Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School sits at the heart of its community.

Pupils are proud of their school. They try hard to follow the school's community rules. Most pupils feel happy and safe.

Behaviour is generally positive in lessons and at breaktimes. However, pupils report that there are occasionally arguments that lead to fights. This makes them feel worried.

Pupils recognise that teachers deal with these incidents when they occur. However, some pupils report that the problems reoccur frequently. They do not feel that the actions taken are always successful.

The school has been in the process of rewriting the curriculum. Leaders felt that the c...urrent curriculum was not fully meeting the needs of all pupils. While this work is leading to some positive changes, it is still in the early stages of development.

Pupils are not benefiting from a coherent curriculum that builds over time. As a result, some pupils cannot remember what they have already learned in some subjects.

Pupils value the range of leadership opportunities open to them, including in the environmental group, as a team captain or as the highly prized positions of head boy and head girl.

Pupils enjoyed having the opportunity to take part in interviews for the new headteacher.

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

The school prioritises reading. Pupils read books that contain the sounds that they are learning.

They use effective strategies to read unfamiliar words. This helps them to develop confidence and fluency in reading. The school regularly checks what pupils understand.

Staff use this information to quickly identify pupils who are not keeping up with the school's reading programme. When needed, these pupils access pre-teaching in small groups so that they can keep pace with their friends in lessons.

Leaders have invested a significant amount of time in training staff to deliver the curriculum consistently well.

Staff now provide pupils with the time to revisit previous subject knowledge before moving on to new learning. This is having the most impact in reading. Pupils develop their skills and knowledge as they move through school, resulting in strong outcomes at the end of key stage 2.

In other subjects, such as religious education, art and science, pupils can remember little of what they have been taught. Too many pupils do not take enough pride in the presentation of work.

The early years is a happy and safe environment.

Children enjoy talking with adults as they engage in different activities. However, the curriculum does not prepare children well for Year 1. The lack of precision in curriculum planning means that staff are often unclear about what it is that the children should be learning.

As a result, staff miss valuable opportunities to support children as they play.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is variable. Some pupils benefit from plans that meet their individual needs.

In other cases, plans are less precise. As a result, these pupils do not achieve as well as they might.

The curriculum for personal development helps pupils to understand about important concepts such as tolerance and respect.

Pupils learn how they can keep themselves safe, including online. Pupils are comfortable talking about a wide range of issues and show an understanding of most aspects of the curriculum. However, pupils struggle to recall their learning about other faiths and the fundamental British values.

Pupils can attend a variety of extra-curricular clubs. These clubs match pupils' interests. They include football, karaoke, times table and tea time club.

The school takes pupils on educational visits to support their learning. This includes a residential visit for older pupils, which they very much enjoy.

Leaders and governors understand the school and its context well.

They have worked hard to develop strategies to improve attendance and harness the support of parents. This work is ongoing and, despite every effort, attendance remains stubbornly below the national average. Staff are positive about working in the school.

They appreciate the support they receive from leaders to reduce their workload. Staff benefit from the additional time they receive to complete tasks allocated to them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school does not keep sufficiently detailed records of behavioural incidents. This means that leaders do not have a full understanding of why, when and where they are most likely to occur and the impact this is having on other pupils. The school should make sure that accurate recording and reporting arrangements are in place, so that staff can address instances of poor behaviour effectively and prevent them from reoccurring.

• The quality of support available for pupils with SEND is variable. This means that some pupils do not benefit from the educational opportunities the school has to offer. The school should make sure that plans reflect the needs of each individual.

They should monitor the impact of these plans so that all pupils receive support that enables them to succeed. ? The school is in the process of rewriting the curriculum. This includes the early years curriculum.

Subjects are at different stages of completion. Pupils have not learned and remembered the full breadth of the curriculum consistently well. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is consistently planned, sequenced and implemented and that it results in pupils learning and remembering the intended content over time.

• Too many pupils struggle to form their letters correctly and to present their work neatly. This means that pupils' work is often hard to read and not at a standard expected for their age. Leaders should ensure that there are consistently high expectations of presentation in all subjects, with pupils taught how to form their letters correctly from Nursery onwards.

• Some pupils are absent from school too often. This means they miss important learning and find it difficult to keep up with their friends. Leaders should continue to help all parents to understand the importance of regular school attendance and its impact on pupils' success at school.