Furze Platt Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management by sharpening systems to enable greater proportions of the most able disadvantaged pupils to attain at a high standard.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The headteacher, ably supported by senior leaders, has created a culture among staff of ambition, drive and critical thinking. He leads by example, seeking to constantly improve the school through small tweaks and changes. These incremental developments have led to a dramatic improvement over time. The school is outstanding in all areas.
• Leaders possess a clear and accurate understanding of the quality of teaching and learning. They use this to empower teachers to improve their practice by offering precise and clear guidance and they pair teachers with skilled colleagues to ensure that they learn from each other. Teachers constantly reflect on what is and, importantly, isn’t working and take the lead in improving the school. As a result, the quality of teaching is of a very high standard and continues to improve.
• Middle leaders are skilled and highly motivated. They make changes to the school that are closely aligned with the school’s strategic priorities and are confident that senior staff will support them. For example, middle leaders adapt the curriculum to meet the strengths and weaknesses of individual cohorts, ensuring that pupils learn and remember the skills they need to succeed further. These new leaders are well placed to secure further improvement.
• The well-being of staff is a high priority for leaders and governors. One member of staff noted, ‘We matter here; we know that hard work is rewarded so we keep giving our best.’ Staff appreciate the actions of leaders to reduce unnecessary workload.
• The inclusion manager ensures that staff take ownership of the support and progress of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are imbued with a desire to do the right thing for these pupils. Interventions to help pupils are thoughtful, reviewed and realigned regularly to provide exceptional support. Pupils with SEND are thriving.
• The curriculum is broad and interesting. Learning builds on pupils’ prior knowledge, often across a range of subjects. For example, pupils used their computing skills to help them refine their pronunciation in French. In science, pupils learned to plot and interpret graphs to help them to share their results in experiments. The well-established programme of trips and visitors helps pupils to understand what they are learning and to bring their topics to life. Pupils make substantial and sustained progress throughout the curriculum.
• The development of computing across the school is a significant strength. Pupils learn skills such as coding, graphic design and multimedia production. Staff receive appropriate training and support to deliver these skills and are confident using a range of devices and platforms. This leaves pupils well prepared for their next stage of education.
• The leadership of physical education is excellent. Leaders carefully monitor and track pupils’ participation in physical activity. They use this information to ensure that all pupils have access to high-quality teaching and opportunities to play competitive sport. Year 6 pupils organise and lead sports competitions for schools within the borough. All pupils benefit from the opportunity to represent the school at a local and regional level.
• Leaders coordinate and develop bespoke and individualised plans to support and challenge pupils who are disadvantaged. They consider the views of staff, parents and carers, and the pupils themselves when setting out their actions, and review these plans effectively to ensure that these pupils are getting the right support. As a result, these pupils make excellent progress, and many attain the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics. Nevertheless, plans are not sharply focused on helping pupils to attain at a high standard.

Governance of the school

• The governing body is proactive, ambitious and skilled. Governors expect the highest standards for pupils at the school and hold leaders to account for the impact of their actions. For example, governors challenged leaders to improve the provision for pupils with SEND and redeployed resources to meet the needs of these pupils. Governors ensure that pupils receive timely and effective support.
• Governors possess a clear and detailed understanding of the school and its effectiveness. Robust and effective systems ensure that information is shared with members of the governing body. As a result, governors are well informed and prepared to challenge school leaders to improve the school further.
• Governors are ambitious for the school, its pupils and staff. They check that staff are given appropriate training and deploy significant resources to ensure that new and emerging leaders, in particular, are given the right training to drive further improvement in the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Checks on staff are made well before they commence employment. All staff receive first-class training to identify and report concerns as they arise. In response, leaders waste no time in taking swift and effective action, badgering external agencies appropriately to get pupils and families the help they need.
• Pupils regularly take part in ‘stay safe’ assemblies to learn about online safety and seasonal dangers such as bonfires and fireworks. Pupils are skilled in evaluating risk and make good, proactive decisions to keep themselves and their friends safe. As a result, pupils are well equipped to identify dangers in a rapidly changing world.
• Parents receive useful information about local and national risks. For example, at Christmas, parents were reminded to keep an eye on their child’s browsing habits if they received an internet-enabled device as a gift. This constant information helps keep parents well informed and ensures that their child’s safety is at the forefront of their thinking.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Classrooms are warm, welcoming and focused environments where pupils can thrive. Relationships between pupils and staff are excellent. This ensures that pupils feel extremely well supported to take risks, learn from mistakes and develop a thirst for learning.
• Questioning is used exceptionally well. Teachers and teaching assistants expect pupils to explain their thinking and challenge them to refine and remodel their answers. Pupils rise to the challenge, offering rich and specific answers which illustrate their clear thinking.
• Lessons are carefully planned to ensure that pupils build upon their prior learning and develop their skills and understanding in a logical and systematic way. For example, pupils in Year 4 used their knowledge of onomatopoeia and personification to write stylish and elegant descriptions of beach scenes. The constant rehearsal and repetition of skills ensure that learning is committed to memory and used often.
• Teachers possess excellent subject knowledge in mathematics and use this to help pupils to gain an exceptional understanding of calculation. Pupils solve challenging problems, recording their excellent reasoning to describe their process and thinking. Pupils make very strong progress in mathematics.
• Pupils read exceptionally well and use their reading skills in class to research and embellish their learning. Pupils adore their new library and appreciate the recommendations they receive from the knowledgeable junior librarians. This encourages pupils to read a rich diet of high-quality texts and develop a love of reading.
• Pupils relish the opportunity to give and receive feedback from both adults and peers in school. As one pupil noted, ‘We do that because my friends can point out the important stuff that I may have missed.’ Pupils debate their work and excitedly discuss their learning. As a result, pupils quickly identify mistakes in their own and others’ work and learn from these.
• Pupils are resilient and driven to improve their learning at all times. For example, in Year 6, pupils solved problems through trial and improvement, making constant changes to their methodology to reach the right answer. Pupils’ grit and tenacity help them to overcome challenges when they are presented.
• Teachers use assessment very well to set work at just the right level for pupils. When pupils’ progress dips, staff and leaders work as a cohesive team to redeploy resources and help pupils to keep up. No pupil is left behind at Furze Platt Junior School.
• Teaching assistants are skilled and knowledgeable. As a result, they can help pupils to overcome their difficulties and keep up with their peers. For example, in phonics interventions, teaching assistants modelled how to pronounce sounds and expected pupils to work hard to mimic their example. Pupils who fall behind quickly catch up.
• Teachers and support staff are highly skilled at adapting work for pupils with SEND. These pupils are given first-class support to help them achieve small steps. These steps quickly add up, helping these pupils to make excellent progress from their starting points.
• Disadvantaged pupils are well supported by staff who prepare specific plans for their success. These plans consider both social and academic barriers to pupils’ learning. Teachers address these issues directly, helping these pupils to make excellent progress. On occasion, support to help the most able disadvantaged pupils is not always sharply focused to ensure that they make the very best progress possible.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils learn to evaluate and review different sources of evidence. For example, in Year 5, pupils considered different online news articles, checking for validity and accuracy. Pupils are well prepared for the challenges of an increasingly digital world.
• Pupils manage risk exceptionally well. For example, pupils in Year 6 carefully cut up vegetables to make soup, considering how to do this safely, well before they picked up a knife. All pupils understand the Green Cross Code and can explain how to cross roads safely. Pupils think about the consequences of their actions and, as a result, make good decisions.
• Pupils develop high-quality leadership skills. For example, Year 6 pupils mentor younger pupils who need help to develop their friendships. Digital leaders help pupils to access and use computers safely. Younger pupils appreciate and look up to these pupils and this contributes to their sense of ambition and collective pride.
• Pupils’ welfare is at the forefront of leaders’ work. Leaders regularly survey all pupils to gain an understanding of individuals’ needs as well as the needs of groups of pupils. For example, leaders noted that some new year groups needed support to develop their resilience and they put in place activities that would strengthen this.
• Pupils who need quiet and calm environments use the ‘red bus’ as a safe place to talk about their feelings and plan their day. Pupils here are given expert guidance to help them to manage big feelings. One pupil noted, ‘This is my safe space; it gives me a place where I have the time to think.’ This initiative ensures that pupils have access to a peaceful and nurturing environment which helps them to manage and focus their feelings.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to consider and discuss ethical issues. For example, pupils considered the actions of Nicholas Winter, a local hero, who saved many Jewish children during the Second World War. Pupils collect food for the local homeless shelter, considering their responsibilities to those less fortunate than themselves. Pupils are well prepared to be responsible citizens who contribute positively and add to the moral fabric of society.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils love coming to school and are rarely absent. The attendance of pupils is carefully tracked. When attendance dips, leaders’ reactions are swift and supportive; leaders use the strong partnerships with parents to help to get attendance back on track. As a result, levels of absence for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are well below those nationally.
• Pupils behave exceptionally well in class and feel safe in school. Incidents of low-level disruption or poor behaviour are very closely monitored by leaders who put in place appropriate support when pupils’ behaviour does not meet their high expectations. As a result, incidents of poor behaviour are rarely repeated. This is a calm, caring and happy school.
• On the playground, pupils play with joy and enthusiasm. They exhibit the school values of growth, happiness and respect, welcoming visitors and inviting others to play in their games. Pupils report that bullying is extremely rare and, when it does happen, staff are excellent at dealing with it.
• Pupils are responsible and caring towards their peers, adults and each other. When a job needs doing, pupils do it without needing to be prompted or asked. Corridors, desks and classrooms are faultlessly tidy, and the playground is devoid of litter. Pupils understand their responsibility to make Furze Platt a great place to learn and grow.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Pupils write exceptionally well because they master the key components of spelling, punctuation and grammar at an early stage. They regularly practise these skills and use them to form elegant and sophisticated texts. As a result, most pupils write at the expected standard and many write at a high standard.
• Pupils possess clear and well-rehearsed calculation and number skills. They deploy these skills to solve challenging tasks, considering how best to solve a problem. They identify their mistakes quickly to iron out any errors in their methodology. Pupils make excellent progress in mathematics.
• Pupils read well because they read and understand stimulating texts and are able to debate their content, structure and philosophy. The small proportion of pupils who need extra help receive excellent support to develop their phonics skills. Pupils throughout the school make excellent progress in reading.
• Pupils with SEND make exceptionally strong progress, often through their own bespoke curriculum. Their learning is broken down to manageable steps and closely matched to their needs. As a result, these pupils make excellent progress from their starting points.
• Pupils develop their creative skills and use these to enhance and improve their understanding across a range of subjects. For example, pupils learned marbling techniques, using crayon and oil paints to create an accurate depiction of the solar system. Pupils’ skills and understanding in art are first class.
• Pupils make excellent progress in history because they skilfully contrast and compare people and places through time. For example, pupils used 3D modelling software to depict an iron-age settlement considering carefully how their ancestors would have chosen and built a village. This promotes pupils’ ability to research, enquire and test their theories.
• Pupils gain an excellent understanding of the broad range of religions represented in the school, including Sikhism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and humanism. Pupils learn about religious beliefs, history and iconography and they contrast, compare and debate these sensitively. This helps to prepare pupils very well for life in modern Britain.
• Disadvantaged pupils make strong progress because, typically, the work and support they receive closely match their needs. High proportions of disadvantaged pupils attain at the expected standard in core subjects. Nevertheless, the proportion of the most able disadvantaged pupils who attain at a high standard is slightly below that of other pupils nationally.

School details

Unique reference number 109842 Local authority Windsor and Maidenhead Inspection number 10054137 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Junior School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 7 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 357 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Derek Moss Mike Wallace Telephone number 01628 410 099 Website Email address www.furzeplattjuniorschool.co.uk office@fpjs.org.uk Date of previous inspection 16 January 2018

Information about this school

• This school is slightly larger than the average-sized junior school. The majority of pupils who join the school attend the infant school on the same site. The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium is lower than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is slightly higher than the national average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 28 parts of lessons, many with senior leaders.
• In addition to discussions with parents, 246 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, were taken into account.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of the school’s documentation to gather information on leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance; systems for managing the performance of teachers; behaviour and safety of pupils; safeguarding; the progress and attainment of pupils; and curriculum leadership.
• Inspectors scrutinised the school’s website to evaluate the quality of information provided to parents and to examine whether the school meets statutory publishing requirements.
• Inspectors spoke to pupils to gather their views about the school, and heard pupils read.
• Inspectors met with school leaders, governors, including the chair of the governing body, and an officer from the local authority.

Inspection team

Dan Lambert, lead inspector Shazia Akram Catherine Davies

Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector