Godwin Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Godwin Junior School Cranmer Road, Forest Gate, London E7 0JW

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 November 2023

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Outcome

Godwin Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Developing a love of reading is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. The school library is treasured by staff, pupils and parents and carers. Pupils are keen to apply for the highly prized pupil librarian roles.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils’ academic and personal development. Its broad curriculum includes gardening lessons in Years 3 and 4, and chess lessons in Year 5. The school aims to prepare pupils for secondary school while also teaching them how to be good citizens for the future. Pupils achieve well in their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kind and respectful to each other and polite to staff and visitors. They collaborate well in lessons and behave calmly in the school building. In the playground, pupils play together happily in the spacious, tree-lined outdoor area. Bullying is rare and when incidents occur, staff deal with them effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept safe here. They learn about online safety, road safety and positive relationships. Pupils know that they can talk to a trusted adult in school if they feel upset or worried. They value the class ‘talk boxes’ where they can post messages to their teachers about things that worry them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents look forward to the warm welcome from staff at the start of the school day. They appreciate how well staff know their children as individuals and support their learning.

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

The school has developed an aspirational curriculum for pupils that reflects the local context and diversity of the school community. For example, in Year 4, pupils learn about the history of the nearby London Docklands and explore the theme of migration. In Year 6, pupils study Noor Khan and the significant role she played in the Second World War. Across the curriculum, the school has identified the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils need to know and when. In some subjects, however, the school completed this 21 and 22 November 2023

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work recently. As a result, pupils have not developed a deep body of knowledge in these subjects.

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The school prioritises reading. There are clear systems for identifying and supporting pupils who need help with learning to read fluently. Teachers assess pupils when they start school in Year 3. If pupils need to catch up, they take part in daily phonics sessions to help them build up the phonics knowledge that they need. Pupils read books that match their stage in phonics learning and this helps them to practise their skills.

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Staff at school are passionate about promoting a love of reading. Teachers read carefully chosen books to their classes daily. They read with enthusiasm and expression. As pupils move through the school, they become fluent, confident readers who enjoy books.

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Staff help pupils to remember essential knowledge. For example, at the start of mathematics lessons, pupils practise concepts that they have learned before. Sometimes, teaching expertise is not developed enough to help pupils to fully understand the planned learning. This leads to gaps in the knowledge and understanding of some pupils in these subjects. Leaders are aware of this and have planned a programme of staff professional development to address it.

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Teachers check what pupils know and can do. They provide effective support for pupils who need more help with their learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) study the same subjects as their peers. Their needs are well identified and understood by the school. Teachers adapt their resources and provide well-planned additional support from staff to help pupils with SEND in lessons.

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Staff and pupils have high expectations of behaviour at school. They understand the school behaviour policy. The policy focuses on reflection. Pupils learn to understand their emotions and the impact their behaviour has on other people. Pupils feel motivated by the school reward system. They particularly like the opportunity to have lunch at 'the golden table' with senior leaders.

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The school plans and funds educational trips and a variety of after-school activities. This includes cookery club, Debate Mate, film club and girls’ football. Leaders make sure that all pupils are able to access a wide range of enrichment activities.

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Through the school’s ‘learning powers’, pupils are taught about positive character traits and are encouraged to approach challenges with confidence. The curriculum also teaches pupils about important concepts related to discrimination and treating others with respect and kindness.

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Governors and leaders at all levels understand what the school does well and what it needs to do to be even better. Encouraging pupils to come to school every day is a priority for leaders and governors. School attendance figures are improving as a result.

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The school makes sure that staff have the training they need to do their jobs effectively. Staff have mixed views about the support they are given by the school to manage their workload. The school is aware of this and is working with staff to address their concerns. 21 and 22 November 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has recently finished developing curriculum thinking for some of the foundation subjects. In these subjects, pupils struggle to recall the knowledge and skills that they have learned previously. The school should embed its new curriculum thinking, so that pupils’ learning is consistently strong across all subjects.  The school is still working on securing teachers’ subject-specific pedagogical knowledge in some curriculum areas. As a result, at times, teaching does not enable pupils to learn in depth the knowledge and skills intended. The school should develop staff expertise further to ensure that the intended curriculum is consistently implemented in all subjects.

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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 June 2014.

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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. 21 and 22 November 2023

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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). 21 and 22 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has four forms of entry in Year 3 and three forms of entry in Years 4, 5 and 6.  The school provides after-school clubs on site.  The school is a member of a soft federation of six local schools called the Newham North Partnership.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held discussions with the headteacher and other senior leaders.  The inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. The inspector also spoke to a local authority representative. 21 and 22 November 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector 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 curriculum in other subjects was also considered.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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 culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered the views of pupils, parents and staff through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Jo Franklin, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 November 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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