Angel Road Junior School

Inspection of Angel Road Junior School Angel Road, Norwich NR3 3HR

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The principal of this school is Deborah Henderson. The school is part of the Evolution multi-academy trust, which means that other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Dr Craig Avieson, and overseen by a board of directors, chaired by Drew Whitehead. 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love their school. They have lots of friends and value their school’s diverse community. Pupils know, understand and live the school values. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is typically positive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The atmosphere in lessons is calm and purposeful so everyone can get on with their work and there are rarely distractions. Teachers are kind and explain things well. They have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and achievement. Staff check that pupils understand their learning and address misconceptions or gaps in knowledge effectively. Consequently, pupils achieve well, and standards have improved.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is an exceptional provision for pupils’ personal development. Pupils enjoy leadership roles and have an active voice in the direction of the school, for example the recent changes to outside play areas. The curriculum is enriched with many visits, visitors and clubs. All pupils participate in these activities. Pupils know how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. Pupils’ voice directly impacts on the curriculum. For example, pupils are confident to talk about their fears and concerns, and the school adapts the curriculum plans to address these concerns within lessons.

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

Leaders at all levels have ensured rapid school improvement since the last inspection. The school has fully reviewed and revised the curriculum. The school has clearly identified the important knowledge pupils must learn and the order of learning in all subjects. Highly effective staff training has ensured that staff have the skills and expertise to teach the curriculum. Standards are rising because the school responded decisively to the low outcomes in 2024. In most subjects, pupils know and remember more and can clearly summarise and articulate what they have learned. In a very few subjects, pupils remember facts about topics they have studied but cannot explain how these facts are connected. Consequently, they cannot use and apply their knowledge to demonstrate a depth of understanding of wider themes or concepts as intended in the curriculum.

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

The trust has given strong support for school improvement. Staff are proud of what the school has achieved. They recognise that although workload has increased, this will ease off as improvements are further embedded in practice.

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

Reading is of the highest priority across the school. The small number of pupils who have gaps in their phonics knowledge rapidly catch up and most read fluently by the end of Year 3. The school has strong systems in place to support those pupils who arrive with no prior knowledge of the English language. These pupils are supported to rapidly learn to speak and read in English.

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

The school promotes a love of reading through reading lessons, reading ambassadors and the newly refurbished library. Pupils are encouraged to read a wide range of books. For example, pupils love the books chosen for their reading lessons, where they learn to read 25 and 26 February 2025

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with understanding and expression. Pupils talk confidently about their favourite authors and the types of books they enjoy reading.

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The school has strong systems in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum and learning environment are adapted to meet and support the needs of pupils with SEND. Consequently, pupils with SEND make strong progress through the curriculum from their starting points. The school works well with external experts to ensure pupils get the best support and resources to meet their needs.

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Attendance is of the highest priority to the school. Robust systems are in place to ensure pupils attend school every day. Consequently, attendance has risen of the last year. The school has worked effectively with parents to reduce persistent absence to below national levels. Pupils behave consistently well in class and around the school. Pupils show respect for one another and all the adults they work with because they enjoy learning

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There is an extensive range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities all of which contribute to pupils’ exceptional personal development. Pupils have a deep understanding of how to be responsible, tolerant and respectful citizens. They appreciate difference and value it, for example in families, religion, culture and in each other. They understand the importance of democracy and the rule of law and can discuss current affairs. Pupils are well-prepared for life in modern Britain and for the next stage in their education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, pupils remember facts about their learning but cannot clearly explain connections between the facts they have learned. Consequently, pupils cannot clearly explain how the skills and facts they learn in individual lessons build towards what is intended by the end of a unit of work in the curriculum. The school should ensure that pupils can use and apply the knowledge they gain so they can demonstrate the depth and breadth of what they have learned by the end of each unit of work as intended in the curriculum.

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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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 27 and 28 September 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use 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.

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Information about this inspection

 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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 During the inspection, inspectors met with senior leaders, teachers and representatives from the local governing body and the Evolution multi-academy trust.  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 met with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and assistant SENCo and scrutinised the provision for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, history, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. In addition, inspectors

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sampled the curriculum and pupils’ learning in some other subjects.  Inspectors spoke to some parents before school. The inspectors considered responses to the parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Julie Winyard, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Tracy Warner Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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