Carrington Junior School

Inspection of Carrington Junior School 4 Chapel Road, Flackwell Heath, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP10 9AA

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 1 and 2 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Carrington Junior School is rightly proud of its welcoming and caring ethos. Staff do their utmost for all children to succeed. Pupils’ academic achievement and well-being have equal priority. Since the last inspection, the school has strengthened the curriculum. This is helping pupils to reach higher expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know the importance of meeting the high standards for behaviour that the school expects of them. Pupils recognise and respect that some of their classmates need different types of support to help them behave well. Unkind behaviour and bullying are rare. When they do happen, adults are quick to take action to make sure this behaviour is not repeated. Pupils are happy and feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking part in a wide range of cultural experiences such as setting up a French market. They benefit from events such as singing in exciting concerts and representing their school in a wide range of sporting activities. They learn about the importance of sustainability. Pupils, including the school’s eco-warriors, enjoy helping in their local community by picking up litter.

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

The school ensures that the conditions are just right for pupils to ‘believe, achieve and succeed’. The school’s curriculum is broad and ambitious. Across the subjects, there are well-structured subject curriculums that help pupils to learn and remember more over time. For example, in mathematics, pupils incrementally build on previous learning in a careful and considered way. However, in a small number of subjects, the important knowledge that pupils need to retain from year to year has not been identified precisely enough. A few pupils do not always learn as well as they could because they do not have the building blocks of knowledge firmly in place.

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

The ‘Carrington Way’ guidance for staff makes it clear how pupils’ knowledge and skills in each subject should develop over time. This supports teachers with the implementation of the curriculum. This guidance helps with their workload and well-being. Teachers provide carefully chosen resources and materials to help pupils learn. In most lessons, teachers check what pupils remember and use this information to plan their next steps.

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

The school has responded to the changing and increasingly complex levels of need presented by some pupils at the school. Pupils’ barriers to learning are identified quickly and supportive plans are put in place to reduce these. The school has provided training to ensure that staff can meet the needs of all pupils. Wherever possible, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn the same content as their peers. This includes pupils from the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND, who integrate with their peers in the main classes. Adults make sure that pupils get appropriate support when needed. As a result, disadvantaged pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.

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

Staff teach pupils to read with expertise and confidence. Teachers check any gaps or weaknesses in pupils’ reading ability meticulously. Any pupil who needs more support in 1 and 2 October 2024

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phonics, reading fluency or accuracy receives well-tailored provision. Pupils are helped to become confident in their reading skills. However, the school does not yet consistently inspire pupils to become enthusiastic and confident readers. A few pupils do not enjoy reading and they do not read widely.

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The school provides pupils with a strong moral compass. Pupils understand clearly the difference between right and wrong. Pupils understand the school’s values, confidently explaining the importance of resilience, kindness and respect. They are knowledgeable about online safety and physical health.

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Pupils enjoy school and the vast majority attend regularly. For those who do not, the school is working closely with families and other agencies to increase the time pupils are attending school. As a result, the attendance of pupils who are persistently absent is improving.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the important subject-specific end points are not identified precisely enough. Therefore, teachers do not have enough clarity on what knowledge pupils must secure before moving on to their next steps. The school needs to refine the subject-specific knowledge that pupils must know and remember over time.  There are some inconsistencies in the school’s work to promote pupils’ confidence and enjoyment in reading. A few pupils do not enjoy reading and they do not read widely. The school should ensure that pupils are inspired to read widely and for pleasure.

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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 1 and 2 October 2024

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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). 1 and 2 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Co-Chairs of governing body Jane Wright and Nadia Zachary

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 November 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is federated with the infant school of the same name.  The school has specially resourced provision for pupils who have a diagnosis of autism. The school call this additional resource provision ‘Blossom’. Currently, nine pupils attend this provision. Most of these pupils spend some time in mainstream classes as well as attending lessons and therapy sessions in the specialist provision.  The school does not currently use any 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. 1 and 2 October 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, staff and pupils. The lead inspector also met with the representatives of the governing body.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, physical education and history. They discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, teachers and pupils. Inspectors visited lessons and also considered the curriculum and pupils’ work in religious education, science and geography.  Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire, including the free-text comments. They also took account of the responses to the confidential surveys for staff and pupils. Inspectors gathered the views of both staff and pupils

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throughout the inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors reviewed and scrutinised a range of the school’s documentation, including leaders’ plans for improving the school, minutes of governor meetings, records of attendance and behaviour incidents.

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Inspection team

Clare Morgan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Foster Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 October 2024

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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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