Ashmount Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of community here that pupils value in this welcoming school. Pupils benefit from caring and nurturing working relationships with staff.Leaders have high expectations for behaviour and for what pupils can achieve, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

As a result, classrooms are generally calm and orderly. Pupils follow the school rules well. This helps them to be kind, responsible and to try their best.

Teachers support pupils to work hard in lessons and achieve well.Pupils trust the adults and staff in school. Staff care about pupils' positive mental health and well-being, as well as their learning.
...r/>Pupils know that staff will always help to sort out any concerns and worries should they occur.Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities. All pupils have roles on the school council.

Other pupils have roles on the arts council, and some pupils act as safeguarding champions or as playground buddies. Pupils have lots of opportunities to take part in concerts, sports clubs and competitions.Leaders know the children and their families well.

Parents and carers are very positive about the school and the work of staff.

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

Leaders have planned the curriculum with high expectations of pupils' learning and achievement. This starts from the early years, where learning activities and choices are carefully planned.

In most subjects, leaders have identified which aspects of learning pupils need to remember before they move on to future content. For example, in mathematics, teachers develop pupils' fluency consistently well. Typically, teachers promote pupils' vocabulary development well.

However, in some subjects, leaders' curricular thinking is not as well developed. In these subjects, leaders do not identify the important knowledge pupils need to learn. This limits pupils' deeper understanding.

Equally, leaders have not ensured that, in these subjects, teachers check pupils' learning well enough to identify what pupils know. This means some pupils do not build new knowledge securely.

Leaders make reading a key priority from early years to Year 6.

Staff encourage pupils to read widely and often, both at home and in school. Leaders have successfully introduced a new phonics programme. This is taught from the very start of the Reception Year.

Staff are well trained, and they deliver this new programme with confidence. They make regular checks of pupils' understanding of phonics. The books that pupils read are well matched to the sounds they know.

Pupils who fall behind receive effective support to help them catch up. As a result, most pupils become confident and fluent readers.Leaders are ambitious for all pupils with SEND.

Leaders and teachers identify the needs of pupils with SEND skilfully. They secure early support and external help for pupils with SEND when needed. Leaders support staff to adapt the delivery of the curriculum for pupils with SEND.

This ensures that these pupils access the same curriculum as their peers. Consequently, they achieve well.

Staff encourage pupils to show respect and tolerance towards others.

They teach pupils about the importance of difference. For example, pupils learn about different family types, faiths and cultures. They know how to stay healthy, both physically and mentally.

Teachers provide pupils with many opportunities in art and design to express themselves. Pupil were eager to share their exciting plans for the upcoming arts week celebration. Staff help pupils to understand the importance of positive and respectful relationships.

Pupils enjoy taking part in inter-school sports competitions. Leaders aim to foster pupils' creativity through organising participation in many different festivals, including musical concerts.

Pupils behave well in lessons and at breaktimes.

Leaders and playground buddies support pupils to talk to each other and seek to resolve any problems they may have. Teachers help pupils to remain focused so that learning is not interrupted.

Leaders and the governing body have a shared vision for their community.

Members of the governing body support and hold leaders to account effectively. Staff feel valued and are overwhelmingly proud to work at this school. All staff feel very well supported.

Leaders are considerate of staff's well-being and workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff and leaders understand that it is everyone's responsibility to keep pupils safe.

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular safeguarding training. Staff know how to identify pupils who might be at risk of harm. Any worries, however minor, are noted and followed up appropriately.

Leaders take swift actions to ensure that pupils and their families get the support they need.Leaders have a good understanding of local safeguarding risks. In computing lessons, pupils learn age-appropriate knowledge about keeping safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some foundation subject, leaders do not have a clear understanding of how content is sequenced from the early years to the end of Year 6. This limits pupils' deeper understanding in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders continue to develop their expertise and bring about further improvements in how the curriculum is being implemented.

• In a few foundation subjects, leaders do not ensure that teaching checks pupils' prior understanding effectively. As a result, teachers do not ensure that pupils secure knowledge and understanding deeply. Leaders should ensure that all teachers use formative assessment consistently well so that pupils are fully ready for new content.

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