Coton Green Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Coton Green is a school where pupils feel safe because of the warm relationships they form with each other and with staff. Many in this community refer to 'belonging to a unique learning family' that is inclusive and caring. This is a place where differences are celebrated and everybody is of equal importance.

Most pupils do well, with an increasing number achieving expected standards in reading and writing. Many demonstrate positive attitudes toward their learning. They take increasing pride in their work.

Pupils enjoy their learning most when they get to experiment and learn from their mistakes.

Pupils attend school regularly and take advantage of the many ...wider opportunities on offer. They enjoy the chance to hold leadership positions.

Some pupils get to vote and make changes to their school while others act as mentors and look after other pupils.

The school raises pupils' future aspirations by providing opportunities for them to graduate at a local university for completing hours of extra-curricular activities. Pupils enjoy attending clubs that are linked to their sporting and creative interests.

They learn about global and local news and are supported to develop a social conscience by raising money and making donations for those less fortunate than themselves.

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

A strong partnership between the school and the trust results in everybody working together to deliver the best education possible for the pupils they serve. The school is good at finding ways to improve and making sure they are done well.

The trust gives training and support to those who lead the improvements. These individuals then ensure that staff have the resources and training to be effective in their roles. External advisers check how well changes are improving learning.

The school acts on the advice it is given. Staff are supported well and are proud to work at this school.

There have been significant changes to the curriculum in recent years.

These have focused on making sure that learning builds progressively on what pupils know. These changes have had a positive impact on pupils' enjoyment of learning and are improving outcomes. Nonetheless, the school's approach to checking pupils' learning, in some subjects, is at an early stage.

Currently, these checks do not always help identify gaps or misconceptions in pupils' understanding. This means that some pupils do not develop a deeper understanding of the topics they study.

Children in the early years get off to a good start.

They begin to learn to read from the day they arrive. Many are excited to learn new words and routines. Developing children's language and communication skills is a key priority.

Staff accurately model how to use new words in context, while encouraging children to do the same. Children demonstrate a curiosity about how to group and order numbers and do so with increasing confidence. They control their emotions, sustain concentration, and play with each other in a calm and kind way.

Those pupils in the early stages of reading are supported well. Pupils read books that are carefully matched to the sounds that they know, and they show a genuine enjoyment of literature. The school's focus on developing how fluently pupils can read is helping those who previously experienced difficulties in this aspect.

This, in turn, has supported these pupils to develop a deeper understanding of what they read.

The school recognises that pupils did not achieve as well as expected at the end of key stage 2 in mathematics. In response to this, the school has developed new approaches to support more effective learning and to ensure that those who fall behind are supported to catch up quickly.

Some pupils are now more confident when calculating and selecting the most efficient ways to answer problems. However, it remains the case that some pupils do not routinely apply the facts and calculation methods they learn to help them solve more complex problems.

The school supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well to learn the same curriculum as their peers.

Pupils with communication and language difficulties are identified early and programmes of support are delivered by well-trained staff. The school, in partnership with parents and carers and outside agencies, puts meaningful support in place to remove barriers to learning. Staff make adaptations to learning and the environment to support equal access.

Most pupils behave well and learn without interruption. They know their role in making their school a calm and respectful place to be. The school works well with parents to ensure pupils attend regularly and on time.

The wider development of pupils is of high quality. The curriculum is enriched by trips to places linked to the topics they study, which pupils say brings their learning to life. Pupils enjoy a series of residential visits to activity centres as they move towards completing the 'Coton Green Promise'.

This prepares them well for the next stages of their education.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Not all pupils are consistently provided the opportunity to deepen their understanding of mathematics.

This means that some pupils are not routinely applying the facts and calculation methods they learn to solve more complex problems. The trust should ensure that pupils can apply mathematical knowledge, concepts and procedures appropriately for their age. ? The school's use of assessment in some subjects is at an early stage.

It is not always used effectively to check gaps or misconceptions in pupils' prior knowledge. This means that some pupils misunderstand or do not develop a deep enough understanding of the topics they study. The trust should ensure that the school uses assessment to check what pupils understand and that future learning builds progressively on what pupils know.

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