Discovery Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Discovery Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils display positive attitudes to their learning.

They are motivated and eager to learn. Pupils have a strong sense of community and enjoy coming to school. One pupil said, 'Learning is in my heart.'

Staff have high expectations for all pupils. The school's values of honesty, empathy, aspiration, resilience and trust underpin all learning.

Pupils pride themselves on the school's ethos of 'Ubuntu'.

They typically explained this as, 'We are because of others'. Pupils take this commitment seriously. They value positions of responsibility, for example as members... of the school council or the junior leadership team or as travel ambassadors.

Pupils feel safe and are well cared for. They said that bullying is rare. If bullying happens, staff deal with it quickly.

Pupils are kind, courteous and respectful. The level of care and support offered to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength. This is a school where diversity and inclusion are celebrated and all pupils are welcome.

Pupils enjoy a wide range of educational visits. These include trips to museums, galleries, theatres, cinemas and places of historical interest. Older pupils experience residential visits and all pupils have access to a wide range of after-school clubs.

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

Leaders have clear plans in place for each subject. Staff teach lessons in the planned sequences to build on pupils' previous learning. This helps pupils to know more and remember more.

Pupils can use what they have learned in one subject to help them understand other subject areas. For example, in history, pupils have strong recall of key historical facts and events. They can use their skills of historical enquiry to explain changes in the local environment.

Staff identify pupils' learning needs at an early stage. This helps to ensure that no pupil is left behind. Support staff offer additional catch-up support.

Pupils with SEND are well supported. Staff use individual learning plans and specialist support, such as speech and language therapy, to meet individual needs.

The school serves a community of significant disadvantage.

Leaders ensure that all pupils have access to a wide range of activities to support their wider development, for example cultural celebrations, sports teams and the school choir. Pupils develop their general knowledge of the world around them. They are knowledgeable about famous artists and musicians.

Pupils are also very aware of environmental issues such as climate change and air and sea pollution. Pupils are attentive in lessons and do not have to worry about low-level disruption.

Pupils learn to read well.

Leaders promote a love of reading across the school. Pupils quickly gain the confidence to become confident, fluent readers. Pupils in Year 2 through to Year 6 talked confidently about their favourite authors.

Staff introduce them to a wide range of exciting texts, including Shakespeare and classical literature. Pupils understand the main themes of what they have read.

Children settle well into the Nursery due to the high level of care and guidance staff give them.

Children have fun and enjoy the activities and story sessions. These help to develop their knowledge of sounds and vocabulary. In the Reception Year, children are increasingly skilful and confident in phonics.

However, they have limited opportunities to apply their knowledge of sounds in their writing.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They use skilful questioning and select tasks to help pupils understand more complex work.

For example, in mathematics, pupils have regular opportunities to use calculation, reasoning and problem-solving skills. In the early years, children practise counting, understanding numbers and how to identify shapes. Children in the Reception Year are now ready to extend their skills further through the recording of their mathematics work.

Governors are skilful and knowledgeable. They make regular visits to the school and offer effective challenge and support. Parents and carers are very supportive of the school.

They value and respect the leadership of the headteacher.

Staff feel supported in their workload. They appreciate the willingness of the leadership team to listen to their views.

Staff reported that leaders care about their well-being and that they feel valued.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have developed a strong culture of safeguarding.

All staff are well trained and are aware of the possible risks. They understand and follow the process for reporting concerns.

The safeguarding team acts on all concerns and works closely with the local authority.

Records are detailed and leaders carefully monitor the safety and welfare of pupils. Vulnerable families are well supported and are signposted to useful help and guidance.

The safeguarding team works with outside agencies to raise awareness of keeping safe within the wider community.

For example, the team raises pupils' awareness of the dangers of gangs, county lines, drugs and knife crime. Pupils are taught about online safety when using the internet.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Children in Reception lack opportunities to use their early reading, writing and mathematical skills.

This has an impact on their confidence to apply these skills. Leaders need to develop opportunities for children to practise their literacy and numeracy learning.Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2012.