Ellenbrook Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Ellenbrook Primary School is a happy school where everyone feels welcome. Pupils are valued for their individuality. They celebrate diversity and show respect for the differences between people.

Pupils enjoy coming to school each day. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes settle into school exceptionally well. Pupils behave well in class and at breaktimes.

They know the clear expectations that the school has of their behaviour. Pupils follow the agreed rules and routines well.

The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils relish opportunities to ...learn new things across a wide range of subjects. They achieve well in many curriculum areas. Pupils attain highly in reading, writing and mathematics.

Children in the early years are incredibly well prepared for key stage 1.

Pupils value being able to make a positive contribution to their local community. For example, during Citizenship Week, some pupils picked litter while others helped to plant at a local garden.

Pupils enjoy engaging in the wide range of after-school clubs, and they look forward to representing the school in competitions and events. Pupils' learning is enhanced by a rich variety of trips and visits.

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

Since the last inspection, the school has made considerable changes to the curriculum.

The school has created a suitably ambitious curriculum that typically meets the needs of pupils in the school, including those with SEND. The curriculum is well designed to make sure that new learning builds on what pupils have learned before.

Most of the time, teachers deliver the curriculum well.

They introduce new learning to pupils clearly, and they make use of effective strategies to reinforce previous knowledge. However, in a couple of subjects, teachers do not teach all the important information that the school wants pupils to learn. This means that sometimes pupils do not have the knowledge that they need to access new learning.

Most of the time, teachers use assessment strategies successfully to check how well pupils are learning. However, in a small number of subjects, teachers do not address pupils' misconceptions or gaps in learning swiftly enough. From time to time, in these subjects, some pupils do not learn as well as they could.

Pupils with SEND are very well supported to access the school's ambitious curriculum. This enables pupils with SEND to achieve well. The school makes sure that the additional needs of pupils with SEND are identified at the earliest opportunity.

This ensures that these pupils receive timely and effective support.Children in the early years benefit from a very strong start, preparing them extremely well for the demands of key stage 1. Children in the early years display exceptional levels of commitment to their learning.

Staff seize every opportunity to develop children's language and communication skills.

There is a strong emphasis on nurturing a love of reading in the early years and beyond. Pupils begin learning to read in the Reception class.

Staff have received appropriate training to enable them to deliver the school's phonics programme well. Pupils struggling to learn phonics are quickly identified, and effective support is put in place to ensure that they catch up quickly. Consequently, pupils rapidly become confident and fluent readers.

Older pupils enjoy reading. They choose to read a wide and diverse range of books.

Classrooms are calm, and pupils focus intently on their learning in lessons.

Pupils' behaviour is equally strong at breaktimes and lunchtimes, where they play safely and treat each other with kindness. The school has effective strategies in place to promote high levels of attendance. Pupils attend school regularly.

Children in the early years develop the essential skills that lay the foundation for future interactions. For example, they engage in collaborative activities that encourage cooperation and empathy. Through play and structured activities, children learn the importance of taking turns, listening to others and working together to solve problems.

This nurturing environment helps children to build positive relationships with their peers and fosters a sense of community and belonging.

Pupils' personal development is well considered. The school designs activities that broaden pupils' knowledge and understanding of the wider world.

Pupils show an awareness of the different cultures and beliefs of others. The school further enhances pupils' learning by inviting a range of visitors to the school, for example scientists and authors from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Governors hold high expectations for the school, and they diligently fulfil their duties.

Staff reported that leaders are approachable and that the school is considerate of their workload and well-being. Staff said that some of the recent changes to the curriculum are beginning to reduce their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, staff do not teach all the information detailed in the school's curriculum. This means that, sometimes, pupils do not gain all the knowledge that they need for future learning. The school should ensure that staff receive the support that they need to deliver all aspects of the intended curriculum well.

• On occasion, staff do not act quickly enough to address the gaps in learning or misconceptions that pupils may have. This hinders how deeply some pupils learn. The school should ensure that staff are suitably equipped to identify and remedy pupils' gaps in knowledge swiftly.