Etruscan Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Etruscan Primary school is a school that is at the heart of the community. It is a caring and inclusive school. The core values of the school, REACH (respectful, enjoyment, achievement, collaboration, and honesty) permeate throughout all aspects of school life.

Pupils demonstrate these values through their highly positive attitudes to learning. They are polite, well mannered and welcoming. Pupils enjoy learning here.

Pupils benefit from positive, caring relationships with the adults at the school. They know who they can talk to if they are worried about anything. As a result, pupils feel safe and happy in school.

The school has taken decisive action to streng...then the curriculum to improve outcomes for pupils. Some improvements are not fully realised because the curriculum is not consistently delivered as well as it could be. Some pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not achieve as well as they should.

There is a sharp focus on supporting pupils' wider well-being. The school provides highly effective pastoral support for pupils and families. Pupils benefit from taking part in '11 by 11' activities to widen their horizons and enable them to make a positive contribution to their community.

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

The school has overhauled the curriculum to ensure that it is ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. Pupils learn about their local heritage as well as celebrating global diversity. For each subject, it is clear what pupils will learn and how they will build their knowledge and skills over time.

In some subjects, the school has not evaluated how well the curriculum is being implemented. Therefore, there are some inconsistencies in how well subject content is implemented. In some subject areas, checks on learning do not always identify whether pupils have remembered and understood what they have been taught.

This prevents pupils from building knowledge securely.

Pupils with SEND rightly access the same curriculum as their peers. They benefit from regular carefully considered interventions to address any gaps in their learning.

Some lessons are adapted successfully, for example, through the use of additional resources, to support pupils with SEND to learn well. However, this is not always the case. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they should.

Children in the early years settle in quickly. Staff's sharp focus on vocabulary helps children to develop their language and communication skills. The learning environment has been revamped to support pupils to play, explore and be curious in their learning with greater success.

Reading is prioritised by the school and pupils develop a love of reading as soon as they join the school. Staff are trained to deliver the chosen phonics programme consistently well. Teachers design appropriate activities to enable pupils to practise the sounds they have learned.

Pupils who struggle with the phonics programme, receive extra help from staff when needed. This helps more pupils to read confidently and fluently.

The school's programme for the personal development of pupils is thorough and well planned.

The school's intention to shape well-rounded citizens as well as successful learners is realised. The school's motto, 'Reach for the stars', fully embodies its ambition to raise aspirations through the career links that are made throughout the curriculum. Pupils understand the importance of respect and tolerance.

Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. They value diversity. Pupils enjoy the extra-curricular opportunities available to them.

However, they would like further places to be available so that more pupils can attend. Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips and external visitors, which enrich the curriculum. Pupils develop their independence through eagerly taking on leadership roles in school, such as being a 'prefect' or a member of the school council.

Strategies to improve pupils' rates of attendance have been successful. The school communicates well with families, offering support, including from outside agencies, when required. This has led to the attendance of many pupils improving.

The school works diligently to involve parents and carers with their children's learning. For example, parents can attend workshops and coffee mornings. Furthermore, adult learning classes are soon to re-start following the creation of a community room over the summer break.

Staff, pupils and parents say that they are united by the school's current vision and leadership. They are highly complimentary about the culture of the school, which has been galvanised over the last year. Staff feel valued and are proud to work at the school.

Local governors know the school's strengths and areas for improvement well. They provide appropriate support and challenge to help the school to improve further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum is not adapted well enough for some pupils with SEND. This means that some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff get the information and training they need to support all pupils with SEND well.

• In some subjects, there is limited monitoring and evaluation of how well the curriculum is being implemented. Therefore, there are some inconsistencies in how well subject content is implemented. The school needs to provide subject leaders with the right training and opportunities to develop their confidence and expertise in monitoring and improving their subject, so that outcomes improve.

In some subjects, the school has not developed successful systems to accurately check on how well pupils learn. This prevents pupils from building knowledge securely. The school should ensure that staff accurately check pupil's learning, in all subjects, to help pupils to know and remember more.