Trafalgar Junior School

Inspection of Trafalgar Junior School Elmsleigh Road, Twickenham, Middlesex TW2 5EG

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 27 and 28 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy in school. A sentiment shared by many is that there is a friend for everyone at this school. Pupils enjoy helping others and taking care of the school. They willingly take on additional responsibilities. For example, at breaktimes, anti- bullying ambassadors help pupils sort out any problems that may arise. Pupils in Year 5 take on the role of ‘buddy’ to pupils in Year 2 in the federated infant school. This helps pupils in the infant school prepare to move up to the junior school smoothly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Typically, pupils live up to leaders’ high expectations for behaviour. They behave appropriately both in class and around the school. If any bullying occurs, leaders deal with it swiftly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want all pupils to benefit from everything that the school has to offer, including residential educational visits. They provide many wider opportunities for pupils, including a range of clubs such as sewing and dance. Leaders make sure that all pupils who attend sports clubs also take part in inter-school competitions.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading. Leaders recently changed the school’s approach to early reading and phonics. This is to make sure teaching is consistent for pupils at the early stages of learning to read. All teaching staff are trained to teach phonics and some have specific phonics expertise that helps to support pupils’ early reading. Leaders and teaching staff check the letter sounds that pupils know when they join the school. Teaching and reading books are matched to the phonics that pupils know, to help pupils become competent and confident readers. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders work together with external professionals, including therapists and psychologists, who provide training for teachers and teaching assistants. As a result, teachers make appropriate adaptations to teaching for pupils with SEND.

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better?

The school’s curriculum matches the scope and ambition of the national curriculum. Leaders think carefully about the most important knowledge for pupils to know and remember in subjects. Typically, key knowledge is sequenced logically from the start of Year 3 onwards. Subject leaders work collaboratively with external subject experts. This helps them to build strong subject knowledge. Teachers check that pupils know and remember prior subject knowledge and vocabulary. They use this information to identify gaps in knowledge and address these through teaching. Typically, pupils connect what they learned before to current learning. For example, pupils in Year 6 learned about human and physical geographical features in Year 3, which helped them to describe geographical features in North America in Year 6. A few subjects are at an earlier stage of development. In these subjects, knowledge is not sequenced as effectively and important changes in curriculum thinking have not

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better?

been made as explicit to teachers. 27 and 28 June 2023

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Pupils are well behaved in class. Where incidents of low-level disruption occur, teachers address these swiftly. As a result, learning continues with minimal interruption. Leaders regularly award a ‘peace prize’ to pupils voted for by their classmates in recognition of their contribution to making the school a happy place to be.

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Leaders provide appropriate support for pupils’ personal development. The curriculum for personal, social and health education is carefully sequenced. Pupils are taught about the significance of consent and the importance of healthy relationships in an age-appropriate way. They are also taught about different types of families, cultures and traditions.

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The governing body hold leaders to account effectively. Leaders and governors consult staff on workload and provide support for their well-being. Many members of staff said that they feel highly valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide appropriate safeguarding training for school staff. They keep staff updated through additional training regularly. Staff know the signs that may indicate a pupil needs help. They know their responsibility to report concerns swiftly to leaders and externally if necessary. Leaders follow up concerns appropriately. They seek external advice and support to make sure receive support with their welfare and safety.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are provided with important information about safety. They are taught what to do if they come across inappropriate online content.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, knowledge is not sequenced as effectively as in others and important changes in curriculum thinking have not been made explicit to teachers. As a result, sometimes, teaching does not emphasise the most important information. Leaders must complete the development of all subjects and provide training for staff to implement the curriculum effectively.

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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. 27 and 28 June 2023

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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

Inspection number 10289859 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.trafalgar-jun.richmond.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 June 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up post in September 2021.  The Trafalgar School Federation comprises of this school and Trafalgar Infant School. The headteacher leads both schools.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  There is a breakfast club provision which is managed by the governing body.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, representatives of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the 27 and 28 June 2023

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curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors held meetings with leaders about safeguarding. They scrutinised the way concerns are recorded and followed up by leaders.  Inspectors visited the playground, dining hall and assembly.  Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Andrea Bedeau, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Sylvia Kerambrum Ofsted 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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