Coates Lane Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. This is a happy, friendly and welcoming school. The headteacher and other senior staff lead with ambition and have high aspirations for pupils.

Changes to staffing and a rigorous approach to checking classroom practice have led to improved achievement. Pupils are well behaved, polite and respectful. They are proud of their school and are keen to learn, work and play harmoniously together.

All groups of pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result of a concerted effort by staff, there has been a significant improvement in the quality and quantity of writing that pupils complete. Children settle well into the Recept...ion class and, as a consequence of enthusiastic and effective teaching, they make good progress.

Pupils speak very positively about the school and the opportunities that staff provide for them. They know how to keep themselves safe and older pupils sensitively care for their younger peers. Teaching is good throughout the school and is characterised by very strong relationships between staff and pupils.

Governors support and challenge school leaders effectively. They use their strong knowledge of the school to ensure its performance is rigorously monitored. All parents who completed a survey strongly agreed that they would recommend Coates Lane to other parents.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : On occasions, the work provided for pupils does not take sufficient account of their previous learning. As a consequence, the development of pupils' knowledge and skills is not always effectively built upon. Several subject leaders are relatively new to post and, although well intentioned, their impact on learning across the school is not yet fully effective.

Teaching assistants in some classes do not always support pupils' learning as well as they might.

Information about this school

Coates Lane Primary School is a slightly smaller than average-sized primary school. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those supported by the pupil premium funding, is below the national average.

The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority. Most pupils are of White British heritage and most speak English as their first language. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Children attend the Reception class full time. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below average. There have been significant changes to the leadership team and in staffing since the last inspection.

The headteacher has been in post since September 2013, having previously been the deputy headteacher. A new deputy headteacher was appointed in January 2014. Four new teachers and three new teaching assistants joined the school in the last year.