Courthouse Junior School

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Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Courthouse Junior School Blenheim Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 5HE

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Outcome

Courthouse 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?

This is an active, happy school. Pupils are cooperative and considerate. They share equipment fairly and safely following recent changes to the use of outdoor space. If disagreements occur, the school sorts them out quickly and effectively. Pupils are safe, and they feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take pride in helping and supporting each other. Year 6 pupil leaders readily act as role models for those younger. Older pupils help those new to the school learn routines and settle in quickly. Pupils are happy here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school wants pupils to embrace life beyond the school. It supports pupils’ character development and teamwork effectively. For example, it provides a range of wider opportunities for pupils to perform and compete in events with other schools. These include performing in national choir events and taking part in sports tournaments. The school ensures that pupils have equal access to these experiences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high ambitions for pupils’ achievement. Typically, pupils achieve well in most subjects.

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

The school has developed a curriculum which sets out and sequences the essential knowledge that pupils will learn. The school checks what pupils know from the start. Pupils recall and revisit important content frequently. This helps pupils to build on prior knowledge and connect ideas together. For example, younger pupils learn about calculations and fractions, and older pupils use this knowledge to help them add, subtract and multiply fractions.

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

The school makes sure pupils learn the curriculum securely, especially in English and 4 and 5 February 2025

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mathematics. The school checks how well pupils know and remember essential subject knowledge. Mostly, this information is used well to decide what pupils should learn next. For example, pupils at the early stages of learning to read get relevant teaching to learn to read confidently and fluently. This includes extra phonics teaching for pupils who need it to catch up. However, sometimes pupils do not learn as well as they could. This is because, occasionally, teaching to address pupils’ knowledge gaps is not precisely matched to what pupils need to know. Where this is the case, misconceptions are not corrected swiftly for some pupils in some subjects.

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The school quickly spots if pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Collaborative working with experts such as therapists and psychologists helps the school make some effective adaptations to teaching and resources. Mostly, pupils with SEND receive appropriate help to learn the curriculum.

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Pupils behave well. They know and follow the school rules for behaviour. Lessons proceed smoothly, and teachers swiftly address any interruptions. The school takes effective action to support the few pupils where there are concerns about their behaviour. Pupils attend regularly and punctually. The school works closely with families to secure their support for regular attendance. It provides effective support for families who need it.

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The school supports pupils to be prepared for life beyond the school effectively. Pupils learn how to stay safe, including when online. Pupil ambassadors help their peers understand the importance of treating others with compassion and working together. These include kindness and sports ambassadors. Pupil mini-police officers work collaboratively with local police to share messages about equal rights and the law.

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Leaders and the governing body take effective action to lead the school well. The governing body is knowledgeable and provides appropriate support and challenge. Leaders and the governing body pay high regard to staff workload when making decisions. Staff appreciate the school’s consideration for their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes the learning activities and support to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not precisely focused. As a result, misconceptions are not corrected as quickly as they could be. The school should ensure learning activities and support are targeted and precisely focused to address knowledge gaps. 4 and 5 February 2025

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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 October 2019.

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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). 4 and 5 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Lawrence Hyatt (Executive Headteacher), Fiona Hayes (Head of School) Website www.courthousejunior.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 1 and 2 October 2019, under section 5 OR section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been recent changes in leadership at the school. The executive headteacher joined the school in January 2024. The head of school and other leaders were appointed after this date.  The school is part of the Alwyn Courthouse Federation. The federation includes Courthouse Junior School and Alwyn Infant School. The school is federated with Alwyn Infant School. The schools have separate premises at the same site. The executive headteacher and governing body lead both schools.  The school uses one unregistered 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 4 and 5 February 2025

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 The inspector met with representatives of the board of governors, the executive headteacher and other senior leaders.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 considered the responses to the staff survey and spoke to a range of staff and pupils about their views of the school.  The inspector took account of responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Andrea Bedeau, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 February 2025

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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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