Copley Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school that truly feels like a community. Pupils develop extremely secure relationships with staff. There is mutual respect, trust and kindness between staff and pupils.

There are high expectations for how pupils should behave in classrooms and as they move around school. These expectations begin in the early years. For example, children in Reception show 'tidy hands' as they move through the corridors.

This is a highly inclusive school. Members of the 'inclusion team', who are some of the increasing number of pupils in school with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), spoke to inspectors about feeling understood and valued, in and around sch...ool.

Playtimes and lunchtimes are calm and filled with many opportunities for pupils to develop positive relationships with each other.

Pupils have a distinct understanding of the school rules. They understand that rules are important to help them to learn and to keep them safe. Pupils are keen to look for chances to be of service to each other.

They enjoy holding open doors for each other and showing manners and courtesy to their peers throughout the school day.

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

Staff and pupils see reading as important. Pupils access a wide range of carefully chosen books.

Pupils speak enthusiastically about the 'bronze', 'silver' and 'gold' reading awards that they use to show what they have read over time. The phonics curriculum is taught consistently. Staff have regular training and support from leaders.

Pupils who need more support with reading are quickly identified. They receive extra help to learn sounds they are not secure with. However, in phonics lessons, some pupils who need support with reading are asked to learn sounds that they are not ready to learn because they have not securely learned the sounds that come before them.

Pupils are taught a curriculum that is ambitious and well planned. Subject leaders have worked with staff in the early years to ensure that pupils' early experiences in school prepare them for future learning. In some subjects, pupils' knowledge is deeper and more secure.

Across the curriculum, there is a focus on pupils knowing and being able to use subject-specific vocabulary. For example, pupils in Year 3 confidently explain how magnets attract or repel, and link this to their learning about magnetic forces. Teachers use assessment in lessons and after a series of lessons to check what pupils have learned.

However, this information is sometimes not used well to give support or intervention to pupils to close gaps in their knowledge in some subjects.

Staff give children in the early years a positive start to their education. They quickly learn to follow routines in and around the classroom.

Staff insist upon and model high expectations around behaviour. This helps children to develop positive learning behaviours that support them to learn. Children with SEND are quickly identified and skilfully supported.

The early years curriculum is ambitious and carefully planned. Children learn to work cooperatively and considerately alongside each other. The school works closely with parents of children in early years.

The importance of good attendance at school is shared as an important message to parents when they first bring their children to school.

Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities and experiences that support their personal development. Many of these opportunities have been introduced recently.

Pupils emerge from school with a strong moral and social compass. They recognise and value difference, particularly around disability. As one pupil said, 'At Copley, we celebrate difference.'

Leadership experiences for pupils are varied and valued. Pupils enjoy their roles as anti-bullying ambassadors, school librarians and lunchtime monitors. Educational visits are closely linked to pupils' learning in the curriculum.

These enrich and deepen pupils' learning in subjects such as history and geography.

Leaders at all levels are ambitious for pupils. Staff feel extremely well supported by leaders around their workload and well-being.

Leaders know where the school is strong and where it can improve. The school has built regular and meaningful opportunities to engage with parents and other members of the community. Governors use external partners to support them with their evaluation of the school.

Governors understand their roles. They hold leaders to account and offer challenge and support. The vast majority of parents speak very positively about the work of the school and its leaders.

The school is aware of the changing profile of its pupils and how more pupils are beginning their school life with greater disadvantage and a narrower range of life experiences. The school's evaluation of impact is becoming more focused on experiences and achievement for this growing minority of pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils do not have opportunities to build up secure phonics knowledge before being taught the next set of sounds they need to know. This means that some pupils are taught sounds they are not ready to learn and do not learn to read as quickly as they could. The school should ensure that all pupils are taught phonics sounds in the order that best helps them build up their knowledge securely over time.

• Assessment in lessons and after a series of lessons is, sometimes, not used well. As a result, some gaps in knowledge that pupils have are not identified or closed. The school should ensure that teachers are supported to use assessment within lessons and summative assessment to identify and close any gaps in pupils' knowledge.

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