Benjamin Adlard Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Benjamin Adlard Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone at the school shares the same ambition for pupils to be aspirational, independent and resilient.

Pupils understand this ambition and do their best to make it a reality. They work hard, get along with each other and aim to do their best each day.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary.

Pupils are very well-mannered and courteous. They hold doors open for one another and greet others they pass in the corridors. They listen to the views of others in a polite and considered way.

They are proud of their school. Staff are proud of the pupils. Bullying is extrem...ely rare.

Outdoor learning is an important part of the curriculum. Pupils enjoy visiting the outdoor learning area in order to build and grow things. They carry out maintenance work and help look after the chickens.

Pupils understand how this helps them to work well with others. One pupil told the inspector, 'It helps us to improve our independence and resilience.'

When asked if there was anything in the school that needed improving, pupils told the inspector, 'Nothing.

Everything about the school is good.'

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

Reading is taught well. In phonics, leaders have carefully planned which sounds pupils should learn and when.

Teachers check regularly to make sure that pupils are keeping up. Pupils who struggle in lessons get extra help the same day. Those who fall behind receive extra teaching every day until they catch up.

Phonics is taught consistently well.

Pupils read regularly in lessons and in their own time. Leaders make sure that pupils experience a wide range of authors and genres.

Teachers read daily to pupils. Teachers model a passion for reading. Pupils love reading and have an impressive knowledge of books and authors.

Some subjects are well planned. For example, the mathematics curriculum identifies the most important things that pupils should remember. Content is taught in a logical order.

Teachers explain things clearly. Pupils learn new things quickly. Lessons begin with a recap of things that pupils have learned before.

Pupils remember what they have learned over time. The curriculums for computing, science and music are also well planned and sequenced. Plans set out the most important things that pupils should know and remember.

Some subjects, including art and modern foreign languages, are less well planned. Plans are not sequenced well enough. They do not make clear what pupils should know and remember.

Leaders are in the process of improving plans for these subjects.

Pupils get off to a good start in the early years. Teachers help children to quickly improve their communication skills.

Staff help pupils to try new things and to talk about what they are learning. Children work well together.

Personal, social and health education (PSHE) is a strength of the school.

The PSHE curriculum is well planned. It makes good and regular use of the outdoor learning area. Pupils understand how this helps them to improve their social skills, to keep healthy and to look after themselves.

This is reflected in the highly positive relationships that pupils have with each other, and the adults, in school.

Staff model positive conduct consistently. Pupils follow this example.

They behave very well in lessons and around school. Pupils who are new to the school quickly follow the example that they see. The school is successful at helping pupils who have previously found following rules difficult.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities get the help that they need. Leaders are ambitious for these pupils. The special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator regularly checks that help is working as it should.

Leaders make good use of specialist services.

The school provides lots of help for the local community. Parents can get help with behaviour at home, mental health and well-being.

The school hosts classes and training for the community. Leaders provided lots of support to families during COVID-19 (coronavirus) periods of lockdown. This included delivering food parcels and providing clothes and computers for families.

Parents regard the school highly.

The trust provides leaders with challenge and support. This has helped to improve the curriculum and to train teachers.

The trust is rightly proud of the school and remains ambitious for its future.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding is given the highest priority.

Safeguarding leaders make sure that staff are well trained. Adults in school flag up any concerns quickly. Leaders follow these up and work well with other agencies.

Leaders make sure that everyone involved is doing their best to help. They challenge when this is not the case.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's curriculum is not yet sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced in some subjects.

However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to plan next year's curriculum and train staff in how to deliver it that they are in the process of bringing this about. Leaders should ensure that the school's curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced in all subjects.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good school could now be better than good, or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 7 and 8 June 2016.

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