Elmwood Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Elmwood Junior School Lodge Road, Croydon, Surrey CR0 2PL

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Outcome

Elmwood Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and speak positively about the warm welcome that those from different backgrounds receive. They are keen to share their learning with visitors and speak passionately about the experiences that they have been part of during their time at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ work and conduct. As a result, pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Bullying is rare. Leaders have systems in place to respond swiftly to any incidents that occur. Pupils know who to speak to if they have concerns and they feel confident that any issues would be resolved. As a result, pupils feel safe and are kept safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take on additional responsibilities through the school council, as sports captains and as digital and science ambassadors. There are a range of extra activities available to pupils, including gardening, art and chess.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. In most subjects, pupils develop a deep understanding over time. Pupils produce work of good quality in different areas because they are expected to do so.

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

Pupils at the early stages of reading are swiftly identified when they join this school. They receive the help that they need quickly through well-targeted support with phonics. This includes sufficient time to practise reading with books that are well matched to the sounds that they are learning. As a result, pupils increase their reading accuracy, fluency and confidence over time.

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

Pupils enjoy reading and being read to. The curriculum has been designed to introduce pupils to a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Pupils are motivated to read for enjoyment and to deepen their understanding in other subjects. 21 and 22 March 2023

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The curriculum matches the scope of what is expected nationally. Leaders have thought carefully about how pupils’ knowledge should be built cumulatively to help them learn and remember more. For example, in art, younger pupils experiment with mark making using charcoal. Older pupils then use the techniques that they have learned to sketch and blend when creating representations of Zaha Hadid’s work. Similarly, in mathematics, pupils’ vocabulary is developed sequentially. This supports them to solve increasingly complex word problems and to explain their mathematical thinking.

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However, in some subjects, the curriculum is at an earlier stage of implementation and is not as well embedded. In these areas, teachers do not routinely focus on the important ideas that pupils need to learn. This means that pupils do not develop as secure and deep an understanding over time.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified in a timely way. Leaders offer appropriate guidance and training for teachers on how best to support pupils in lessons so that they access a full curriculum.

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Pupils behave well and lessons are rarely disrupted. Pupils work well independently and cooperate maturely with their peers. Pupils understand what bullying is. They are clear on how to report concerns and feel that adults will listen and act effectively.

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Pupils’ wider personal development is well considered. The curriculum is designed to help support pupils’ understanding of important issues. This includes understanding right from wrong, the importance of democracy and knowing how to vote. Pupils are encouraged to make a positive contribution to the wider community. For example, they organised a raffle to support the relief effort for the recent floods in Pakistan.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel well supported by leaders to manage their workload and that their well-being is a priority. Staff feel able to raise concerns should they need to.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide appropriate training for staff and governors. This helps them to understand the risks that pupils may experience. Leaders understand the challenges faced by some families and work with external agencies to provide timely support for those in need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils speak confidently about the school’s safeguarding motto to be ‘happy, healthy and safe’. They know who to go to if they are worried about themselves or a peer. The curriculum has been designed to help pupils understand how to stay safe, including when out in the local area. 21 and 22 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not identified the most important knowledge that pupils should learn. As a result, pupils do not develop knowledge and understanding as securely and deeply in these areas. Leaders should identify the most important concepts in each subject so that pupils can deepen their understanding. This will help pupils to tackle more challenging ideas later on in the curriculum.

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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 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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Sandra Ramsbotham

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Elmwood Junior School is larger than the average-sized junior 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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector completed deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and art. To do this, she met with subject leaders, had discussions with staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work. The inspector also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for improvement.  The inspector met with the headteacher, senior leaders, a selection of subject leaders, teachers, support staff and pupils. 21 and 22 March 2023

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 The inspector held discussions with the governing board, as well as with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising records and through discussions with staff and pupils.  The views of pupils, parents and staff, as gathered through discussions and Ofsted’s surveys, were considered.

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Inspection team

Matea Marcinko, 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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