Cherry Tree Academy Trust Marham Junior

Inspection of a good school: Cherry Tree Academy Trust Marham Junior Hillside, Marham, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE33 9JJ

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Outcome

Cherry Tree Academy Trust Marham Junior continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

At this school, pupils are happy and are kept safe. This is because of how well staff take care of them. Pupils are given lots of helpful support so they can do their best work. Pupils are expected to work hard. They rise to this challenge with zeal.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well. No time is lost in lessons due to interruptions caused by poor behaviour. Pupils show respect for their peers and staff. Pupils know that bullying is unkind. They say that it happens rarely. If it does, they know support is available. Pupils know they can talk to supportive adults in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being part of this school community. Pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds. They are kind and friendly to everyone. The oldest pupils are proud of their duties as part of the ‘pupil parliament’. This also helps them to understand how democracy works in practice.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a range of creative and sports activities. These include ‘fab Fridays’, where the pupils work together outside of the curriculum on areas they are also studying in the week. They enjoy trips to local places of interest, which brings learning to life.

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that provides pupils with the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to develop into well-rounded individuals, well prepared for the next stages in their education.

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

Leaders plan the curriculum so that pupils build knowledge of most subjects they study. It is designed to capture pupils’ interests, which helps pupils to engage with their work. This includes for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have 2 and 3 March 2023

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thought about the order of learning so that pupils can build their knowledge effectively on what they already know.

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Teachers provide some engaging activities, which helps pupils to make sense of the curriculum. For example, as part of their work about the Roman Empire, pupils learned about how successful the Roman army was. This was then developed further, with pupils engaging in practical activities to create a battle formation of Roman soldiers to demonstrate the difficulty they often faced.

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Leaders have adopted or created schemes of work. Most of these guide teachers on what content to teach and when. These are typically used well. This is particularly true in the teaching of reading and mathematics. To address the dip in standards seen the previous year, leaders have markedly improved the curriculum and its delivery. The reading curriculum is a strength. Leaders have adopted a new approach to the teaching of early reading. Staff teach reading well and tailor lessons to pupils’ needs. Those at an early stage of reading fluently gain the knowledge and skills required to be successful. Those who may have fallen behind are helped to quickly catch up through individual and small group teaching. Pupils read a wealth of books at school and at home to practise the skills they have learned. Teachers use quality texts, which they read to pupils daily. This brings reading to life.

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The curriculum in most subjects has improved markedly. Leaders have ensured that teachers get the information they need to teach in an order that ensures pupils make the best possible progress. Teachers regularly check on what pupils know and remember. However, in some subjects, teachers do not receive the clarity, guidance and support that they need to deliver the curriculum effectively. Consequently, in these subjects, pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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Staff identify where additional support is required for pupils with SEND. Leaders guide well-trained adults to support pupils in class. These additional adults ensure that pupils with SEND access the full curriculum. Relationships between the pupils and support staff work very well, and everyone enjoys the learning experience. As a result, pupils with SEND learn well.

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Leaders ensure that pupils have many opportunities to learn beyond the academic curriculum, such as learning about life in modern Britain. Pupils say that everyone is welcome at their school. Pupils enjoy many opportunities to find out about the wider world. These include visits beyond the local area and residential visits. Pupils can take part in a range of after-school activities, including study skills, drawing and Makaton clubs.

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The board of trustees supports and challenges school leaders and shares a common vision. Staff report that leaders have taken steps to make sure that workload is manageable.

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The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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There is a strong culture of safeguarding at the school. This underpins leaders’ and trustees’ intentions to ensure pupils are safe.

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Leaders collaborate with parents and external agencies to protect pupils at risk of harm. Staff know the potential risks that pupils may face and report all concerns. Leaders follow these up quickly.

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Pupils of all ages learn how to recognise unsafe situations. They learn how to protect themselves by making considered choices when working online and by speaking up if they see something that worries them.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not receive the clarity, guidance and support they need to deliver the curriculum effectively. Consequently, in these subjects, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that, in these curriculum areas, subject leaders develop their curriculum thinking and expertise. This will enable them to provide subject-specific guidance for teachers in the effective delivery of the curriculum so that pupils achieve well.

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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 13 and 14 September 2017.

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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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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. 2 and 3 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255225 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The Board of Trustees

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 and 14 September 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not currently 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 school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  As part of this inspection, the inspector met with the executive headteacher, who is also the designated safeguarding lead. They also met with the deputy executive headteacher. The inspector also met with the special educational needs coordinator and held meetings with teachers.  The inspector held a conversation with the chair of the trustees and two additional trustees.  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 with teachers, spoke with some 2 and 3 March 2023

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pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also looked at work in science, geography, personal, social and health education and Italian.  The inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult. The inspector met with pupils to talk about safeguarding and what it is like to be a pupil at this school.  The inspector considered information relating to safeguarding, including the school’s single central register of vetting checks on adults working at the school.  The inspector took account of 31 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey. They also reviewed the 122 responses to Ofsted’s pupils survey and the 19 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Tim McLoughlin, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 March 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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