Victoria Park Junior School

Inspection of Victoria Park Junior School Davyhulme Road East, Stretford, Manchester M32 0XZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 10 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.

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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. 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. 9 and 10 April 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embody the school value of respect at this welcoming school. They strive to meet the school’s high expectations for their behaviour. Year 6 pupils take pride in being buddies for those in Year 3 and act as excellent role models. Pupils behave impeccably and their learning is rarely interrupted. Those pupils who need extra help to manage their emotions are well supported by caring staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils progress well across the range of learning opportunities that the school provides. Many pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this school. They know that the school will act upon their suggestions and opinions to make the school the best it can be. For example, reading ambassadors have played an important role in the creation of the new school library. Pupils also trust that staff will help them to resolve any concerns that they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the broad range of clubs available to them. These include different sporting activities as well as sewing and cookery clubs. The school ensures that many pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, benefit from these clubs.

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better?

The school has carefully considered the important knowledge that pupils should learn across the majority of the curriculum. The curriculum is ambitious for pupils, including for those with SEND. High-quality training enables teachers to deliver the curriculum consistently. The school has effective systems to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Teachers successfully adapt the delivery of the curriculum content for these pupils. Overall, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education.

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better?

In a small number of subjects, some of the important knowledge that pupils should learn is not clear. This is especially true for vocabulary. This makes it difficult for teachers to know what vocabulary they should prioritise when designing lessons. As a result, in these subjects, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and do not learn as well as they could.

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better?

In English and mathematics, teachers check on what pupils know and remember. They quickly address any gaps in knowledge that pupils have. However, in a small number of other subjects, the school has not finalised how teachers should do this. In these subjects, this leads to a small number of pupils having unidentified gaps in important knowledge. At times, these pupils are moved on to new concepts too soon and they struggle to make sense of new learning. 9 and 10 April 2024

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Reading sits at the heart of the school curriculum. Pupils read a broad range of books that include novels and poetry. Pupils read with fluency and achieve well. The school has implemented an effective approach to teaching phonics for pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read. Well-trained staff teach the school’s phonics programme consistently. These pupils benefit from regularly reading books that are closely matched to the sounds that they have learned. This helps to build their confidence and experience success when reading.

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Pupils are very well mannered. They are courteous and helpful. Behaviour across the school is excellent. Pupils have a strong moral conviction to treat others in the same way that they would like to be treated themselves. Pupils have superb attendance at school. The school’s systems and procedures around attendance are highly effective. Any attendance concerns are swiftly picked up and addressed at an early stage.

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The school has carefully selected a broad range of opportunities to enhance pupils’ wider development. For example, pupils understand the hazards of the local train lines. The school ensures that pupils learn about healthy relationships. Pupils take part in a range of community activities such as litter picks and fundraising for local initiatives. This helps them to understand the role that they can play in bringing about positive change.

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Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities for further improvement. They provide effective support and challenge linked to the quality of education. Staff value being part of the school. They are positive about what the school has done to further support their workload and well-being. This includes changes to the marking policy and access to training that enables them to deliver the curriculum well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the school has not finalised its curriculum thinking with regards to the important knowledge pupils should learn, especially in relation to vocabulary. This hinders teachers from designing learning that helps pupils to learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that it finalises its curriculum thinking so that it is clear what pupils should learn and when this knowledge should be taught.  In a small number of subjects, the school has not ensured that staff check on pupils’ understanding of the knowledge that they have been taught. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that staff check that pupils have the knowledge that they need to make sense of new learning. 9 and 10 April 2024

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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). 9 and 10 April 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 and 2 October 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision.  The governing body operates a breakfast club and after-school 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.  This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and took this into account in their evaluation.  The inspectors completed deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. As part of the deep dives, the inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited lessons, met with teachers and looked at pupils’ work. The inspectors also looked at the curriculum and pupils’ 9 and 10 April 2024

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work in some other subjects. The lead inspector observed some pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record and took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils. They also considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons. They spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. They also considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  The inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also

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considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online staff survey.  The inspectors spoke with some parents and carers. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Robinson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Elizabeth Hulse Ofsted Inspector 9 and 10 April 2024

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