Button Lane Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff greet pupils warmly each morning at this welcoming school. Pupils feel cared for and safe.

They know that staff will listen to them and give them the support that they need. Leaders deal with any bullying effectively. They have high expectations for behaviour.

Classrooms are generally calm. This allows pupils to do their best in lessons.

Leaders and staff are ambitious for the achievement of all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils achieve well in the majority of subjects.

Pupils understand fairness, equality and diversity. They recognise that 'we can be confident to be who we are' ...in this inclusive school.

They are proud to take on leadership roles, such as prefects or as members of the pupil parliament.

Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities that enhance their learning and support their personal development. They take part in class visits to, for example, the local park and museums.

Links have been made with local industry and this helps to support the school's vision to raise aspirations. Year 5 pupils participate in a project with a local university. Leaders also offer a range of clubs, including booster groups and numerous sports.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. This ambitious curriculum starts in the early years in the setting for two-year-olds. Leaders have identified what pupils, and children in the early years, must learn and in which order.

Teachers are well trained to deliver the curriculum and, in most subjects, have secure subject knowledge.

In 2022, staff instability and the historic impact of the pandemic combined to affect outcomes in the key stage one writing assessments. Leaders have ensured that these pupils have received extra help to address any gaps in their learning.

This means that, in most subjects, pupils, including pupils with SEND, are well prepared for the next stages in their education.

Leaders responded swiftly to the school's low attainment in the key stage two mathematics national tests in 2022. During lessons, including mathematics lessons, teachers check that pupils are learning and remembering the curriculum content.

Where teachers identify misconceptions in pupils' learning, they address these swiftly and successfully.

However, in some other subjects, leaders have not identified clearly enough the key knowledge that it is essential for pupils to retain over the years. This means that the checks teachers make to find out how well pupils are remembering their learning over time are not precise enough.

These checks do not provide them with the information they need to identify how well pupils are remembering this key knowledge in the long term.

Most subject leaders are well trained and often provide valuable guidance for teachers about how to deliver curriculums effectively. In a few subjects, though, subject leaders are not clear how well the curriculum is implemented.

Their work to check how well the curriculum is helping pupils learn more and remember more over time is developing.

Leaders have introduced a clearly sequenced phonics curriculum, which ensures that most pupils become accurate and fluent readers. Children learn phonics from the early years.

Teachers in the early years and in key stage 1 build pupils' phonic knowledge skilfully. They make sure that pupils read books that are well matched to their phonic knowledge. They are swift to spot any pupils who may be falling behind with their reading.

Staff help these pupils to catch up quickly. Older pupils develop effective reading habits. They speak enthusiastically about books and authors they have studied.

Pupils generally behave well. They rarely disturb the learning of their peers. Pupils whose behaviour does not meet leaders' expectations get the help they need to improve.

Pupils speak positively about the impact of the Rights Respecting Schools initiative and how this supports the school's own values. They learn about their rights and responsibilities as future citizens. They understand the importance of developing respectful relationships, particularly with people who may be different from them.

This can be seen in their understanding of cultural and religious differences. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Leaders and teachers accurately identify pupils with SEND as soon as possible.

They check carefully that the right support is in place for these pupils as they move through the school. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are able to take part in all aspects of school life, including following the same curriculum as their peers and taking part in school educational visits.

Governors are well informed about the quality of education that pupils receive.

They know the school and its community well. Governors and leaders take staff's workload and well-being into consideration when making decisions about the school. Staff feel that they are respected and valued.

They appreciate the ample opportunities that they have to participate in professional development and training.

Parents and carers speak positively about the help that staff give to children and families. They value the community feel.

There are strong relationships across the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders give safeguarding the high priority it needs.

Leaders provide training and additional information during the year, which helps to keep staff's knowledge of safeguarding up to date. Staff's knowledge of pupils and families, together with the positive relationships they have developed, help staff identify when a child might be at risk of harm.

Pastoral staff are trained to help pupils.

Effective relationships with social care help ensure pupils and families receive the correct support, advice and guidance at the right time.

The school's curriculum teaches pupils about how to take increasing responsibility for their own safety in an age-appropriate way. This work is supported by outside visitors and organisations.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, leaders are developing their work to gather information and act on their findings in relation to the impact of the curriculum. This means that in these subjects, leaders do not have a clear enough understanding of how well the curriculum is implemented and the impact it has on pupils' learning. Leaders should ensure that in these subjects, the information they gather is used effectively to support teachers in helping pupils to build up their knowledge securely over time.

• In some foundation subjects, leaders have not identified the most important knowledge that they want pupils to retain in the future. Therefore, teachers' checks on what learning has been remembered over time are not precise enough. Leaders should ensure that they develop their assessment strategies in these subjects to ensure that pupils' learning is secure over time.