John Wood School & Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

John Wood School & Nursery continues to be a good school.

The principal of this school is Julie Davis. This school is part of The Chancery Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Matt Rampton, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Philip Jefferies.

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's values of 'kindness', 'respect' and 'ambition' are woven through all aspects of school life. Pupils flourish here because staff have high expectations of them.

Across the school, pupils' behaviour is exemplary.

Pupils feel happy because teachers li...sten to them and help them to learn. Pupils are confident that if they feel sad they can speak to an adult or place a worry in the 'worry monster's pouch' and that staff will help them. This means they feel safe.

Pupils are taught the importance of helping others. For instance, pupils visited a beach and litter-picked to help look after the area. Other pupils planted flowers in a local park for the community to enjoy.

The school values pupils' suggestions. For example, members of the school council are democratically chosen by their classmates. The school council spoke with leaders to see if the school could have a pet to support pupils' well-being.

Consequently, Lilo and Stitch are now the school's resident guinea pigs.

Pupils access a range of enrichment experiences, including trips to the Horniman Museum to learn about the Arctic. There are a range of clubs on offer for pupils to develop their talents and interests, such as, cricket, football and gaming club.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Reading takes priority here. Children start learning to read as soon as they join Reception. This is because the school wants pupils to read confidently and without delay.

Pupils have opportunities to visit the school library and are read aloud to daily. Children in the Nursery enthusiastically join in with familiar rhymes demonstrating their understanding by performing actions with delight. These opportunities develop a love for reading.

The early reading curriculum is well structured. Therefore, pupils build on previous learning. Staff have been trained to teach early reading well and have the subject knowledge needed to deliver the curriculum effectively.

Pupils who find reading difficult are given help to catch up. Pupils, including those in the early years, are given books to practise reading that are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. Consequently, pupils read with developing fluency.

The school has in place a logical and well-sequenced curriculum. The school has identified the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary it wants pupils to know from the early years to Year 6. In mathematics, teachers explain methods clearly and in small steps so that pupils have the knowledge and skills needed to successfully complete calculations.

For example, Year 6 pupils solve multi-step problems because they have been taught the most effective methods to use. In history, Year 2 pupils explain the significance of the Wright Brothers and the importance of their first aeroplane flight, showing an understanding of chronology.

In the early years, teachers provide opportunities for pupils to practise key skills.

For example, children in Reception are given repeated opportunities to describe patterns that they can see in the environment. However, in some subjects, the checking of what pupils know and remember is not as effective as it could be. This means that pupils find it difficult to remember and recall important information, skills and vocabulary that they have been taught, and have gaps in their learning.

There are clear processes in place for the school to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) early on in their school careers. The school works effectively with a range of professionals. These professionals provide guidance and training for staff.

As a result, pupils with SEND access the curriculum alongside their peers and achieve well.

Pupils are highly motivated and show positive attitudes to their learning. This starts from the early years.

Classrooms are purposeful environments where pupils can learn without interruption. The school is taking appropriate action to ensure that a higher proportion of pupils make the expected progress in reading and writing by the end of Year 6. Attendance remains a priority for the school.

The school has suitable processes in place to work with parents and carers, so the number of pupils who are persistently absent reduces.

Pupils' wider development is a strength of the school. Pupils are taught about diversity and that families can look different.

Pupils explain that what is important about a family is that they 'love you, show kindness and respect and care for you'. Pupils learn about healthy and unhealthy relationships in an age-appropriate way.

Trustees and the local governing body have an accurate understanding of what the school is doing well and what it needs to do to be even better.

There are processes in place to check how well the school is doing. Staff are extremely proud to work here. They value the range of initiatives to support their well-being and manage their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few of the foundation subjects, teachers and leaders do not check what pupils have learned effectively enough. This means that some pupils find it difficult to recall the essential knowledge, skills and vocabulary that leaders expect them to know and remember.

In addition, some pupils have gaps in their learning. The school needs to ensure that pupils retain and recall the key knowledge skills and vocabulary that they have been taught, so that they can apply this important learning to their current and future learning.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2019.

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