Furze Platt Junior School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Furze Platt Junior School Oaken Grove, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 6HQ

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 February 2024

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of outstanding as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thoroughly enjoy attending school and are keen to learn. They are happy here and try to live up to leaders’ high expectations to ‘be the best that they can be’. Overall, most pupils achieve well. They leave the school prepared well, socially and academically, to embrace the challenges of secondary education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships across the school are respectful, warm and nurturing. Pupils get on well together and most behave sensibly in class. During social times of the day, such as lunchtimes, they enjoy playing with their friends. Pupils appreciate that staff are ready to listen and help if they are ever upset about something. Any pupils who find it difficult to manage their emotions are supported sensitively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enthuse about the exceptional range of clubs and activities on offer. From chess to sports clubs, there is something to cater for every interest. For many, the residential visit to Wales is a highlight of the school calendar. Special events such as the ‘times-tables’ day, are memorable events for many. Pupils benefit from visiting experts from all walks of life, ranging from well-known authors to Everest mountaineers. These rich and diverse experiences make a very strong contribution to pupils’ personal development.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and well planned. Content builds progressively and logically. The school has purposefully selected and connected the most important knowledge pupils need to learn. Topics and themes are interesting and spark pupils’ curiosity. Over time, the curriculum enables most pupils to achieve well, as shown by the school’s published outcomes. 20 and 21 February 2024

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Regular training ensures that staff have appropriate subject knowledge and that teaching approaches are consistent. For example, when teaching mathematics calculations, including using the school’s visual representations. Lessons start with a recap of previous learning and key content is regularly revisited. Staff use ‘flash back fours’ and ‘solid sixes’ to identify and address any knowledge gaps.

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There are appropriate processes in place to identify pupils’ needs. Pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from support shaped thoughtfully around their needs and individual targets. During lessons, staff support pupils who have barriers to learning, including pupils with SEND, so that they can access the curriculum. However, the curriculum for these pupils is not always implemented in the way that leaders intend. Teaching is not consistently adapted well enough to meet the needs of some pupils who find learning challenging and pupils with SEND. This means that some of these pupils are not achieving as well as they could be.

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A suitable phonics programme is in place for pupils who are still at an early stage of learning to read. Reading is prioritised. The English curriculum is shaped around many high-quality texts that help to develop pupils’ wider reading knowledge. Pupils enjoy reading and are keen to talk about their favourite books and authors. One pupil commented, ‘books can take you into a different world’.

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Most pupils attend school regularly. Staff are quick to follow up and address any absence concerns. They work closely with families and other agencies to understand the underlying difficulties affecting pupils’ attendance. Most pupils behave well and are kind, sensible and welcoming. Some pupils’ needs mean that they can find it difficult to regulate their behaviour. Staff are caring and support pupils well when this happens.

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The school’s values of passion, well-being and respect are lived out daily. Through different subjects, including religious education, pupils learn about other cultures and religions. They enjoy taking on responsibilities such as being house captains. The school works tirelessly to ensure that disadvantaged pupils benefit from all that the school has to offer, for example, by participating in inter-school events and accessing enrichment activities.

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Staff enjoy working at the school. They value the training they receive and leaders’ support for their professional growth. While leaders and governors keep all aspects of the school under review, they also consider the impact of any changes to staff workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 The curriculum is not implemented or embedded as well as leaders intend for pupils who have barriers to learning, including pupils with SEND. Not all staff adapt their teaching well enough to meet pupils’ needs or ensure that pupils are working with sufficient precision in subjects, such as mathematics. As a result, these pupils are not achieving as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff are equipped with the knowledge and expertise they need so that they can adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils who find learning more challenging, including pupils with SEND.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in December 2018.

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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.

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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). 20 and 21 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Mike Wallace (executive headteacher) Anna Clark (head of school) Website www.furzeplattjuniorschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 December 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the school has federated with Furze Platt Infant School. The two schools, which are part of the Furze Platt Primary Federation, share the same senior leadership team and governing body.  In 2021, the school opened specially resourced provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorder. The provision is shared with Furze Platt Infant School and is based at the junior school. This is known as the Everest Room and the Olive Room. There are currently six pupils from the junior school who attend this provision. All pupils who attend the provision have education, health and care plans.  The school currently uses two unregistered alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 20 and 21 February 2024

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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 has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. 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 inspector also heard some pupils read.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher and other leaders, including the inclusion leader and the leader responsible for the specially resourced provision. The inspector also visited this provision.  The inspector held a meeting with a group of governors, including the chair of governors. The inspector met with two representatives from the local authority.

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 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 staff and pupils during discussions and through staff’s responses to Ofsted’s survey.  The inspector took account of parents’ responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments. The inspector also spoke to some parents on the morning of the second day of the inspection.

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Inspection team

Sue Cox, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 20 and 21 February 2024

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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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