Driffield Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Driffield Junior School Bridlington Road, Driffield YO25 5HN

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Outcome

Driffield Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, staff, governors, parents and carers are proud of the friendly and caring ethos in the school. Leaders have high expectations of pupils. Pupils happily come to school to work hard and do their best. Pupils enjoy their lessons, especially when the work gives them new things to think about.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to learning. They enjoy learning in all subjects and achieve well. For example, Year 3 pupils enjoyed an immersive ‘Egypt’ experience, where a classroom was turned into an archaeological dig by the Nile. This helped pupils to learn about life in Ancient Egypt.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school. Bullying is rare. Any such problems are sorted out quickly. Pupils value the wide range of extra-curricular clubs on offer, such as sports, music and creative activities. The curriculum is enriched effectively by visits, including trips to local historical places of interest and museums. Pupils settle quickly when they join the school because staff and pupils are very welcoming.

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

Leaders hold reading as a high priority. As soon as pupils start in Year 3, staff begin a programme to revise pupils’ phonic knowledge. Staff have benefited from recent training to ensure they teach reading well. Consequently, most pupils make good gains in their reading knowledge. Leaders check on pupils’ reading progress closely. Any pupils who fall behind benefit from catch-up lessons. In these sessions, pupils read books that match the sounds that they are learning. However, occasionally, in reading lessons, the books that pupils read do not match their reading knowledge. This makes it difficult for some pupils to read them.

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

Pupils enjoy mathematics. Staff use their good subject knowledge to explain new mathematical ideas and concepts clearly. Pupils work hard in lessons and benefit from 25 and26 April 2023

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access to appropriate teaching materials. For example, when tackling calculations involving money, pupils were able to use coins to help them to work out the answers.

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Leaders are working to improve the wider curriculum that pupils experience. They have ensured that in most subjects, the curriculum sets out the key knowledge that pupils should acquire. Some subjects, such as history, are well developed. Pupils learn about historical periods in a logical order. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to describe life in the past. This helps pupils to understand and remember more. When designing the curriculum, leaders have made good use of local resources. For example, when studying the First World War, pupils visit the local war memorial and find out about the soldiers who did not return. Teachers carefully select learning resources to reflect cultural diversity and modern British society. This helps pupils to learn about people who are different to themselves.

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Work to strengthen the curriculum is ongoing. In a small number of subjects, leaders are still working to identify the knowledge that children should learn in each year group. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge sequentially in these subjects.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included in the life of the school. These pupils access the full range of subjects and learning experiences. Some pupils access bespoke support in the school’s nurture room when needed.

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Leaders promote pupils’ broader development well. They ensure that pupils learn about a range of faiths and cultures that are different to their own. This learning is delivered through the curriculum, assemblies and special events. For example, pupils enjoyed an assembly that explained how Muslims fast and celebrate the end of fasting. Pupils become thoughtful members of the community who are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Staff speak positively about the support that they receive from leaders for their workload and well-being. Leaders have introduced positive changes that reduce pressure on teachers so that they can focus fully on teaching. Those responsible for governance know the school and its community well. They make visits so they know where the work of the school is effective and where further improvements may be needed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a high priority. Leaders ensure that all staff receive regular training and updates. Staff are alert and sensitive to any concerns, which they document and share appropriately. Records show that leaders follow up on any concerns. Where needed, leaders work closely with other agencies, such as support workers, to offer help to pupils and their families.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe online. Through the curriculum, pupils learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles and relationships. 25 and26 April 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of wider curriculum subjects, leaders are yet to identify the precise knowledge that they want pupils to learn and the order it should be taught. As a result, teachers are not clear about how to build on pupils’ existing knowledge. Leaders should continue to develop these subjects so that teachers are clear about how to ensure pupils’ knowledge builds over time.  Occasionally, the books that pupils use in reading lessons are not well matched to their reading knowledge. These books do not help pupils to practise and develop as fluent readers. Leaders should review the texts and books that are used in reading lessons so that these match the reading needs of the least able readers.

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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 November 2012.

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How can I feedback 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 feedback 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. 25 and26 April 2023

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School details

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Vince Barrett / Jeanine Furbank (Co-chairs)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school provides a before- and after-school club for 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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other senior and curriculum leaders.  The inspector met with the four governors, including the Co-chairs of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with curriculum leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed some pupils read to a familiar adult. 25 and26 April 2023

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 The inspector also met with other curriculum leaders and discussed the curriculum and reviewed curriculum planning in a range of subjects.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times around school.  The inspector evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding by reviewing the school’s record of pre-employment checks and holding discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.  The inspector considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View, and spoke to parents as they collected their children.

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Inspection team

Amraz Ali, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 25 and26 April 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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