Harewood Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Harewood Junior School Harewood Close, Tuffley, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL4 0SS

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Outcome

Harewood Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and proud of their school. Pupils celebrate the rewards and positive recognition they receive from staff, such as the ‘Golden Child’ awards.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high ambitions for pupils to be ready for the next stages of their education. Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils, achieve highly in published outcomes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the many ways in which they contribute to the school. For example, the school council actively raises money to fund additional resources and equipment for pupils. Sports leaders promote play and activity for pupils at breaktimes. The school plans for pupils to be ‘inspired’ by sport. Pupils represent their school through many sporting activities, such as cricket and football.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils train as ‘restorative stars’, so that when pupils fall out they help one another to resolve their disagreements. Bullying is unusual. Pupils know staff will act to help them when there are issues they cannot settle. Pupils are well supported by a strong pastoral team. They learn how to stay mentally and physically healthy.

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

The school has planned a broad and ambitious curriculum. For pupils who are in the early stages of reading, the school has implemented a reading programme to ensure pupils secure their phonics knowledge. The school is highly ambitious for reading. Throughout the school, pupils have many opportunities to read aloud and develop their fluency. The school ensures pupils experience a broad range of diverse literature. As a result, pupils enjoy talking about the books they read.

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

The mathematics curriculum makes sure pupils deepen and secure their mathematical knowledge. Pupils rehearse their learning through applying what they learn, such as 16 and 17 July 2024

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calculating percentages in Year 6 or rehearsing their 12 times table in Year 3. Teachers make sure pupils have additional support when there is something they do not confidently understand. As a result, pupils are articulate about the mathematical procedures they use.

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The school has planned a detailed and well-sequenced curriculum in the foundation subjects. For example, in history, pupils learn about key monarchs to help them have a knowledge of context and time. However, the assessment criteria for some foundation subjects are broad. As a result, the criteria do not provide enough clarity for teachers about what pupils can do and what they need to secure.

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Using pupils’ support plans, teachers adapt the curriculum appropriately for pupils with SEND. They teach new material ahead of lessons to help pupils recall their learning. Teachers use different strategies in lessons to understand how well all pupils have understood their learning. Some of these lack precision. When this happens, teachers do not identify gaps in knowledge as promptly as they might.

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The school tracks pupils’ attendance carefully. It checks and manages attendance robustly. The school knows pupils and their families well. Most pupils attend well. When pupils do not attend well, the school works proactively to remove barriers. The expectations for behaviour are clearly set out. Pupils know and understand the rules. In lessons, pupils listen and are attentive most of the time.

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Pupils learn a well-planned personal, social and health education curriculum. The school leads work across other schools on online safety. Pupils know well how to keep themselves safe online.

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The school works closely with parents and the community. It plans a wide range of support and training for parents and their children, for example cooking on a budget. Parents visit the school to share and celebrate learning with their children, such as reading.

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The school maintains detailed evaluations and planning for school improvement. The governing body provides appropriate challenge to support the school in its work. Staff are proud of the school. They feel well supported. Professional development is highly valued and well planned for.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The assessment criteria in some foundation subjects are too broad. As a result, they do not provide teachers with sufficient clarity on what pupils know and can do. The school needs to continue its refinement of the assessment of foundation subjects to provide more precise information for teachers. 16 and 17 July 2024

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 Teachers use a range of strategies to check how well pupils have understood their learning. However, some of these lack precision. When this happens, teachers do not identify where pupils have misconceptions as promptly as they could. The school needs to make sure that strategies for checking pupils’ understanding are used effectively.

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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 January 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). 16 and 17 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Harewood Junior School is a foundation school. The school works with school improvement advisers from Gloucestershire local authority and externally appointed.  The school is part of the Gloucester Schools’ Partnership – an alliance of over 40 primary schools in Gloucestershire.  The school uses one registered alternative provider.

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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 has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in English, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 16 and 17 July 2024

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 The inspector also looked more widely at the provision for early reading.  The inspector held discussions with the headteacher, senior leaders and staff. She also met with members of the governing body, including the chair.  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 met with groups of pupils to talk about their experience of school, as well as observing pupils at breaktime.  The inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector considered key documentation, including school development plans, school reports from visiting school improvement partners and minutes of governors’ meetings.  The inspector considered the responses to the staff survey and Ofsted Parent View,

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Inspection team

Rachel Hesketh, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 16 and 17 July 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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