Norton Junior School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 November 2023

Pupils and staff are very proud of their school. Pupils look after each other. They show high levels of respect to each other and adults, including visitors. The school is determined for pupils to succeed. There is a clear passion from leaders and staff to give pupils a wide range of opportunities and experiences. This ensures that pupils, including those with special educational needs/and or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged, experience success. Pupils who need it receive precise and personalised support. This creates a highly inclusive culture. As a result, pupils are thoroughly prepared for their next stage of education. Adults demonstrate the highest levels of care for pupils. Parents and carers agree with this. Pupils of all ages thrive in this nurturing school. The 'zones of regulation' give every pupil a chance to talk about their feelings. Pupils consistently rise to the school's high expectations for their behaviour. This ensures that pupils are happy, safe and well cared for. Pupils benefit from carefully chosen experiences that build their understanding of the world around them. These experiences help them to become active citizens by developing their social conscience and understanding of modern Britain. Pupils relish opportunities to take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. This helps them to develop and pursue their talents and interests.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, the key knowledge that the school has identified as important is not sufficiently sequenced. It is not always clear where teachers are expected to revisit knowledge. This means that pupils are not always able to build effectively on what they already know and deepen their understanding. The school must ensure that the important knowledge that pupils need to learn is clearly sequenced in all subjects so that pupils can embed their learning over time.
• Pupils who have fallen behind with their reading are missing some vital elements of the reading curriculum. This means that they are not developing their reading knowledge as quickly as they might. These pupils do not show enough interest in reading. The school must ensure that pupils who need the most support are accessing all aspects of the reading curriculum and given access to a wider range of texts to develop their love of reading.

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