Camrose Primary With Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

There are high expectations on pupils to succeed academically and personally. These ambitions are typically met.

Behaviour in lessons and around the school is exemplary. This is because pupils understand the 'good to be green' system that helps to ensure positive and respectful relationships exist between pupils and staff. This contributes to pupils feeling safe and being kept safe in school.

Pupils play an active part in their school community. For example, they support each other as buddy readers and take on responsibilities, such as well-being ambassadors or as members of 'Squad 19'.

Pupils learn an ambitious and well-designed curriculum.

They wor...k hard and produce work of high quality. In most subjects, and in national assessments, pupils achieve well and are thoroughly prepared for the next stage of their education.

Pupils enjoy taking part in a range of clubs, including science, gymnastics, netball, singing, art and tennis.

There are opportunities to attend visits that enrich the curriculum, for example, to London Zoo, Kew Gardens, different places of worship and the Roald Dahl Museum. Older pupils also have the opportunity to take part in residential trips.

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

Pupils learn an ambitious curriculum.

In all subjects, leaders have clearly identified what pupils should learn. This is well sequenced so that pupils return to and practise important ideas before tackling more complex learning. For example, in mathematics, children in early years practise a variety of number skills as part of everyday routines.

At snack time, for instance, children select the right coins for the food they have chosen. Pupils build on this foundation when completing more complex operations to solve problems with increasing confidence. Similarly, in history, children in Reception learn the difference between past and present.

Throughout the school, pupils build a chronological understanding that they apply when considering discrimination at different points in time.

Pupils with special educational needs and /or disabilities (SEND) are accurately identified. Staff are well trained to make meaningful adaptations to tasks and activities.

As a result, these pupils access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers and achieve well from their different starting points.

In many subjects, assessment is used well to check pupils' understanding. This means pupils typically build secure knowledge in different subjects, achieving well, including in national assessments.

However, in a few subjects, assessment is not used as precisely. In these instances, gaps in learning can develop over time, meaning some pupils' understanding of the curriculum in these areas is not as secure.

Leaders have prioritised reading for all pupils.

Staff are well trained to deliver the school's phonics programme. Books are well matched to the sounds that pupils are learning. This helps secure the sounds they need to read with fluency.

Pupils who need additional help to read well receive appropriate support. Careful consideration has been given to those pupils who arrive to the school at different points in the year, including those new to English. Effective systems are in place to ensure that these pupils also learn to read swiftly.

Leaders encourage a love of reading through the school. For example, parents and carers have the chance to read with their children as part of the school day.

The provision for pupils' personal development is very well considered.

The curriculum helps all pupils, including those with SEND, to learn about important ideas. These include understanding different family structures, the importance of challenging discrimination and how to keep themselves safe, including when online. The curriculum builds logically from early years.

For example, the concept of democracy is introduced through children voting for the story they want to hear at the end of the day. There is a clear focus on mental health and well-being for staff and pupils. The school council, for example, plays an active part in fund raising for a well-being package to support both pupils and their families.

Behaviour is exceptional. This is because expectations of pupils are made clear. From the beginning of early years onwards, children learn what it means to behave well.

The youngest children learn to engage positively with their peers and to take turns. The school has equally high expectations of pupils' attendance. Effective systems and close working with families ensure that pupils attend well.

Staff, including those at the start of their careers, are proud to work at Camrose. They appreciate the opportunities they have to develop professionally, and the efforts leaders make to manage workload and well-being. Parents are equally positive about the school.

Those responsible for governance understand their role to both support and challenge the work of leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, assessment is not used with sufficient precision to check what pupils know and understand.

In these instances, errors and misconceptions are not consistently identified or addressed in a timely way. As a result, some pupils do not develop as rich and deep an understanding in these curriculum areas. The school should ensure that assessment is used consistently across the curriculum to check pupils' understanding and to address any misconceptions promptly.