Hadleigh Junior School

Inspection of Hadleigh Junior School Church Road, Benfleet, Essex SS7 2DQ

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

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The head of school of this school is Jennifer Cole. This school is part of South East Essex Academy Trust (SEEAT), which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Andrew Cooper, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Neal Misell. There is also an executive headteacher, Glenn Moore, who is responsible for this school and one other. 4 and 5 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Hadleigh Junior School are happy, confident and independent learners. They enjoy their learning. The school is a calm, safe and welcoming place to learn. Behaviour is exceptional. Pupils consistently demonstrate care and empathy towards each other. They help each other if they find learning tricky. Older pupils look after newer pupils and act as role models for positive behaviour. Staff know pupils well. They establish positive relationships with pupils and, as a result, pupils feel confident to talk about their worries and concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The quality of education supports pupils to achieve well. Pupils learn a well-rounded curriculum that helps them to understand the world around them. The curriculum is well sequenced, and staff have high expectations for pupils. Pupils enjoy reading. Pupils enjoy their learning and they take pride in their writing. They confidently talk about how their learning has got better over time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from an exceptional range of enrichment experiences throughout the year. They develop a solid understanding about their mental health. They look forward to their well-being breaks and participate fully in ‘ten at ten’ to get ready for new learning. Pupils learn about local charities and fundraise to make a difference in their local community. Pupils enjoy a rich variety of clubs, such as choir, orchestra and a range of sporting clubs. They proudly represent the school at performances and events.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and carefully designed to meet pupils’ needs. It is implemented well. Staff explain learning well. They revisit content and use effective questioning to check pupils’ understanding. As a result, pupils achieve well across a broad range of subjects. While this is the case, leaders recognise that published outcomes in writing were not as strong as they could be. The school has acted swiftly to address this. Consequently, standards of writing have improved, and pupils take great pride in their work.

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

The school has developed a reading curriculum that enables pupils to understand and learn about a range of text types. Pupils learn the skills of becoming a reader, such as skimming and scanning for key information. However, in a few classes, the school’s reading strategy is not quite so well embedded. Sometimes, pupils do not have individual books that are well enough matched to their reading stage. This hinders their opportunities to practise reading and develop their fluency. Nonetheless, staff promptly identify pupils who find reading tricky and ensure that these pupils get the support they need.

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

Staff use effective questioning to check pupils’ understanding in lessons. They revisit learning and explain new content clearly for pupils. Pupils proudly recall their learning. They are very keen to share their knowledge of the formation of rivers, for example. Pupils have an impressive, diligent attitude to their learning. They like to ask questions that help to deepen their understanding of the topics they are learning. 4 and 5 March 2025

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Staff promptly identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff understand pupils’ needs well and make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum. Support is tailored to their needs. As a result, pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers and achieve well.

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Pupils thrive on making their school a better place through the roles of prefects, eco-warriors and pupil parliament. Pupils are proud to make their school a happy place to be. Pupils enjoy the vast enrichment experiences that help to bring the curriculum to life, such as the enterprise evening, where pupils create products to sell to the school community.

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Leaders, including governors and trustees, are constantly striving to be better. They are thoughtful in their work. They consider the impact and progress of the school’s actions carefully to make sure that they are having the intended impact. Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel well supported and say 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)

 In some areas, the reading strategy is not quite so well embedded. Where this is the case, sometimes, pupils do not have individual books that are matched well enough to their reading stage. This limits opportunities for pupils to practise and develop their reading knowledge and fluency. The trust needs to take action to address this and ensure that the school’s reading approach is implemented equally successfully in all classes.

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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 4 and 5 March 2025

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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

Headteacher Glenn Moore (Executive headteacher) Jennifer Cole (Head of school) Website www.hadleighjuniorschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 and 29 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is one of eight primary and secondary schools in the SEEAT.  The school runs a wraparound provision at the school. This includes breakfast and after-school provisions.  The school does not currently use any 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. 4 and 5 March 2025

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 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.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders to discuss the school’s curriculum and its work in the curriculum, behaviour and attendance. The lead inspector met with the chair of governors, the CEO and trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, computing, geography and physical education. 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. The lead inspector

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listened to pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ comments submitted via the free-text facility. The inspectors also spoke to some parents at the start of the school day.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.

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Inspection team

Nerrissa Bear, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Shadbolt 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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