Angel Road Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love their school. They have lots of friends and value their school's diverse community.

Pupils know, understand and live the school values. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is typically positive.

The atmosphere in lessons is calm and purposeful so everyone can get on with their work and there are rarely distractions.

Teachers are kind and explain things well. They have high expectations for pupils' behaviour and achievement. Staff check that pupils understand their learning and address misconceptions or gaps in knowledge effectively.

Consequently, pupils achieve well, and standards have improved.

There is an exceptional pro...vision for pupils' personal development. Pupils enjoy leadership roles and have an active voice in the direction of the school, for example the recent changes to outside play areas.

The curriculum is enriched with many visits, visitors and clubs. All pupils participate in these activities. Pupils know how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy.

Pupils' voice directly impacts on the curriculum. For example, pupils are confident to talk about their fears and concerns, and the school adapts the curriculum plans to address these concerns within lessons.

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

Leaders at all levels have ensured rapid school improvement since the last inspection.

The school has fully reviewed and revised the curriculum. The school has clearly identified the important knowledge pupils must learn and the order of learning in all subjects. Highly effective staff training has ensured that staff have the skills and expertise to teach the curriculum.

Standards are rising because the school responded decisively to the low outcomes in 2024. In most subjects, pupils know and remember more and can clearly summarise and articulate what they have learned. In a very few subjects, pupils remember facts about topics they have studied but cannot explain how these facts are connected.

Consequently, they cannot use and apply their knowledge to demonstrate a depth of understanding of wider themes or concepts as intended in the curriculum.

The trust has given strong support for school improvement. Staff are proud of what the school has achieved.

They recognise that although workload has increased, this will ease off as improvements are further embedded in practice.

Reading is of the highest priority across the school. The small number of pupils who have gaps in their phonics knowledge rapidly catch up and most read fluently by the end of Year 3.

The school has strong systems in place to support those pupils who arrive with no prior knowledge of the English language. These pupils are supported to rapidly learn to speak and read in English.

The school promotes a love of reading through reading lessons, reading ambassadors and the newly refurbished library.

Pupils are encouraged to read a wide range of books. For example, pupils love the books chosen for their reading lessons, where they learn to read with understanding and expression. Pupils talk confidently about their favourite authors and the types of books they enjoy reading.

The school has strong systems in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum and learning environment are adapted to meet and support the needs of pupils with SEND. Consequently, pupils with SEND make strong progress through the curriculum from their starting points.

The school works well with external experts to ensure pupils get the best support and resources to meet their needs.

Attendance is of the highest priority to the school. Robust systems are in place to ensure pupils attend school every day.

Consequently, attendance has risen of the last year. The school has worked effectively with parents to reduce persistent absence to below national levels. Pupils behave consistently well in class and around the school.

Pupils show respect for one another and all the adults they work with because they enjoy learning

There is an extensive range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities all of which contribute to pupils' exceptional personal development. Pupils have a deep understanding of how to be responsible, tolerant and respectful citizens. They appreciate difference and value it, for example in families, religion, culture and in each other.

They understand the importance of democracy and the rule of law and can discuss current affairs. Pupils are well-prepared for life in modern Britain and for the next stage in their education.

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 subjects, pupils remember facts about their learning but cannot clearly explain connections between the facts they have learned. Consequently, pupils cannot clearly explain how the skills and facts they learn in individual lessons build towards what is intended by the end of a unit of work in the curriculum. The school should ensure that pupils can use and apply the knowledge they gain so they can demonstrate the depth and breadth of what they have learned by the end of each unit of work as intended in the curriculum.

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