Albion Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to the unwavering high ambitions that leaders promote.

The school wants all pupils to achieve their possible best. Pupils access a broad curriculum. They enjoy being taught new things.

Staff encourage children in the early years to take risks with their learning and play. Pupils show a willingness to share and take turns. Staff develop pupils' reading and communication skills well.

The school's approach to behaviour is built on a set of core values that threads through the school ethos, such as kindness and responsibility. Pupils know and follow well-established rules and routines. Staff consistently apply high expectations of pupils' beha...viour.

Parents and carers share positive views about the school.

Pupils benefit from a highly coordinated approach to enriching the curriculum. They enjoy taking part in the extensive range of clubs, educational visits and wider opportunities provided.

This includes tailored activities for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils extend their knowledge of the local area and beyond through visits to different places of interest, including museums, historical landmarks and through geographical fieldwork. Pupils are taught about other religions and beliefs.

They strengthen their understanding by visiting places of worship, such as churches and mosques.

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

The school has ambitious goals for all pupils. Those responsible for governance work closely with leaders and staff in identifying key priorities for school improvement.

Staff value the opportunities they receive to develop, including those in the early stages of their careers or leadership. Staff feel that leaders are approachable and supportive.

Leaders make sure that they identify important content that teachers should teach and when.

For example, in mathematics, pupils learn how to use a range of methods when solving mathematical problems of increasing complexity. This leads to pupils' high outcomes in mathematics. Leaders have introduced recent initiatives in some subjects.

Leaders have not had sufficient time to embed all the recent developments to the curriculum. This means that the consistent implementation of these new initiatives is not secure. Leaders are determined in their drive for further improvements with accurate and well-considered plans.

The learning environment is spacious, attractive and stimulating. Resources are well organised and readily available to support pupils' learning and independence. Children feel secure in the well-resourced early years setting.

Adults provide meaningful activities that develop children's skills in all areas of learning.

The school swiftly identifies pupils with SEND. Leaders take appropriate measures in addressing pupils' barriers to learning.

The school considers how to support all pupils so that they can succeed. Teachers adapt teaching to enable pupils to successfully access the curriculum. Adults support pupils effectively to access curriculum content.

Staff build pupils' knowledge of sounds through the consistent delivery of the phonics programme. Teachers carefully track the sounds that pupils learn. Staff provide suitable prompts and scaffolding for pupils who struggle with segmenting and blending sounds.

Pupils enjoy reading to adults. They show perseverance when they meet challenges. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they know.

The school suitably prepares pupils for transition to the next stages of education.

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They listen attentively.

Low-level disruptions in the classroom are extremely rare. This is because staff enable pupils to understand the value of learning. Leaders have developed systems to encourage pupils to attend school regularly.

They support parents and carers to establish consistent attendance routines with their children. Despite this, some pupils continue to be persistently absent, particularly pupils with SEND.

The school has an exceptional personal development offer for its pupils.

It is well thought out and supported by weekly assemblies on a range of themes such as anti-bullying, discrimination and autism awareness. Pupils can confidently speak about issues relating to racism, homophobia, and sexism. Staff teach pupils about the importance of tolerance.

Pupils are taught that the differences between people is never a reason to judge or be unkind. The school's relationships and sex education is thoughtfully and sensitively delivered in an age-appropriate way. Leaders place strong emphasis on supporting pupils' mental health.

Pupils feel safe to discuss their feelings. Staff make sure that pupils can manage their emotions confidently.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some foundation subjects, leadership is at an earlier stage of development. This has limited the school's work to embed changes to curriculum implementation. The school should continue to develop subject leadership so that teachers are supported to gain the expertise they need to deliver the intended curriculum consistently and securely in all subjects.

• Rates of persistent absence for pupils, including those with SEND, continue to be high. This means pupils miss valuable learning and building their learning securely over time. The school should continue its work with parents to support them to improve pupils' attendance so that they attend school regularly.

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