responses that were submitted by parents to Ofsted’s online parent questionnaire, Parent View, and considered 10 free-text responses from parents during the inspection. Inspectors also considered 28 responses to the Ofsted staff questionnaire. There were no responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils.

p.6

Inspection team

Isabel Davis, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Jo Nutbeam Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 October 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