Eccleston Mere Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Every morning, pupils come through the school gates with smiles on their faces. They want to come to school because they say that their teachers 'make learning fun'. Pupils say that staff at the school respect them and genuinely care about them.

This makes them feel happy and safe.

Leaders and governors have high aspirations for pupils and staff. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school.

They open doors for each other, staff and visitors. Pupils are polite, confident and well mannered. They ask visitors how they are and if they would like any help.

Pupils say that bullying is rare at their school. This is because staff deal with any worrie...s or concerns quickly.

Pupils, parents and carers, staff and governors are very proud of their school.

They all agree that their school is 'a school with a heart that beats to everyone's tune'. Pupils related this to being one big family. Within this family-like environment, pupils grow in confidence and develop emotionally and academically.

Pupils have many roles of responsibility which help prepare them well for the future. They enjoy being school and eco councillors, as well as being reading buddies. Pupils are prepared well for the next stage in their education.

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

Leaders, governors and staff have made a determined effort to make the necessary improvements across the school since the last inspection. They have accessed a wealth of training to improve the knowledge of staff. The local authority has provided strong support to leaders throughout this time.

Leaders and governors have made sure that no stone has been left unturned in their drive to achieve the best for pupils.

Leaders have made sure that the curriculum is ambitious, broad and interesting. They have thought carefully about what pupils need to learn.

Adaptations are made so that pupils with special educational needs/and or disabilities (SEND) can access the curriculum. These pupils enjoy learning alongside their peers. Staff provide extra support and provision when required.

As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

In most subjects, leaders have carefully considered what pupils will learn. Curriculum plans clearly outline the knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn and the order in which it will be taught.

In these subjects, teachers plan activities that build on what pupils already know and can do. Pupils are also able to make links between the subjects that they learn. This deepens pupils' learning and helps them to achieve well.

Leaders have made sure that curriculum plans in most subjects start from the early years. In some subjects, however, leaders have not thought clearly enough about what children will learn and when they will learn it across Nursery and the Reception Year.

Leaders have placed reading at the heart of the curriculum.

They view reading as being important to unlock learning in all other areas of the curriculum. Leaders have successfully promoted a love of reading. Pupils enjoy reading and listening to stories being told by others.

At the start of Reception, children begin to learn the phonics programme. Staff plan activities to meet pupils' individual needs. Leaders make sure that pupils' progress in phonics is regularly checked.

Pupils who struggle get the support they need to catch up. However, on occasions, some pupils, especially those who need to catch up and pupils with SEND, are given books to read which are too difficult. This is because the books that they read do not always match the sounds that they are learning.

Pupils, including children in the early years, behave well in class and around the school. They can explain the school's rules for behaviour and respect the reasons why these are important. Pupils want to learn and enjoy learning together.

This means there is little disruption to their learning.

Pupils' learning at Eccleston Mere goes beyond the academic curriculum. They enjoy helping others and learning about different faiths and cultures.

They experience a range of trips and residentials. Leaders have also planned in a wide range of visitors to the school. These opportunities help to develop pupils' character and resilience.

They also make pupils' learning memorable and enjoyable.

Leaders make sure that staff at the school are well supported. They consider their workload, and the impact on staff well-being, when they make any changes.

As a result, staff feel supported, respected and valued. They enjoy working at the school and morale is high.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. They have made sure that staff are vigilant and that they receive up-to-date training. This ensures that staff can identify possible signs of neglect and abuse.

Staff know what to do if they have any concerns. All staff know that it is their responsibility to keep children safe.

Leaders and staff know their community and families well.

They work well with external agencies to make sure that families and children get the help that they need quickly.

Pupils know how to stay safe online and in their local community. They can talk in depth about what actions they need to take to stay safe online.

This is because leaders have made sure the curriculum provides a wide range of learning opportunities for pupils.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, leaders do not have a clear understanding of how children's learning builds across the early years. Consequently, in these subjects, curriculum plans are not well sequenced across Nursery and Reception.

Leaders should ensure that children's learning in the early years builds on what they already know. This will help children to access learning in all subjects more seamlessly as they enter Year 1. ? Teachers sometimes give pupils reading books which are not matched well to their phonic knowledge.

This means that pupils, especially those that need to catch up, find these books too difficult to read. Leaders need to make sure that the books pupils read are more closely matched to their phonics knowledge. This will help to develop pupils' early reading skills and fluency.