Carlton Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and proud to attend Carlton Primary School. They are safe because adults in school look after them well.

The new headteacher, leaders and staff want all pupils to succeed. They help pupils to develop positive learning behaviours. Teachers plan memorable experiences linked to what pupils are learning.

This helps pupils to understand and remember more.

Pupils behave very well most of the time, in and out of lessons. There is very little bullying.

When it does occur, adults help pupils to resolve things. Occasional name-calling is dealt with as a whole-school issue. This helps pupils to be respectful and friendly to anyone who may be di...fferent to them in any way.

There are many opportunities for pupils to be leaders and to help others. Older pupils are proud to help the younger ones to learn to read.

Pupils look forward to residential visits that start in Year 3 with a sleepover at the school.

They appreciate the range of after-school activities on offer. These include computer skills, art and sports. Pupils enjoy the opportunities they have for learning outdoors.

Some of the older pupils are responsible for looking after the school chickens.

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

Leaders have focused on the right priorities since the previous inspection. They know what they need to do next to bring about further improvements.

Governors are knowledgeable and well informed. They provide appropriate challenge and support for school leaders.

Pupils study the full range of national curriculum subjects.

Curriculum leaders understand the importance of a coherent sequence of learning. This is in place in plans for all subjects. However, the implementation of these plans is more secure in some subjects than in others.

Leaders have plans in place to continue to improve all subjects.

There are well-sequenced plans in place for mathematics. These help teachers to plan learning that builds on what pupils already know.

As a result, pupils are learning and remembering more. Teachers provide pupils with instructions on how to tackle problems. This helps them to get the right answer.

However, pupils do not always have opportunities to work things out for themselves.

Reading has high importance at this school. Books are everywhere.

Staff read to pupils every day. Younger pupils get off to a good start in reading. Leaders have put strategies in place to make sure that older pupils are able to build on this good start.

There has been a focus on developing pupils' vocabulary and inference skills. As a result, most pupils are able to read fluently and with understanding.

Children begin to learn the sounds in words in the Nursery class.

They quickly learn how to use the sounds they know to read simple words when they join the Reception class. Children love their frog stickers with sounds on them. Adults remind them of these sounds throughout the day.

This helps everyone to keep up. The books that children use to practise, match the sounds they already know. This helps them to be confident and to enjoy reading.

Leaders have made support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) a priority. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with teaching assistants. They make sure that pupils with SEND get the extra help they need.

Teachers plan the early years curriculum thoughtfully. They adapt their planning to follow children's interests. This helps children to learn across all areas of the curriculum.

For example, children listened to a story about dinosaurs and wrote their own dinosaur books, measured dinosaur footprints and made dinosaur models. Children in Nursery 'made tea' after they had listened to the story of 'The tiger who came to tea'. They counted sugar lumps for him and could say 'one more' and 'one less'.

The new headteacher is making the behaviour policy simpler to follow. As a result, pupils behave very well most of the time. Leaders work hard with families to make sure that they maintain high levels of attendance.

Teachers plan many exciting activities that immerse pupils in their learning. For example, some pupils had been on a 'walk through time'. This helped them to understand and remember the changes in how people lived from the stone age to the iron age.

Personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils have many opportunities for leadership. For example, they have helped to introduce healthy school dinners and they help younger pupils with reading.

Pupils learn about great role models in assemblies and by meeting exceptional visitors. They have been particularly inspired by a visit from a triathlon athlete. This helps them to understand what anyone can achieve if they try.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All procedures for keeping pupils safe are robust. Staff and governors have frequent and up-to-date training.

Leaders take swift and appropriate action to keep pupils safe. Adults know what to look out for and report any concerns immediately.

Pupils are helped to understand and manage risks through their learning in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education lessons, assemblies, online safety training and in their outdoor learning activities.

The school takes the mental health and well-being of its pupils very seriously. Pupils learn to recognise their feelings and know where to seek help if they feel sad or worried.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Although wider curriculum plans reflect the national curriculum content, they are at different stages of implementation.

As a result, coherent learning sequences and teachers' subject knowledge are stronger in some subjects than in others. Leaders need to continue with their plans to prioritise those subjects that have not yet been a focus for improvement. .

Pupils do not always have sufficient opportunities to practise problem-solving and reasoning tasks unaided in mathematics. As a result, too few pupils achieve the higher standard in mathematics. Leaders should ensure that pupils have opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge to more complex tasks independently.