Edisford Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Edisford School is a vibrant and happy place where pupils thrive. The school's curriculum is ambitious. Pupils rise to leaders' and teachers' high expectations.

They achieve well, particularly in reading and mathematics. Pupils benefit from recent changes to the subjects they learn. However, not all the intended changes are complete.

Pupils who spoke with us told us they love coming to the school. They told us about how learning is made more interesting and exciting by experiences beyond the classroom.

Pupils spoke of the huge range of opportunities to take on roles of responsibility.

They can do important jobs, including becoming a school ambassador.... Ambassadors proudly represent the school in the community at events such as the Remembrance Day parade. Pupils relish taking part in the school's personal development programme.

Pupils develop their sporting and academic interests through the wide range of clubs and curriculum activities. Pupils gain badges for taking part in such activities. They wear their badges with pride.

The behaviour in school is excellent. Pupils are well-mannered and enthusiastic learners. Pupils say they feel safe in the school.

They appreciate the trust that teachers have in them. Pupils get on well together. They say bullying is very rare.

They are confident that staff would stop any that did happen.

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

Leaders have high ambitions for all pupils and children in the early years. This ambition is shared by staff and governors.

Leaders have recently refined the curriculum to better suit the changing needs of pupils attending the school. However, these changes are not complete. Well-designed schemes of work are in place for most subjects.

In a small number of subjects, such as science and geography, the transition to the new curriculum is not finished. Leaders are finalising the order in which knowledge will be taught. This means that in these subjects some lessons are not as well sequenced to help build pupils' knowledge.

The school curriculum makes good use of the school grounds to enliven learning. In early years, leaders have developed outdoor provision greatly to provide an exciting environment in which to learn. For example, children now have opportunities to develop gardening skills in planting beds made from tyres.

In 2019, the proportion of children attaining a good level of development in early years was in line with national averages.

Pupils achieve well. In key stage 1, pupils consolidate the knowledge built in early years and do as well as other seven-year-olds nationally.

Pupils continue to achieve well in key stage 2. Here, achievement in reading and mathematics is particularly strong. Attainment and progress were above average outcomes in the 2019 national assessments.

Regular training helps teachers to develop secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach. In almost all subjects, teachers plan sequences of lessons that build on what pupils already know. They explain new ideas clearly so that pupils understand and apply new knowledge.

In a small number of subjects, such as coding in computing, teachers are less knowledgeable. This means pupils do not develop their knowledge of the subject well enough.

Effective monitoring means that any such gaps in teachers' knowledge are known by the subject leaders.

They have planned training to resolve these issues.

Leaders know the importance of pupils being able to read fluently. They know that reading enables pupils to access learning in all subjects.

Reading and the pupils' development of a rich vocabulary are key priorities in the school. The teaching of phonics is carefully designed. Pupils get a good start to reading from the beginning in the Nursery class.

They receive well-structured phonics teaching from the outset. The introduction of new words is carefully planned. This ensures that pupils develop and use a rich vocabulary.

Pupils learn to read fluently and with expression. Pupils spoke eloquently about their love of reading. They told us that books allow them to 'escape to imaginary worlds'.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in the life of the school. They learn alongside their classmates and receive appropriate support to help them thrive. Caring staff, well managed by a knowledgeable leader, provide appropriate guidance and encouragement to enable pupils with SEND to succeed.

Leaders have a good relationship with their staff and manage teachers' workload carefully. They ensure that decisions relating to changes in working practices are of benefit to pupils.

Leaders and staff promote pupils' personal development strongly through the endeavours and flairs programmes.

Purposeful personal and academic development activities nurture pupils' self-confidence, resilience and organisational skills. Ambassadors set their classmates challenges. These challenges may include such things as learning a multiplication table.

They then work as mentors to help their classmates achieve the challenge that has been set. All pupils attend adventurous activities and residentials. Pupils take part in community events and cultural trips linked to their studies.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders, governors and all staff at Edisford Primary are committed to keeping pupils safe. Vigilant staff receive frequent training and have up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding.

All appropriate checks are completed to ensure the suitability of staff to work at the school. Leaders record safeguarding concerns diligently. They share information with the right people to protect pupils who may be at risk of harm.

Governors ensure that the school's internet connection is subject to appropriate monitoring and filtering to help protect pupils.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority) The school's curriculum is not yet sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear that leaders are implementing appropriate plans to resolve this issue.

Ofsted transition statements were applied in this inspection.

In a small number of subjects such as geography and science, the refinements to the curriculum are in a transitional phase. Consequently, lessons in a small number of subjects do not build sequentially on what pupils already know to allow them to develop a secure knowledge of the subject in depth.

Leaders should complete their work to refine the curriculum and ensure that schemes of work that systematically develop pupils' knowledge and understanding are implemented fully in all subjects. . Teachers have limited subject knowledge of coding within the computing curriculum.

This means pupils do not develop their knowledge and understanding of this subject well enough. Leaders have planned appropriate training to improve teachers' knowledge. Leaders must ensure that the staff improve their subject knowledge of coding and that the computing curriculum is fully implemented so that pupils achieve well.

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