Cooper’s Lane Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Cooper's Lane Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this school and would recommend it to others. They are happy and safe, and have a number of adults they could speak to if they were worried or upset.

They learn about how to keep safe online. These lessons start in the Nursery. Staff send regular updates to parents on how best to keep their child safe online at home too.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They appreciate the communication, the approachability of leaders and the quality of inclusion, among many other things.

Behaviour in lessons and across the school is ca...lm.

There is little to no disruption in lessons. Bullying is rare and is dealt with as a matter of urgency by staff. Pupils engage in a range of activities in the playground.

Older pupils enjoy the 'tube train' in their playground. They use it to socialise in, to play board games in and to take shelter.

Most pupils take part in the many extra-curricular activities on offer.

These include football, chess, drama, gymnastics, cheerleading, skateboarding, art, coding and creative writing. Older pupils are keen to take on additional responsibilities, such as joining the school council or the green team, which planted plants in the peace garden this term.

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

Leaders have identified the key knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn and become experts in.

This is in every subject across the curriculum. They have carefully considered the order in which they teach lessons. They have identified strong links between subjects.

In the early years, children learn about the early concepts of time and change. As they progress through the school, pupils begin to build a secure understanding of the chronology of historical events. Adults use and model appropriate subject-specific vocabulary.

An example is the use of words such as 'king' and 'princess' in the early years and 'monarch', 'prime minister' and 'dictator' as they move up the school. In Year 5, while introducing pupils to Islam and the Holy Wars, teachers draw comparisons between events happening on different continents at the same time. There is currently not a shared approach to assessing pupils in history.

Leaders are aware that this is a priority.

Most year groups receive specialist art teaching. The dedicated art classroom is well resourced, and pupils become skilled in using a range of materials over time.

In early years, children experiment with a range of media that prepare them for their more formal lessons later. Pupils sometimes struggle to remember the correct subject-specific vocabulary when discussing their work. As in other foundation subjects, leaders are currently reviewing the assessment procedures in art and design.

In mathematics, units are sequenced so that pupils revisit concepts termly. The calculation policy provides clear, logical guidance. The curriculum is planned so that number is introduced and practised in the early years to prepare children well for Year 1.

Leaders have adapted the planned curriculum to ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are given every opportunity to catch up if they have fallen behind.

Leaders have prioritised the teaching of reading. They have carefully chosen a new programme.

They deliver phonics lessons consistently across Reception through to Year 2. All staff in these phases have received training. Pupils who had fallen behind are catching up quickly.

Staff assess pupils' reading routinely. This helps inform them of the groupings and interventions needed. Books match pupils' decoding level well.

Older pupils talk about reading with enthusiasm. They enjoy a range of texts and authors.

Pupils from the Centre for the Deaf are fully integrated in the mainstream classes, as are all other pupils with SEND.

Experienced staff make sure that they have access to the full curriculum. In all areas of the curriculum, pupils with SEND are well supported to access the planned curriculum. Staff communicate regularly with parents.

Clear systems are in place to identify pupils with needs. The team has strong links with the local authority and outside agencies.

Pupils are polite and courteous.

They enjoy their personal, social and health education lessons. During these lessons, they discuss scenarios that help them tell the difference between right and wrong. They go on many local trips and are glad that they can now resume their residential trips.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel supported by leaders and find the workload manageable. They attend regular professional development training.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Governors are aware of their statutory duties. They are all trained in safer recruitment.

They keep themselves up to date with safeguarding requirements.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Staff receive regular training and are aware of local issues.

Leaders know their pupils and families well. They have rigorous systems in place for identifying, recording and referring concerns. Timely referrals are made when necessary and escalated if needed.

Staff keep track of and support their most vulnerable pupils well.

The safeguarding team works well with the local authority and with outside agencies.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Assessment procedures for foundation subjects are under review.

Currently, information gathered for each pupil in each subject is not consistent. Leaders must make sure that their work on assessment is completed and implemented across the school, to best support pupil progress and curriculum implementation.

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 evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2012.