Avanti Court Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are incredibly respectful of one another and of all staff. They understand the school values and model them proudly.

The school has a calm atmosphere. Pupils say that the daily meditation sessions and weekly yoga help them keep calm.

Pupils are safe and feel able to talk with an adult if needed.

They understand how to keep safe online, and how to keep their bodies and minds healthy. Everyone is celebrated, including those with other faiths and those in different types of loving families.

Pupils choose to behave exceptionally well in lessons and around the school.

There is no disruption to lessons. Bullying is extremely rare and is not... tolerated.

Children in early years enjoy the outdoor activities planned for them each day.

They particularly like cultivating their garden.

The school has a 'pupil ambassador' programme. Ambassadors are voted for by their peers.

Most pupils attend a variety of extra-curricular opportunities. These include a range of sports, dance and music clubs. Staff regularly arrange trips and workshops for every year group.

This year's programme has included faith workshops, author and nutritionist visits as well as a workshop promoting female leaders in science.

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

Leaders have carefully designed the curriculum so that it is ambitious and well sequenced. Most subjects are led by experienced staff with secure subject knowledge.

In these subjects, teaching is strong, and pupils make good progress. Pupils retain important knowledge and build on it over time.

In a few subjects, such as history and geography, senior leaders have recently made some necessary changes to areas of the curriculum.

They have made sure that units are better sequenced. The curriculum in these subjects is ambitious, but not yet fully embedded. There is also some overlapping of topics between the old and new schemes.

Leaders have carefully identified the overlaps and any gaps. Any small gaps are currently taught as 'blocks'. This is so that older pupils have access to the complete curriculum.

The senior leadership team knows that it must refine these subjects, identifying the key knowledge it wants to be taught. The senior leadership team has already identified appropriate professional development for subject leaders with less experience. This includes subject-specific training and leadership coaching.

Where subjects are led well, staff explain key concepts and present information clearly for all pupils. In mathematics, for example, pupils can explain their reasoning using key concepts and vocabulary. Year 1 pupils use directional language when describing the movement of shapes.

In the early years, staff have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They are fully prepared for their transition to Year 1.

Where the curriculum is well designed, pupils return to concepts over time and build on what they already know.

In science, Reception children make observations and draw pictures of plants. They move onto identifying and describing the basic structure of a flowering plant in Year 1. Older pupils can describe the life process of reproduction in plants.

Staff assess pupils' understanding throughout the year. They respond to any misconceptions during lessons. Subject leaders have designed more formal assessment tasks at the end of each topic.

Pupils demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in response to essay questions. Teachers can identify any gaps in knowledge and plan for them accordingly.

Pupils with SEND have access to the full curriculum.

Lessons are adapted so that all pupils can access the learning. Staff in the early years are particularly good at helping pupils with SEND make rapid progress. Leaders engage well with outside agencies.

Leaders keep parents well informed of the progress their children are making in school.

Leaders make sure that reading is a priority. They have clear expectations of the delivery of the daily phonics sessions.

All staff have up-to-date training. Children access phonics as soon as they join the Nursery. In the early years, staff make sure that children practise their phonics skills throughout the day.

Staff identify pupils for interventions and/or one-to-one reading. These pupils quickly catch up. All staff show a secure understanding of the school's chosen programme.

Pupils apply their phonetic knowledge in their writing. Some support staff put too much emphasis on making predictions when they are reading with pupils, rather than focusing on the reading itself. They often correct the pupils without giving them the tools to decode words on their own.

Leaders need to clarify expectations for all staff.

Staff are extremely proud to work at the school. They value the care and help they receive from senior leaders.

They recognise that steps are taken to make their workload manageable.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that a strong safeguarding culture exists across the school.

All staff and trustees receive regular training on safeguarding matters. They are all clear about their responsibilities.

Pupils feel safe and have someone to talk to if they are worried.

They receive regular updates on how to keep safe online.

Leaders make sure that all safeguarding procedures are rigorous. They engage well with outside agencies and provide families with the support they need.

Safer recruitment procedures are followed to ensure that all pre-employment checks are carried out diligently.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned, sequenced and embedded in all subjects. It is clear from leaders' actions that they know what needs to be done and are in the process of doing it.

Leaders need to identify the key knowledge they want to be taught. They must communicate this clearly with all teachers and run subject-specific training. They need to complete this work across all subjects within their identified timescale.

For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied. ? Not all adults focus on embedding the phonics skills when reading with the lowest 20% of readers. As a result, more time is spent on discussing the text rather than pupils honing their reading skills.

Adults do not always encourage pupils to use the agreed phonics strategies when coming across an unknown word. This slows pupils' progress. Leaders must clearly communicate their expectations with all staff with the focus being on reading until pupils are more fluent.

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