Forres Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Forres Primary School is a caring place for pupils to learn and develop. Pupils are confident that they can be themselves in school.

They feel safe, included and cared for by the adults who work with them.

Pupils get on well with each other. They say there is very little bullying.

When bullying occurs, adults are good at managing it and sorting it out. Pupils trust the adults in school. They are confident they will get support whenever they have concerns.

Pupils like being with their friends. They generally behave well. However, adults' expectations of pupils' behaviour in lessons are not consistently high enough.

As a result, pupils sometim...es lose concentration and focus and do not achieve their best.

Pupils enjoy the subjects they study. There have been improvements to the curriculum and how it is taught.

However, pupils' achievement across the full range of subjects is too variable.

Pupils are encouraged to look after their mental and physical health. They take on roles in school that help them to develop their independence and responsibility.

Pupils learn about different cultures and religions. They celebrate the range of cultures in their own community. This supports pupils' understanding of their local area and the wider world.

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

The school has had many significant changes in the last year. This includes a lot of changes to the curriculum.

Leaders are ambitious for their pupils.

They have worked well to develop curriculum plans in all subjects. Pupils learn a broad and balanced curriculum. Some plans are well sequenced, so that teachers are clear about what to teach and when.

Pupils then build on their previous knowledge in lessons and are successful. Other plans are less detailed. Teachers do not teach important knowledge in the correct order.

At times, they miss key aspects of knowledge such as vocabulary. As a result, pupils do not learn what they should. Therefore, pupils' achievement across the whole curriculum is patchy.

Teachers have received training to improve their subject knowledge. This has helped them to deliver some aspects of the curriculum well. Teachers have not yet had training to deliver all areas of the new curriculum.

As a result, their subject knowledge in some curriculum areas is not good. In these subjects, teachers do not spot pupils' errors and misconceptions quickly and correct them. They do not routinely use their checks on pupils' understanding well to adapt future teaching.

As a result, pupils do not remember important knowledge easily, and find it hard to learn more complex ideas in some subjects.

The behaviour policy is new. Some staff do not follow this policy as they should.

Not all staff have consistently high expectations of pupils' behaviour. On occasions, pupils interrupt learning or talk over the teacher. Teachers do not address this quickly.

This prevents some lessons from running smoothly and interrupts pupils' learning.

Leaders are ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They have raised expectations of what pupils with SEND can achieve.

Leaders ensure that all pupils are included in all lessons. Leaders have effective systems in place to identify pupils' needs quickly. Pupils with SEND receive support through carefully planned adaptations in class.

This ensures that, where teaching is effective, they are successful in their learning.

Children in the early years have a good start to their education. Leaders have thought carefully about what children need to know so that they are ready for Year 1.

They have planned their curriculum so that children learn and achieve well. Children are developing positive attitudes to their learning. They listen to adults and are excited about their learning.

Leaders have rightly prioritised early reading development. Staff are well trained to teach the early reading curriculum. School leaders have invested in new resources.

All pupils now read from books that contain the sounds they are familiar with. Pupils read confidently and fluently from these books.

Pupils' personal development is a strength of the school.

Promoting mental health awareness is a priority. Leaders organise events and visitors that support pupils' understanding of the wider local community. Pupils know that families can look different to their own.

Leaders adapt the curriculum when needed in response to pupils' needs. For example, aspects of healthy relationships were re-visited recently with older pupils.

Governors and the local authority work in close partnership with the school.

They share the same priorities as school leaders and support the school to improve further. However, leaders' priorities for improving the curriculum need a sharper focus to bring about the intended improvements.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders carry out thorough pre-employment checks on staff and visitors to school.Staff are well trained to spot concerns about pupils. They know who to report concerns to, including any concerns they may have about other staff.

Leaders work effectively with other agencies when pupils and families need help.The school has also developed many of its own resources to help pupils receive support early and quickly.

Pupils learn how to look after their mental and physical health.

They learn how to stay safe, including when working online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Not all staff have the subject knowledge to plan, teach and adapt learning across the curriculum. As a result, teachers sometimes miss the most important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to move on with their learning.

Leaders must put in place appropriate training so that teachers have the expertise and knowledge to teach all subjects effectively. ? Teachers do not routinely check pupils' understanding or identify misconceptions. This means that misunderstandings persist and pupils do not have a secure understanding of important subject knowledge.

Leaders must ensure that systems are in place that support teachers to check whether pupils are retaining their learning, so that pupils know more and remember more over their time in school. ? Staff do not have consistently high expectations of behaviour. Some low-level disruption and off-task behaviour go unchallenged.

This means that pupils' learning is disrupted. Not all pupils are supported to develop positive attitudes to learning. Leaders must ensure that the behaviour policy is understood and implemented consistently by all adults across the school.