Edgar Sewter Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are members of a caring and supportive community. They are happy and safe in school.

Pupils enjoy the extra-curricular activities that are provided for them.

They take part in sports, music and the creative arts. Breaks and lunchtimes are busy periods for pupils to socialise, play games and chat together. Pupils volunteer as librarians and do a good job.

They engage in community events and contribute to the lives of others through singing, fund-raising and waste recycling.

Pupils enthuse about their learning across a range of subjects. However, not enough of them are achieving as well as they should in reading and mathematics.

A lot o...f pupils need extra support to help them catch up because the quality of education has not been good enough.

Pupils behave well in lessons and at playtimes. This is because they are clear about what is expected of them.

Adults help them manage their emotions and their behaviour when things go wrong. Pupils say that bullying hardly ever happens. They are confident that there is always someone they can talk to.

Parents and carers are positive about the school. They appreciate the opportunities that are available for pupils and the care their children receive.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have an ambitious vision for the school's curriculum.

They are clear about what they want to do and how they intend to weave this ambition through the curriculum across all subjects. It is clear in their curriculum plans that this is beginning to happen. However, this is at an early stage of development.

Some subject leaders are still developing in their role.

Leaders have sharpened their focus on making sure that pupils become fluent readers. This includes providing pupils with books that link to the sounds they are learning.

New books are helping younger pupils gain confidence as readers. Pupils say that they enjoy reading. They enjoy the books that teachers choose to read to them.

Pupils talk about how their reading helps them learn new words they use in their writing. However, when planning phonics lessons, teachers do not consider well enough how the activities they use to develop pupils' vocabulary meet the needs of pupils, particularly pupils who are less confident readers. Older pupils who are not yet fluent readers do not routinely apply their phonics knowledge to help them decode words in the texts they are reading.

This is affecting their accuracy and fluency in reading. They are not catching up quickly enough.

Effective planning in mathematics enables pupils to practise their skills and build on what they already know.

Where teachers' subject knowledge is strong, pupils make good progress. Teachers use their knowledge to point out misconceptions and correct pupils' thinking. This deepens pupils' understanding and makes them more confident mathematicians.

Older pupils say that they enjoy mathematics, but feel they could be challenged more.

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has provided effective guidance and training for staff. This supports staff to plan well to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

They change lessons and resources to meet the individual needs of pupils.

Leaders provide well for pupils' personal development. Regular visits and visitors for pupils in all classes broaden pupils' wider knowledge and understanding.

High-quality pastoral care and support underpin much of the school's work.

In early years, children's learning is well thought through. Planning ensures that children learn in a rich and stimulating environment, both inside and outside the classroom.

Adults help children to solve problems and think for themselves. Children play and learn well together because they understand what is expected of them. Staff develop positive relationships with parents and show them how they can support their children's learning.

Governors know the school well. They visit the school regularly and take time to talk with staff and pupils. Governors attend parent evenings and school events to show their support for the school.

This helps them gather parents' views. School staff and governors appreciate the quality of the training and support that are provided for them by the trust.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders place a high priority on safeguarding pupils. They ensure that training is up to date for all staff.

All staff understand what they need to do if they are concerned. Staff work as a team to protect pupils. Systematic procedures are in place.

Actions to keep pupils safe are logged in a timely way and followed up with parents and other agencies.

Governors are clear about their statutory duty to keep pupils safe. They carry this out effectively.

Governors are well informed and knowledgeable about all aspects of safeguarding.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders are developing a new curriculum. They have a clear vision and rationale to achieve this.

They need to ensure that their plans for the curriculum are fully developed and implemented. They should continue to check to make sure that teachers effectively deliver all areas of the curriculum, ensuring that all pupils are successful in their learning and achieve well. .

The development of subject leaders is at an early stage for some subjects, in particular for subjects in the wider curriculum. Senior leaders should provide these leaders with the training and support they need so that they understand their roles as curriculum leaders. Leaders need to help teachers to become more confident in teaching every subject so that pupils achieve well throughout the curriculum.

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