White Woman Lane Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school Leaders and governors have successfully created a culture where teachers and pupils strive to be the best that they can be in all that they do. Expectations and aspirations are notably high. The executive headteacher's exceptional leadership has ensured that the school has improved upon the previously good standard of education provided to make sure that pupils achieve very well.

Outstanding pastoral care and highly effective teaching ensure that all pupils make substantial and sustained progress in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics. Leaders make sure disadvantaged pupils or pupils who have special educational needs (S...EN) and/or disabilities participate fully and achieve their potential. Consequently, these pupil groups achieve the same excellent outcomes as others in the school.

Leaders at all levels are highly ambitious for all pupils. They astutely recognise how they can make changes that will improve pupils' educational experience. Leaders check carefully that their actions make the difference that they intend.

The governing body is highly knowledgeable and very experienced. Governors both support and challenge leaders to get the best provision possible with the resources available. Teachers know their pupils extremely well and plan challenging and interesting learning activities.

The impact of their high-quality teaching is that all pupils, including the most able, make strong progress and have very positive attitudes to learning. The carefully considered curriculum helps pupils to succeed academically and personally. They are very well prepared for secondary school.

An extremely wide variety of enrichment activities provide opportunities for pupils to pursue their interests. These enhance assemblies and the taught curriculum, so that pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is supported very well. Pupils' excellent behaviour and relationships with others have a positive impact on their learning and progress.

They enjoy school, as is shown by their high attendance and inquisitive approach to learning. Pupils' very strong progress in reading and writing is set to continue as a result of leaders' recent focus on widening pupils' vocabulary. Pupils attain high standards in spelling, punctuation and grammar by the end of key stage 2.

However, their handwriting is not of a consistently high standard.

Information about this school

White Woman Lane Junior School is larger than the average-sized primary school. The school is part of the Nebula Federation.

This is a federation of six primary schools with one executive headteacher and an executive senior leadership team. A federated governing body, responsible for all schools in the federation, was formed in December 2017. White Woman Lane is the lead school in the federation and has provided and brokered support for other schools, including schools outside the federation.

The schools in the Nebula Federation work collaboratively to support and improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the federation. School leaders have made use of advice from a local authority school improvement partner and their associates to get an external view on their work and provide subject-specific professional development. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is lower than the national average. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is broadly average and has increased in recent years. No pupils are educated off site or through alternative provision.

There was a short inspection of the school in March 2018. This determined that the school remained good and that the next inspection would be a full inspection, as there was evidence that the school was showing significant improvement. The school's previous full inspection was in January 2014.