Devonshire Road Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and their parents and carers who spoke with inspectors were complimentary about the school. They told inspectors that everyone is made to feel welcome. Pupils benefit from a wide range of high-quality experiences to enhance their personal development.

Staff provide effective support, especially to pupils who are new to the country or have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils are happy. They told inspectors that they enjoy coming to school.

They look forward to breaktimes with their friends. Older pupils nurture younger pupils and children in the early years in their role as play leaders. Pupils carry out roles of responsibility ...with pride.

They said that there is always someone to talk to if they have any worries or concerns.

Leaders ensure that standards of behaviour are high. Pupils are respectful towards each other.

They follow the school motto of 'being kind, curious and the best that you can be'. Pupils resolve any fallings-out with their friends amicably. They described how leaders deal with any rare incidents of bullying thoroughly and effectively.

This helps pupils to feel safe.

Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They provide a high-quality curriculum.

Pupils and children in the early years achieve well.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that captures pupils' interests and enables them to achieve well. A high proportion of children begin in the Reception Year without any previous experience of early years education.

Many older pupils join the school from other countries. Most of these pupils speak English as an additional language. Despite the initial challenges that these children and pupils might face, they learn well.

Children and pupils are well prepared for the next stages of their education.

Leaders provide clear guidance and support for teachers in most areas of the curriculum. This ensures that staff have the support that they need to deliver these subject curriculums effectively.

However, in a small number of subjects, teachers are less clear about how to build on what pupils already know. This is also the case in some areas of learning in the early years. As a result, some children and pupils do not learn as well as they should.

Teachers introduce pupils to new subject-specific vocabulary as they progress through the school. This helps pupils to understand and to learn new concepts. In most subjects, staff regularly check how well pupils are learning the curriculum.

Teachers use this information well to plan the next steps of pupils' learning.

Leaders ensure that all pupils develop secure reading knowledge. Children and pupils benefit from staff's effective delivery of the school's phonics programme.

Younger pupils in key stage 1 practise by reading books that match the sounds that they have learned. Children and pupils build secure phonics knowledge. This includes children at the early stages of learning to speak English.

Older pupils continue to make effective use of their phonics knowledge to work out how to read unfamiliar words. By the end of key stage 2, pupils develop into confident and fluent readers. They relish reading new books or books from their favourite authors.

Leaders identify pupils across the school who need additional support quickly and accurately. Staff work well with specialist external agencies to assess and to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This ensures that these pupils access the same curriculum as their peers.

Pupils' positive attitudes contribute well to their learning. In lessons, pupils are attentive. They learn without disruption.

Pupils behave well throughout the school day.

All pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, benefit from the exceptional experiences that leaders plan for them to enhance their personal development. All pupils take part in a wide range of carefully selected trips and other activities.

This programme enables pupils to develop their appreciation of the rich and diverse society that they belong to. Pupils are inspired and motivated to be aspirational for their future lives. They take part in many activities that introduce them to new interests, such as the theatre.

Pupils develop confidence in their own abilities. These attributes set them up well for later life.

Leadership is strong.

Governors diligently carry out their statutory roles. They enhance the work of leaders by providing effective support and challenge. Staff share leaders' determination to provide a high-quality education for all.

Leaders are mindful of staff workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders provide regular high-quality training for staff and governors.

All staff are clear about how to keep pupils safe. Staff know their pupils well. They are vigilant to signs of potential safeguarding concerns.

Staff make detailed records of their concerns. These records enable those leaders responsible for safeguarding to keep a close eye on the most vulnerable pupils. Leaders ensure that these pupils benefit from a wide range of appropriate support.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including potential risks that they may face and how to manage them. Pupils are well informed about how to keep themselves and others safe while online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of foundation subjects and areas of learning, leaders have not clarified what children and pupils need to learn.

As a result, some teachers are not clear about the key knowledge that children and pupils must learn or the order in which this needs to happen. Senior leaders should ensure that teachers have all the information that they need to deliver the curriculum well. This is to enable pupils to develop a secure body of knowledge across the curriculum.