Ainthorpe Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe at Ainthorpe Primary School. Leaders have created a wonderfully caring and supportive environment where everyone is respected. Relationships between staff and pupils are excellent.

Pupils are taught that being kind, considerate and tolerant is important. This shows in the way that pupils treat each other.

Pupils' behaviour is exceptional.

Leaders have high expectations of all pupils, including those with additional needs. Pupils understand the school's behaviour and rewards system well. Teachers use it consistently.

Pupils are highly focused on their learning. This includes in the early years, where children are able to lis...ten attentively and follow familiar routines. Bullying is extremely rare.

Pupils explained that poor behaviour is dealt with swiftly by adults. This prevents bullying from happening in school.

Leaders give pupils a wide range of experiences to help them develop both academically and personally.

Leaders offer extra-curricular activities, such as textile club, choir and sports, that pupils enjoy. Pupils learn about different universities and colleges and the courses they offer. They say this helps them think about their futures.

Pupils' confidence and resilience increase through leadership positions, such as faith leaders. Other pupils are part of the junior leadership team, working with school leaders to support the focus on healthy eating.

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

Leaders have developed an ambitious and challenging curriculum for all pupils.

They have identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember in each subject from the early years to Year 6. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They receive high-quality professional development.

The curriculum is well sequenced. In some subjects, such as geography and art, teachers design lessons that build on what pupils already know. However, in a small number of subjects, teachers do not always check that pupils have secured the relevant prior knowledge before teaching something new.

Leaders and staff have an absolute focus on developing a love of reading, right from when children join the school. Well-trained staff ensure a consistent approach to how children learn to read and write. Those pupils who need additional help benefit from effective support.

As a result, all pupils quickly learn to read. Leaders have ensured that this early love of reading is nurtured and developed throughout the school. Pupils are read to daily by enthusiastic and passionate members of staff.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive excellent support. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND achieve well by carefully adapting the curriculum when needed. For example, a small number of pupils in key stage 2 are taught mathematics as a separate group.

They study the same topics as their peers, but the teacher breaks the learning down into smaller steps to help pupils develop their fluency and confidence. In other areas of the curriculum, teachers carefully follow support plans to ensure that pupils receive the support they need. As a result, pupils with SEND learn important knowledge across a range of subjects.

Staff in the early years have created an environment that supports the children's needs. The indoor and outdoor spaces are planned to promote curiosity and independent learning. Children with SEND have full access to this enriched environment.

The relationships between adults and children are strong. Children show positive attitudes toward their learning. They are developing the behaviours they will need to move into key stage 1.

However, some adults lack confidence in the areas of learning they teach. They are unable to demonstrate how they support children to develop detailed knowledge and skills across the seven areas of the early years foundation stage statutory framework.

There is a systematic, consistent behaviour approach across the school.

Staff really understand pupils and their individual needs. Pupils are respectful and supportive of each other. Even when pupils find work difficult, they show resilience and determination to overcome the challenges they face.

Pupils attend really well. Leaders have robust systems in place to monitor pupils' attendance across the school.

There is an impressive personal development programme.

The curriculum for personal, social and health education has been carefully designed to ensure pupils learn important content at the right time. For example, pupils learn about 'stranger danger' just before a large local fair takes place. By Year 6, pupils have an excellent understanding of equality and fundamental British values.

Pupils are thoroughly prepared for life in modern Britain. They understand the importance of tolerance and respect.

The trust, and the executive principal, support leaders exceptionally well.

This means that subject leaders have grown from strength to strength. Governors and trustees bring skills and expertise from a wide range of backgrounds. They support and challenge leaders effectively.

Staff say that leaders are mindful of their workload. Staff feel valued and staff morale is high.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and those responsible for safeguarding make sure that staff and pupils are aware of a range of safeguarding risks. These include how to stay safe both online and offline. There is a strong culture of safeguarding.

Staff are clear about how to report and record their concerns.

Leaders keep detailed records of the actions they take to keep pupils safe. They work with external agencies to ensure the most vulnerable pupils receive the support they need.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, teachers introduce new content before pupils are secure in what they have been taught previously. This means that pupils do not spend enough time mastering the most important content before moving on. Teachers should use assessment to pinpoint what pupils know and can do, and use this information to inform their teaching.

• Curriculum thinking in the early years is not precise enough. This means some children do not secure the fundamental building blocks they need to prepare them for Year 1. Curriculum planning needs to ensure that it identifies the most important knowledge and skills children need to secure across the seven areas of learning to be prepared for their future learning.

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