Capel Manor Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Capel Manor Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff describe their school as 'The Capel Family'. It is easy to see why. The school is a happy place where pupils are valued as individuals but also as part of a team.

Pupils look after each other. They are kind and respectful. Pupils feel safe.

They know that their teachers and support staff care about them.

The school's values are not just words. They are understood and demonstrated by pupils.

Pupils behave well. Bullying is not a big problem at the school. But pupils feel confident that when it does happen, staff take it seriously.

Pupi...ls enjoy school and they want to do well. This is because staff have high expectations of pupils' learning. Pupils feel confident to have a try in lessons.

They are resilient. They know that if they make mistakes or get an answer wrong, this is not always a bad thing. It is a chance to learn.

Pupils' wider development is very important to staff. Staff provide pupils with activities and opportunities outside of what happens in the classroom. One example of this is the pupils' allotment.

Pupils plant and nurture different vegetables and cook them in the kitchen.

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

Parents and carers value the support provided by staff, particularly over the past year. Following the partial school closures during the pandemic, leaders have identified some gaps in pupils' learning.

They have adapted their subject plans in order to help pupils catch up. This has been particularly successful in mathematics. Teachers are pinpointing exactly what pupils need to know before they move on to new learning.

Leaders have made improvements to the teaching of reading. Staff use consistent approaches to teaching phonics in each class. Pupils know how to blend together the sounds into words to help them to read.

They do this with increasing confidence and accuracy. Teachers identify and help pupils who need to catch up. This is working well.

Leaders have made changes to the books pupils read. Pupils use books and resources in phonics sessions that match the sounds that they know. However, on occasion, some pupils in Years 1 and 2 take home books that are not exactly matched.

Leaders are increasing the supply of reading books at each stage of the phonics programme so that this does not happen.

Leaders and teachers are clear about what they want pupils to learn in mathematics. Plans make sure that pupils build their knowledge in a sensible order.

Pupils recap and revisit prior learning before moving on to something new. This helps them to consolidate their understanding. Over time, pupils learn to calculate quickly, efficiently and accurately.

Leaders' work to improve mathematics has had a positive impact on pupils' achievement.

Right from the start of early years, leaders make sure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. The support for pupils with speech and language difficulties is well organised.

These pupils receive the help they need from well-trained staff. Teachers use a range of strategies to help pupils with SEND. Pupils like it when teachers go through key points before the lesson.

This is because it helps them to know what to expect. It gives them more time to remember things.

Pupils learn a range of subjects and enjoy interesting and exciting topics that teachers plan.

However, the plans in some subjects need to be developed further. In subjects such as history, geography and science, it is not always clear what pupils need to learn and in what order. Plans do not always show that full consideration has been taken of how children's learning in the early years builds the foundations for each subject in Years 1 to 6.

Leaders have started to address these issues. They know what needs to improve and have already started this work.

Lessons are hardly ever spoiled by low-level disruption.

Pupils are keen to learn. They look forward to 'thank you' assemblies. They are proud of their certificates for upholding the school's values.

In addition to their usual lessons, pupils enjoy a range of activities, including sports competitions and virtual visits. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have learned about banking and managing their money. Teachers make use of the school's grounds.

For example, children in the early years have good fun searching for insects and enjoy watching the caterpillars grow into butterflies.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders work together well to make sure pupils are safe.

Leaders responsible for safeguarding, attendance, behaviour and inclusion meet together regularly. This enables them to keep a clear picture of each pupil's all-round circumstances.

Staff are diligent at reporting any concerns about pupils' well-being to leaders.

Leaders manage referrals diligently. They work with health and social care professionals effectively. This joined-up working helps to keep pupils safe from harm.

Pupils feel safe in school. They know the potential dangers they could face when they are outside school and when they are using the internet, including social media apps.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have improved the curriculum for reading.

They have overhauled the way in which phonics is taught. The programme is delivered consistently. Leaders have purchased new resources, including an increasing number of fully decodable books, so that they match the sounds pupils know.

But there is still more to do. Occasionally, some pupils take home books that are not precisely matched to their place in the phonics programme. Leaders need to continue their work to ensure that there is a sufficient supply of fully decodable books throughout the phonics programme.

• Leaders are improving curriculum plans for the foundation subjects. This is because, in some subjects, plans do not provide teachers with sufficiently clear guidance on what pupils should learn and in what order. Furthermore, in some foundation subjects, the curriculum does not fully take into account what children learn in the early years and how this corresponds to what pupils learn in Years 1 to 6.

Leaders are in the process of bringing about the necessary improvements. For this reason, the transition arrangements have been applied.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good school could now be better than good, or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 24 and 25 May 2016.