Arnhem Wharf Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

All groups of pupils achieve well and make consistently good progress given their starting points. Most reach at least national standards in English and mathematics by the time they reach Year 6. Teaching is consistently good because : teachers know their children well and plan work which closely matches their needs.

If a pupil is doing less well, timely additional support is given to enable them to catch up. The excellent care shown to the pupils and the passion the school has that no one will fail ensure that pupils are happy in school and they behave and learn well. The extra government funding for pupils who are eligible for free sch...ool meals is used very effectively enabling them to reach standards in English and mathematics that are the same as other pupils.

The staff are totally committed to the school and fully behind the leadership. They highly value the excellent support they receive to improve their teaching. The pupils enjoy excellent relationships with each other and their teachers.

As a result pupils respect each other's differences and contribute to a strong sense of community. Governors understand the school well, challenge effectively and are fully involved in making plans for the future. It is not yet an outstanding school because: Some leaders do not have the experience or the skills to hold teachers to account and bring about more rapid improvements in teaching.

In some lessons pupils do not get to work on their own quickly enough because the teacher spends too long talking to the whole class. This stops some pupils making more rapid progress. Many pupils' calculation skills are not sharp enough which slows them down when performing written calculations and solving problems.

Information about this school

This is a larger than average-sized primary school. Two thirds of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding which in this school supports pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after). This is well above average.

Nearly all the pupils belong to minority ethnic groups. Nearly six out of every 10 pupils are from Bangladeshi families. One in nine pupils are from Black African backgrounds.

Three quarters of pupils do not have English as their first langauge which is well above average. A much higher proportion of pupils join the school at times other than at the start of a key stage or at the start of a school year than is found nationally. One in 10 pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs are supported on school action and one in seven on school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.

This is above average. A small number of pupils have dual registration with a local school for boys with behaviour and emotional needs. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress.

Since the last inspection the school has had a high staff turnover with some inexperienced teachers joining the school. Four teachers new to the profession were appointed in September 2012. The school is becoming three forms of entry which has required extensive building work.

Also at this postcode