Allonby Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thoroughly enjoy being part of this close-knit and nurturing school community. They benefit from the positive relationships that they have with other pupils and with staff, who care deeply for them. Pupils who are new to the school said that they felt welcome straight away and that they formed friendships remarkably quickly.

The school is ambitious for pupils' achievements, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils typically rise to these high expectations. They were eager to share their knowledge with inspectors and said that they enjoy learning new things each day.

Most pupils achieve well across a range of subjects....

Pupils are polite and respectful. They have mature attitudes about the many differences that exist between themselves and others.

Pupils know that everybody is unique and important.

The school provides a variety of enrichment experiences. Pupils have many opportunities to learn outdoors, such as when visiting the nearby beach or travelling to places further afield.

This helps to enhance their learning across the curriculum. Pupils relish activities, such as cookery, sports and gardening clubs. Older pupils have recently started a local programme to ignite their creativity skills and to develop their understanding of social enterprise.

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

The school has worked resolutely to design a broad and knowledge-rich curriculum. Careful thought has gone into identifying the precise content that pupils should learn and when this should be taught. The school's motto, 'everybody is somebody', embodies its approach to individualised learning, taking into account the mixed-age classes and the small number of pupils in school.

Typically, pupils learn well.

Staff develop their subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum well. During lessons, they explain new content clearly and choose suitable activities that help pupils to learn.

Staff use appropriate assessment strategies to determine what pupils know and can remember. Mostly, this helps staff to know what to focus on next. However, on occasion, they are not quick enough to check on pupils' learning.

This means that some pupils make errors and have misunderstandings that go unchecked over time.

The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND at the earliest opportunity. It works notably well with external professionals and with parents and carers to provide appropriate and effective support.

This helps pupils with SEND to feel settled and to learn the full curriculum alongside their peers.

The school successfully fosters pupils' love of reading. Starting from the beginning of the early years, children are immersed in stories and have high-quality interactions with adults.

A library van visits the school regularly to raise the profile of a wide selection of texts. Older pupils look forward to frequent opportunities to read stories to their classmates and to younger pupils. They enjoy completing well-designed quizzes to demonstrate their understanding of the books that they have read.

Phonics is taught as soon as children start in the Reception Year. Staff provide extra support for pupils who struggle to learn to read or develop gaps in their phonics knowledge. Pupils practise their reading using books that contain the sounds that they already know.

Most pupils become confident readers in readiness for key stage 2. However, some staff do not deliver the phonics programme consistently well. This slows some pupils' progress in learning to read accurately and fluently.

Pupils behave well around school. The learning environment is calm and purposeful. During lessons, pupils listen attentively to teachers.

They eagerly engage in their learning. Children in the early years settle quickly into school life. They have a strong sense of belonging and learn school routines well.

Lunchtimes are wonderful occasions where pupils of all ages socialise together and with staff. Most pupils attend school regularly. The school provides effective support for the families of pupils with low attendance.

This is having a positive and demonstrable impact.

The school supports pupils' personal development well. Pupils take on important roles, including being sports leaders and members of the 'pupil voice' group.

These responsibilities help them to understand that they can make a positive contribution in school and to society. This is supported through pupils' endeavours in the community, such as litter picking, fundraising and visiting care homes. Pupils learn how to stay safe outside of school, for example while online or when they are at the beach.

The governing body challenges and assists the school to improve the quality of education that pupils receive. Staff feel valued and appreciate the support that the school provides. This enables them to fulfil their roles successfully.

For example, additional time is given when implementing policy changes. Most parents were positive about the school and typically commented that their children blossom here.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• From time to time, staff do not identify and address pupils' errors quickly enough. As a result, some pupils make mistakes that go unchecked over time. The school should ensure that teachers identify and address these inaccuracies and misconceptions quickly, to help pupils to achieve as well as they should.

• The school has not made sure that all staff deliver the phonics programme following the agreed approaches. At times, this hinders some pupils' progress in becoming fluent and accurate readers. The school should support staff to deliver phonics consistently well.