Caedmon Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming school where pupils thrive.

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Caring staff help to build respectful relationships. This ensures that pupils enjoy coming to school.

Children in early years squeal with excitement as they enter school in the morning. They quickly join in the well-designed activities. Older pupils are prepared for future learning due to the support and opportunities they are offered.

Pupils' personal development is exceptional. The school offers pupils a rich set of experiences. They include visits to the theatre, participating in sports competitio...ns and playing musical instruments with Royal Northern Sinfonia.

There are a wide range of clubs to help develop pupils' talents. For example, stained glass art and a team ball game inspired by fantasy fiction. Pupils enjoy being leaders, such as head boy or girl.

Pupils behave well in lessons and at break times. This is because staff are fair. They support pupils with their behaviour.

Staff have expert knowledge of behaviour strategies and calming techniques. They help pupils to learn about strong emotions and how to deal with them. Pupils are resilient.

They remember the consequences for not behaving as expected. This helps pupils to behave well most of the time.

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

The school has made significant changes to the curriculum in the last two years.

The changes are well considered. The curriculum is carefully sequenced to build pupils' knowledge over time. Leaders have considered the specific needs of the pupils in the school.

There is an emphasis on pupils developing their spoken language and listening skills. This is helping older pupils to discuss and debate important issues.

Staff use their expert knowledge to plan lessons that interest pupils.

In physical education (PE), pupils enjoy activities such as climbing up ropes. This helps pupils to build core muscle strength. Pupils know that this will help them in other areas of the curriculum such as writing.

In history, teachers clearly model and revisit important vocabulary. This helps pupils to discuss important topics. For example, pupils in Year 4 debate why a warrior would want to live in Sparta.

Despite the school's focus on supporting pupils to learn important vocabulary, some pupils struggle to remember mathematical vocabulary.

Pupils develop a love of reading as they progress through the school. They enjoy the author visits and choice of books on offer.

Pupils listen and join in during daily story time. Teachers model reading extremely well. This increases pupils' familiarity with a wide range of books such as 'The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark' by Jill Tomlinson.

In Nursery, children enjoy learning rhymes and singing songs. This helps to prepare them for phonics lessons in Reception. Staff with expert knowledge of the school's phonics scheme help pupils to learn the letter sounds.

The school makes sure that pupils practise reading often. Effective checking procedures identify pupils who have gaps in their phonics knowledge. These pupils receive additional support to help them to catch up.

This helps pupils to read accurately.

The school supports pupils with SEND effectively. Pupils achieve well.

Their needs are identified and assessed accurately. Parents are involved in this process. Pupils' individual support plans provide helpful information.

Staff use this information to make careful adaptations to enable pupils to access the full curriculum. Pupils with SEND learn well alongside their peers in class. As a result, they are successfully prepared for the next stage of their learning.

Children make a strong start in the early years. Staff help children to understand routines and expectations. This helps children to adapt quickly to daily routines.

In mathematics, children sing 'Five Little Speckled Frogs.' Staff help children to concentrate as they take the frogs off the logs and count the rest. This helps children to identify one less to prepare them for Year 1.

Pupils benefit from highly effective pastoral support. Pupils trust staff to help them with their problems. This helps pupils to concentrate well in lessons.

Pupils' character development is exemplary. For instance, pupils visit a range of different places of worship to help them to understand and respect difference. Pupils are valued members of the local community.

They enjoy singing to residents in a local care home. This helps pupils understand their local community better.

Leaders work closely with parents and professional services to improve attendance.

This work is paying off. Attendance is improving. Despite this, some pupils still miss too much school.

Leaders at all levels know the school's strengths and areas to improve. They understand the needs of the community that the school serves. Their leadership is impacting positively on the education that pupils receive.

Most staff are proud to work in the school. They appreciate the actions that leaders take to manage their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In mathematics, some pupils do not remember the vocabulary that they have been taught. This makes it difficult to explain more complex concepts. The school should ensure that all pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of vocabulary and to check that pupils remember vocabulary well.

Despite the school's best efforts so far, some pupils do not attend school often enough. These pupils miss out on important learning. The school should continue to work with pupils and their families to improve pupils' attendance so that they can benefit from the good quality education that is provided.