Stillness Junior School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Stillness Junior School Brockley Rise, Forest Hill, London SE23 1NH

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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Outcome

Stillness 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 coming to Stillness Junior School. They are happy to share their experiences with visitors, such as talking about the termly ‘curriculum days’. These are special days when the pupils dress up as people relating to the topic of study. One pupil, reflecting the views of many, said, ‘I enjoyed dressing up as an evacuee to really learn about their life.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. This reflects what staff expect. Pupils understand the consequence system for any poor behaviour. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. Pupils feel safe and are kept safe at school. Bullying rarely happens. Pupils trust staff to help with any worries or concerns that they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils readily take on responsibilities, such as being members of the school council. They understand the importance of these roles. For instance, they proposed a change to an area of the playground surface to prevent potential injuries. This idea is successfully being implemented by the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for the achievement of pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils try their best to meet these expectations by listening carefully and working hard. Staff enrich pupils’ learning with visits to museums, London landmarks and historical sites. Pupils are prepared well for the next stage of their education.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. In most subjects, they have organised the knowledge and skills that pupils should learn in a logical manner. This supports pupils to build their understanding cumulatively over time. For example, in English, pupils 10 and 11 December 2024

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develop how to write descriptively by adding appropriate adjectives and verbs to their work. Older pupils draw on this knowledge when writing increasingly detailed pieces that draw on different writing techniques.

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Some subjects are at an earlier stage of design. In these subjects, the important information that pupils should learn is not as clearly identified . This means that, on occasions, some pupils struggle to build on their previous learning and do not develop as deep an understanding as they could.

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Teachers have secure subject knowledge and use this effectively to present new content. They routinely check pupils’ understanding of what they are learning. Any misconceptions are swiftly identified and usually corrected. As a result, in most subjects, pupils typically recall prior learning successfully and develop their knowledge securely over time.

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There is a sharp focus on ensuring that those at the early stages of learning to read gain the knowledge that they need. The school swiftly identifies pupils who need further support in reading or have gaps in their phonics knowledge. Appropriate support is put in place to help these pupils to catch up and keep up. Pupils read regularly throughout the school day. Numerous visits to the school library, which is regularly staffed by parent volunteers, encourage pupils to develop positive reading habits.

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Staff accurately identify pupils with SEND. The school works alongside a range of professionals to ensure the right support and resources are in place. This helps pupils with SEND to learn the curriculum successfully. Pupils with SEND are included in all aspects of school life and are provided with the same wider opportunities as their peers.

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Staff and pupils share respectful relationships. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and they follow routines and expectations well. For example, pupils speak with confidence about how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Staff teach them about the protected characteristics and help pupils contribute to the respectful and inclusive environment. For example, pupils volunteer as playground leaders to make sure that everyone is included at playtimes.

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Pupils’ personal development has been carefully thought through. For example, the school encourages pupils to become responsible and active citizens. Pupils take on leadership roles where they are responsible for helping to keep the school clean and tidy or maintaining the upkeep of equipment.

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Staff are proud to work at Stillness Junior School. They are supported well by leaders and feel that their work is valued and their well-being is considered. Governors know the school well and hold leaders to account effectively for their work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10 and 11 December 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn have not been as clearly identified and sequenced. In these instances, the curriculum is not implemented consistently well. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects. The school should continue its work to embed and strengthen the curriculum.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2020.

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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. 10 and 11 December 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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one registered alternative provision.

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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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and senior leadership team. The inspector also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector visited lessons and spoke with teachers. The inspector also spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record of pre-employment checks, took account of the views of leaders, staff 10 and 11 December 2024

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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 gathered the views of pupils, parents and staff through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Lisa Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 December 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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