Ashfield Junior School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 July 2024

Pupils are happy and proud to belong to this welcoming school. They told inspectors that staff are always willing to listen to them and help them, especially if they have any worries. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from the input of staff who understand them well. This is especially true for those who access 'Treetops', the school's specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision). Pupils are well behaved. They show consideration to others at breaktimes and as they move around the site. Older pupils help younger pupils settle in quickly when they join the school. Pupils are keen to make a positive contribution to their school and wider community. For example, the 'Global Goals' group participates in a wide range of environmental projects. School council members work actively with staff to put their suggestions into practice. The school expects all pupils to achieve well. However, it does not ensure that all pupils build up a secure body of knowledge in key areas, such as reading and mathematics. Some pupils are not prepared for their next stages of education as effectively as they could be as a result.

What the school should improve

• The school does not have a well-designed or organised reading curriculum. This increases teachers' workload. It also results in inconsistency in pupils' experiences in learning to read, including those at the early stages of reading. The school should ensure that teachers are well equipped to help all pupils to build up secure reading knowledge so that they can access the curriculum with greater ease.
• In some subjects, teachers do not check pupils' understanding carefully enough before presenting them with new information. Pupils do not build up their knowledge as well as they could as a result. The school should make sure that teachers consistently identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge so that they are ready for their next stages of learning.
• The oversight of the delivery and impact of the curriculum is variable. This means that the school sometimes does not notice when problems in the curriculum are beginning to emerge. The school should develop its ability to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and take appropriate steps to swiftly address any weaknesses.
• Governors do not hold the school to account as effectively as they should. This hinders the rate at which the school is improving pupils' achievement. The governing body should ensure that it is well equipped to provide effective challenge to the school to improve the quality of education that pupils receive.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)