Ealdham Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Ealdham Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are encouraged to 'shine like a diamond' in all that they do.

Adults have high expectations of them, and pupils respond well to these. Pupils behave sensibly, both in and out of lessons. They take pride in their achievements.

This is a friendly school. Pupils are confident that if they have any concerns, their friends and adults in the school will help them. Pupils are polite and courteous.

Staff said that this makes the school a delightful place to work. If any bullying occurs, leaders deal with it promptly and effectively.

Leaders and staff expect all pup...ils to achieve highly.

Over the last few years, leaders have made improvements to the curriculum. For example, they reviewed the sequence of learning in most subjects. Pupils talked about their learning with enthusiasm.

They love it when they learn new things.

Leaders and governors ensure that there are additional activities to enrich the curriculum. For example, pupils enjoy going on outings, watching performances and attending art or historical exhibitions.

Pupils are happy and safe at school. They trust the adults who look after them.

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

Leaders have put in place a curriculum with a wide range of subjects.

They have ensured that it matches the requirements and ambition of the national curriculum. Leaders and governors are committed to ensuring that it is a curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This group of pupils learn as well as other pupils in the school.

The teaching of reading is at the heart of the school's curriculum. Children learn how to read as soon as they start school. Leaders have invested time and resources so that members of staff are expert teachers of reading.

As a result, pupils develop their reading very well.

Because of the disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, some pupils' reading is behind where leaders expect it to be. Leaders use assessment accurately to identify and address any gaps in pupils' reading.

They use this information to put effective plans in place to help pupils to catch up.

Across the school, pupils are engaged in their learning and behave well so that the curriculum is not interrupted. This includes in the early years.

Curriculum leaders are experts in the subjects they lead. They provide advice to teachers on how best to teach the curriculum. As a result, pupils achieve well and are ready for the next stage in their education in most subjects.

This includes children in the early years, who are beginning to learn about history, science and mathematics. In Reception classes, for example, children develop an understanding of the past through talking about their older family members. However, in some instances, pupils find it harder to remember the most important content.

This occurs when curriculum plans do not identify as sharply the key knowledge that pupils should know and remember.

Leaders and teachers think deeply about the assessment materials they use to check what pupils already know and can do. They use what they find out when assessing pupils' learning to help them adjust the curriculum.

Typically, teachers revisit what pupils have learned to help them remember it. In history, for example, pupils regularly recall facts about periods which they have already studied. However, sometimes they get stuck when facing new learning.

This occurs when they do not have a deep understanding of what has been taught before.

Governors and leaders encourage pupils' learning to go beyond the formal academic curriculum. Leaders constantly seek opportunities to enrich pupils' knowledge.

They have partnered with institutions like The Royal Observatory, Greenwich, to encourage pupils to develop their wider interests. Through the curriculum, leaders teach pupils how to respect their own and other pupils' privacy. They work to develop pupils' understanding of healthy relationships as well as teach pupils how to keep themselves safe from online harm and abuse.

Staff appreciate leaders' efforts to ensure that their workload is manageable.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders are approachable and this has created a culture of openness.

Adults and pupils alike are confident that if they raise any concerns or worries, they are heard. Pupils talked about how they can depend on adults and friends to keep them safe. There is a genuinely warm, professional relationship between and among staff and pupils.

Leaders and staff know pupils and their families really well. They work effectively with other agencies to ensure vulnerable pupils and those who may be at risk receive the support they need.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few instances, leaders have not identified precisely the most important content that they want pupils to know and remember.

As a result, pupils do not remember all the key knowledge that they need for their future learning. Leaders should refine curriculum plans so that teachers know exactly what knowledge should be emphasised when delivering the curriculum in all subjects. ? In some subjects, pupils occasionally get stuck when faced with new learning.

This is because they do not have a solid understanding of the knowledge that has been taught before. Teaching should ensure that pupils do not move on to new learning before they have fully secured previous 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 November 2016.

Also at this postcode