Ernehale Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Ernehale Junior School Derwent Crescent, Gedling Road, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG5 6TA

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Outcome

Ernehale Junior School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Carmel Atkinson. This school is part of Flying High Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Chris Wheatley, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Neil Robinson.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s vision to: ‘make every day count’ is evident in everything they do. From the moment pupils walk through the school door, they start to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve, personally and academically. Pupils know that their teachers believe in them and are there to help them reach their full potential. In lessons pupils give their complete attention. They are ready to answer their teachers’ questions, share their opinions or read confidently in front of their peers. Every effort is made to bring learning to life. For example, Year 6 pupils visit Bestwood Colliery to extend their historical knowledge about local mining communities. Staff show high levels of care for pupils. Pupils enjoy school and attend well. They unanimously agree that they would recommend Ernehale Junior School to a friend.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ manners are superb. They greet visitors politely, ask how their day is and offer to shake hands. They get on well together. They encourage each other to follow the school’s values: ‘aim high, be their best and to choose kindness’. At social times they play imaginary games, ball games or, if they need a quiet space, can use the ‘well-being hut’.

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

The school’s curriculum is highly ambitious. It is designed to provide pupils with a deep understanding of each subject. It sets out the key knowledge that pupils need to know to answer some big questions. In Year 4 pupils consider, ‘What influence have individuals had?’ and Year 5, ‘What is our responsibility in the world?’ 25 and 26 June 2024

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The curriculum is planned with meticulous care. Staff know precisely what they need to teach and when. Teachers ensure that pupils remember vital learning from previous lessons. Each lesson begins with a ‘reactivate’ task so that pupils have opportunities to recall this key knowledge. Pupils understand why this is important. One pupil said: ‘It gets our brains learning’.

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Teachers explain new concepts well. For example, in mathematics as Year 5 pupils build on their prior learning about negative numbers, they learn that: ‘zero is neither positive nor negative’. Each lesson follows a precise structure that builds pupils’ learning up step by step. As a result, pupils work with confidence and accuracy when given independent tasks.

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The school identifies and understands the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They have high expectations of what pupils with SEND can achieve. Expert staff adapt the curriculum to meet their needs. Wherever possible, pupils with SEND access the same learning as their peers. They take part in all that the school has to offer.

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Reading is prioritised. Pupils who need more help to develop their reading skills receive effective support. The school promotes a love of reading. Pupils can access a wide range of books in the school’s inviting library. These books have been chosen with care so that pupils can recognise themselves in stories as well as seeing the world through the eyes of others.

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Pupils support each other to behave well. When needed, they remind each other to: ‘choose kindness’. Some pupils say that there is a small number of pupils in school who do not always make good choices about how they treat others. This can worry pupils.

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Pupils’ wider development is prioritised. Pupils develop leadership skills that will: ‘empower them to make a difference’. They have opportunities to support their school community as ‘well-being warriors’, ‘kindness ambassadors’ and ‘diversity champions’. Pupils take part in community events, benefit from a wide range of trips and residential visits and choose from a varied offer of lunchtime and after-school clubs.

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Some parents express concern about the recent changes the school has made. They say that the issues they raise with the school are not always sufficiently addressed. However, governors, the trust and the majority of parents are positive about the improvements the school has made. Staff say that leaders are considerate of their workload and are proud to work at Ernehale Junior School.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 Some pupils state that a very small number of their peers are not always kind. This very small group of pupils do not consistently live up to the school’s high expectations for behaviour. The school should ensure that pupils who struggle to behave as well as expected are provided with further support to show greater consideration for the feelings of others.  A significant minority of parents raise concerns about the school. They are not confident that their children are supported to do as well as they can. They say that when they raise concerns, they are not adequately addressed and remain unresolved. The school should continue to establish positive working relationships with these parents in order to assure them that every decision the school makes puts pupils’ best interests first.

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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 predecessor school, also called Ernehale Junior School, to be good in December 2014.

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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). 25 and 26 June 2024

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Flying High Trust.  The headteacher, deputy headteacher and other senior leaders have been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school works closely with Ernehale Infant School which is on the same site. The headteacher leads both schools.  The school does not make use of 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. 25 and 26 June 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 leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other members of the school’s senior leadership team. A meeting was held with those responsible for governance, including the chair of governors, the CEO of the trust and a community governor. The inspector also met with a trust director of quality assurance and school improvement.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. 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.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central

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record and took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils. She also considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector spoke with pupils from each year group, formally and informally. She observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school and at lunchtime.  The inspector considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the free- text comments that were submitted. She also spoke to parents at the start of the school day.  The inspector took account of the views of staff through the conversations held and the responses to the online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Caroline Poole, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 25 and 26 June 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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