Shadsworth Junior Flagship Status

June 30, 2026

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It was a real privilege and a pleasure for our assessor to re-visit Shadsworth Junior School. Inclusion occurs seamlessly and is firmly rooted in all aspects of the school due entirely to the efforts of the staff, led by the inspirational Headteacher and his effective leadership team.

Throughout the visit, pupils were observed to be polite, articulate and confident. They engaged enthusiastically in discussions about their learning and spoke positively about the support, opportunities and relationships that characterise life within the Shadsworth community. They were confident describing the support available to them and highlighted opportunities such as mindfulness club, Eco Warriors, sports activities and outdoor learning.

Relationships across the school are exceptionally strong and underpin the highly inclusive ethos. Leaders and staff consistently emphasised the importance of belonging, nurture and emotional wellbeing.

Pupils are increasingly independent and resilient in lessons and confidently make suggestions about how activities can be adapted to support learning. Leaders highlighted that pupil voice feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with all pupils surveyed reporting that they enjoy the new ways of learning.

Outdoor Learning

The school has extensive outdoor spaces and a fantastic space dedicated to gardening. The vegetable beds have recently been cleared and prepared for planting activities, enabling pupils to participate in growing and sustainability projects linked to curriculum learning. The Eco Club currently leads this work, with plans to further involve pupils from the Forest and Hive provisions.

The Headteacher has established an expectation that each class participates in at least one outdoor learning session each week, and outdoor and active learning opportunities have been successfully incorporated into a range of curriculum areas including English, Mathematics, Science, History and Geography.

Educational visits and hands-on experiences are carefully planned and tracked to ensure that pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities beyond the classroom. Each year group is expected to participate in multiple trips across the year and the reintroduction of the Year 6 residential has been warmly welcomed by staff and pupils alike, with pupils talking excitedly about upcoming events.

The Eco Warriors group is particularly well established and pupil led. Pupils work closely with staff and community organisations to promote sustainability and environmental responsibility. The group recently participated in an ‘Eco Town’ educational visit where pupils explored recycling and sustainability initiatives. Pupils were highly enthusiastic about the experience and demonstrated a strong understanding of environmental responsibility.

Supporting SEND pupils

Approximately 45% of pupils on roll are identified as having SEND, including 20 pupils with EHCPs. Leaders have invested in additional specialist support, including access to a private Educational Psychologist and SEND advisory teachers who provide training, observations and practical recommendations for staff. The school’s provision for pupils with SEND is highly inclusive and carefully considered by all staff. Displays throughout the school are thoughtfully designed to minimise sensory overload, using calming colours and hessian backings to create purposeful and supportive learning environments. The displays are both highly effective and visually impressive, successfully balancing functionality with creativity and allowing staff the flexibility to showcase pupils’ work and curriculum learning in engaging and imaginative ways.

Following the recent flood damage, pupils in the Forest Room have returned to their usual classroom, while the Hive provision has been temporarily relocated to the Oasis Room, with plans to move into a larger and more suitable space during the new academic year. Work to further develop and adapt these learning environments to best meet pupils’ needs is currently ongoing.

The next stage of development for the Forest Room is the introduction of a theme-led curriculum for foundation subjects, which will form a key part of the school’s improvement priorities next year. Alongside this, work is also underway to develop a two-year rolling programme for English and Mathematics within the Hive provision to ensure a coherent and progressive curriculum offer.

We are proud that Shadsworth Junior School continues to hold Flagship School Status.