West Earlham Junior School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: West Earlham Junior School Scarnell Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR5 8HT

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

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Outcome

West Earlham Junior School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning a well-planned and ambitious curriculum. They take pride in their work. There is focus on developing pupils’ oracy skills. Pupils learn to develop their understanding and use of subject-specific vocabulary. There are opportunities for pupils to revisit and revise prior learning. This helps pupils remember the important content and achieve the high expectations of the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are a variety of clubs and extracurricular activities. These are free to pupils and allow them to explore and discover new talents and interests. A range of trips and visits enhance the curriculum. Pupils value these opportunities. They help to make learning memorable. Pupils are proud of their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take on leadership roles and contribute to the improvement of the school. For example, as school councillors, sports and digital leaders, and rights respecting school leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know and understand the school rules of ready, respectful and safe. They say there is always an adult you can talk to if you have a worry or a concern. Their well-being and personal development are prioritised. Pupils behave well. They reflect upon and learn from their mistakes. Parents, pupils and staff describe the school as ‘a family’.

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

The content of the curriculum is specific and progressive. In English, mathematics and science, there is a high level of consistency. In English and mathematics, there is an agreed approach on how to teach the curriculum. Leaders check that pupils achieve the 19 and 20 November 2024

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ambitions of the curriculum. Work in pupils’ books demonstrates that they make good progress in their learning.

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Reading is a priority. Pupils talk at length about books they have read or studied. Pupils experience a rich range of classic and modern fiction, non-fiction and poetry. They learn to write and explain their thinking using appropriate language structures and vocabulary. Pupils who fall behind with reading have the support they need to become confident readers.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in the life of the school. The school works with the infant school to ensure that pupils not at the expected standard have the support they need to catch up. There are appropriate adaptations so pupils with SEND can access the breadth of the curriculum. Some pupils with complex needs benefit from provision in ‘The Hive’.

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Until recently, senior leaders took responsibility for monitoring the implementation and impact of the curriculum. The school is now distributing this responsibility to subject leaders. Some subject leaders are new to role. The school has provided training and support, but more work is needed to ensure that the consistent delivery of the curriculum enables pupils to achieve well across every subject.

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Pupils are familiar with the consistent routines and high expectations of behaviour. They trust the adults in the school to listen to them and sort out any problems. The ‘soft start’ to the school day, where pupils can drop into school early for a bagel, review learning from the previous day or engage in an independent learning activity, has improved punctuality and attendance. Pupils value this time and the opportunity to improve their work.

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The school has planned a rich range of opportunities to support pupils’ personal development. The school has developed innovative links with a range of partners. A comprehensive scheme ensures that pupils regularly revisit themes. Pupils know how to stay safe. They learn about looking after their mental and physical health.

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Governors offer challenge and support. They use a range of external partners to confirm what the school is telling them. Staff well-being is a priority. There are opportunities for staff to collaborate and access training and support. The school is passionate about ensuring staff, pupils and families have the support they need to thrive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 19 and 20 November 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, there are inconsistencies in how effectively the curriculum is implemented. There is a lack of consistency in the outcomes achieved by pupils. The school needs to further strengthen curriculum implementation to ensure that pupils are helped to learn and remember knowledge over time in the full range of subjects taught.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in January 2016.

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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. 19 and 20 November 2024

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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). 19 and 20 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 July 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses two registered alternative provisions.

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Information about this inspection

 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in this evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the assistant headteachers, other staff and the governors of the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector considered the responses and free-text responses submitted by parents to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also gathered parents’ view by speaking to them at the start of the school day. 19 and 20 November 2024

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 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.

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Inspection team

Oriana Dalton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 November 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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