Lionwood Junior School

Inspection of Lionwood Junior School Wolfe Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 4HT

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 February 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 22 and 23 February 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Positive relationships flow through Lionwood Junior school. Pupils know that adults care deeply about them. Pupils are well looked after. Their social and emotional needs are met. Pupils live up to the high expectations adults have of them. A culture of mutual respect shines through.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ positive behaviour ensures that the school is a calm and purposeful place. Typically, pupils get on well with one another and enjoy spending time with their friends. Although bullying is rare, if it does happen, staff deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respect and celebrate difference. They know that it is important to learn about the views of others, even if they differ from their own. Pupils have many opportunities to develop their talents and interests. They enjoy the wide range of after-school clubs on offer. Pupils are proud to represent their school in sporting events or as part of the choir. They participate with enthusiasm whether in large concerts or singing for residents in the local care home.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are guided to stay physically healthy. They learn ways to support their mental health and well-being. Pupils know it is best to share worries or concerns when they have them and not keep these to themselves.

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better?

Leaders have established a culture where no matter what, the needs of pupils sit at the front and centre of all they do. Their vision that ‘every child deserves a champion’ is clearly played out. Pupils receive high-quality support for their personal, social and emotional needs. Each one is a much-valued member of the school community.

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better?

Leaders have brought about significant improvement in the quality of education since the previous inspection. The curriculum clearly and deliberately sets out the important knowledge and skills that pupils will learn. This is carefully arranged to make sure new knowledge is learned in a sensible order. In many subjects, pupils develop rich and detailed knowledge. Teachers present information clearly. They make regular checks to be sure that pupils remember what they have been taught. Some teachers do not have secure subject knowledge in some subjects. This means they do not always quickly identify, and then correct, pupils if they have misunderstood their learning.

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better?

Leaders place a high priority on reading. Those who find reading difficult are given effective support to help them catch up. Many of these pupils are taught phonics successfully. They improve their accuracy and confidence as readers because the books they read match very closely to the new sounds they are learning. Pupils enjoy reading. The recently introduced reading for pleasure time allows them to share books with their friends and get a taste for different types of stories. 22 and 23 February 2023

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Leaders make sure that the specific needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified. Teaching staff adapt activities and the way they present information so that pupils with SEND can access the same rich curriculum as their peers.

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Most pupils behave extremely well. Lessons are rarely disrupted. Pupils who need more help to manage their behaviour are given the support they need. Staff have a shared understanding as to how they guide and manage pupils’ behaviour.

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Pupils benefit enormously from the extremely well-considered personal development programme. They try new things, persevere and communicate with others. Much of this strong work helps pupils develop their character. Whatever a person’s background or belief, pupils treat everyone equally. They learn about different relationships through the schools’ highly effective relationships and sex education provision.

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Trustees have an accurate view of the school. They provide effective challenge to leaders to spur them on to make the school even better. Trust leaders are skilled at developing school leaders. They provide well-tailored training and support, for example helping staff new to leadership roles to develop and grow their knowledge and skills.

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Senior leaders take account of staff’s workload before they introduce new initiatives. Staff receive high-quality training to support them in continually developing their practice.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders leave no stone unturned when it comes to keeping pupils safe. Staff have a clear understanding of the risks pupils face because they are well trained. Staff report concerns they have about a pupil’s welfare, no matter how small. Leaders act quickly to provide additional help to those pupils and families who need this. Leaders seek support from external agencies as required.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to stay safe. They have well-developed knowledge of online safety and trust that adults will be there to help them if they need it. Leaders carry out, and record, all pre-employment checks with great diligence.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all staff have the secure subject knowledge to teach every part of the curriculum consistently well. This means that they do not always successfully address some misconceptions in pupils’ understanding. Leaders should ensure that teachers receive the training to strengthen their subject knowledge in all 22 and 23 February 2023

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subjects so that they implement leaders’ curriculum plans effectively

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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.

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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. 22 and 23 February 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 and 31 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Inclusive Schools Trust. The school is also federated with Lionwood Infant and Nursery School, which is on a separate site.  The headteacher took up her role in September 2022, having previously been the deputy headteacher.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, 22 and 23 February 2023

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spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 3 and 4 read to an adult.  Inspectors spoke with leaders, staff and pupils about several other subjects and aspects of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, who also holds the role of special educational needs coordinator, the deputy headteacher and the chief executive officer. The lead inspector met with trustees and an external education consultant.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised the single central record and reviewed safeguarding documents and systems. Inspectors spoke with leaders, teachers, support staff, trustees and pupils to evaluate the culture of safeguarding in the school.  Inspectors considered 26 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered the three responses to Ofsted’s staff

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questionnaire and the three responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Nathan Lowe, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sally Garrett Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 February 2023

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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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