Springfield Junior School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 February 2024

Springfield Junior school is a friendly and caring school. Pupils are proud to attend this school, where everyone is welcome and included. Pupils are polite and have lovely manners. They speak with enthusiasm about their learning. One pupil, typical of many, said, 'I just love learning!' The school's successful work to embed high standards of behaviour means that pupils feel safe. They behave well in lessons. They strive to earn 'golden tickets' and prizes from the headteacher's prize box for trying their best. The pastoral support for pupils is a strength of the school. Pupils value their time in 'the enchanted forest' where they can talk to adults about any worries that they may have. The school has high expectations of pupils and wants pupils to achieve well. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school is highly inclusive. No pupil is left out. The school broadens pupils' horizons and develops their understanding of the wider world. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about visits to Ilam Hall and outdoor residential centres. They are proud to contribute to the life of the school as house captains and love looking after the school's 'happy hens'.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of subjects, the precise sequence of knowledge that pupils should learn and remember is not clear. Consequently, pupils are not building on previous knowledge that will enable them to know more and remember more over time. The school needs to make sure that the essential knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in these subjects is clear and precisely set out, so that pupils achieve as well as they could.
• In some subjects, the teaching of the curriculum is not adapted well enough to meet pupils' needs and starting points. Where this is the case, pupils do not learn with as much success and confidence as they do in other subjects. The school should ensure that teaching is suitably adapted so that all groups of pupils learn well.
• Some pupils' knowledge of different faiths and cultures is fragile. Although they know to respect difference, some pupils are not as aware as they should be of what these differences may be. The school should ensure that pupils have the necessary knowledge and understanding of different faiths and cultures, so that they are fully prepared for the next stages of their education.

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