Dunholme St Chad’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Dunholme St Chad's Church of England Primary is a happy and welcoming school. Many pupils told inspectors that they enjoy school. Pupils value their friendships.

One pupil said, 'We do not tolerate difference here, we celebrate it.'

Pupils trust their teachers to take any worries they have seriously. They say bullying is rare and if it did occur, teachers would deal with it quickly.

Pupils feel safe. Leaders have effective safeguarding arrangements. Records could be even more precise and detailed to ensure vital information is not missed.

Pupils study a range of subjects through a themed curriculum. However, while topics are carefully planned, conne...ctions between topics are less well planned.

Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities in school, including the 'mini police' and reading buddies.

They support charities such as the local food bank.

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Staff have high expectations, which pupils respond to.

Some pupils do not attend school as often as they should. This means they are missing out on the positive experiences in school and learning

Governors are supportive of staff.

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

Everyone at the school shares the school's Christian vision of 'creating a community with open hearts and open minds'.

Leaders understand the importance of pupils gaining secure reading skills as they move through the school. In the early years, children get off to a good start with their phonics. This ensures that they are well prepared for Year 1.

Books match the sounds that pupils know. Leaders create opportunities for children to practise and recall their sounds regularly. They have a sharp focus on making sure that those children who are at the early stage of learning to read, and those who have fallen behind, quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers.

Children in the early years are happy and well cared for. Staff are skilful at developing children's language skills. They are passionate and committed to supporting children's learning.

Leaders have developed a curriculum that provides exciting learning opportunities for children. An example is the current topic on winter. Children have built houses for animals that hibernate.

They then used night vision cameras to record and explore the animals that visit the houses.

Subject leaders have developed well-crafted topics within the school's thematic curriculum. In a few instances, leaders have not made all the connections between different themes as clear as they could be.

This means some pupils do not have the required building blocks of knowledge they need to apply from one topic to their learning in future topics. Subject leaders ensure that staff receive subject-specific training.

The curriculum has 'golden threads' which extend through all subjects.

For example, the golden thread of equality and diversity was explored by Year 3 when considering roles in the Roman empire.

Staff understand the individual needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The special educational needs coordinator works alongside staff to develop personalised pupil targets.

Pupils are knowledgeable about different faiths. They welcome visitors from different faiths and enjoy learning about them. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

They know and understand the fundamental British values. Pupils value the extra-curricular opportunities in school. Leaders are widening this offer to pupils.

Pastoral support is strong. Pupils value being able to speak to the learning mentor when they have a worry. Staff have worked to improve attendance.

There are still some pupils who are persistently absent from school. Leaders are working with families to reduce the number of pupils who are regularly absent from school. Governors' questioning of leaders shows challenge on curriculum, school performance and progress.

They have supported leaders well in the development of the new curriculum. Staff feel supported in their professional and personal development.

Governors are mindful of workload and have introduced a well-being day for staff.

A small minority of staff reported that their workload is a concern to them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There are minor weaknesses in safeguarding arrangements.

These do not leave children either being harmed or at risk of harm. Some safeguarding records lack precise details about actions taken and their outcomes.

Leaders ensure that appropriate checks are completed on all adults who work at or visit the school.

Leaders have adopted appropriate policies which they use to keep pupils safe. They provide regular training for staff. Staff understand how to report concerns about pupils' welfare.

Pupils learn to keep themselves safe through the personal, social and health education curriculum

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some safeguarding records lack sufficient detail about actions taken and their outcomes. This means vital information could be missed. Leaders need to make sure that all their actions and the outcomes of these actions are precisely and consistently recorded in all files.

• Not all pupils attend school as often as they should. Despite some improvement in individual pupils' attendance, some pupils are still not attending school regularly enough, which means they are missing out on the positive experiences in school and learning. Leaders need to work even more closely with the local authority and parents and carers to ensure that all pupils attend school regularly.

• While sequencing within individual themes in the school's thematic curriculum is coherent, sequencing across themes does not always have the clarity and connections between a few subjects that details what knowledge is to be learned and when. This means some pupils do not have the required building blocks of knowledge they need to apply from one subject to another subject. Leaders need to review these curriculum areas to ensure that all key knowledge is clearly identified and sequenced across the thematic curriculum, so that pupils progress well through the curriculum.

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