Church Drive Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and say that they feel safe. They receive a high quality of care from staff.

Staff know pupils and their families well. Leaders have cultivated a kind and considerate school community, where people's differences are celebrated. Pupils trust staff to help them if they have worries or need help with their work.

Pupils work hard and are resilient when work is challenging. They behave well in lessons and most take pride in their work. They enjoy the well-supervised play times.

They have lots to do and enjoy playing games with their friends. Bullying is rare and should it happen adults make it stop.

Pupils are enthusiastic learners..../>
They enjoy their lessons and talking about their learning. Leaders have high expectation for what pupils can achieve, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Children are provided with a flying start to their education in the early years.

Most pupils achieve well in the subjects they learn across the school. Pupils enjoy the visitors to the school who support the curriculum and the clubs they attend.

Pupils make an active contribution to school life through the numerous responsibilities they hold.

This includes supporting each other with mental health, leading play at breaktimes and raising funds to improve the school's grounds.

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

Across subjects, leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge pupils should learn, including those with SEND. They have designed a curriculum that sets out the order of learning from the early years to Year 6.

They have thoughtfully considered how knowledge links together. This helps pupils to build on earlier learning as they progress through the school. Children in the early years are extremely well prepared for key stage 1.

Consistently high-quality learning and play enables them to become confident and resilient learners. They learn vocabulary which will help them in the subjects they will learn later in the school.

In most subjects, pupils talk confidently about what they know and remember.

In some subjects, leaders have recently made changes to the curriculum and how subjects are taught. In these subjects, teachers sometimes do not choose the most appropriate activities to enable pupils to learn and remember essential knowledge sufficiently well.

In the early years, the interactions of skilled staff enable children to make the most of the opportunities provided to them.

Leaders have developed the use of assessment strategies across the school to support teachers to check pupils' understanding and identify any gaps in their knowledge. This enables teachers to recognise pupils' misconceptions and to adapt future learning to correct them.Where pupils need extra support to catch up with their peers, it is well planned and carefully delivered.

This has enabled the standards achieved by pupils to be improved in reading and writing.

Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading in the school. Staff are well trained and teach phonics consistently well.

This starts in the early years where children learn about the sounds letters make, explore vocabulary and listen to stories and rhymes. A small number of pupils continue to access regular phonic sessions in key stage 2. This enables them to become confident, fluent readers.

As pupils move through the school, they read high-quality texts. Older pupils enjoy a rich range of books that represent the school and the wider community it serves. They know about a wide selection of authors and genres and are keen to recommend books for others to read.

Most pupils, including those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged, read fluently and accurately.

Staff work closely with parents and pre-school providers to identify the needs of pupils with SEND as soon as possible after they join the school. Leaders are tenacious when working with outside agencies and specialists to get pupils the help they need.

Most parents of pupils with SEND value the support they receive from school staff. Pupils with SEND follow the same curriculum as their peers. They are fully involved in all aspects of school life.

Pupils' behaviour very rarely disrupts learning. They are proud of their school and want to do well. Pupils are very well mannered and polite to visitors.

When playing or learning, they listen to each other's views and take turns. Staff ensure that consistent routines provide a calm and safe environment for pupils.

Most pupils attend school regularly and on time.

Leaders' actions to reduce absence are comprehensive and have been successful for many pupils. Persistent absence has decreased significantly.

Pupils take their leadership roles seriously.

They make an active contribution to school life and the wider community. For example, working as members of the Eco Council and raising money for charities. They enjoy the wide range of clubs on offer in the school.

Pupils learn about inclusion and diversity. They understand and value the differences between people and say that all are welcome in their school.

Staff are proud to work at the school.

They say that leaders listen to them. They appreciate the actions of leaders to help them to manage their workload and support their well-being. Staff value the extensive programme of professional development, which enables them to be successful in their roles.

Governors are well trained and understand the context of the school and the community it serves. They make use of reports from professionals in the trust and external advisers and make frequent visits to the school. Governors challenge and support leaders appropriately.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school's safeguarding team swiftly identifies pupils who may be at risk. They work with local services and parents to ensure that pupils are safe.

Issues in the local community and school are identified and monitored.

Safeguarding leaders know the needs of pupils and make sure that pupils are able to access advice and support. Staff are well trained and know how to keep pupils safe in school.

Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online. They also learn about healthy relationships. As a result, they know how to identify dangers and where to seek help.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, teachers are not clear about the most important knowledge pupils should learn. As a result, the work given to pupils does not always enable them to understand and retain key knowledge sufficiently well. Leaders should ensure that all teachers have the skills to deliver the curriculum effectively.