Deansbrook Junior School

Inspection of Deansbrook Junior School Hale Drive, Mill Hill, London NW7 3ED

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 28 and 29 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have created a welcoming environment at this school. Relationships between adults and pupils are positive and respectful. Pupils are treated as individuals and feel safe and nurtured. They are happy and enjoy learning the interesting curriculum that leaders have planned.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have established clear routines and expectations for how pupils should behave. Pupils respond well to these. They behave well generally, and have particularly positive attitudes to learning in class. They enjoy being rewarded for doing the right thing.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about learning different subjects. Leaders are ambitious that all pupils will achieve well. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive effective support. Pupils feel successful and proud of their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers appreciate the ways in which the school helps their children with academic work but also develops their interpersonal skills. They said that children are well supported to get ready for the next stage of education.

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better?

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. They have set out the knowledge that pupils must learn. Teachers know exactly what content to teach and when to teach it. Pupils learn a broad range of subjects, and overall they achieve well. Typically, pupils in all year groups, including pupils with SEND, are supported well to access the curriculum effectively.

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better?

Leaders have planned the curriculum to ensure that pupils learn a deep body of knowledge in all subjects. For example, in modern foreign languages, pupils master the key subject content and skills that they need to know before moving on to new learning. This helps them to build confidence. Leaders constantly review what is working well in classrooms, for example checking how well pupils understand the vocabulary taught within a subject.

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better?

Alongside this work on the curriculum, leaders have also worked to develop teaching expertise to help every pupil, including pupils with SEND, to achieve strong outcomes. This work is particularly well developed in mathematics. Leaders use pupils’ assessment information carefully. Precise post-unit assessments enable teachers to identify any gaps that pupils might have. These gaps are then addressed very quickly by expert teachers.

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better?

Reading is prioritised by leaders. Teachers read to pupils each day using high-quality texts. Pupils benefit from a well-stocked school library. Leaders ensure that staff have regular training in phonics. They have worked with other schools in the trust to 28 and 29 March 2023

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develop a bespoke reading curriculum. As soon as pupils join the school, teachers check what pupils already know and can do. Staff help pupils who are not fluent and accurate readers. They ensure that pupils get suitable opportunities to practise and recap the sounds that they know. Nevertheless, there are some occasional inconsistencies in phonics teaching. On occasion, staff do not address pupils’ errors or misconceptions accurately.

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The school’s personal development programme has been coherently planned, with the needs of the pupils firmly in mind. All pupils benefit from a wide range of enriching experiences. Teachers support pupils with their well-being. They encourage pupils to recognise their own emotional needs. Staff help pupils with their well-being and happiness. Leaders work closely with other schools in the trust. For example, ‘The Table Tennis Academy’ provides positive role models. Pupils concentrate well in lessons and learning proceeds uninterrupted in lessons.

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Staff feel supported by senior leaders. They felt valued and they appreciated that leaders invested in their professional development. Staff benefit from the additional support the trust provides, such as the incremental coaching programme.

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The local governing body is committed and passionate. It knows the school and its local context well. Trustees bring a broad range of expertise to their roles. They are rigorous in challenging the school and trust leaders to make further improvements.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is treated as a priority. Staff are well trained to recognise potential risks to pupils. They report any concerns. Staff know their pupils well and pick up any concerns quickly. Leaders identify staff training needs regularly and with precision. Leaders ensure that vulnerable pupils are identified, supported and nurtured.

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Safeguarding

Regular meetings of the safeguarding team ensure that pupils’ needs are considered thoroughly. Leaders have strong working relationships with outside agencies. They ensure that pupils get the help that they need at the right time.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, phonics teaching does not address pupils’ inaccuracies or misconceptions in a timely way, which limits some pupils’ ability to read with fluency. Leaders should ensure that all adults check and support pupils’ phonics knowledge effectively. 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 10240939 Type of school Primary

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School details

Website www.deansbrookjuniorschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Aim Academies Trust.  The school shares a site with Deansbrook Infant School, which is not part of the Aim Academies Trust.  Leaders do not make use of alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had 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 and other senior leaders. They spoke with a range of staff at different times during the inspection.  The lead inspector met with four members of the trust board and local governing body, including the chair. She also met with the chief executive officer and the director of academies of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, geography and 28 and 29 March 2023

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modern foreign languages. Deep dives included visiting lessons and looking at pupils’ work, as well as speaking with subject leaders, teachers and pupils about how teaching in these subjects builds pupils’ knowledge over time.  Inspectors considered the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils to gather their views of the school. They also spoke with pupils in lessons, during breaktimes and around the school.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation relating to governance, attendance and behaviour.  Inspectors assessed the school’s culture of safeguarding throughout the inspection. This included a review of a wide range of safeguarding documentation and records. They also checked the record of pre-employment checks.  The views of staff, parents and pupils were gathered through a range of sources, including Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Michelle Thomas, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Martin 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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