Edward the Elder Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Key findings

This is a good school, which has made considerable improvements since the last inspection. It is not outstanding because leaders and the governing body have not ironed out minor variations in the quality of teaching or attendance, so pupils' achievement is not yet better than good.

Pupils achieve well during their time in school, and leave at the end of Year 6 with average attainment. This represents good progress for the first group of pupils in the older year groups, whose starting points were below average. Progress is better for pupils of lower and middle ability, and although the most able pupils make good progress overall, they do not always reach the higher National Curriculum levels.

T...eaching is good. A few outstanding elements were observed, for example in focused literacy support programmes. Where teaching is occasionally satisfactory, assessment and personal targets are not used to best advantage to direct and develop pupils' learning and promote their independence.

This particularly affects the more-able pupils. Pupils behave well. Children in Nursery and Reception mix well with each other and participate fully in lessons.

Almost all pupils are keen to help each other and collaborate well in shared activities. Pupils, and their parents and carers, believe that they are well cared for and that the school is a safe place. Some opportunities are missed for pupils to develop leadership skills.

Staff, under the purposeful guidance of senior leaders, have been successful in improving the quality of teaching and pupils' performance across the school. Less focus has been placed on raising rates of attendance, which, despite recent improvement, remain below average. New governors have yet to acquire the expertise to make a full contribution to strategic planning or hold leaders sharply to account.

Information about the school

Edward the Elder Primary is slightly smaller than most primary schools. It was formed four years ago as the result of an amalgamation of two schools. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds, but almost one in four pupils are of minority ethnic heritage.

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is high. The percentage of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is broadly average. The school provides for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage through two part-time Nursery classes and one Reception class.

The school meets the government's current floor standard, which set minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress. A breakfast- and after-school club operates on the school site. This is managed by the governing body and was observed as part of the inspection.