Wirksworth Junior School

Overview

Wirksworth Junior School is described as a “happy and caring place to learn in” where leaders have created a “highly inclusive” environment. Pupils are “polite and respectful,” enjoying school and feeling safe, while staff are valued and proud of their work. The report notes that the school has improved from its previous “Requires improvement” rating.

Strengths

• Leaders have designed a curriculum with “high expectations of all pupils,” fostering students who are “creative, curious and caring.”
• Reading is placed “at the heart of the curriculum,” with effective support helping pupils become “confident, fluent readers.”
• The school provides strong pastoral care, including bespoke support for emotions and a “magic room” to develop confidence.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are accurately identified and access the “same learning as their peers.”
• Leaders ensure staff receive up-to-date safeguarding training and respond “quickly to any safeguarding concerns.”

Areas to improve

• In a “small number of subjects,” leaders have not broken knowledge into “precise components,” making it harder for pupils to learn new concepts and for teachers to check understanding.
• “Too many vulnerable pupils, and pupils with SEND, do not attend school often enough,” which negatively impacts their progress through the curriculum.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective,” noting that leaders have created a “strong culture of safeguarding” and ensure adults are suitable to work with children.