South Wootton Junior School

Inspection of a good school: South Wootton Junior School Hall Lane, South Wootton, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 3JZ

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Outcome

South Wootton Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

South Wootton Junior School is a friendly community where pupils feel safe. Pupils feel welcomed by school staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy attending the school. They play well together at social times. Pupils are confident and lively. Behaviour across the school site is positive. Duty staff encourage pupils to be involved in activities such as cricket.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In lessons, pupils are enthusiastic and want to share their knowledge with their teacher. Pupils’ attitudes towards learning are encouraging, and result from these positive relationships with teachers. Pupils know that making mistakes is part of learning. Teachers reassure pupils and support them to participate.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Where pupils require more support for their learning, this is available. Pupils study a wide range of subjects and remember much of what they have learned. This is because staff have high expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are aware that bullying happens in the school but that this is not tolerated by staff. If bullying happens, it is dealt with quickly. Pupils say that if they are worried, they can talk to any adult in the school. There is also a ‘worry box’ for pupils to share concerns with adults.

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

The school has adopted a broad and balanced curriculum which provides well for pupils. The curriculum is well sequenced and flexible. Leaders ensure that pupils return to prior knowledge, which helps them to remember this. Regular checks on pupils’ understanding are made through appropriate use of assessment. Where gaps in pupils’ knowledge or misconceptions are identified, the sequence of learning is changed to address this. Most pupils can remember what they have learned. 11 and 12 May 2023

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Reading is prioritised. Pupils are assessed when they enter the school. Their progress is then checked frequently to ensure they become increasingly fluent. The reading scheme is rigorous, and pupils understand exactly what is required to move to their next book in the series. There is specific and regular support for the weakest readers.

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Leaders’ ambitions for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are high. Transition activities and early identification of needs are priorities. This is supported effectively by cross-phase work with the local infant school. Pupils with SEND learn well. They are provided with a high level of additional support. Teachers know how to adapt resources and lessons to enable pupils with SEND to make progress in line with their peers. Alternative provision is used appropriately and effectively, where this is in the best interests of the pupils.

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Pupils learn well in lessons. Teachers give clear instructions, and the majority of pupils respond well. Pupils are confident to explain their understanding of different cultures in lessons. They enjoy receiving house points for their work and contribution. There is very little disruption in class.

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The school helps pupils to manage their feelings and behaviour well. This enables pupils to reflect on their actions and to understand the impact on others. Rates of exclusion and suspension are low. However, a minority of parents feel that the behaviour in the school is not well managed, and that bullying is not dealt with effectively. As a result, some parents would currently not recommend the school.

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Pupils can engage in a range of extra-curricular activities and leadership responsibilities, such as the school council. Most pupils talk enthusiastically about these. However, some pupils are not aware of the opportunities and, therefore, cannot take advantage of what is on offer.

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Teachers say they feel well led and supported by leaders. Senior leaders engage with staff over important issues. There is no evidence of workplace bullying/harassment. Governors have high expectations and understand the school well. The co-chairs of the governing body meet frequently with the headteacher to ensure they maintain their visibility across the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Governors understand their safeguarding role well. They work closely with school leaders and have a thorough understanding of safeguarding procedures at all levels. Leaders ensure that all staff are appropriately trained. All new staff have a specific safeguarding induction. Rigorous pre-employment checks are undertaken on all new staff. These are recorded accurately on the school’s system. Leaders make timely and appropriate referrals to external agencies, where this is required. Pupils are knowledgeable about how to keep themselves safe online. Pupils and staff understand, and use, the system for reporting concerns. Pupils feel confident that if they are worried, quick action will be taken by trusted adults. 11 and 12 May 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some parents feel that behaviour and bullying are not effectively managed by leaders. Leaders should proactively work with parents to build stronger community relationships.  A small proportion of pupils have not been made aware of the opportunities available to them in school. This limits their participation beyond the formal curriculum. Leaders should raise the profile and develop the coordination of wider opportunities to ensure that a greater proportion of pupils participate.

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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 December 2016.

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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. 11 and 12 May 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Aruna Patel/Steven Scales

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School details

Website www.southwootton-jun.norfolk.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 30 November and 1 December 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provider.

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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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, senior leaders, staff and representatives from the governing body, local authority and alternative provision.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum planning, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector spoke with staff and pupils. The inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead and reviewed safeguarding records. The inspector also reviewed the single central record of pre-employment

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Information about this inspection

checks made on staff and reviewed information about the safer recruitment of staff. 11 and 12 May 2023

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 The inspector met with pupils from different year groups to talk about their learning and experiences at school. The inspector also reviewed 13 responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents provided by the school. These included the school improvement plan, curriculum documentation and school policies.  The inspector considered 50 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View. This included 14 comments from parents and carers in the free- text facility. The inspector also considered the 11 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Rockey, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 May 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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