Crossways Junior School

Inspection of Crossways Junior School Knapp Road, Thornbury, Bristol, South Gloucestershire BS35 2HQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 25 and 26 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their time at Crossways Junior School. The school’s CARE values of ‘contribute, aspire, respect and equality’ make a tangible impact on pupils. Pupils feel cared for and know staff will help them with any worries they have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations for what every pupil can achieve and how they behave. Pupils who struggle to meet the school’s high expectations receive the support they need so that they can learn, attend and behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are calm and courteous. They treat one another with tolerance and respect. One pupil described the supportive relationships that exist at the school as ‘heartwarming’. This encapsulates the view of many. Bullying is uncommon and is not tolerated. However, a few pupils and parents lack confidence in how well it is dealt with.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to make positive contributions. They eagerly participate in lessons. Leadership roles that pupils undertake enhance the experiences of their peers. Pupils understand the ways in which they can contribute to the wider community. For instance, they raise funds for charities and learn how to conduct themselves when using local facilities, such as parks.

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better?

Pupils achieve well. They produce high-quality work and have strong recall of what they have learned. Teachers help pupils make connections between the content they learn so that they build a deep understanding of many of the subjects that they study.

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better?

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. Staff know exactly what knowledge pupils need to learn at each stage. Pupils have many opportunities to revisit prior learning. Consequently, they can build on what they already know and can do.

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better?

Staff have the subject knowledge they need to explain new learning clearly. Teaching activities enable pupils to apply their knowledge and to deepen their learning. Teachers consistently use the approaches to teaching that the school has identified as being most effective. They know how to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn alongside their peers. Consequently, pupils acquire the knowledge that they need. On occasion, gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not identified and closed rapidly enough.

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better?

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. The books that underpin the English curriculum build pupils’ love of reading, as well as their confidence and fluency. Pupils read widely and often. The school helps pupils who fall behind with reading to catch up. 25 and 26 June 2024

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Pupils behave well. They are courteous and welcoming. Staff consistently use praise and rewards to remind pupils of what is expected of them. Learning is rarely interrupted by poor behaviour. Pupils are keen to learn. They work hard and encourage one another.

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The personal, social and health education pupils receive supports their wider development well. They learn how to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. They know how to stay safe, including online. The school provides high-quality information to parents to help them understand how to support their children’s safety and well-being.

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Pupils develop their talents and interests through the clubs on offer and weekly enrichment time for all pupils. The school ensures that all pupils, including those with SEND, can take part in these. Pupils and parents appreciate the opportunities the school provides, and they make good use of them.

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Leaders have involved staff in developing new policies and processes to rapidly improve the school. This has strongly contributed to a high level of consistency across the school. Staff have developed their own knowledge and skills because of high-quality training, with a focus on research-influenced approaches. They are proud to work at the school.

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Governors have robust systems for checking on the quality of all aspects of the school. These will give them greater insight into the schools’ strengths and areas for further development. Some of these are newly in place.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not always identified. Therefore, sometimes they persist, and pupils do not learn as much as they could. Leaders should ensure that gaps in knowledge are systematically identified, both at a class and whole- curriculum level.  Some parents are dissatisfied with the way that school leaders deal with concerns they raise, including about bullying. Some parents do not have confidence that issues they raise will be resolved. Leaders need to further improve communication with parents so that parents know that their concerns have been dealt with.

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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 25 and 26 June 2024

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Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 February 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Crossways Schools Federation.

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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 received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics, English and history.  For each deep dive, inspectors 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. 25 and 26 June 2024

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 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 culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  An inspector met with governors and with representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the views of staff and pupils in Ofsted’s online surveys. Inspectors also spoke to pupils and staff in meetings and around the school site.

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Inspection team

Sarah Favager-Dalton, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Vaughan Ofsted 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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