Eastlands Junior School (Welbeck Federation of Schools)

Inspection of Eastlands Junior School (Welbeck Federation of Schools) Netherfield Lane, Meden Vale, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG20 9PA

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 4 and 5 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a well-balanced curriculum. It has worked out the knowledge that pupils need to learn. In many cases, these expectations are ambitious. However, the curriculum is not always delivered as the school intends. Pupils, including some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not achieve well enough.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they are happy at this school. They feel safe and know that staff will help them with any worries that they might have. Staff praise pupils, and pupils enjoy working for class rewards and stickers. Pupils play together well in the playground. They enjoy playing with sports equipment such as balls and hoops. ‘Sports leaders’ support all pupils to take part in games and activities. Pupils enjoy taking on leadership roles such as school council and class monitors. The school celebrates diversity. Pupils understand the idea of treating everyone with respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of how pupils should behave. Pupils understand this, and most pupils meet these expectations. They are taught strategies to manage their feelings and emotions. They explain how the strategies are successful in helping them stay calm and on task. Pupils see the behaviour system as fair.

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

Since the last inspection, the school has further developed its curriculum. It has set out what it wants the pupils to know. This is detailed and matches the ambition of the national curriculum. Teachers have good subject knowledge to teach the curriculum. However, the quality of education that the school provides is not consistent enough. The school does not teach the full curriculum content that it intends. At times, the tasks pupils complete do not match the intended learning well. As a result, there are gaps in pupils’ learning. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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

The school provides phonics sessions for pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read. However, these sessions do not focus strongly enough on building pupils’ reading fluency. These pupils do not benefit from well-considered opportunities to practise their reading skills. This affects how well these pupils learn to read overall. Pupils enjoy story time. They recall stories and characters that they have learned about. Staff model whole- class reading with enthusiasm.

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

The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff are provided with strategies to help these pupils to learn. However, in practice, these strategies are not implemented consistently well. Some pupils with SEND do not routinely benefit from the right support or resources to help build their independence.

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

The school has prioritised improving pupils’ attendance. It works with families and external agencies to help pupils attend regularly. Attendance is improving, and pupils recognise the importance of attending school. Very recently, the school has implemented a new behaviour policy. Pupils’ behaviour is good. Most lessons are free from disruption. Pupils understand the rewards and sanctions that are in place. Appropriate routines 4 and 5 March 2025

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ensure that the school environment is calm. The school provides pastoral support to help pupils overcome difficulties. Pupils state that this support is helpful and it is highly valued.

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The personal development programme ensures that pupils understand healthy relationships. They know how to keep themselves well both physically and mentally. Pupils enjoy participating in yoga. They learn to cook nutritious meals such as stir fry. They play competitive sports such as football. Pupils learn about themselves and others. They understand the importance of treating everyone fairly.

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Those responsible for governance offer support and challenge to the school. Even though some aspects of the school’s work have developed since the previous inspection, the quality of education remains variable. Staff enjoy working here. They have access to a range of professional development opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills. Staff say that leaders are considerate of their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are inconsistencies in how well the curriculum is implemented. In some cases, the intended curriculum content is not delivered. Sometimes, the work pupils complete does not help them to learn the intended curriculum as well as they could. This means that pupils do not achieve well enough. The school should ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently well and activities are well matched to the intended curriculum content. The school should ensure that pupils achieve well across the curriculum.  The school has identified strategies to support pupils with SEND to access and make progress through the intended curriculum. However, these strategies are not routinely implemented. Some pupils with SEND are not well supported to develop their independence. The school must ensure that the strategies identified are implemented consistently in order for these pupils to achieve success.  The approaches to support pupils’ reading fluency are not implemented consistently.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Pupils at the early stages of learning to read do not benefit from effective opportunities to practise their reading skills. This affects pupils’ achievement in reading. The school should ensure pupils benefit from routine and well-considered approaches to develop their reading skills.

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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 4 and 5 March 2025

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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 March 2025

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 November 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school uses one unregistered 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.  Inspectors met with a range of senior staff, including the headteacher and executive headteacher. 4 and 5 March 2025

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in art.  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.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.

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Inspection team

Lisa Harrison, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Michelle Thompson Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 March 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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