Collingwood Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Collingwood Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming and caring school. They are enthusiastic about what they are learning and want to do their best.

Pupils also like the additional opportunities to take on leadership responsibilities, such as becoming a 'learning ambassador', 'eco ambassadors' or raising money for charities to help others.

Pupils usually enjoy taking part in a wide range of clubs, educational and cultural trips, and activities that complement the curriculum. Leaders have changed some of the usual activities due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic but h...ave put alternative provision in place.

In Year 6, pupils spoke enthusiastically about the opportunities they have been given this year before moving on to secondary school.

Pupils are polite and kind. They are keen to help one another.

Pupils understand what bullying is and say it rarely happens at Collingwood Primary.

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

Following the national lockdowns, leaders put in place a 'recovery curriculum'. This is due to remain in place until September 2021.

Teachers identified important learning that pupils could not remember or had not covered in sufficient depth over the previous academic year. Teachers adapted what they planned to teach in all subjects and provided more individual approaches for pupils. This is helping pupils to catch up with their learning in reading, writing and mathematics.

Following the previous inspection, mathematics was a priority for improvement. Leaders have changed the way mathematics is taught across the whole school and provided additional training for staff. Careful planning builds on the important knowledge pupils learn from Reception through to Year 6.

Pupils are able to solve problems and explain their reasons for their answers. Teachers revisit common errors and this is helping pupils to improve their mathematical knowledge and understanding.Leaders ensure teachers continue to receive training to enhance their knowledge, expertise and confidence in others subjects across the curriculum, such as art.

This is so that teachers can teach all subjects consistently well when they return to the usual planned curriculum in the autumn.

Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading. Adults are appropriately trained and skilled in the teaching of phonics and early reading in Reception.

Children take home books that they can read using the sounds that they know. In Year 2, some pupils have fallen behind in reading after the long periods of absence due to the pandemic. Leaders use the information from new assessments to provide extra reading support so these pupils can quickly catch up.

Teachers use the school's '3 o'clock read' to introduce and carefully choose books to expose pupils to a wider experience of reading and unfamiliar authors.

Leaders make sure pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the help they need to access the curriculum in the same way as their classmates. Many support staff have had individual training to support the specific needs of pupils with SEND.

For example, where pupils have speech and language needs, these needs are identified and well supported, so pupils are able to achieve well.

Leaders ensure that pupils have the experiences that they need to be full members of society in modern Britain. Pupils have a strong sense of why all people need to be treated equally.

Pupils can share their understanding of the different faiths that they have studied. Pupils know they should support those who are less fortunate than themselves. Leaders make sure that pupils understand fundamental British values well.

In discussion with the headteacher, we agreed that teacher subject knowledge and the return from the 'recovery curriculum' would usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make sure that the appropriate checks are made when staff join the school.

Training is provided so that all staff are aware of how to raise a concern if they are worried about a pupil. Leaders make sure that staff know the local issues for safeguarding. Staff are vigilant to keep the school community safe.

Pupils have regular lessons to teach them to stay safe online.

Leaders support their pupils and families to get the help they need.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have continued to make improvements across the curriculum.

Leaders are aware that further subject leader training needs to continue. Leaders need to ensure that all teachers have the required subject knowledge and confidence to implement the wider curriculum effectively. ? A 'recovery curriculum' is currently in place.

This is focused on catching pupils up with the learning that was not taught and/or the knowledge pupils have not remembered, while learning at home during the pandemic. Leaders need to check that the 'recovery curriculum' has bridged the gaps in pupils' knowledge and leads the return to a fully broad and balanced curriculum in each subject effectively.

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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good 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 first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 27–28 April 2016.

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