Merton Junior School

Overview

Merton Junior School continues to be a good school, where pupils are described as “happy and safe” and “keen to learn.” Leaders maintain “high expectations for every pupil,” fostering a culture where students “behave well” and demonstrate care for each other and their community. The curriculum is generally “ambitious, broad and well organised,” with teachers effectively checking understanding to help pupils embed knowledge.

Strengths

• Pupils “get on well together” and trust adults, with bullying dealt with “sensitively and straightaway.”
• Teachers in most subjects have “strong subject knowledge” and present information clearly, leading to good achievement in PE, geography, and mathematics.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are “supported effectively” and “achieve well” due to timely identification and adapted curricula.
• A strong reading culture is promoted through challenges and discussions, with pupils showing enjoyment of books.
• Staff work effectively as a team, and leaders take account of staff workload in a “considerate” manner.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must ensure all staff have secure subject knowledge and that reading books for early learners are “precisely matched to their phonics knowledge” to address inconsistencies in teaching.
• Staff require further training to implement the curriculum consistently well in a “minority of wider curriculum subjects” where current implementation is lacking.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with a “strong” safeguarding culture, regular staff training, and rigorous checks ensuring pupils receive necessary help.