Havelock Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Havelock Junior School Havelock Street, Desborough, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN14 2LU

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Outcome

Havelock Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Havelock Juniors is a vibrant, happy place. Pupils enjoy spending time in this warm, caring environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that staff will help with anything that worries them. One pupil summed up the views of others well when they said, ‘Feeling safe depends on the people around you. In our school everyone is so nice, which is why I feel safe here.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have an ambitious, inclusive vision. They want the best for all pupils. Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in all aspects of school life. Teachers adapt their lessons well to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils are polite and friendly. They try their best to be ready, respectful and safe. They enjoy earning rewards for following these rules and working towards their ‘Havelock Hundred’ certificates. Pupils concentrate well on their work. They try hard in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about resilience, responsibility, and reflection at Havelock. They understand how their ‘3R’ values help them. For instance, pupils know that resilience is about persevering. They know they will have a good chance of success if they do not give up.

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

The curriculum at Havelock Juniors is broad, balanced and ambitious. There is a precise sequence to what must be taught. Teachers follow these plans closely so that pupils learn new knowledge and skills in the right order.

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

Teachers explain things clearly. They ask questions to prompt deeper thinking. Teachers model what to do so that pupils can learn by example. Pupils are given the time they 27 and 28 June 2023

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need to practise new skills. In mathematics, this helps them develop quick, accurate calculation methods. By the time they reach the end of key stage 2, pupils can then apply these skills to solve complex mathematical problems.

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In some subjects, teachers regularly go back over what pupils have been taught before, connecting what they are learning now to what they have covered in the past. However, teachers do not systematically revisit important knowledge in all subjects. Where this is the case, pupils do not deepen their understanding of key concepts by building on their prior learning.

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Reading is at the heart of the school. Pupils read across the curriculum. They have positive attitudes about reading. Pupils like spending time in their school library. ‘Book Blabs’ are used to share the range of books that pupils can choose from. Pupils read interesting and challenging texts in their reading lessons. They enjoy the stories and poems they read together in class. Those pupils who need support with phonics have daily sessions to help them catch up. Phonics is taught well. Pupils’ reading books are matched to the letter sounds they know. However, staff do not always make sure that pupils know what fluent sentence reading should sound like when they listen to pupils read their books.

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Leaders have recently reviewed their attendance policy. The new procedures are robust. Leaders intervene early when attendance is below where it needs to be. However, reducing the rate of persistent absence further remains a priority, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.

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Leaders have thought carefully about how the curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities contribute towards pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development. Pupils can attend a wide range of clubs and there are many experiences on offer to broaden their horizons. As well as lots of trips to enhance their learning, pupils have the chance to represent the school in sports teams and to perform on stage. There are many roles and responsibilities to develop pupils’ leadership skills too.

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Governors make regular visits to check on the quality of education across the curriculum. Leaders receive effective support and challenge from executive leaders at Pathfinder Schools multi-academy trust.

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Staff enjoy working at Havelock Juniors. Leaders take account of staff workload when making decisions. Staff say that leaders’ doors are always open for them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know they all have a role to play in keeping pupils safe. They share any concerns about pupils’ welfare promptly. They know what to do if they think a pupil is at immediate risk of harm. Record keeping is detailed. Leaders ensure that the right actions have been taken to keep pupils safe. Leaders involve other agencies when they need to. They make 27 and 28 June 2023

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sure that families get the right support. Leaders work closely with the local authority on safeguarding matters. Pupils are taught what it means to be safe and how to share anything that worries them.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not make precise links to the knowledge and skills taught in previous years. This means that pupils do not deepen their understanding of important concepts. Leaders should review their approach to the recall of prior learning so that teachers systematically revisit important content, helping pupils to connect their knowledge and build on what they have learned before.  Staff do not consistently develop pupils’ fluency when they listen to them read their books. This means that pupils who find reading more difficult do not become fluent readers as quickly as they might. Leaders should ensure that there is a consistent approach to the teaching of reading fluency when adults listen to pupils read so that pupils get the help they need to become fluent readers as quickly as possible.

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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 July 2017.

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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. 27 and 28 June 2023

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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. 27 and 28 June 2023

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Date of previous inspection

11 and 12 July 2017 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Pathfinder Schools multi-academy trust.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection of the school 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 carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, and history. For the deep dives, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also looked at subject plans and pupils’ work for religious education (RE). The inspector also spoke to pupils about their learning in RE.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteachers, curriculum leaders and a sample of teaching and support staff. The 27 and 28 June 2023

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inspector met with the leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, behaviour and personal development.  The inspector met with the designated leaders for safeguarding to discuss the actions taken to keep pupils safe. The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s single central record.  The inspector examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance, and documentation relating to pupils’ behaviour.  The inspector listened to a sample of pupils in Year 3 read to a familiar adult. The inspector met with groups of pupils from across the school.  The inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body.  The lead inspector also met with the chief executive officer and director of school improvement from Pathfinder Schools multi-academy trust.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent

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View, and the results of the Ofsted staff survey.

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Inspection team

Shaun Carter, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 27 and 28 June 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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