Norton Junior School

Inspection of Norton Junior School Campsall Balk, Norton, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN6 9DG

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding 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 Andrea Tunney. This school is part of XP School Trust Limited, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Gwyn ap Harri, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Stephen Bielby. 28 and 29 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff are very proud of their school. Pupils look after each other. They show high levels of respect to each other and adults, including visitors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is determined for pupils to succeed . There is a clear passion from leaders and staff to give pupils a wide range of opportunities and experiences. This ensures that pupils, including those with special educational needs/and or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged, experience success. Pupils who need it receive precise and personalised support. This creates a highly inclusive culture. As a result, pupils are thoroughly prepared for their next stage of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults demonstrate the highest levels of care for pupils. Parents and carers agree with this. Pupils of all ages thrive in this nurturing school. The ‘zones of regulation’ give every pupil a chance to talk about their feelings. Pupils consistently rise to the school’s high expectations for their behaviour. This ensures that pupils are happy, safe and well cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from carefully chosen experiences that build their understanding of the world around them. These experiences help them to become active citizens by developing their social conscience and understanding of modern Britain. Pupils relish opportunities to take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. This helps them to develop and pursue their talents and interests.

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better?

The curriculum is unique and ambitious. Pupils learn through expeditions that result in them producing a high-quality product or presenting their learning to a public audience. Staff teach this curriculum well. They receive effective support from subject leaders. Pupils show high levels of engagement in lessons. They talk enthusiastically about their learning. They take great pride in their work. Pupils with SEND are quickly identified. The curriculum is adapted so that pupils with SEND access the same learning as their peers and achieve well.

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better?

The school has recently developed the curriculum to identify the most important knowledge it wants pupils to learn in all subjects. In subjects such as mathematics, the precise knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn is clearly sequenced so that they can effectively build their knowledge over time. However, in some subjects, this knowledge has not been sufficiently sequenced to ensure that pupils build on what they already know and can do. In these subjects, pupils do not develop a deep knowledge and understanding of subject specific concepts over time.

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better?

The reading curriculum enables pupils to understand a range of texts. Leaders have recently implemented a phonics programme for pupils who are not on track with their reading. Well-trained adults ensure that pupils develop their phonic knowledge effectively. The books that they read are matched to their reading ability. However, the school realises that there is more work to do to enable pupils who have fallen 28 and 29 November 2023

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behind to catch up. Pupils who need the most support with reading are missing some essential knowledge from the reading curriculum. The school has not yet fully instilled a love of reading for pleasure and enjoyment among these pupils.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Pupils follow the ‘habits of work and learning’ to ‘work hard, get smart and be kind’. The rewards on offer, such as raffle tickets and special mentions, motivate pupils to do their best. Pupils are empowered to manage their own behaviour exceptionally well through ‘crew’ sessions. This can be seen in the extremely respectful way that pupils conduct themselves around school. Pupils quickly learn the well-established routines and expectations of how to behave in school. This creates highly positive attitudes to learning.

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The curriculum for pupils’ personal development goes beyond what is expected. Crew sessions are held daily and bring the school community together. Pupils develop a deep sense of respect for themselves, for others and for the school and wider community through crew sessions and expeditions. Pupils flourish due to the extensive opportunities that the school makes available to them. They strive to lead and suggest community projects to make a difference. For example, pupils developed and launched a charity single to local businesses about climate change.

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Leaders are considerate and care about staff well-being. Workload is supported by collaborative working across the trust. Leaders have high ambitions for staff. Staff value the carefully planned opportunities provided for their continued professional development. They appreciate the professional support they receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the key knowledge that the school has identified as important is not sufficiently sequenced. It is not always clear where teachers are expected to revisit knowledge. This means that pupils are not always able to build effectively on what they already know and deepen their understanding. The school must ensure that the important knowledge that pupils need to learn is clearly sequenced in all subjects so that pupils can embed their learning over time.  Pupils who have fallen behind with their reading are missing some vital elements of the reading curriculum. This means that they are not developing their reading knowledge as quickly as they might. These pupils do not show enough interest in reading. The school must ensure that pupils who need the most support are accessing all aspects of the reading curriculum and given access to a wider range of texts to develop their love of reading.

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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). 28 and 29 November 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Norton Junior School converted to become an academy in July 2019. When its predecessor school, Norton Junior School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The headteacher is new to the school since it became an academy. She is also the headteacher at Norton Infant School.  The school is part of XP School Trust Limited.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The 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 judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 28 and 29 November 2023

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 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 have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the chief executive officer, headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher and special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors met with a number of representatives from the multi-academy trust and a member of the trust board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and physical education. 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.  Inspectors heard pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school, at playtime

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and at lunchtime.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their views of the school and their learning, behaviour and safety.  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.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff and pupils and Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including comments received via the free-text facility. Inspectors also talked to parents in the school playground.

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Inspection team

Nicola Beaumont, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sam O’Brien Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 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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