Downe Manor Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and inclusive school. Staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve.

All pupils follow the ambitious curriculum, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They feel safe and know who to talk to if they have a concern.

Pupils understand and follow the school's values and behave well. Children in the early years settle quickly into the school's routines and learn well together. Pupils value the help the school provides for their social and emotional wellbeing.

Bullying is rare. Staff take swift and effective action if it does occur.

Pupils appreciate ...the extra-curricular clubs they can choose to attend such as coding, cooking and football.

The school is beginning to extend this offer and take on board pupils' suggestions, for example, putting on a curling club. Pupils are motivated by the praise given for good work. They enjoy taking up leadership responsibilities acting as lunchtime buddies, reading and mathematics ambassadors and members of the well-established student council.

All members of the school community celebrate the school's diversity. Pupils get the opportunity to visit many different places of worship. They understand why it is important to respect different cultures and ways of life.

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

The school has designed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious. Leaders have identified precisely what pupils need to learn and when they should learn it. The school has ensured that there are effective systems for identifying pupils with SEND and puts appropriate support in place.

Children in the early years grasp ideas well and develop the foundational knowledge they need to be successful. For example, in Reception, children worked in small groups developing their mathematical skills. This was successful because staff had explained accurately how to double numbers.

Pupils are encouraged to take risks and build their resilience in a safe and interactive environment.

Pupils build on their knowledge as they move through the school. For example, in geography, younger pupils learn how to use maps to locate their school and other places of interest in the local area.

By Year 3, they are evaluating how Northolt has changed over time. Key vocabulary is highlighted in every topic and becomes more complex over time. For example, in science, Year 1 pupils learn about key terms such as 'producer' and 'consumer' when studying the food chain.

By Years 5 and 6, they can use specialist vocabulary such as 'hypotheses' and 'evaluation' when conducting their own experiments.

Teachers have good subject knowledge. This is because leaders have established a well-thought-out curriculum with effective training.

Teachers design activities that help pupils to remember and practise what they have learned. They address any misconceptions quickly so that pupils have a secure understanding.

The school promotes a love of reading in all year groups.

Leaders ensure that the books pupils read have a rich range of vocabulary and reflect the diversity of the school community. A significant proportion of pupils joins the school later than would usually be expected and these pupils are often new to English and need help with their early reading. The school has adapted their approach to take account of this and the delivery of phonics is now consistent.

Staff ensure that books are matched to the sounds that pupils have been learning. Pupils develop the phonic knowledge they need to become fluent and accurate readers. This is starting to have an impact on published outcomes in reading which have historically been lower than the national average.

At times, however, the provision of extra help for pupils who need additional support with their reading is not as sharp as it needs to be.

Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Relationships at the school are positive and respectful.

The school has increased the support available to help pupils manage their own behaviour if they struggle. The school emphasises the importance of high attendance. Staff are swift to identify any concerns.

They work closely with external agencies to support pupils' well-being when this is needed.

Leaders have put in place a well-designed personal, social and health education programme. This helps pupils to learn about keeping themselves safe, including online.

Pupils have a strong understanding of how democracy works. Sensitive topics are taught in an age-appropriate way. The school arranges a variety of educational visits.

For example, pupils have the opportunity to go to the Polish War Memorial, the Natural History Museum and the Royal Opera House.

Staff appreciate the school's focus on developing their practice and managing their workload and wellbeing. School leaders consider information about pupils' progress and development, but at times this analysis does not identify precisely any groups of pupils that need additional support.

Governors have received effective training to support them in their roles. They share leaders' high ambitions.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes the support for pupils who need help to improve their phonics knowledge and reading fluency is not as precise as it could be. As a result, outcomes for these pupils' reading and phonics are not as high as they should be. The school should sharpen their oversight of interventions so that support is suitably targeted and these pupils catch up with their peers.

Sometimes, the school does not analyse as precisely as it could information relating to the impact of its policies and practices. This means that on occasion, leaders do not identify groups of pupils who may need additional pastoral or academic support to achieve as well as they should. The school should sharpen its processes so that it can address any variability between different groups of pupils.

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