Duffield the Meadows Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers overwhelmingly support this caring school. They value the warm welcome the school extends to pupils and families.

One parent, reflecting the views of many, said: 'The staff are dedicated, focused and kind…they expect the best from all children and this shows in the high standards of behaviour, manners and care they show each other.' Pupils demonstrate this positive behaviour during social times. They are good friends to each other.

They are safe and happy.

The school nurtures the personal development and well-being of pupils. Pupils thrive from the quality of wider opportunities that the school offers.

They enjoy the choice of club...s such as sports, gardening, choir and sewing which broaden their interests. Pupils are confident and flourish through the activities and events provided by the school.

The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve well, and many pupils do.

They take pride in their work and enjoy demonstrating what they have remembered. Pupils achieve well in the core subjects of English and mathematics but their depth of understanding in other subjects is sometimes less secure. Pupils are motivated to work hard and do well.

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

The curriculum sets out essential knowledge that all pupils must learn. It aims to help pupils understand how knowledge is connected across subjects. The school inspires pupils' curiosity and joy of learning through guest speakers and museum trips.

However, pupils do not always build a secure depth of knowledge over time. Some pupils struggle to retain what they have been taught, while some others find it difficult to grasp the distinctiveness of different subjects. In the early years, the curriculum is well structured and that lays firm foundations for children's learning.

However, sometimes, the activities chosen do not deepen children's understanding as much as they could.

Teachers have a strong knowledge of the curriculum subjects. They select resources effectively to make concepts explicit to pupils.

For example, in mathematics, pupils use practical equipment to understand numbers. In the early years, practical objects ensure pupils recognise mathematical patterns. Teachers explain new vocabulary clearly and use precise questions to check pupils' understanding.

Occasionally, staff do not make the best decisions, based on checks of pupils' understanding, about when to move forward or revisit learning. Opportunities to deepen pupils' understanding or reinforce new knowledge are sometimes missed.

Pupils enjoy learning phonics.

They are taught well using clear steps to learn new sounds effectively. Appropriate objects are selected to illustrate new words and to secure pupils' understanding of initial letter sounds. Pupils who need extra help are supported well to break down and blend sounds together.

Books are matched accurately to the sounds that pupils are learning. Many pupils do well with early reading, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) who achieve as well as they can. The school celebrates pupils' love of reading with popular reading rewards.

Pupils are keen to explore a range of diverse authors from the school's ambitious recommended reads lists.Pupils with SEND are fully included in school life. The school accurately identifies their learning needs and provides support to ensure they can access learning alongside their peers.

Pupils with SEND achieve well.

Pupils develop their character through leadership roles. House captains help the dinner hall to run smoothly.

They enjoy this responsibility. Similarly, pupils elect each other to the school parliament, where they share ideas to improve school life. Environmental representatives take pride in their role, especially in reducing plastic use.

Pupils understand important features of modern Britain such as protected characteristics. They do not accept discrimination of any kind. Pupils know how to stay safe online.

The school promotes positive values effectively through its 'Attitude Acorns' assemblies. It nurtures pupils' 'can-do' approaches and mutual respect. These values are lived out in pupils' daily behaviour.

Pupils' attitudes to their learning are strong. They concentrate well on their studies.

Staff appreciate the training and support that they receive and the consideration the school gives for their workload and well-being.

Governors are knowledgeable. They understand their statutory duties. They respond well to the views of the school community, such as shaping the school's approach to equality.

They understand the school well. Leaders have navigated successfully the significant challenge of the site being flooded. Parents appreciate the school's resilience and its extra efforts to support their children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• While leaders have specified the knowledge that they want children and pupils to learn, this is not always clearly translated into sequences of learning that secure depth of understanding over time. As a result, some pupils are not learning everything that was intended and are not making explicit connections with previous learning.

Some do not understand the distinction between subject disciplines. The school should refine the curriculum implementation to ensure that all pupils are building their knowledge in a coherent way both within and across subjects. This will help them to deepen their understanding and achieve higher standards.

• While staff check on pupils' learning with effective questioning, they are not always agile in determining whether learning can be moved on quickly to the next stage or where concepts need to be presented differently or revisited to help pupils understand. This can result in pupils revisiting learning unnecessarily or gaining misconceptions.The school should ensure that teachers' skills to evaluate their checks on pupils' learning are precise to maximise learning time while ensuring that pupils' needs are met where they lack understanding.

Also at this postcode