Fakenham Junior School

Inspection of Fakenham Junior School Queen’s Road, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 8BN

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Adam Mason. This school is part of Synergy multi- academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Louise Lee, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Natasha Hutcheson. 13 and 14 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Fakenham Junior School strive to ‘be the best they can be’. They learn well and are expected to work hard, and they love that adults try to put a smile on their faces every day. The playground is full of activity, with pupils of all ages getting on well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a happy, welcoming place. Pupils know that everyone is different, and these differences are celebrated. This builds a culture of mutual respect and understanding between pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Whether being part of the Fakenham duck race or singing at local events, pupils enjoy opportunities to involve themselves in the local community. They attend a range of trips, clubs and sporting events. The gardening club uses the extensive allotment area to grow produce to share with some families and the community. These opportunities allow pupils to make a difference to their school and local community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They trust that adults will help them if they have a problem. Pupils know how to stay safe, including when using the internet. Younger pupils know not to share personal information online, while older pupils have a well- developed understanding of how to avoid scams.

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better?

The school’s sharp focus on the quality of education pupils receive ensures that pupils learn an exciting and ambitious curriculum. Pupils learn well and, in many subjects, develop detailed knowledge. The school, alongside the trust, has set about evolving and improving the curriculum in a careful and measured way. There remains work to do. In a small number of subjects, leaders have not yet precisely identified the important knowledge pupils need to know and remember to make sure new learning builds on what has come before.

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better?

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils encounter a rich and varied diet of books as they move through the school. Adults read regularly to pupils, which opens their eyes to new and different types of stories. Pupils who need more guidance to help them read receive effective support. Staff are expert in teaching phonics, which ensures that pupils are well supported to catch up. Pupils are well guided to develop the range of words they know and use, especially subject-specific vocabulary. This vocabulary is carefully set out in the curriculum to build over time.

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better?

Teachers receive useful training and guidance. As a result, they have strong subject knowledge in the subjects they teach. They can quickly see when a pupil does not understand a concept and provide precise help for them. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are generally well supported. Teachers and teaching assistants provide useful support to help these pupils access much of 13 and 14 September 2023

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the curriculum. There are times, however, when activities are not always well adapted to ensure that pupils with SEND learn well. Sometimes, their work is too hard or complicated. This means they do not always learn as well as they could.

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Pupils are polite and courteous. They behave well, both in and out of class. Lessons are generally calm. Where some pupils need additional help with their behaviour, they receive clear guidance from adults.

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The well-considered personal development programme helps pupils to develop beyond the academic curriculum. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships, and they know how to look after their mental health. The school provides effective pastoral support for pupils, such as the ‘choices’ club for those pupils who find the hustle and bustle of lunchtimes tricky. This provides a calm and relaxing space for them to use.

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The trust board and local governing board work together seamlessly. The flow of information between the two ensures that they have a clear strategic oversight of the school. They hold leaders to account for the provision in school, balancing this with appropriate support.

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Staff value the support provided by senior leaders, particularly in helping them to manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum has recently undergone change. While teachers are quickly getting to grips with teaching the curriculum in many subjects, in a small number of subjects, the school has not yet precisely identified the most important knowledge pupils need to know and remember. This means new learning does not always build on what pupils already know. The school should ensure that work started is completed so that teachers know exactly what pupils need to learn in each subject.  There are times when pupils with SEND do not have activities carefully adapted to meet their needs. Teachers do not always have the depth of information about pupils’ prior knowledge to help them with these adaptations. This means these pupils do not always learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers receive the information and training they need to help them adapt activities more precisely to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 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 federated with Fakenham Infant School. The headteacher oversees both schools in the federation.  Fakenham Junior School converted to become an academy in April 2019. When its predecessor school, with the same name, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgment about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 13 and 14 September 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, 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 and 4 read to an adult.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer of the trust, the primary executive lead from the trust and the chair of the trust board. The lead inspector also held a meeting with members of the local governing board.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils interests first.  The inspection team considered the views of parents shared through the Ofsted survey, Parent View. They gathered the views of pupils and staff through surveys, interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Nathan Lowe, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lynsey Holzer Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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