Norwood Green Junior School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Norwood Green Junior School Thorncliffe Road, Southall, Middlesex UB2 5RN

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school’s work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Priya Sehgal. This school is a single-academy trust, Norwood Green Junior School, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Dushani Parker.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this nurturing and welcoming school. They have a genuine interest in learning. This is because the school has high academic ambitions. Pupils benefit from an aspirational curriculum enriched with purposeful and relevant experiences. As a result, they are very well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Warm and trusting relationships between adults and pupils permeate the school. Pupils respond positively to clear and consistently applied routines. Pupils listen attentively, remain highly motivated and show respect and kindness to both adults and each other. The school fosters responsibility and independence in pupils. For instance, pupils represent their peers as part of the school council. Pupils’ ideas have led to changes such as introducing a variety of games and a trim trail at playtimes. Pupils take these responsibilities seriously because they know their voices are heard and their ideas valued.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The wider curriculum offers multiple opportunities to promote pupils’ independence, confidence and development as successful learners. High aspirations, rooted in the school values, are evident throughout the school. Pupils demonstrate these aspirations in various ways such as participation in external competitions and wider enrichment activities. For example, each class has its own outdoor growing area where they grow vegetables and use them to prepare meals. 7 and 8 May 2025

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

The school promotes a culture of aspiration with the highest expectations for pupils. Its curriculum is highly ambitious and thoughtfully designed to ensure that pupils acquire essential knowledge, vocabulary and skills with accuracy. Pupils develop detailed knowledge across subjects, which they recall with confidence and ease. The content is sequenced carefully, enabling pupils to build their learning progressively. For example, when learning textiles, pupils learn and practise simple stitching in Year 3. By Year 5, they progress to more advanced techniques and confidently use subject-specific language such as ‘warp’ and ‘weft’ when weaving.

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

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. The school identifies any pupils who need help to catch up and ensures that they receive swift, carefully targeted support from highly skilled staff. It promotes a love of reading through daily story time and access to a wide selection of culturally diverse books. As a result, pupils become confident and enthusiastic readers. Pupils speak positively about reading, describing it as enjoyable, calming and imaginative.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including those in the specially resourced provision, are fully included in school life. The school identifies needs quickly and puts highly effective support in place. Pupils across the school use British Sign Language to communicate confidently with each other. For example, they sign along to songs during assemblies. In class, they follow instructions delivered through signing by their teachers. This encourages pupils to be inclusive in their thinking and actions.

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

Pupils demonstrate exemplary behaviour. Staff teach routines explicitly from the moment pupils join the school. Pupils work diligently and collaboratively in class, eager to achieve their best. These positive attitudes strongly contribute to their high achievement. The school has robust systems for ensuring that pupils attend school regularly and on time. As a result, attendance levels are high for all groups of pupils.

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

The school integrates its personal development offer into every aspect of the curriculum. It is committed to ensuring that pupils become responsible global citizens. Pupils demonstrate an excellent understanding of equality and diversity. Staff explicitly teach pupils to aim high, grow in confidence and lead healthy lives. They reinforce kindness, respect and responsibility consistently through daily routines and the wider curriculum. This work is highly effective and supports pupils both now and in the future. For example, pupils take part in debates, lead charity events and write to local MPs about issues that matter to them.

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

Staff take pride in working at a school that values and cares for them as individuals. They speak highly of the support for their well-being and the wide range of professional development opportunities available. Governors know the school well and provide leaders with robust challenge and support. Parents and carers express high levels of positivity about their children’s experience at the school. 7 and 8 May 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 March 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.

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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, 7 and 8 May 2025

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 7 and 8 May 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 March 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. The provision is called the Centre for the Deaf, which caters for pupils with severe to profound levels of deafness. There are 10 pupils in the provision, who also attend mainstream classes. All pupils in the specially resourced provision have an education, health and care plan.  The headteacher took up post in September 2022.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.  The school is a single-academy trust called Norwood Green Junior School. Governors are also trustees.

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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. 7 and 8 May 2025

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 The inspector met with all senior leaders, a number of teaching and support staff, governors and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school, at playtime and at lunchtime.  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 responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils and took into account the views of parents and carers using Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Karen Kent, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 May 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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