Ashfield Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

There is a real sense of family at Ashfield Primary School.

Leaders have established golden rules built around respect, kindness, honesty, trying hard and keeping safe. These golden rules inspire pupils to support each other and keep trying, even when tasks are challenging. Teachers successfully remove barriers to learning that pupils might encounter.

Together, staff have created a truly inclusive culture. Pupils are happy and safe in this caring school.

Adults help pupils to manage their own feelings and behaviour well.

Breaktimes and lunchtimes are harmonious. Pupils behave well most of the time. This is because adults teach them how to treat each ...other with kindness and respect.

Pupils live this out through the many leadership roles on offer. 'Mindmate' ambassadors support all pupils to look after their mental health and well-being. Bullying almost never happens.

When it does, staff intervene to make sure it stops.

Leaders provide pupils with many exciting opportunities to learn about the world around them. Pupils thoroughly enjoy participating in science technology, engineering and maths (STEM) sessions.

Leaders use these sessions to help challenge stereotypes by showing that these areas are open to all pupils. They raise pupils' aspirations by focusing on opportunities for careers in STEM.

Leaders make sure that pupils and families understand why attending school is important.

Staff provide considerable support to help pupils attend every day. This is making a positive difference for pupils.

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

Leaders have established an ambitious curriculum.

They have defined the important knowledge pupils should remember in most subjects. In art, pupils build their understanding of tone and colour theory. They apply this to produce tonal graduation in their own work.

In physical education, teachers help pupils to develop their balance, to aid coordination and prepare them for competitive games. Teachers make sure that pupils have opportunities to revisit this important knowledge. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders have not identified the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn clearly enough.

In these subjects, pupils do not receive the precise help they need to remember their learning.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Leaders work tirelessly to remove any barriers that pupils might face to their learning.

They do this by making sure that all staff have the expertise to help pupils with SEND. These pupils receive exactly the support that they need. They master new knowledge quickly and are confident learners.

Leaders have made reading a priority. They make sure that staff get the training they need to help pupils learn to read. In early years, adults help children to get off to a flying start by learning phonics and beginning to read simple words.

When pupils struggle to read, skilled adults provide the right support to help them catch up. Adults have selected a range of high-quality books for pupils to enjoy. Leaders ensure that these are widely available for pupils to borrow and read.

The library is open every lunchtime. Well-trained pupil librarians support their peers to choose appropriate books to read. Adults read to pupils frequently.

Pupils enjoy these books and talk in detail about the stories and characters they encounter. They are very enthusiastic about all the exciting texts that are available to read. Reading is everywhere in this school.

In early years, adults help children develop their mathematical skills by giving them lots of opportunities to explore number. Teachers use the 'teddy bears picnic' to help children understand how to share numbers equally. Children deepen their knowledge by exploring how number can be represented in many different ways.

Leaders have made sure that the curriculum supports all pupils to become fluent mathematicians. Teachers respond quickly to any misconceptions that pupils might have. They carefully match activities so that pupils practise the most important things that they need to learn.

Pupils are confident to explain their mathematical thinking. For example, they describe the role of numerators and denominators when explaining fractions.

Leaders have established a well-structured offer to support pupils' personal development.

Pupils have an impressive understanding of how to stay safe online. They can talk about issues like sharing personal information and their 'digital footprint', with considerable maturity. Leaders make sure that pupils understand about healthy and unhealthy relationships.

Pupils develop their character through the many leadership roles that they can apply for. Some take part in the school council while others work as eco-warriors and digital leaders. Pupils enjoy supporting each other.

They know how to offer support in 'friendship circles' to help resolve relationships when things go wrong. All of this work reflects the deeply inclusive culture that leaders have established.

Governors share leaders' ambitions for pupils.

Staff workload and well-being are a high priority for leaders and governors. Staff are positive about the support that they receive from leaders. They value the trust that leaders place in them and are proud to work at this inclusive school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established a culture of safeguarding. Adults receive regular training and frequent updates on safeguarding.

Leaders check that staff understand safeguarding using well-planned quizzes. Staff know the risks that children may face. If they are concerned that a pupil may be at risk of harm, they are quick to follow agreed procedures to get the necessary help.

Leaders keep thorough records of the actions taken to keep pupils safe. They are tenacious in following up on concerns and work well with outside agencies when there are concerns about vulnerable pupils. Appropriate checks are made on the suitability of those appointed to work with children.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, the knowledge that pupils need to remember has not been identified clearly enough. In these subjects, pupils do not get the precise help they need to remember the most important things that they need to know. Leaders should make sure that this knowledge in clearly identified so that pupils get the precise help they need to remember their learning.

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