Churwell Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Churwell Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know the school supports them to 'learn, aspire and achieve'. They say they are proud of their school. Pupils say they feel safe and they learn about being safe such as, online and when riding a bike.

Teachers have high expectations of the way pupils learn. Pupils want to be 'incredible indigo' so they can celebrate with the headteacher. Many children like to be recognised as an 'always child'.

They achieve this award for working hard, being considerate and kind and behaving well. Pupils can take on different leadership roles. These include eco councillors and buddies for y...ounger pupils.

Pupils are polite and courteous to adults and their peers. They have been working on the values of peace, thankfulness and respect. Pupils say bullying is rare and staff notice if it does happen.

They help to repair relationships so pupils get on with each other.

Parents say the school is a welcome place to be. They liked the bedtime reading event where they accompanied their child to school.

Parents said the school gives children a firm foundation for learning. They know it helps their children when they move on to secondary school. However, despite the actions of leaders, a small number of parents expressed that they have not been listened to.

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

All pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), study a well-balanced curriculum. Leaders have created plans to identify the sequence of learning. This helps pupils make connections between different subjects.

They can remember what they have learned and how it helps them in new work. It is clear how learning builds each year. Staff and governors have high expectations for the school.

They ensure that pupils have a variety of experiences that bring learning to life.Leaders have made reading a priority across the school. Teachers help pupils to develop a love of reading.

Pupils look forward to hearing staff read to them daily. They can retell the stories they have heard. Staff have been well trained to teach pupils to read.

There is now a more consistent approach to phonics and early reading. Leaders have invested in books, which are now matched to the phonics they are using, to help them to read well. Yet, some older pupils have not yet become confident and fluent readers.

This is despite the extra support they receive. Leaders have recently bought new books specifically for these pupils so that they can practise their reading. This has had a positive impact on their confidence.

Pupils were enthusiastic about the many visits and trips they go on. These trips are linked to the interesting topics they study. In art they were looking at the work of an artist who painted seascapes.

They were looking forward to a visit to the seaside before creating their own artwork. Pupils could talk at length about the different artists they have learned about. They said it helps them to remember information in other subjects.

In a topic about Victorians, they saw examples of the paintings from this time. This helped them to appreciate what it was like to live in that period of history.

Pupils liked to learn about the rainforest.

They talked about the books they read. They know about the types of animals from South America. Some visitors brought in tarantulas, snakes, guinea pigs and geckos so they could see them.

In mathematics, teachers have been well trained to help pupils to apply their knowledge to new learning. Leaders have developed the curriculum from Nursery to Year 6. They help pupils to link their knowledge by regularly revisiting past learning.

Pupils use this knowledge in their current work. Their books show an immense pride in their work. They like to tackle difficult questions to test out their skills.

Children in Nursery have a strong start. Staff are well trained in phonics and mathematics. They teach phonics from the very start.

Children could identify when an object starts with the same letter as their own name. They learn to recognise numbers and how they can count objects. Pupils have a thorough grounding in number to prepare them for Year 1.

Leaders have tried different strategies to encourage all pupils to attend school regularly. A small number of pupils need to attend more often. Leaders know they need to support families to send their children to school.

There is still more to do to improve this.Leaders ensure that staff and pupils are well cared for. They encourage opportunities to focus on mental health and well-being.

Staff and pupils appreciate this. They recognise that it is important to take care of their mental health.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make the relevant checks on all adults so they are safe to work with pupils. All staff are well trained to recognise the signs when pupils need help. Pupils and staff know who to speak to if they have a concern.

Clear procedures are in place. Leaders take swift action to engage the support from external agencies. Pupils say they feel safe in school.

They know staff help them to be safe and deal with issues such as bullying straight away.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders have ensured that staff have been trained this year to deliver phonics consistently, in response to declining numbers of pupils who meet the expected standard in the phonics screening check in Year 1. There are still some pupils in school who are not yet fluent or confident in their reading at the level they should be.

Leaders need to ensure that any gaps in learning are tackled so these pupils can catch up quickly. . Overall attendance for the school is in line with national averages.

However, there is still a cohort of disadvantaged pupils who need to attend school more often. Leaders need to find sustainable ways to reduce absence for this group of pupils. .

Despite most parents being positive and highly complimentary about the school, there remains a small number of parents who are less positive. Leaders need to consider how they can build strong relationships to gain the support from these parents.

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 school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the 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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 11–12 January 2011.