Featherby Junior School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 June 2022

Pupils at Featherby Junior School are kind and friendly. They treat each other and their teachers with respect, noting that 'we're all different but we're all equal'. Instances of bullying are rare. When pupils are unkind to each other, adults help them to sort things out. Consequently, pupils feel safe and well cared for by others in the 'Featherby family'. Pupils are keen to learn, persevering when they find their work tricky. They enjoy the challenging curriculum that leaders have put in place for them. They talk enthusiastically and knowledgeably about their work. They strive to meet leaders' aspirations for them to be confident, curious and resilient learners. Leaders are keen for pupils to learn about life beyond their own community. They are mindful of cost not being a barrier to participation. Parents and carers value the broad range of activities that their children get to experience. Pupils engage in clubs and trips that link to their learning and interests. These events support their spiritual and cultural development well.

What the school should improve

• Although leaders understand the needs of pupils with SEND, they are not always reflected precisely enough in pupils' learning targets. Consequently, help for pupils during lessons is not always matched well enough to help them make rapid progress with their learning. Leaders should ensure that all staff clearly understand pupils' learning needs and use agreed support strategies consistently well during lessons.
• A minority of pupils lack basic mathematical fluency, such as around place value and recall of times tables. This impedes them when applying their mathematical knowledge to more complex work. Leaders should ensure that all pupils become proficient and fluent in basic mathematical functions, so that they can tackle more difficult work with increasing confidence.
• The school's curriculum is relatively new, having been introduced during the pandemic. As such, there are some aspects that need refining, so that the most- important building blocks for future learning do not get lost among all of the other knowledge that leaders are keen for pupils to learn. Leaders should ensure that adaptations to curriculum planning focus clearly on the knowledge that pupils most need to learn and build on over time.

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