Andrews Lane Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Andrew's Lane Primary School feel safe and supported to do their best. If they have a worry, there are lots of adults they can go to for help.

They are proud of their school.

Pupils enjoy their learning and are focused in their lessons. They are keen to offer ideas and reply to questions about their learning.

They show empathy and understanding towards others. Pupils are respectful of differences. For example, they say, 'Treat others as you would like to be treated.'

Bullying rarely happens. If it does, adults are there to help.

Pupils feel valued because they can contribute to the life of the school.

The school's pupil a...mbassadors are enthusiastic about the tuck shop that they have started. They say that it is very popular and healthy too. They are also able to contribute to special assemblies.

Themes include refugee week and national wind day.

There is a wide range of clubs in which pupils can take part. Some examples of these are clubs for knitting, art, dance, football and multi-sports.

Not all pupils are well prepared for their next stage of learning. On too many occasions, pupils are not accessing the full range of subject areas, leaving gaps in their learning.

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

While leaders have designed and intend for a complete, well-considered curriculum that is broad and balanced to be in place, in reality this is not what is happening throughout the school.

Leaders have not consistently checked that across the school, their intended curriculum is being delivered. There are too many occasions when pupils miss out on learning in specific subjects, for example in modern foreign languages.

In many lessons, staff present information clearly and confidently.

Staff have a good understanding of what pupils know and can do. Previous learning is revisited, and pupils use what they know to learn more. In these lessons, pupils achieve well over time.

However, in other areas of the curriculum, teachers do not check on what pupils know before they move on to new learning. This results in gaps in what pupils know and they can struggle to make connections between previous and new learning. Furthermore, staff do not have a consistent approach to checking on pupils' achievement in some subjects.

Consequently, staff are unable to deliver the curriculum as effectively as leaders would expect to ensure that pupils achieve well in all areas of the curriculum.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have carefully considered plans in place to meet their needs. These plans are regularly reviewed.

In the classroom, these plans are not always implemented in the way that leaders intend. This means that pupils with SEND do not always achieve as well as they should.Leaders have made sure that reading has a high priority across the school.

Pupils are enthusiastic about reading and read often. In early years, there is an accurate understanding of what children know and remember. They achieve well from their starting points.

For older pupils, learning is less clear. This is because leaders have not developed a shared approach for the teaching of reading, for example in having a consistent approach to checking for gaps in learning. In addition, in some instances, while weaker readers are heard to read regularly, the support they receive is not as effective as leaders intend.

This impacts the progress pupils make in becoming confident, fluent readers.

Children in early years access a curriculum that ensures that they receive a broad and balanced curriculum spanning all areas of learning. The environment, as well as the staff's high expectations for all to achieve, contribute towards the success of the curriculum.

Children become confident and are curious about what they are learning. Leaders regularly check on children's learning to ensure that they identify gaps in what children know and can do. Staff plan opportunities to help children catch up.

This ensures that children in early years are well prepared for moving on to Year 1.

Leaders plan and promote pupils' personal, social and health education and personal development well. Pupils learn how to look after themselves.

This includes, for example, keeping fit and how to maintain healthy relationships. This knowledge is developed in an age-appropriate way. Pupils understand democracy, giving the example of voting in their school ambassadors.

This well-thought-through area of the curriculum helps pupils to be respectful, tolerant and resilient citizens.

Leaders are aware of staff workload and well-being. They take sensible steps to ensure that staff are well supported.

Governors know the school well. They have appropriate expertise, which they use well to find out for themselves how well leaders are securing improvements throughout the school. Governors access appropriate external advice and training to inform their work.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Governors carry out their statutory duties to safeguard pupils appropriately. Leaders ensure that all staff understand their responsibility to safeguard pupils.

This includes having robust checks in place to ensure that all adults are safe to work with children.

Regular training supports staff to understand their role in keeping children safe and to act swiftly to address any safeguarding concern.

Leaders ensure that when pupils need additional help, this is provided.

Leaders work effectively with external agencies to support families, so they receive the guidance and support they need.

The curriculum includes content that teaches pupils how to stay safe, including when using the internet and being out and about alone.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders do not check that the curriculum that they intend is being implemented as they expect.

Therefore, some pupils move on to their next year group without the knowledge and skills that they need. Leaders need to make sure that monitoring of the curriculum accurately identifies areas that need to be addressed. Swift action can then be taken to address weaknesses to ensure that pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education.

• Leaders have not ensured that there is a consistent, shared approach to the quality of education for reading across the school. While teachers' subject knowledge is secure and they make sure that pupils read regularly, leaders need to review and implement a reading curriculum that will ensure that teachers have clear guidance about how pupils learn to read. This needs to include systems to help teachers to identify gaps in learning, so that pupils who struggle to learn to read are well supported.

• While leaders accurately identify pupils with SEND and ensure that well-considered plans are in place, the provision pupils receive in class does not always match up with what is in their plan. This is because some members of staff are not confident in their knowledge of how pupils with SEND learn. Leaders need to ensure that staff get the support and training they need, so they can successfully implement the plans for pupils with SEND in what they deliver in the classroom.

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