Blaby Stokes Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leadership and staffing at the school have undergone a period of uncertainty. Some parents and carers expressed concerns about the impact of high staff turnover on their child's education.

Trust leaders have ensured that a stable leadership structure is now in place.

Pupils know that the school rules of 'be ready, be respectful and be safe' help everyone understand expectations of conduct and behaviour. Lunchtimes are calmer.

Pupils know that 'the lodge' is a place they can go to get support to manage their emotions. Parents agree that the recent changes are impacting positively on pupils' behaviour. Most pupils told inspectors that they feel safe.

H...owever, a significant group of parents and pupils are concerned that not all pupils demonstrate these high expectations in their behaviour at all times.

Pupils know who to report their concerns and worries to. They told inspectors that should any instances of bullying happen in school, leaders will sort it out.

However, teachers and leaders do not reliably promote respect for different protected groups, particularly ethnicity and gender.

There have been significant developments in the school's curriculum. However, some pupils do not attend regularly enough to ensure that they benefit fully from it.

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

Despite significant staffing challenges faced by the school, leaders have re-designed the curriculum to ensure it is well sequenced. It outlines what pupils need to know and when. However, many subjects are in a period of transition to the new curriculum.

The trust has provided staff with the knowledge and expertise to understand how pupils remember knowledge over time.

Many curriculum leaders are new to their roles. Currently, they do not have a secure overview of their subjects.

Some subject leaders do not have the necessary expertise to check how the curriculum is being implemented. Plans to address this are in their infancy.

Leaders ensure that the books pupils read reflect diverse communities.

Leaders ensure that pupils are provided with rich literature that they can share at home. All staff have received training in the school's early reading programme. However, there is variation in how this is being delivered.

Some adults do not teach the programme accurately. Reading books do not consistently match pupils' reading ability. This means that some pupils do not learn to read quickly or efficiently.

Leaders ensure that the school is inclusive. They ensure that all pupils are included in all aspects of school life. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported with appropriate equipment and resources to help them access the curriculum.

However, leaders have not yet considered how the curriculum will be broken down into small steps to help pupils with SEND know more over time.

Adults in the early years focus on developing communication and language as well as physical and social development. This secures strong relationships and ensures that children develop key knowledge such as turn-taking and coordination.

For example, adults skilfully develop children's language of ordering while they bathe the dolls. However, other areas of the early years curriculum require further development. For example, adults do not ensure that pupils use their knowledge of early reading and writing in their independent learning.

Some independent tasks do not challenge children sufficiently.

Pupils' behaviour and attitudes are not consistently strong. Some staff do not always set high expectations.

This means that sometimes pupils' learning is disrupted because adults do not always reinforce the school rules consistently.

Most pupils understand right and wrong. They know how to eat healthily and the importance of exercise.

They can talk about how to stay safe online. Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. For example, during the inspection, pupils were learning how to ride a bike safely.

However, some pupils' understanding of gender equality and different faiths is fragile. Leaders do not consistently use the information they have to ensure that the personal development offer is tailored to the specific needs of some vulnerable pupils.

Staff appreciate the support and stability that the interim leadership team have provided.

They recognise that some actions related to the curriculum will support their workload in the new academic year.

The board of trustees holds leaders to account for their actions. They have ensured that support for leadership and curriculum developments have been in place during a period of rapid change in school.

They recognise that further support will be needed to ensure that systems and procedures around safeguarding, behaviour and parental engagement are strengthened.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that systems to safeguard pupils have been prioritised.

They ensure that all staff are vigilant for signs that indicate a child may be at risk of harm. Staff are provided with regular safeguarding updates and know how to report any concerns. Most pupils feel safe in school.

Leaders continue to further strengthen the systems they use to record behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

Trustees evaluate the information they receive to ensure it gives them an accurate reflection of the needs of the school. They plan to further develop the information they receive related to protected groups and discriminatory behaviour.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The behaviour and attitudes of some pupils is not consistently high throughout the school day. Some pupils do not show respect for their peers and all adults in school. Therefore, learning slows in some lessons and the behaviour of pupils does not reflect the high expectations that leaders have set.

Leaders should ensure that the new systems impact positively on all pupils' behaviour and attitudes. They must ensure that all staff use the behaviour systems consistently and fairly. All staff should use the school's recording systems to log the incidents so that all leaders have an accurate understanding of behaviour in school.

• Systems and procedures around attendance are not rigorous. The attendance of the most disadvantaged pupils is not as secure as it could be. Some of these pupils are missing too much of the school's curriculum and this is leading to gaps emerging in their knowledge and skills.

Leaders should identify the pupils at risk of developing poor patterns of attendance at an earlier stage. They should ensure that procedures to promote attendance are secure, and work closely with parents to overcome any barriers. ? There is variation in how well teachers deliver the early reading programme.

Some adults do not have a secure understanding of how to implement the teaching methods well. Reading books do not consistently match pupils' needs. This slows some pupils' progress in learning to read quickly and efficiently.

Leaders should take action to ensure that all staff have the necessary subject knowledge to teach phonics. They must ensure that reading books are well matched to pupils' reading ability. ? Subject leaders need to further develop their leadership skills.

Their understanding of how well the curriculum planning is being implemented, including for pupils with SEND, is limited. As a result, they are not yet identifying precisely what is going well and what actions are needed to improve the delivery of the curriculum further. Senior leaders should ensure that subject leaders have the support and expertise to make checks on how well the school's curriculum is implemented for all pupils, including pupils with SEND.

• A minority of pupils' understanding of protected groups, including gender and different faiths, is fragile. Although they know to respect differences and diversity, they do not always demonstrate these in their actions. This does not prepare them well for life in contemporary society.

Leaders should ensure that pupils have the necessary knowledge and understanding of British values, gender equality and different faiths. Leaders must ensure that the systems they have to record these incidents are secure and help them to build a holistic understanding of the needs within school. ? A significant group of parents is concerned about how the school manages communication and behaviour in school.

This sometimes results in parents receiving misinformation about events and incidents. Leaders must ensure that they secure timely and effective communication methods with parents and the local community. They must ensure that information parents receive builds positive relationships between home and school.

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