Monkwray Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Monkwray Junior School Monkwray Brow, Whitehaven, Cumbria CA28 9DT

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Outcome

Monkwray Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well during their time at the school. They have designed a broad and engaging curriculum, which they hope will ‘open a window on the world’ for pupils and provide them with a good range of learning opportunities and experiences. Most pupils work hard and achieve well during their time at Monkwray.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. Positive relationships between staff and pupils are quickly established. Parents and carers and pupils overwhelmingly confirmed that they see the school as a happy place to come and learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils live up to adults’ high expectations of their conduct in class and around school. Leaders have put in place effective systems to promote good behaviour and learning is only rarely interrupted by off-task behaviour. Pupils said that incidents of bullying are unusual. When any bullying does occur, leaders deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have ensured that pupils have chances to take on different roles and responsibilities. Pupils are proud to represent their school at different sporting and cultural events. Pupils who have been in school teams for sports such as swimming and dodgeball were proud to talk about the medals that they have won.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy and appreciate the enrichment activities that are planned for them. For example, pupils were keen to talk about what they had learned on their trip to look at different places of worship.

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

Leaders have made reading a high priority in the school. Reading is promoted well across all year groups. Pupils enjoy taking books to read in the outdoor ‘book nook’ at breaktimes and also enjoy listening to their teachers read to them daily. By the time they leave the school, pupils are typically keen and confident readers. Leaders have 6 July 2023

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implemented a whole-school approach to teaching phonics for pupils who are at an earlier stage of learning to read. This builds effectively on what they have already learned at the partner infant school. The books pupils read are well matched to the sounds they have learned. This helps pupils to develop their reading skills and confidence quickly.

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Leaders have thought carefully about what they want pupils to learn in different subjects. They have developed a broad and interesting curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. Leaders know their subjects well. They have made sure that staff have received the training they need to deliver the curriculum effectively. Leaders have picked out the knowledge and subject-specific vocabulary that they want pupils to learn, and the order in which this is to be taught. They use assessment strategies well to confirm that pupils are building their knowledge over time. However, pupils are less secure in their recall and use of key words and phrases in different subjects. As a result, pupils’ written work and verbal explanations are not as consistently accurate as they might be.

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Leaders quickly identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Staff make appropriate adaptations to the work set for these pupils and make sure that they are well supported. This ensures that pupils with SEND access the same broad curriculum as their peers.

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There is a warm and friendly atmosphere throughout the school. Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning and show respect for their teachers and classmates. Lessons proceed with minimal disruption. Pupils take pride in their work and listen carefully to their teachers and classmates. Pupils’ good behaviour and attitudes make a highly positive contribution to learning across the school.

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Leaders have recognised the important role the school plays in developing pupils’ awareness of breadth and diversity in modern British society and in building their aspirations for the future. Pupils were keen to tell inspectors about the many different school trips, outdoor activity sessions and after-school clubs that they had attended. Through such opportunities, leaders support pupils to develop as kind and thoughtful citizens.

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Leaders and governors know the school well and share a clear vision for its future. Staff are very positive about working at the school. They said that leaders are considerate of their well-being and take staff’s workload into account when making decisions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong safeguarding culture across the school. Leaders and staff know pupils and their families well. Staff are quick to act if they are worried about a pupil’s well-being, and leaders act promptly if such concerns arise. They work well with external agencies to secure the support that pupils and families may need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about keeping themselves safe through a well-thought-out curriculum. They said that they feel confident to talk to a trusted adult if they have any worries. 6 July 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not ensure that pupils learn and remember the key vocabulary identified in the subject curriculums. As a result, often pupils struggle to recall this vocabulary or use it accurately. Leaders need to ensure that there is a consistent and effective approach to teaching subject-specific vocabulary across the school so that pupils remember it over time and use it accurately in their work.

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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 March 2013.

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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. 6 July 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a one-form-entry junior school.  School leaders currently make use of one alternative provision setting.

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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 held discussions with the headteacher and other leaders and staff.  An inspector spoke to governors and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors conducted deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, science and geography. 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 examples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke to leaders and looked at pupils’ work in other areas of the curriculum.  Inspectors made checks on leaders’ records for safeguarding and staff recruitment and 6 July 2023

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spoke to staff about the procedures for safeguarding pupils.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about their experiences of school and observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms and around school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including a number of free- text comments. Inspectors also considered responses to the online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Neil Dixon, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Cleo Cunningham Ofsted Inspector 6 July 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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