Stafford Junior School

Overview

Stafford Junior School is described as a “vibrant and inclusive” environment where pupils “work hard to live up to the school’s motto” and embrace its ‘four pillars of learning’. The school provides a “strong quality of education” with “clear and well-sequenced curriculums”, resulting in pupils who “achieve well” and demonstrate high levels of engagement.

Strengths

• Pupils benefit from an “exceptionally strong programme” for personal, social and health education (PHSE), which helps them “manage their anxiety” and “build positive friendships”.
• Teachers are “well trained to understand pupils’ needs” and “confidently insist upon the highest standards of behaviour”, allowing pupils to focus on learning.
• The school prioritises reading with a “very carefully developed” wider curriculum, ensuring most older pupils “read widely and talk with enthusiasm” about their preferences.
• Pupils develop strong oracy skills and confidence, with “pupil career ambassadors” regularly leading whole school assemblies.
• The on-site ‘LEAP’ provision offers “highly effective support” for pupils with specific behavioural and well-being needs, enabling successful reintegration.

Areas to improve

• The curriculum in some subjects, including English, is “not consistently well adapted” for pupils with SEND, meaning they do not always build knowledge as well as they might.
• Attendance remains an issue, as “some pupils, particularly those with SEND, are too frequently absent” and do not fully benefit from the educational offer.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”