Devonshire Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Devonshire Primary School is a welcoming and friendly place where everyone is valued.

Staff take the time to greet pupils warmly each morning. This creates a positive start to the day. Nurturing relationships exist between staff and pupils.

This inspires pupils to be kind to classmates, staff and visitors. In the early years, children play well together, take turns and share. Pupils feel proud to be part of this inclusive school community.

The school provides a broad and balanced education. This begins in the early years, where secure foundations for learning are built. The school has high expectations for pupils, including those with special educational need...s and/or disabilities (SEND).

As a result, pupils want to learn and enjoy their learning. They understand and embody the school vision to 'be determined, positive and supportive'.

At lunchtime, pupils participate in art, sports games and building activities.

All pupils take part in lessons about nature and the outdoors. Pupils also have the opportunity to attend a range of clubs, including choir, philosophy, martial arts and creative writing. These experiences support pupils to demonstrate the school's '6R' values, which include resilience, relationships and resourcefulness.

The school has built a strong community ethos. Parents and carers speak of the nurturing environment and warm pastoral care provided to their children.

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

Reading is prioritised across the school.

Staff expertly deliver the phonics programme, beginning in the early years. Pupils who fall behind are identified quickly and staff provide appropriate support for them to catch up. Reading books are well matched to pupils' stage of development.

Pupils learn to read fluently and develop into confident readers over time. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their reading.

The school has put in place a broad and enriched curriculum.

In most subjects, the school has identified what teachers need to teach and when, particularly in mathematics and English. For example, in history pupils in Year 6 learn about World War Two before considering the Windrush Generation. In computing, younger pupils learn to create and debug simple programs.

This enables older pupils to design, write and debug more complex programs that accomplish specific goals. However, in a few subjects, the school is not clear enough about the key knowledge that pupils must learn. As a result, pupils do not remember their learning as well as they could.

Therefore, some pupils have gaps in their learning.

Children in the early years have a positive start to their education. The curriculum is well thought out, and the children are carefully prepared for their later learning.

This is a language-rich environment, where staff nurture children's confidence and curiosity. Children frequently experience a range of stories and rhymes that develop their understanding of language. Staff support children to articulate their feelings and learning.

The school has processes to identify pupils with SEND as early as possible. Teachers use appropriate teaching strategies and resources. This helps these pupils access the curriculum and achieve well.

Typically, teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge and explain information clearly to pupils. However, on occasion teachers do not check pupils' learning in lessons carefully enough. As a result, gaps in knowledge and misconceptions can sometimes go unnoticed, and some pupils find it difficult to apply their understanding to new content.

Most pupils enjoy their learning, and there is little disruption in class. Younger children are supported well to settle into school life and quickly understand the daily routines and expectations of them. As a result, the school is typically calm and orderly.

The school has introduced robust systems and procedures for ensuring that pupils attend school regularly. Staff share clear messages with pupils and their parents about the importance of attending well. As a result, attendance is above the national average and improving.

The school provides well for pupils' wider development. The school aims for pupils to be respectful, kind citizens. A well-planned programme of learning supports this.

For example, throughout the year there are a number of special whole-school project weeks focused on topics including neurodiversity, fitness and science. The school provides many opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities. Pupils are proud to be school councillors, reading champions or eco-group representatives.

These roles give pupils a sense of pride in contributing to the school and wider community. Educational trips are carefully linked to learning. Pupils visit castles, museums and landmarks.

These opportunities support the school's aim to broaden pupils' wider experiences.

Governors are knowledgeable and take their duty of care seriously. Staff feel valued and heard.

They are extremely proud to work here. They value the support in place for their well-being and the training they receive to improve their practice.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding takes priority here. Pupils learn about risks within and beyond the school.Staff have received effective training and know the signs to look out for in order to keep children safe.

Leaders respond swiftly to concerns raised and work closely with outside agencies so that pupils and families receive the support that they need. Leaders carry out the necessary checks on staff before they are appointed.

However, sometimes staff do not record or communicate information about safeguarding concerns as carefully or systematically as they should.

As a result, some safeguarding records lack important information that would create a more complete picture in the school's formal records and support further action. The school must ensure that safeguarding records fully and accurately contain all relevant information with regard to any concerns that staff have raised about the safety of children.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the knowledge, vocabulary and skills pupils need to learn year-on-year is not designed effectively enough.

Consequently, some pupils do not build this knowledge well enough as they progress through the school. The school should ensure that the curriculum in these subjects is designed and implemented in a way that helps pupils build on prior learning and develops a deep and rich understanding of the full curriculum. ? On occasion, the school does not check pupils' understanding carefully enough.

As a result, some pupils have gaps in their learning and are not fully ready to learn new content. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills they need to check pupils' learning systematically and respond to any gaps or misconceptions swiftly so that pupils achieve well in all subjects. ? Although safeguarding is a key priority in the school, and there is an open culture of vigilance, the school does not always communicate or record its concerns with regard to safeguarding appropriately.

This means that sometimes key information is missing from records. The school needs to ensure that all staff communicate and record any concerns in line with the school's safeguarding policy. Safeguarding records should contain accurate and sufficiently clear information of the concerns raised by staff and the steps taken to ensure pupils' safety and well-being.