Carterhatch Junior School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Carterhatch Junior School Carterhatch Lane, Enfield, Middlesex EN1 4JY

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Outcome

Carterhatch Junior School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Helen McGovern. This school is part of the Connect Education 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), Androulla Nicou, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Alex Monk.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school nurtures pupils to be happy and to succeed academically. Pupils learn to engage in class, to listen, and to value and respect others. They make friends easily and try hard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high academic expectations for all pupils. Pupils’ outcomes in mathematics and writing are very strong. In reading, the school ensures that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school ensures that pupils have many opportunities to develop their interests outside of the classroom. Popular clubs include football, fencing and street dance. Pupils use an activities ‘passport’ to record the memorable experiences and life skills that the school organises. These include flying a kite and going on a picnic.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school arranges educational visits that develop further pupils’ understanding of the curriculum. For example, Year 6 pupils visit a farm to understand food production from ‘farm to fork’. Pupils in Year 5 board a river cruise on the Thames as part of a history topic on the river’s use over time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school fosters pupils’ love of reading through author visits to the school and ‘poetry slam’ competitions. 24 and 25 June 2025

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

The school teaches an ambitious curriculum that prepares pupils well for the next stage in their education. The curriculum is well rounded. It includes opportunities that extend beyond the national curriculum, for example through drama lessons taught by a specialist. Since the previous inspection, the school has refined its curriculum across subjects. The curriculum outlines clearly the key vocabulary and knowledge that pupils should learn. The curriculum also makes meaningful links within subjects. For example, pupils study the impact of migration in history classes during Years 3 to 6. Pupils master mathematical skills fluently, so that they can solve problems swiftly and accurately.

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

The school identifies quickly pupils who require extra help to develop their reading skills. The school provides effective, targeted support so pupils who need to catch up quickly. Pupils learn the reading fluency and comprehension skills that they need for the future. The school develops pupils’ writing skilfully. Pupils are provided with many opportunities to write for different audiences and to redraft and improve their writing.

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

Teachers have appropriate subject knowledge. Frequently, they present information clearly to pupils and organise learning activities so that pupils grasp the key concepts being taught. Occasionally, teaching does not ensure that pupils embed key knowledge and vocabulary in their long-term memory as securely as they could. This makes it harder for pupils to build on this knowledge later.

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

Pupils with SEND receive very effective support. The school identifies swiftly any emerging needs that pupils with SEND may have. Leaders work closely with pupils, parents and carers, and staff to ensure that pupils with SEND work seamlessly alongside their peers in class and achieve their best. The work provided for pupils with SEND is carefully adapted so that they understand their learning well.

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

Pupils’ attendance has remained high over time. The school makes its high expectations for attendance very clear from before pupils begin at the school. Staff provide bespoke attendance support for pupils and families whenever necessary.

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

Pupils behave excellently. They work calmly and diligently in class. They contribute to class discussions and debates enthusiastically.

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

The school has a very well-planned personal development programme which encourages pupils to contribute to school life. For example, pupil leadership opportunities include the elected ‘eco-council’. As part of this, pupils recycle across the school and share ideas with pupils in other schools. ‘Peer mentors’ support pupils during breaktimes to make friends. Librarians keep the library well organised. The school council proposes and organises new events, including ‘movie night’.

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

Staff are highly supportive of the school’s leaders. Those responsible for governance carry out their responsibilities effectively. They make every effort to know the school and to check that leaders are doing what they should. Wherever necessary, governors and 24 and 25 June 2025

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trustees check that school leaders make the right decisions. The school takes into account the workload and well-being of teachers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, the school does not ensure that pupils remember securely some of the key concepts and vocabulary that they need to know. This makes it harder for pupils to secure the prior knowledge needed to build knowledge in future. The school should continue its work to ensure that pupils retrieve and recall knowledge and vocabulary that they have learned, and check that this knowledge is embedded fully in pupils’ long-term memories.

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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 school to be good for overall effectiveness in February 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. 24 and 25 June 2025

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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). 24 and 25 June 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Connect Education trust.

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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 his evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspector met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, safeguarding, attendance and pupils’ wider development.  The inspector met with representatives from the local governing body and the trust.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work. 24 and 25 June 2025

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 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 submitted via Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. He reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for school staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Guy Forbat, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 24 and 25 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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