Estcourt Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

Estcourt Primary is a good school. Well-focused leadership together with strong teamwork among the staff have brought about considerable improvements since the last inspection. All groups of pupils are achieving well because of good teaching and effective assessment procedures.

Pupils enjoy the well-planned and imaginative curriculum. Good care, guidance and support contribute well to pupils' good personal development. Outstanding partnerships with other agencies and organisations contribute to pupils' learning and well-being.

Parents and carers are pleased with the care and education provided for their children. A typical parental comment is, 'The school has come on in leaps and bounds.' Fro...m entry to the Early Years Foundation Stage, children get off to a good start.

They make good progress in all areas of learning, often from low starting points. Good progress continues as pupils move through the school. The school has successfully implemented a range of strategies to improve pupils' achievement, particularly in writing.

By the end of Year 6, pupils' attainment is broadly average. Teaching successfully promotes good progress for pupils. Across the school there are examples of outstanding practice.

Teachers' explanations, instructions and questioning are effective. Assessment is used well to plan teaching and to match tasks to pupils' abilities. In most classes, pupils know how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve because teachers set specific individual learning targets for reading, writing and mathematics.

This very good practice is not fully consistent in all classes and sometimes opportunities are missed for pupils to assess their own work. Just occasionally, learning can decline to levels that are satisfactory, rather than good, when lessons lack pace. Pupils make good progress in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

They are courteous, friendly and considerate of others. Pupils are keen and enthusiastic learners who relate well to adults and to their peers. Behaviour is good in lessons and around the school.

Pupils feel safe and well cared for at school because of the good attention to safeguarding. They show a good understanding of leading a healthy lifestyle. Pupils make a valuable contribution to the school and to the wider community.

The school has worked successfully to improve attendance and this is broadly average. It has not persuaded a few families of the benefits of their children attending more regularly and is exploring ways of raising the profile of good attendance with them. With inspirational leadership, the headteacher has built a strong team of staff and, overall has established effective partnerships with parents and carers.

Key leaders are effectively involved in monitoring and developing their areas of responsibility. Through rigorous and systematic evaluation, the school knows what it does well and identifies key areas for improvement. Good planning and positive action has improved provision and raised pupils' achievement.

Since the last inspection, the Early Years Foundation Stage, pupils' progress, teaching and the curriculum have all improved from satisfactory to good. The school demonstrates a good capacity for sustained improvement.

Information about the school

This is a larger-than-average primary school.

Most of the pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is well above average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is also much higher than average.

A higher than average proportion of pupils join or leave the school other than at the normal starting and leaving points. The school runs a breakfast club and this was part of the inspection. An on-site children's centre and an after-school club are managed by private organisations and these are inspected separately.