St Jude's Church of England Junior School

Inspection of St Jude’s Church of England Junior School Bagshot Road, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey TW20 0RU

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 September 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy their time at St Jude’s because the school cares well for them. It has high expectations of their development as young people and of their academic achievements. Pupils get on well with the staff and together they form a welcoming community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils are keen to attend regularly and get to school on time. This is to take advantage of lessons and wider opportunities such as playing in the brass band. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is typically civilised. They are respectful of each other and cooperate well together, for example when sharing play equipment at social times or materials in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s high hopes for pupils’ academic achievement are largely achieved. The school makes sure all pupils are supported well in key areas like learning to read. Much effort to improve teaching over the last year has ensured they learn securely in mathematics, where standards had been lower.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school and know they can rely on adults to support them. Where any pupils need additional support to behave well, or where pupils have worries, the staff team works well to provide what is needed.

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

The school has a well-planned curriculum, with a strong emphasis on helping pupils learn to read confidently. Staff provide well-focused help to those who need extra support with reading, so they catch up. Pupils read regularly. They read challenging texts, including through class novels and through wider reading in a range of subjects.

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

Subject learning is sequenced logically so pupils build on what they know and retain new knowledge. Improvements in mathematics in the last year have included training for staff on teaching the subject. This has borne fruit. Pupils’ mathematical understanding is building effectively.

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

Across the curriculum, teachers are well prepared. They usually explain new learning carefully, check pupils have understood and correct any misunderstandings. Teachers have good information about pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They usually give effective extra support where required. On occasion, where support is not provided or fully effective, these pupils sometimes lose focus during activities. This is not always identified and tackled so pupils can get back on track.

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

In response to falling pupil numbers in recent years, the school has adopted mixed-age classes in many subjects. Staff manage this well overall and work hard to adapt learning to meet pupils’ varying needs. While there is much effective practice, this is not as consistent as it could be. Some teachers choose tasks that do not build learning as well as they could for some pupils. 24 and 25 September 2024

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The school promotes good behaviour well and sets clear expectations for pupils. Most pupils follow routines, work hard in lessons and are helpful around the school. Staff manage behaviour consistently. They apply sanctions and rewards carefully. The school provides well for pupils who struggle to meet expectations. Staff have worked hard on this in recent years, reducing the need for suspensions. The majority of pupils attend school well. Those who miss a lot of school are supported effectively to improve their attendance.

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Pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is fostered well. They enjoy the many trips, visitors and enrichment activities. They benefit from a well-planned personal, social, health and economic education programme. This helps them be ready to lead healthy lives and to be respectful of each other. Pupils relish the wide range of opportunities to take responsibility, for example when acting as sports leaders or peer mediators.

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School leaders form a cohesive team and have managed the school well during last year’s federation with an infant school. They know the school’s strengths and weaknesses and take action to make improvements. They ensure staff are well trained and have a reasonable workload. The school’s communications with parents are strong and parents are positive about the school’s work. Governors are conscientious, have relevant expertise and are well focused on holding leaders to account.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, some pupils with SEND do not sustain their focus during activities, and this is not always identified by staff. When this happens, it reduces the amount that pupils learn. The school should make sure teachers routinely check the engagement of pupils with SEND during activities and provide support where necessary to get them back on task.  The tasks which teachers give to pupils in mixed-age classes are not always sufficiently adapted to take account of their widely varying prior knowledge and build securely on it. Pupils do not achieve as highly as they could, therefore. The school should support staff in refining how activities are planned so they build knowledge for all pupils, regardless of their starting points.

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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. 24 and 25 September 2024

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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). 24 and 25 September 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chairs of governing body Juan Pemberton and Xavier Brice

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 to 23 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school federated with a local infant school in February 2023. The headteacher works across both schools, as do other senior leaders. The governors also work across both schools and have two co-chairs.  St Jude’s has a religious character within the Christian Anglican tradition. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school took place in 2017.  The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 24 and 25 September 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 met with the headteacher and other senior staff, a representative of the local authority and of the diocese, and members of the governing body, including the co-chairs. Inspectors met parents dropping off and collecting their children.  To gather evidence about the quality of education, inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. In each subject inspectors met with subject leaders and teachers of the subject, had discussions with pupils about their work and visited a range of lessons. Inspectors visited classrooms to see other subjects

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being taught.  Inspectors visited lessons, met with pupils, observed the wider life of the school, and reviewed the outcomes of Ofsted surveys completed by parents and staff.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements, 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 established an open and positive culture that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Stephen Long, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Justin Bartlett Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 September 2024

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