Geoffrey Field Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Geoffrey Field Junior School Exbourne Road, Reading, Berkshire RG2 8RH

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Outcome

Geoffrey Field Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and eagerly anticipate the morning work that awaits them in class. They say the best thing about their school is that there are ‘no outsiders’ meaning everyone is welcome and treated kindly. Lots of pupils speak English as an additional language. When pupils new to speaking English join the school, they encounter enthusiastic support from the school community. Pupils are skilled at using iPads to translate. This helps friendships to form quickly. Everyone feels included and pupils express genuine interest in learning about each other’s languages, religion and culture.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school values of kindness, responsibility, honesty, resilience and respect are the guiding principles for everyone. Pupils know these and they behave very well. They take great pride in earning rewards for showing these character traits. Because they are taught these values, pupils of all year groups get along well together. They say they feel safe, secure and happy in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like learning in the colour coded ‘open plan’ classroom areas. Creative use of space provides opportunity for small group learning. There are very few walls or doors and as a result, pupils work with a cooperative attitude. This creates a purposeful buzz of learning all around the school.

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

The school has designed its own highly effective and unique ‘local curriculum’. This is built around carefully identified core principles which inspire and equip pupils with self-belief and a love of learning. Through a broad range of subjects, pupils are exposed to a rich array of cultural experiences and community opportunities. Detailed plans organise the important knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn. This supports teachers to check pupils’ understanding and make any adaptations or corrections. A particularly robust approach in the core subjects means that any gaps in pupils’ understanding are precisely identified and addressed. Pupils achieve well from their starting points throughout the planned curriculum because of accurately targeted teaching. Pupils with special 26 to 27 March 2024

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educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified accurately. They learn alongside the class, and where needed they receive sharply targeted support to help them make progress.

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In each lesson, teachers have a consistent focus on revisiting what pupils have learned previously. This means that pupils confidently talk about their secure knowledge and understanding, and how they can use this in their current learning. Mostly, teachers present learning clearly, and with a focus on deepening pupils’ knowledge and skills. However, sometimes, teachers do not use the most effective strategies to engage pupils in learning as well as they could. Leaders recognise the need to support staff to design tasks and activities that help all pupils, including those with SEND to achieve well in every lesson.

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Enjoyment of books and reading flows through the school. Pupils are excited about the new ‘reading sheds.’ They provide opportunity for ‘book swap’ sessions and means everyone has the chance to discover new favourite authors and stories. When pupils arrive at the school, their reading levels are carefully assessed. If needed they receive expert help to learn their letters and sounds. Because teaching so precisely addresses pupils’ gaps in knowledge, they catch up and improve their ability to read fluently. Staff make sure learning to read is a fun, enjoyable activity, and this boosts pupils’ self-esteem and confidence.

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Attendance is a high priority. The school offers support to families in removing any barriers that might be stopping pupils from coming to school. Pupils really enjoy coming to school and they appreciate the broad range of opportunities that are planned and organised for them. In addition to a plentiful array of clubs, pupils are encouraged to participate in local sporting tournaments and competitions. They take great pride not only in their successes, but also in representing the values of their school out in the community. Pupils are very well supported to discover new interests. A popular initiative is the ‘university’ sessions activities, which motivate pupils to consider future study pathways in film making, learning sign language or fashion design.

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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 tasks and activities do not fully match ambitious aims of the curriculum. This means that sometimes, pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should continue to support staff in their task and activity design so that pupils learn what they need to in every subject, with appropriate support when needed. 26 to 27 March 2024

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2013.

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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). 26 to 27 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.geoffreyfieldjuniorschool.co.uk

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 16 May 2018

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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 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.  The inspector met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, staff and pupils. The inspector also spoke with members of the governing body including the chair of governors, and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and modern foreign languages. They discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, teachers and pupils and visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects. 26 to 27 March 2024

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 The inspector considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire, including the free-text comments. They also gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.  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 reviewed and scrutinised a range of the school’s documentation, including leaders’ plans for improving the school, minutes of governor meetings and records of attendance and behaviour incidents.

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Inspection team

Jo Petch, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 26 to 27 March 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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