Prospect Hill Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Prospect Hill Junior School Maple Drive, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S81 0LR

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Outcome

Prospect Hill Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Prospect Hill Junior School is a happy and harmonious place to learn. Pupils get on well together. They know that the ‘golden rules’ are there to keep them safe. They behave well in lessons. They pay close attention to their teachers and participate enthusiastically in their learning. Pupils welcome challenge. At social times, there are lots for them to do on the playground. They keep busy and active. Pupils are proud of their school. One pupil said: ‘I don’t think there is one pupil who would not recommend this school to a friend’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the many enrichment activities that are planned for them. They buzz with excitement about ‘Prospect’s Got Talent’. They are thrilled for the pupils who have been chosen to perform their acts at the summer fair. Parents have many opportunities to be a part of school life. They are invited to a showcase event for each year group so that they can hear about what their child has been learning. For example, Year 5 pupils presented ‘I’m an astronaut, get me out of here’ based on their space topic. Many parents value the school’s open door and feel part of the school community.

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

Leaders have constructed an ambitious curriculum. It is designed to have a particular focus on developing pupils’ understanding of their local area, extending to a national and global level. This prepares pupils well for the next stage in their education, as well as life in modern Britain.

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

Curriculum plans are in place for all subjects. In the foundation subjects, these plans were implemented at the start of this academic year. Plans clearly set out the key knowledge that leaders want pupils to know. They identify the subject-specific vocabulary that staff will need to teach to pupils. Each small step of learning is designed so that it builds on what pupils have learned before. For example, in physical education (PE), pupils learn the footwork moves they will need to use before learning how to play badminton. They know that this is called a ‘chasse move’. 27 and 28 June 2023

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Teachers regularly review the knowledge that pupils need to remember. They provide extra support for pupils who have not remembered, or understood, prior learning.

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Leaders have made reading a key priority. There are lots of books around the school for pupils to access. Teachers read to pupils from carefully chosen texts that link to their class topics. Pupils retell the stories from ‘Escape to the River Sea’ and ‘Street Child’ with enthusiasm. They talk with interest about a biography based on David Attenborough’s life. Leaders provide support for pupils who struggle with their reading. Pupils who need it continue to have daily phonics lessons. Staff have been trained to deliver phonics. They are experts. As a result, pupils who were not fluent readers when they arrived at the school are catching up with their peers.

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Leaders are ambitious that all pupils will achieve well, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Secure systems are in place to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Teachers use a range of appropriate strategies to adapt the curriculum to make sure that pupils with SEND can access the same learning as their peers. Pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life.

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Pupils enjoy a wide range of after-school clubs. Many of these clubs promote healthy lifestyles. These include healthy food club, bushcraft and scooter club. Pupils also benefit from the expertise of visitors to school. Leaders make sure that every school visit will add to pupils’ knowledge or personal development. Leaders have also made pupils’ mental health a priority. The school has received a national award for this aspect of the school’s work.

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Leaders are considerate of staff workload. Staff appreciate the culture of teamwork that leaders have established. Staff morale is high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff understand that they have a shared responsibility to keep pupils safe. They receive regular training. They know how to recognise the signs that would alert them to concerns about a pupil’s safety or well-being. Staff pass their concerns on with urgency. Safeguarding leaders make the right decisions about how to respond to the concerns raised. They involve external agencies promptly, when needed, to support vulnerable pupils and their families.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum teaches pupils how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn how to keep themselves safe online and how to use social media responsibly. 27 and 28 June 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The current curriculum for foundation subjects was finalised in September 2022. Leaders have further work to do to assure themselves that teachers are implementing the curriculum effectively. Leaders should continue to provide teachers with the training they need to ensure that the curriculum is delivered as leaders intended and successfully supporting pupils to retain key knowledge in their long-term memory.

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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/outstanding. 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 October 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. 27 and 28 June 2023

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Inspection number 10298449 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 April 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast club for pupils.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This is 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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team. She also met with the chair and vice-chair of the governing body.  Deep dives were carried out in reading, mathematics and physical education (PE). The inspector spoke with curriculum leaders, visited lessons and spoke with teachers from the lessons visited. The inspector spoke with pupils about their learning and viewed examples of their work. She also listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult. 27 and 28 June 2023

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 The inspector reviewed a range of school documents, including the school improvement plan, school policies and further curriculum plans for geography, music and design technology.  To evaluate safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the school’s single central record, met with the designated safeguarding leaders and reviewed safeguarding records.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lunchtime, around the school and while in lessons.  The inspector considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. She also met with parents at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Caroline Poole, 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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