Avishayes Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are welcoming at Avishayes Community Primary School. There are strong relationships between staff and pupils. Throughout the school, pupils are well cared for.

While children get off to a good start in the early years, beyond this stage, pupils' experiences vary too much. In some subjects, pupils do not learn effectively. This means they do not achieve as well as they should.

Any unkind behaviour, such as bullying, is dealt with quickly. Staff know the pupils well. Pupils feel safe are confident that staff will address any concerns if this is needed.

Support for pupils' well-being is a strength. Pupils follow the school rules to be ready, respectful an...d safe to learn.

Opportunities to develop pupils' personal development are carefully considered.

Pupils are given opportunities to develop talents and interests. Pupils appreciate the range of clubs on offer, such as football, gymnastics and performance poetry. School ambassadors take their roles seriously and wear their school blazers with pride.

They are strong role models for younger pupils to follow.

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

The carefully designed curriculum in early years supports children to make a strong start. The early years curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced to ensure that children's knowledge builds from Nursery into Reception.

Knowledgeable staff ensure that learning is engaging and purposeful. Children enjoy learning and playing together. The high expectations of staff ensure routines are well established.

Pupils' achievement has remained low over time, as evidenced in published outcomes. Although the school has begun to improve the curriculum, it has been slow to make the necessary changes. In some subjects, such as science, the school has begun to identify the important scientific knowledge pupils will learn and by when.

In others, the curriculum does not clearly identify what pupils need to know and learn. In subjects where the curriculum is not well designed, the school does not check what pupils can and cannot do. This leads to gaps in learning because misconceptions and errors are not identified, and persist.

As a result, pupils do not develop secure subject knowledge to enable them to tackle more challenging concepts.

Pupils enjoy listening to stories each day. There is a well-designed and sequenced phonics programme in place.

Staff have received appropriate training. However, the teaching of the early reading curriculum is not yet consistently strong. Some pupils' reading books do not always match the sounds that they are learning.

In early years and key stage 2, staff check on pupils' phonics knowledge and use the information effectively to address gaps. However, the support that pupils receive in key stage 1 to catch up is not as sharply focused. As a result, some pupils do not become confident and fluent readers.

The school accurately identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) promptly. Staff use individual plans with precise targets to support pupils with SEND to learn the curriculum. However, the curriculum design in some subjects hinders how well pupils with SEND learn.

Staff provide pupils who need help to manage their emotions with useful strategies and safe spaces. The pastoral care and support for pupils' mental health and well-being is highly effective.

The school works closely with parents and pupils to highlight the importance of attending school.

It identifies any barriers to good attendance. The school recognises that those pupils who are absent too often need more help to attend school regularly. As a result of the school's work, some pupils' attendance is improving.

The school's personal development programme is a strength. The school offers a wide range of experiences for pupils both within and beyond their local community. Pupils have a secure knowledge of fundamental British values and treat each other with respect.

The board of trustees does not have an accurate view of the school's strengths and weaknesses. It does not understand why pupils do not achieve well. As a result, trustees do not hold leaders to account well enough.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the school has not acted swiftly enough to identify the important knowledge and skills that pupils need to know and remember. In these subjects, the implementation of the curriculum does not help pupils, including pupils with SEND, to build knowledge well.

The school should ensure that the curriculum clearly defines the knowledge and skills pupils that need to know and remember and is implemented consistently well so that all pupils develop secure knowledge. ? Assessment information is not used effectively to identify what pupils know and to shape future curriculum design. Knowledge gaps are not addressed before pupils move on to new learning.

These gaps persist for some pupils. This hinders their progression through the curriculum. The school should ensure that all teachers use assessment information to inform the curriculum so that gaps in pupils' knowledge do not persist.

• The board of trustees does not have a sufficient depth of understanding of the quality of education that pupils receive. This means that trustees do not challenge leaders sufficiently well. Trustees need to develop their role so that they hold leaders fully to account for the school's performance.