Edith Neville Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and their families have a deep affection for Edith Neville Primary School.

The school community lives and breathes the shared values identified by leaders. For example, leaders and staff consistently encourage pupils to be empathetic and to collaborate. This helps pupils build and sustain strong relationships and behave very thoughtfully.

There is an aura of positivity. Pupils love coming to school and feel extremely safe. Bullying almost never occurs.

Pupils trust staff to deal with any rare instances.

An ambitious and solution-focused school culture means that pupils persevere and achieve well. Indeed, when learning to read, pupils routinely... keep trying until they successfully sound out unknown words.

Across different subjects, pupils learn and remember the content of the school's carefully crafted curriculum. Pupils are very well prepared for the future.

Leaders' support for parents and carers is excellent.

The family centre, which is run by the school, helps create a strong, trusting partnership between the school and families. This enhances pupils' learning, personal development and behaviour.

Pupils attend a variety of before- and after-school clubs.

Staff make sure that activities are accessible to everyone.

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

The school's curriculum sets out the knowledge that pupils need to be successful in the next stage of their education. Pupils build well on what they know because of the order in which key parts of the curriculum are taught.

For instance, pupils learn about the parts of a plant and seed growth in Year 2, the conditions of growth in Year 3, and plant reproduction in Year 5. Community visits enrich pupils' learning.

Teachers present new information with clarity and a strong emphasis on the meaning of important words and ideas.

This helps pupils to learn well, including those that are new to English and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers are adept at checking what pupils know, deepening knowledge and correcting any misconceptions. For example, pupils increase the knowledge they have acquired when teachers ask them to 'spot the mistake'.

They enjoy the success they experience in their learning. Due to an extremely well-thought-through curriculum, pupils remember what they have learned in the long term. Their work across the whole curriculum is first class.

Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading so that pupils become confident, fluent readers. Leaders have made sure that staff have the knowledge and skills they need to teach reading effectively. Pupils quickly gain the strategies they need to read well.

Indeed, pupils in Reception use letter sounds to help them spell. The books that pupils read match their phonic knowledge. During daily story time, teachers help pupils to connect and strengthen their knowledge.

For example, a teacher asked, 'Why is he collecting dung for his garden?' A pupil said, 'It helps plants grow.' Another pupil said, 'Dung has nutrients.'

As a result of the school's culture, pupils' behaviour is exemplary.

The youngest children learn the language they need to describe their feelings by listening to stories. This is built upon as pupils learn to recognise and respond to their feelings. Staff help pupils to reflect meaningfully after rare incidents of emotional upset.

Pupils consider what they could do differently next time and how other people may have felt. The school's values drive both strong behaviour and learning.

Alongside the curriculum, a range of further opportunities support pupils' wider development.

For example, the youngest pupils perform in front of each other. As they get older, pupils perform in front of pupils from other primary schools. In Year 5, pupils perform at the Royal Albert Hall.

Opportunities like these help pupils develop their talents and interests as well as their character. Leaders prepare pupils thoughtfully for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about a range of faiths so they understand the similarities and differences that exist in people's beliefs.

Staff ensure that pupils with SEND learn and remember the full curriculum. For instance, pupils get the right support with their learning. This support is reduced at the right time so that pupils can achieve more independently.

From the very start, staff work with families and other agencies to identify and meet pupils' needs.

Leaders support staff workload and well-being effectively. They understand the community they serve extremely well.

Governors fulfil their role effectively, including talking to pupils about their school experiences. These conversations have helped assure governors that pupils know how to stay safe.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that staff, at all levels, are trained and vigilant in spotting safeguarding concerns. Leaders identify when families need additional support and ensure that this is provided. They work with safeguarding partners and other agencies as appropriate.

Through the curriculum, staff raise awareness of safeguarding risks to pupils. For example, through considering various scenarios, pupils learn to make sensible choices. Pupils know how to keep safe, whether at school, in the community or online.

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