South Stanley Junior School

Inspection of South Stanley Junior School Tyne Road, South Stanley, Stanley, County Durham DH9 6PZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher is Rachel Bell. This school is part of Stanley Learning Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Mark Stewart, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tom Harpe. 21 and 22 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a warm sense of belonging at South Stanley Junior School. They are happy and proud of their school. The school provides pupils with very clear routines and high expectations. Leaders make sure that these routines are followed every day. As a result, the school is orderly and calm. There is very little disruption to lessons. Staff know the pupils and their families well. Pupils enjoy positive relationships with staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying rarely happens at the school. When it does, the school responds quickly to pupils’ concerns. Pupils are safe. They trust the adults in school. They value the different ways their voice is heard. For example, pupils can use the ‘worry box’ in school to write down their concerns and a member of staff will talk to them about it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They want all pupils to ‘reach for the stars’. Pupils have benefited from a range of visitors to the school who have talked to them about different careers, including a bio-medical scientist, a social worker and a chef. Pupils contribute well to their school community. They take on important roles such as school councillors, house captains and reading mentors to younger pupils.

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better?

The school prepares pupils well for the academic demands expected of them when moving on to the key stage 3 curriculum. This is reflected in the results of the 2023 national tests in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard and higher standard in all three subjects is above local and national averages.

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better?

The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced. For example, in science, pupils learn about human biology. In Year 3, pupils learn about human skeletons and muscles. In Year 4, this develops as pupils learn about the digestive system and, in Year 6, pupils learn about the impact of diet and exercise on the way the body functions. Teachers use the school’s detailed support plans to make appropriate adaptations for pupils with SEND.

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better?

Teachers use modelling consistently well in lessons. In subjects such as mathematics and reading, the ‘I do, we do, you do’ approach helps pupils to understand how they should apply their knowledge. Appropriate strategies are used to help pupils to remember the curriculum over time, such as the ‘Daily 5’ in mathematics and knowledge organisers that help pupils to ‘look back and look forward’. There is, however, some inconsistency in the impact of these strategies. As a result, some pupils, including some pupils with SEND, have difficulty remembering some aspects of the curriculum that they have been taught before.

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better?

Pupils enjoy reading. The curriculum for reading is planned so that pupils develop their reading skills deeply over time. Pupils benefit from reading a wide variety of 21 and 22 May 2024

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genres and stories. Pupils enjoy their weekly reading assembly, which brings the school community together. Pupils at the earliest stages of reading are supported well. The school has implemented an appropriate phonics programme. It is taught consistently well.

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Assessment is planned carefully. The school uses this information to identify the gaps pupils have in their knowledge. Teachers adapt the curriculum to help fill the gaps in pupils’ knowledge. In lessons, the effectiveness of curriculum questioning varies. Teachers do not consistently check precisely enough what pupils know and remember. Pupils are not always encouraged to extend their ideas or deepen their thinking.

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During lessons, pupils behave very well. Pupils tend to work hard and follow instructions. Pupils are motivated by the house system, to earn achievement points so that they can win rewards. Leaders track attendance closely. They work persistently to help those pupils who do not attend school regularly enough. This work is having a positive impact.

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The school’s curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) is supporting pupils’ personal development well. The curriculum is adapted effectively so that pupils are taught about local risks. For example, pupils have recently learnt about water safety and the dangers of vaping.

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The school is committed to providing pupils with experiences to broaden their cultural awareness and understanding of the wider world. Pupils have benefited from visits to Durham University and an outward bound residential. The school offers pupils extra-curricular clubs in yoga, cooking and sport. Despite this offer, there is more for the school to do to support some pupils’ independence and resilience.

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Governors and trustees are highly skilled and committed. They understand their responsibilities. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the ways that leaders support them. They speak positively about the well-being team and strategies to reduce marking. Staff are very proud to work at the school. They value the professional opportunities they are given by the school and the trust.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some of the strategies used by the school to support pupils to remember the curriculum over time are implemented inconsistently. This means that some pupils do not remember aspects of the curriculum they have been taught before as well as they should. The school should ensure that the strategies it uses to help pupils 21 and 22 May 2024

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remember the curriculum over time are embedded consistently across the curriculum.  The use of questioning in lessons is inconsistent. Teachers do not consistently check with enough rigour what pupils know and remember, or encourage pupils to think and discuss as deeply as they could. The school should ensure that the use of questioning is used consistently to check for gaps in pupils’ knowledge and provide pupils with further opportunities to deepen their knowledge and skills.  There is some variation in the effectiveness of the school’s work to develop pupils’ character, confidence and independence. Some pupils would benefit from additional support to develop their skills to be independent and confident in both academic and social situations. The school should further develop the ways it supports all pupils’ character development, confidence and independence so that these positively influence pupils’ academic and social development.

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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). 21 and 22 May 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 February 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Stanley Learning Partnership, which is a multi-academy trust.  The school uses one registered alternative provision. This provider is subject to inspection by Ofsted.

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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.  The inspection team held meetings with leaders, teachers, non-teaching staff and pupils.  The lead inspector met with trustees and members of the local governing board.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about 21 and 22 May 2024

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the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector reviewed the curriculum in science and music with subject leaders.  An inspector met with the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator.  Inspectors met with the leader in charge of the PSHE curriculum, pupils’ personal development and careers.  An inspector observed a sample of reading interventions and pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer for the trust.  The inspectors observed pupils during social times. They spoke with pupils and leaders about opportunities for pupils’ personal development.  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

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. He also took into consideration the responses to the surveys for staff and for pupils

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Inspection team

Dan McKeating, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jacqueline Mowat Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 May 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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