Blue Gate Fields Junior School

Inspection of Blue Gate Fields Junior School King David Lane, Wapping, London E1 0EH

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 13 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 28 and 29 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils here belong to a kind and caring school community. Leaders and staff show a genuine interest in pupils’ well-being. They build strong, trusting relationships with pupils and their families. Pupils know that they are safe at school. They are happy here and enjoy school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders believe every pupil can become whatever they want to be. They have the highest of aspirations for each individual pupil. Teachers bring learning to life for pupils through skilful teaching, storytelling and a rich arts curriculum. Pupils show an enthusiasm for learning and work hard in lessons. They show pride in their achievements and enjoy visits to museums and other places of cultural interest.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils meet these expectations most of the time. They behave well, listen attentively to teachers, and show respect for others. Bullying is rare. When it does happen leaders deal with it effectively. It does not persist.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide a range of opportunities to develop pupils’ interests in sport, music, and the wider arts. They can take on roles as school councillors, anti-bullying ambassadors and literacy partners. Pupils make a positive contribution to the life of this vibrant school.

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better?

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. They have chosen content that both reflects pupils’ backgrounds and opens pupils’ minds to new worlds and experiences. The curriculum is well-sequenced. Pupils develop their knowledge and subject-specific skills in increasing depth and complexity. They revisit what they have learned before and build on that learning. Pupils enjoy the diverse range of trips and visits that enrich their studies. They learn to work and think like subject specialists such as mathematicians, historians, and designers.

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better?

Leaders ensure that teachers have the depth of subject knowledge they need to extend pupils’ learning. They engage with research about effective teaching and use this to develop the quality of teaching. Teachers teach well. They present new information with clarity and precision. They check pupils’ understanding through effective questioning. This helps pupils to secure their knowledge and understanding. It also gives them confidence to ask questions and contribute to class discussion.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers. Leaders identify pupils’ needs well. They provide the information and training staff require to meet those needs. Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve exceptionally well. They produce work of a high quality. 28 and 29 March 2023

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Leaders and teachers do not tolerate disruption to learning. They are quick to address any occasional disruption in lessons. However, some pupils’ frequent absence from school is affecting the quality of their learning. They are missing too much of their education.

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Leaders understand the fundamental importance of reading for pupils’ future success. Pupils who join the school at an early stage of reading learn to read using phonics. They catch up with their peers quickly. As pupils move through the school, teachers help pupils to develop their reading fluency and comprehension. Pupils explore a diverse range of texts and poetry. Leaders also prioritise a love of reading. Pupils read for pleasure often and enjoy events such as author visits, poetry readings and World Book Day.

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Pupils learn about important issues that affect their everyday lives. They have lessons about relationships, physical and mental health, and equality and diversity. Teachers help pupils to build their resilience and self-worth. They provide them with opportunities to discuss these important issues through ‘time to talk’ sessions.

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Leaders are providing a high-quality education for pupils. They show a real commitment to working in partnership with parents and carers in meeting the needs of pupils. Governors fulfil their role well. They share leaders’ ambition to do the very best for pupils and to prepare pupils well for the next stage of their education. Staff enjoy working at the school. Leaders prioritise staff’s well-being and ensure that staff' workload is manageable. Staff value this greatly.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding. They provide staff with regular training. This ensures that staff are alert to the signs of risk in pupils. Staff report any concerns about pupils swiftly and appropriately. Leaders have developed in-school counselling services to support pupils’ emotional well-being. They work well with external agencies and show persistence in securing the help pupils need. Leaders are knowledgeable about safeguarding issues, including those that are most prevalent locally. They seek to work with parents and families to keep pupils safe. Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe too, including online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school is high and increasing. This means that a significant percentage of pupils are missing too much of their education. Leaders should ensure that they review their current approach to persistent absence and adopt a more rigorous and effective strategy so that the level of persistent absence falls. 28 and 29 March 2023

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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. 28 and 29 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255331 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.bluegatefields- jun.towerhamlets.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 10 and 11 June 2009, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school uses one registered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

The 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 met with the headteacher, members of the leadership team, other school staff, members of the governing body, and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history, and design and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 28 and 29 March 2023

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 Inspectors also spoke with subject leaders for science and religious education.  Inspectors met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead and members of the school’s safeguarding team. They looked at safeguarding documentation and record-keeping, including the single central record. Inspectors also spoke with staff and pupils about safeguarding.  Inspectors spoke to additional groups of pupils in relation to personal development, and behaviour and attitudes.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey and staff survey, and to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Ian Rawstorne, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sukwinder Samra Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 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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