Broad Oak Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this warm and welcoming school. The 'Broad Oak Family' values, such as friendship and having an 'I can do it' attitude, underpin the way that pupils approach learning. Pupils value the strong relationships that they have with adults at the school.

The school has high expectations of what pupils can and should achieve. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged, live up to these expectations.

Pupils, including those with SEND, immerse themselves in lessons.

This is reflected in the work that they produce and how confident they are to talk about what they have learned..../>
Pupils respect each other. They are polite and well-mannered.

From the Nursery onwards, their positive attitudes mean that there are rarely any disruptions to their learning. Pupils trust staff to deal with any incidents of misbehaviour quickly.

Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips and clubs that the school carefully plan to enhance the curriculum and develop pupils' talents and interests.

For example, pupils in the early years attend sewing club. Older pupils spoke excitedly about cooking, choir and art clubs as well as football tournaments and visits to the zoo.

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

The school has ensured that there is a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum on offer to all pupils, including those with SEND.

From the early years to Year 6, the school has carefully mapped out the key knowledge that pupils should learn in each subject. In most subjects, staff regularly check pupils' learning to identify any gaps they may have in their knowledge. Staff use this information effectively to shape pupils' future learning.

In most subjects, staff are well-equipped to design learning activities that enable pupils to learn the curriculum. Staff benefit from the high-quality training that the school provides. However, in recent years, the school's outcomes for pupils' writing have been too low.

The school has therefore made recent changes to the writing curriculum. As a result, staff are becoming more skilled in learning how to support pupils to compose and structure their writing. In addition, some pupils cannot form letters accurately or write legibly by the time they leave Year 2.

This then hampers their ability to write fluently and neatly in later years.

The school's published data for 2023 shows that the proportion of pupils who met the phonics screening check in Year 1 was below the national average. The attainment of pupils in mathematics and writing in Year 6, also fell below the national average.

In these year groups, a number of pupils with particular barriers to learning joined the school mid-year and had therefore not had time to benefit fully from the school's curriculum. Current pupils mainly achieve well across a range of subjects.

Reading is at the heart of the school's curriculum.

Pupils practise their reading using books that are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. Staff routinely check that pupils are keeping up with the phonics programme. If pupils struggle with reading, skilled staff provide effective support to help them to catch up.

The school successfully promotes reading for enjoyment. Staff throughout the school inspire pupils to choose a wide range of books to read.

Many children start school without the typical knowledge and skills for their age.

The school swiftly addresses this and children quickly develop their language skills. The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND quickly and accurately. These pupils achieve well and receive the same broad curriculum offer as their peers.

Pupils with SEND take part in all aspects of school life. The school goes to great lengths to support those pupils who are most vulnerable, for example, young carers and new arrivals to the country.

The school prioritises attendance.

It does everything possible to reduce pupils' rates of absence. The school's strong pastoral approach helps to make these actions effective. The number of pupils who struggle to attend school regularly is starting to reduce.

The schools' caring approach extends to staff well-being too. Staff appreciate that their views and opinions are always listened to and considered.

The school offers a wide range of experiences to support pupils' personal development.

Pupils learn to celebrate the differences between people. Pupils are proud to carry out leadership roles such as being subject ambassadors and school councillors. Pupils know how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy.

They understand what makes a healthy relationship. They also know about different religions and cultures and are well prepared for life in modern Britain.Governors are fully committed to supporting the continued improvement of the school.

They provide challenge and support in equal measure. They carry out their statutory duties effectively and hold the school to account for the quality of education that pupils receive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's newly introduced writing curriculum has not had time to fully embed. This means that some pupils do not write competently and as a result are not as well prepared for the next stage of their education as they could be. The school should ensure that staff are fully trained to enable pupils to compose and structure their writing successfully.

The school's expectations for pupils' presentation and handwriting across all subjects are not high enough. Some pupils have not mastered legible and accurate letter formation by the time they leave year 2, which hinders their writing fluency, communication and presentation as they move through the key stage 2 curriculum. The school should raise its expectations around children's handwriting skills from the early years upwards.

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