Dulverton Junior School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 June 2025

Leaders are ambitious for pupils at Dulverton Junior School. Pupils receive a warm welcome every day. They are happy and feel safe in school. However, the quality of education that pupils receive does not prepare them effectively enough for their next steps. Pupils have gaps in their knowledge. They struggle to talk with confidence about their learning across the curriculum. The school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Pupils respond positively to the calm approach adopted by the school. They understand and follow the school rules of being 'ready, respectful and safe'. Pupils form positive relationships with staff and their peers. They are role models for the younger pupils in the infant school. Pupils enjoy the many opportunities that the school provides. Each year group benefits from attending a residential. Pupils' recent visit to Bristol, including time at another school, was a rich, culturally diverse experience which pupils remember fondly. The school encourages pupils to embrace being in the outdoors. This supports their physical and mental health. For example, pupils develop endurance and resilience through their participation in 'Generation Exmoor'. This outdoor learning project allows them to explore Exmoor National Park alongside pupils from other schools in the federation.

What the school should improve

• Too frequently, teaching does not define exactly what pupils will learn or break down activities into manageable steps. Additionally, teachers' checks on pupils' understanding of the curriculum are not regular or focused enough so they are unable to adapt their teaching in response to what pupils remember. As a result, gaps in knowledge and misconceptions persist and some pupils do not progress through the curriculum as well as they could. The school should ensure that the work and explanations provided to pupils are consistently appropriate and that teaching is adapted in response to what pupils already know and can do.
• The school has not ensured that all pupils with SEND have ambitious and measurable targets that support their progress through the curriculum. As a result, the support they receive in the classroom is not always as effective as it could be. The school should ensure that there are consistently high expectations of pupils with SEND and that targets are specific and regularly reviewed.

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