Robin Hood Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Robin Hood Junior School Thorncroft Road, Sutton, Surrey SM1 1RL

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Outcome

Robin Hood Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are delighted to be a part of this school. They see it as a warm, welcoming place where they feel that they belong. Pupils said it is like being part of a big family. Pupils are kept safe. They said that if they have any concerns or worries at all, they can easily talk to any of the adults in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils. They expect pupils to aim high in their learning and behaviour. Pupils behave well, both in and out of lessons. On the rare occasion when bullying occurs, staff deal with it promptly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are articulate and confident. They love playing with their friends in the school’s spacious play areas. They especially enjoy opportunities to learn about plants and bugs in the school’s courtyard and gardens. Across a range of subjects, the curriculum helps pupils to develop their knowledge and be keen to learn more.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders create plenty of opportunities to promote and celebrate diversity. For example, they provide books in the school library which reflect pupils’ cultures, ethnicities and languages. Pupils work well together. They encourage and support each other to complete tasks that their teachers set them.

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

Leaders have put in place a well-thought-out and carefully sequenced curriculum. It is designed to enable pupils to master knowledge before moving on to new learning. Teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to revisit and practise what they have been taught. They check carefully how well pupils learn the knowledge identified in the curriculum. Teachers quickly address any gaps, including by adapting their teaching to meet pupils’ needs. Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well across the curriculum. 8 and 9 December 2022

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Teachers introduce learning in a systematic way. They teach new learning in small and manageable chunks. Teachers focus on helping pupils to develop and remember subject- specific vocabulary. In mathematics, for example, pupils learn the terms ‘commutative’, ‘product’ and ‘factors’ when studying multiplication. Pupils remember these definitions and use their knowledge confidently and accurately to solve different mathematics questions and problems.

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Pupils contribute willingly to lessons. They engage well in discussions and collaborate with each other sensibly. Pupils particularly like working in groups with their peers. Disruptions to learning are rare.

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Leaders prioritise reading. They have invested in a phonics programme to address the needs of pupils who are at the earliest stages of learning how to read. As soon as pupils join the school, teachers check what pupils already know and can do. Staff teach phonics to pupils who are not fluent and accurate readers. They ensure that pupils get suitable opportunities to practise and recap the sounds that they know and have been taught. Nevertheless, a few staff have not been trained to teach phonics. This leads to some occasional inconsistencies in how it is taught. For example, on occasion, some staff do not address pupils’ errors or misconceptions accurately.

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Pupils have a genuine love of reading. They talk enthusiastically about the books that they are reading. Pupils look forward to their regular visits to the popular school library. Staff read to pupils every day and pupils enjoy this time greatly

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Leaders work closely with the neighbouring infant school to find out about pupils with SEND before they join in Year 3. Leaders engage well with parents and carers and with professionals, including therapists, to meet pupils’ needs. Governors support leaders in ensuring that resources are available to secure the best possible outcomes for pupils with SEND.

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Pupils’ broader development is well provided for, including through a carefully planned curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education. Pupils relish the opportunities on offer which aim to develop their leadership skills. Leaders also ensure that pupils get first-hand experiences of how democracy can work in practice. For example, pupils vote for their school council representatives. Pupils said one of the things they like best about the school is the plentiful range of after-school clubs. These are popular and often oversubscribed.

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Staff are happy to work in this school. They said that leaders have an ‘open-door’ policy and are approachable. Leaders have streamlined some of the processes in school to help with reducing staff workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are vigilant. They know pupils and families well. They understand how to identify early warning signs which might indicate that a pupil is at risk, including the signs and 8 and 9 December 2022

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symptoms of abuse, neglect or exploitation. Leaders work closely with external agencies to ensure that those who are at risk, and the most vulnerable, are protected and supported.

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Leaders’ checks on the suitability of staff are rigorous. Staff help pupils to understand how to keep themselves safe at home, at school, and when online. For example, pupils are taught, in an age-appropriate way, about important issues such as privacy and dignity and the dangers of substance misuse.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few staff have not completed their training in delivering the school’s phonics programme. Occasionally, this leads to inconsistencies, particularly in how well staff address pupils’ misconceptions in phonics. This affects how well some pupils build up fluency in reading. Leaders should continue their work to ensure that all staff are trained to deliver the school’s phonics programme effectively.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 8 and 9 December 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. 8 and 9 December 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of the governing body Donna Foster

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 School leaders do 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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held discussions with the headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team.  The inspector met with members of the governing body, including the co-chairs of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, personal, social, health and economic education, and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Other subjects were considered as part of this inspection. 8 and 9 December 2022

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 To inspect safeguarding, the inspector carried out a scrutiny of the school’s single central record of pre-employment checks as well as other documentation. The inspector considered the views of pupils, parents and staff through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Edison David, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 December 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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