Grange Junior School

Inspection of Grange Junior School Grange Drive, Stratton St Margaret, Swindon, Wiltshire SN3 4JY

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 23 and 24 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Grange Junior School embrace the school’s values of aspiration, bravery, reflection, resilience and support. They enjoy coming to school. This is reflected by their high attendance. Pupils talk about their school with pride.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations of pupils. Pupils know the school’s rules of being ready, respectful and safe. They welcome visitors and show courtesy to everyone. The school is a calm and orderly environment. Pupils work hard and behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have carefully planned the school’s curriculum. They have paid particular attention to educating pupils about different cultures and countries. For example, pupils learn about a great variety of artists and types of art. They develop an appreciation of art from across the globe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from leadership roles such as being play leaders and house captains. This helps them contribute positively to the school community and develop leadership skills. Leaders develop pupils’ wider interests and talents through drama, art and British Sign Language clubs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pastoral support is a strength of the school. Parents comment that staff are dedicated and go ‘above and beyond’ to help their children. As a result, pupils feel well cared for.

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better?

Leaders, governors and the trust are ambitious for all pupils. They have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas that need further development.

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better?

Leaders have placed a significant emphasis on curriculum development. Where published outcomes are not strong, leaders have taken quick action to tackle these areas. They have identified the precise content pupils should learn and the order in which they should learn it. In these subjects, pupils learn well. For example, in mathematics, they recall their knowledge of calculating the area of simple shapes. They then apply this knowledge to calculate the area of more complex shapes.

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better?

Although this is so, leaders do not have a secure understanding of how the curriculum is being taught in some newer curriculum areas. Staff do not have secure subject knowledge to pitch learning at the right level for some pupils. Consequently, some pupils do not build their knowledge the way leaders intend.

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better?

All staff prioritise reading. Leaders provide any pupils who require it with phonics sessions. Staff are well trained. Pupils practise reading books that contain the sounds they know. Staff assess pupils regularly so that their support matches what they need. They pick up on pupils’ misconceptions promptly so that pupils catch up swiftly. Pupils are keen to share the books and genres they love. Pupils practise 23 and 24 May 2023

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comprehension skills in lessons. Staff expose them to a diverse array of texts. This helps to develop pupils’ confidence and enjoyment in reading over time.

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Leaders quickly identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff know pupils with SEND well. Teachers consider their needs when supporting them in their learning. Despite these strengths, individual targets for some pupils with SEND lack precision. It is not clear exactly what pupils need to do to achieve their targets. This means that a small minority of pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they could.

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Pupils show respect for members of the school community. Staff spot good behaviour quickly. They encourage positive behaviour through recognition boards in each classroom. Leaders ensure pupils fully understand how they are expected to behave. Leaders create an environment where pupils can focus on learning.

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Leaders have planned a detailed personal development programme. Pupils are accepting of others’ opinions. They know how to keep themselves mentally well and say that taking regular breaks helps them. Pupils recognise and respect differences such as race and religion. This programme helps teach pupils valuable life skills.

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Staff, including those at the start of their careers, talk enthusiastically about the opportunities provided to them to develop professionally. They are proud to work here.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have embedded a strong safeguarding culture. Safeguarding leaders are knowledgeable and carry out their roles effectively. Staff know pupils and families well. Leaders train staff so they know the signs that indicate a pupil might be at risk of harm. Staff confidently follow procedures when reporting concerns about a child’s welfare. Leaders act quickly. They work collaboratively with external agencies to provide pupils with support. Leaders check that all staff are safe to work with children.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to report worries and know that they will be listened to. They learn about safety as part of the school’s personal, social and health education lessons.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, where the curriculum is newer, staff do not have secure subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum the way leaders intend. As a result, some pupils do not remember their learning over time. Leaders must develop staff’s subject knowledge and leadership to support teachers to implement the 23 and 24 May 2023

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curriculum securely and consistently in all subjects and for all pupils.  Individual targets for some pupils with SEND do not identify precisely what pupils need to do to progress with their learning. This means some pupils do not progress as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that they provide pupils with SEND with targets that match exactly what they need and that these targets are regularly reviewed so that all pupils with SEND achieve well.

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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. 23 and 24 May 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of White Horse Federation, a multi-academy trust. It joined the trust in March 2019.  The headteacher took up post in September 2022.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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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 principal, school staff and pupils.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the local governing body. She also spoke with the chief executive officer and representatives from the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, 23 and 24 May 2023

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history and art. 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.  The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 3, 4 and 5 read.  Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding. They looked at the single central record and records of concerns and at how staff work to keep pupils safe. Inspectors spoke to pupils, staff, the chair of the local governing body and trust representatives about safeguarding practices.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at lunchtime and breaktimes. In addition, they met with pupils formally and informally to hear their views.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They also looked at responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Lakmini Harkus, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Wendy Marriott Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 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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