St James' CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St James’ CofE Junior School Tower Hamlets Road, Forest Gate, London E7 9DA

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Outcome

St James’ CofE Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe and happy and they work hard at this school. Leaders have developed a clear vision based on the school’s Christian values, but which is inclusive for the diverse community served by the school. The values of care, courtesy, consideration, and cooperation are evident. Pupils behave very well in lessons and around the school. Bullying is very rare and is quickly dealt with if it does happen.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have put in place a balanced and broad curriculum. This has been carefully thought out so that subject content builds in complexity over time. This helps to prepare pupils well for the next stage in their education. Leaders and staff know their pupils very well. This helps them to meet pupils’ different needs. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) who have access to the same rich and broad curriculum as their peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of activities that enrich their curriculum. This includes regular trips to places of cultural significance, and a large choice of clubs and activities that they can join. This helps pupils to develop new skills such as cooking, fencing, Tai chi, and crochet.

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

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. Pupils study a broad range of subjects which are carefully sequenced to help pupils build on their prior knowledge. This means that pupils know and remember more over time. For example, in mathematics, important content is revisited every year and topics are further developed in complexity. In history, pupils develop a strong sense of chronology because of the careful way that topics have been put together by leaders. Sometimes, however, not all the important subject content is identified clearly by leaders. This means that, in some cases, teachers do not focus on right content which can lead to gaps in pupils’ knowledge. 21 and 22 March 2023

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Reading is prioritised across the school. Pupils follow a carefully considered reading curriculum which also supports their developing writing skills. Pupils who need additional support with reading are quickly identified. This is helped by the very close links with the feeder infant school. These pupils receive regular, targeted help from trained staff. Pupils enjoy reading, which is promoted widely around the school. Close liaison with families means that parents and carers can support their children to read widely and often.

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Teachers help pupils to remember more through careful questioning and revisiting earlier learning. Teachers often check pupils’ understanding and provide feedback which helps pupils to improve their work. Pupils with SEND are very well supported in the classroom. Leaders have made sure that this group of pupils are very carefully monitored so that the support provided is appropriate and has impact.

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Pupils’ positive behaviour is evident all around the school. The clear behaviour system is based on the school’s values. This is shown in the way that pupils interact with each other, with staff and with visitors. Pupils know that discriminatory or unkind language is not tolerated. They are very supportive of their peers from different backgrounds or with different abilities, including those with SEND. High levels of attendance demonstrate pupils’ positive attitudes and the determination of leaders to include all pupils.

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Leaders make sure that pupils learn about healthy lifestyles, relationships, and how to stay safe. The personal, social and health education programme (PSHE) covers these issues in an age-appropriate manner. Carefully considered assemblies give pupils the opportunity to reflect and to think of others. Leaders make sure that pupils from all backgrounds and those with SEND take part in the extensive range of clubs and trips that are on offer. These trips, such as visits to central London museums, enrich the curriculum and broaden pupils’ horizons.

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Governors know the school well. They listen to pupils and to staff so that they can make informed decisions. Leaders are well respected by staff, who feel valued and are proud to work in the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is prioritised by leaders. This is exemplified by regular training and updates for staff so that they are aware of important safeguarding issues. Staff know their school community well. They are not complacent and are vigilant in looking out for and reporting any concerns. Where concerns are reported, leaders are tenacious in securing positive outcomes for vulnerable children.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in the school and know that they can report any concerns to their teachers. Pupils are taught how to stay safe, including how to stay safe online. 21 and 22 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, leaders are not explicit enough about the important content that they want teachers to cover. This means that, occasionally, this content is not taught in the way that was intended, and pupils develop some gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should take steps to identify and clarify the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn so that pupils benefit from the curriculum as intended.

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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 January 2013.

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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. 21 and 22 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10240226 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a Christian ethos of the Anglican (Church of England) denomination. It is in the Diocese of Chelmsford. The last section 48 inspection was in June 2015.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for its pupils.

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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 the evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, and history. For each deep dive, he discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and talked to teachers and pupils. The inspector also met with subject leaders for science and geography and looked at pupils’ work in these subjects. He also listened to some pupils reading.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher and with members of staff, as well as a range of pupils. 21 and 22 March 2023

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 The inspector looked at the school’s policies and procedures for safeguarding and supporting pupils’ welfare and well-being. This included looking at case studies and reviewing the school’s single central record of pre-employment checks.  The inspector met with leaders responsible for SEND, behaviour and attendance, and pupils’ wider development.  The inspector spoke with representatives from the local authority and the Diocese of Chelmsford. He also met with members of the governing body including the chair of the governing body.

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Inspection team

Bob Hamlyn, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 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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