Cherry Lane Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Cherry Lane are polite and welcoming to visitors. Pupils feel safe and are kept safe at school. This is because they have trusted adults to speak with and can report any concerns they may have by using the 'worry box'.

Typically, pupils behave well in lessons. At times, however, the behaviour of some pupils disrupts learning, and this is not always addressed swiftly.

Pupils have opportunities to take on responsibilities within the school, such as through the school council, as 'eco-warriors' or as class monitors.

There are a range of clubs on offer to pupils, for example, football, martial arts, gymnastics and netball. Pupils contribute positively t...o the wider community, such as by raising money for local and national charities.

The curriculum pupils follow matches the scope of what is expected nationally.

However, it is not consistently well designed or implemented. As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not develop a sufficient depth of knowledge. This limits some pupils' achievement, including in national assessments, and their readiness for the next stage of their education.

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

Overall, the curriculum does not sufficiently support pupils to achieve well, including in national assessments. This is because, in several subjects, the precise knowledge that pupils need to secure has not been clearly identified. Consequently, teaching does not routinely focus on these important subject concepts and the tasks and activities pupils are asked to complete sometimes lack ambition.

Assessment is not used effectively to check pupils learn and remember these important ideas before moving on. As a result, some pupils develop misconceptions that are not addressed, meaning they do not develop sufficient knowledge across the curriculum.

There are subjects where the curriculum is stronger.

In these instances, the key ideas pupils are expected to learn are more explicitly identified and logically sequenced. For example, in mathematics, children in early years are taught to add and subtract using different objects. This supports older pupils to solve increasingly complex problems involving capacity and volume using appropriate subject-specific vocabulary.

There are suitable processes in place for identifying pupils with SEND. Leaders work closely with external agencies to secure appropriate advice and support for pupils, including when they transition between schools. Staff are not suitably trained, however, in making appropriate adaptations for these pupils.

Often the tasks they complete lack ambition. This means that some pupils with SEND, including in the special resource provision, do not access a sufficiently broad curriculum. These pupils do not routinely develop the independence and detailed knowledge they need to be fully prepared for the next stage of their learning.

The curriculum in the Nursery is designed to develop children's curiosity and social awareness. For example, children listen attentively to stories such as 'Pirate's Treasure' and then have opportunities to draw their playground as a treasure map. They take turns to design the space with familiar and new objects, such as seashells, which help prepare children for upcoming visits to the seaside.

The early years curriculum is designed to ensure children have regular opportunities to rehearse and extend their spoken language. However, the knowledge children secure in the Nursery is not sufficiently built on and opportunities to maximise language are missed.

Some pupils, including those with SEND, do not develop sufficient reading accuracy and fluency.

The agreed phonics programme is not implemented with consistent precision, and assessment is not used effectively to check for understanding and address misconceptions. This limits some pupils' progress through the phonics curriculum and their readiness to read more complex texts.

The curriculum for personal development is designed to help pupils build awareness of some important issues.

These include how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, including exercise and diet, and the importance of good mental well-being. However, the breadth of concepts in the curriculum is limited. For example, insufficient consideration is given to developing pupils' understanding of tolerance and respect.

Some pupils do not develop a sufficient understanding of these important values and are less well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Pupils typically behave positively in lessons and around the school. However, when pupils do not follow the rules, this is not always addressed swiftly.

Information regarding incidences of weaker behaviour, bullying and pupils' attendance are not sufficiently reviewed or analysed. This means opportunities to systematically identify or address any patterns or trends are missed.

Governors understand their role in maintaining effective oversight of statutory processes, including safeguarding.

However, governors' oversight of the quality of education and the systems for tracking and analysing patterns of behaviour and attendance have not been sufficiently robust. As a result, their understanding of the school's strengths and priorities for improvement are not sufficiently detailed or accurate.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In several subjects, the curriculum does not set out precisely what pupils should learn. This means that teaching and assessment are not sufficiently focused on the most important subject knowledge pupils need to secure. As a result, the tasks pupils complete sometimes lack ambition and pupils do not develop sufficient knowledge across the curriculum.

The school should ensure the curriculum in each subject identifies and sequences the important concepts pupils need to learn. The school should also ensure that the activities provided match the ambition of the planned curriculum and that assessment is used well to identify and correct misconceptions. ? There has been insufficient training on how to support pupils with SEND to access the curriculum.

As a result, some pupils are asked to complete tasks that lack ambition and do not help them to develop independence or the knowledge they need to progress through the curriculum. The school should ensure that training supports staff to make meaningful and appropriate adaptations for pupils with SEND. ? The provision for early reading and language development is not sufficiently robust.

The planned opportunities to develop young children's spoken language are not maximised. Similarly, the school's chosen phonics programme is not implemented with consistent precision across the school. Consequently, pupils and children in early years are not fully supported to develop as accurate, confident and fluent readers.

The school should ensure that the early years curriculum and chosen phonics programme are implemented in a way that systematically develops pupils' early spoken language and reading knowledge. ? Leaders at all levels, including those responsible for governance, do not have sufficiently detailed oversight of the quality of education, behaviour and attendance. As a result, some of the priorities for improvement have not been timely nor consistently implemented.

The school should ensure subject leaders have the appropriate training and opportunities to check the impact of the curriculum. The school should also ensure those responsible for governance receive sufficiently detailed information to support and hold leaders to account. This will help them to better identify specific areas for improvement and check the effectiveness with which they are implemented.

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