Jarrow School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 June 2022

Pupils' personal development is an important priority for school leaders. Staff build high-quality relationships with pupils that support this development. Staff know individual pupils' needs and work hard to support them. Staff have high expectations for pupils' behaviour and conduct. Pupils speak politely to one another, listen to staff and are welcoming to visitors to their school. Staff foster pupils' talents and future ambitions. Opportunities for pupils to find out about the world of work are plentiful. Pupils studying performing arts benefit from links with local theatre professionals and free music tuition is available to all pupils. Pupils are encouraged to contribute to the school community. They have roles on the student council, as 'Reading Buddies' for younger pupils and as ambassadors for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. These opportunities help pupils develop a sense of pride in their school. Pupils build strong relationships with their peers and staff. They feel happy and safe. The school is an inclusive environment. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included in all aspects of school life. Inspectors noted pupils' strong sense of social justice. Pupils told inspectors that everyone is accepted, whatever their differences.

What the school should improve

• The school's curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in some subjects. For example, in history, leaders have not carefully considered the important knowledge they want pupils to learn over time. However, it is clear from leaders' actions that they are in the process of bringing about improvements. Leaders need to complete the process of developing a thoughtfully planned curriculum in a timely fashion which meets the needs of all pupils. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.
• Some staff are not using assessment information with sufficient precision. As a result, they are not addressing gaps in pupils' knowledge as quickly as they should. Leaders must take steps to ensure effective and consistent use of assessment across the school. They must train staff to use assessment information precisely to inform the next steps in their teaching.

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