Canvey Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of Canvey Junior School Long Road, Canvey Island, Essex SS8 0JG

p.1

Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2023

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education 2005, 13 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the act. The school received a monitoring inspection under section 8 of the act on 27 and 28 February 2019. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 15 and 16 November 2023

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Canvey Junior School is a place where pupils flourish. Staff have pupils’ best interests at heart and care deeply for them. This has led to mutually supportive relationships with families. Pupils actively welcome everyone here, looking to celebrate their differences and unique qualities.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s motto ‘together everyone achieves more’, is embodied in the high expectations for both the academic and social skills that pupils develop at the school. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, (SEND), typically rise to these expectations.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Throughout the school, behaviour is exemplary. Older pupils set an excellent example to younger ones by walking sensibly around the school. The younger children soon adopt the routines. Classrooms are hives of learning activity. Pupils enjoy learning and they contribute enthusiastically during lessons.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from inspiring activities for their personal development. Pupils think hard about the ‘big questions’ that they regularly encounter. They develop the maturity and language to communicate with clarity. This grows over time, for example, as they learn to speak in front of their peers and in public at local poetry reading festivals. Pupils relish the opportunity to represent their school in sports competitions and a wide range of after-school activities.

p.2

better?

The school have shown relentless determination to create a school where pupils thrive. Leaders have drawn upon a wide range of research and practice to inform their thinking about the curriculum. They have designed a highly ambitious and exciting curriculum. All pupils learn this curriculum, including those pupils with SEND.

p.2

better?

Pupils across the school develop a love of reading. Pupils learn to read and recite poetry and enjoy selecting books for themselves from their well-stocked school library. On joining the school, reading is assessed to identify needs. Pupils at the early stage of reading receive prompt additional help to enable them to catch up rapidly with how to break up the sounds of words. They then learn more complex groups of letters and sounds. This enables pupils to read with success and confidence. All staff are trained well in this aspect. There are a few pupils who are able to read but, while this is the case, they do not understand the meanings of some words, indicating that their vocabulary and comprehension of unfamiliar words need further work.

p.2

better?

In most subjects, staff use their strong subject knowledge to plan lessons that engage pupils. Pupils across the school are supported to make connections with earlier learning. This helps pupils to remember what has been taught and to deepen their understanding over time. 15 and 16 November 2023

p.2

3

Pupils with SEND achieve extremely well. The school effectively caters for those pupils in the school’s specialist provision for pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. Teachers make careful adaptations that enable these pupils to access the curriculum. Parents are fully involved in this process. As a result, pupils with SEND are successfully prepared for the next stages of their learning.

p.3

3

Pupils’ positive behaviour around the school is exceptional. Their mature attitudes to learning contribute significantly to their ability to learn well. There is very little if any disruption to learning. Pupils enjoy school and maintain regular attendance.

p.3

3

The personal development of pupils is exceptional. Pupils develop an extremely well-developed understanding of difference and diversity in their community and the wider world. They know and respect, for example, that family structures may be different from their own. The school deepens pupils’ knowledge about democracy through elections for student leadership positions and thoughtfully planned visits to the Houses of Parliament. The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

p.3

3

Leaders, including governors, know the school’s strengths and areas for development exceptionally well. They ask robust and challenging questions and hold leaders to account. Prompt and well-considered action is taken to address any areas that need further attention. Staff are proud to work at this school. They appreciate the many professional development opportunities they receive.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, pupils do not understand the vocabulary in the texts the school provides. As a result, some pupils do not understand the text or the full question asked of them. The school should ensure that gaps in pupils’ vocabulary knowledge are addressed effectively and quickly, so that the pupils know the meanings of the words that they encounter.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 15 and 16 November 2023

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 15 and 16 November 2023

p.4

School details

Chair of governing body Lorraine Breading

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 27 and 28 February 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in September 2023 having been the deputy headteacher for several years.  The school runs a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND, supporting those with SEMH needs on behalf of the local authority.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.5

Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 15 and 16 November 2023

p.5

6

 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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and members of the senior leadership team. The lead inspector also spoke in person with members of the governing body.  The lead inspector spoke on the telephone to a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, science and computing. 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 also listened to some pupils reading.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects and

p.6

6

looked at a range of pupils’ books.  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 culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered the views expressed by parents in their responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included free-text comments. The lead inspector also spoke with a few parents at the end of the school day.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.  The inspectors spoke to some pupils about school life.  The inspectors spoke with staff to discuss leaders’ support for their workload and well-being.

p.6

Inspection team

Ahson Mohammed, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Conor Heaven His Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 November 2023

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7