Scargill Junior School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Scargill Junior School Mungo Park Road, Rainham, Essex RM13 7PL

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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. The head of school is Helen Graham. This school is part of Hornchurch Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Christopher Hobson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gillian Thumpston.

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What is it like to attend this school?

How well pupils play together during breaktimes is just one reflection of the excellent work being done by this school. Pupils are supportive and friendly to each other and to staff. They risk assess their own activities, such as den building and tree climbing, to make sure that they are safe and fun. They readily celebrate the achievements of each other, such as when they score a goal in a football game or if they solve a difficult mathematics problem.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The adventurous and fun atmosphere that pervades this school is achieved because pupils know how they are expected to behave, both inside and outside of lessons. Kindness and respect are evident throughout the school day. Staff rarely need to correct pupils’ behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has ensured that pupils learn a broad and ambitious curriculum. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, know and remember more of the curriculum over time, and do so securely. Their performance in external assessments and the work that they produce in school demonstrates this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in their leadership responsibilities, such as members of the school council and as play buddies. They are responsible citizens who raise money for charities and take care of their local area by completing litter picks. Pupils feel happy at school and they are kept safe. 3 and 4 June 2025

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

High expectations for pupils’ personal and academic development infuse this school. It has implemented a curriculum that is at least as ambitious as the national curriculum, and in places exceeds this ambition. The individual subject curriculums are carefully sequenced so that pupils build on secure prior knowledge and do not carry forward misconceptions. The school also makes sure that, where possible, the learning in subject areas is built upon and connected with that in other subjects. For instance, the science curriculum helps pupils to consolidate and apply their mathematical knowledge and skills. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are quickly identified and well supported to learn the curriculum.

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

The school uses checks on pupils’ learning carefully to make sure that any gaps in understanding are quickly identified. Information from these checks is used to both support the learning of pupils and to ensure that, when needed, the curriculum is adapted to support and enrich learning further. This means that pupils become secure in their knowledge and understanding.

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

Throughout the curriculum there is a strong focus on reading. Pupils develop a love of books. They eagerly talk about their favourite stories and they write their own. The school ensures that pupils are supported to become fluent and enthusiastic readers and pupils enjoy sharing their words of the week. Pupils are well supported when learning to read by highly trained staff.

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

The school makes sure that everyone has a sound understanding of the behaviour policy. This means that it is supported and followed by pupils, parents and carers and staff. The schools’ approaches to maintaining high standards in behaviour are incredibly strong. This also supports pupils’ learning and personal development. The school helps pupils to attend every day. When this is not the case, staff work well with parents, pupils and other agencies to ensure that attendance improves.

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

Pupils become effective leaders through their various additional roles. At breaktime, they support their peers to learn and play with each other. Through educational visits and clubs, pupils also get involved in opportunities that might otherwise not be available to them. They speak fondly about their experiences of visiting the local zoo and being members of the chess club. Pupils have a strong understanding of fundamental British values. They are supported to make a positive impact on their local community.

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

School leadership, the local governing body and the trust work well together, using their thorough knowledge of the school and the pupils. They also provide training which supports staff effectively in their professional development and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 3 and 4 June 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Scargill Junior School, to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2015.

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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). 3 and 4 June 2025

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School details

Website www.scargill-jun.havering.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 December 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Hornchurch Academy Trust.  The school uses no 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the CEO of the trust, the head of school and other senior leaders based at the school and from the trust. The inspector also met with representatives from the trust board and the local governing body. 3 and 4 June 2025

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 The inspector 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 views of parents shared through the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments. The inspector gathered the views of pupils and staff through Ofsted’s online pupil and staff surveys, as well as through discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Luke Stubbles, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 3 and 4 June 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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