Friarage Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Friarage are proud to attend this school. They are happy and safe.

Well-trained and committed staff ensure that this is the case through very effective procedures for safeguarding. Trusted adults help pupils with any problems they might have. Pupils are polite and kind to others.

They understand the fundamental rules of the school, the 'Friarage 4'. Pupils carry out roles of responsibility, such as play leaders, confidently and proudly.

Bullying is infrequent.

Staff deal with any incidents of bullying quickly. Pupils understand the behaviour systems that leaders have put in place. The new behaviour policy has had a positive impact on pupils...' behaviour throughout the school.

Leaders across the school have a clear vision and high ambition for pupils' behaviour and achievement. While this ambition is being realised for behaviour, pupils' achievement does not match the school's intentions. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

Some subject curriculums require further development.

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

In early years, there is a clear focus on children's communication and language. In Reception, skilled adults encourage children to develop their phonics knowledge.

This prepares them well to become confident and fluent readers. Opportunities for children to develop a range of skills are well planned and implemented. Many children make accelerated progress.

However, current published outcomes do not reflect the quality of many aspects of the early years provision. These outcomes are not high enough at present. Neither are those in key stages 1 and 2.

High-quality phonics provision continues in key stages 1 and 2. Additional support enables pupils to gain the skills and knowledge they need effectively. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the support that meets their individual needs well.

Pupils have very positive attitudes to reading. Leaders across the school ensure that pupils access a wide range of high-quality texts. These texts have been carefully chosen to reflect the very diverse pupil population within the school.

The school has recently reviewed and refined some of its foundation subject curriculums, including art and history. These have been tailored to the school's context. They are well planned and well sequenced.

Although curriculum developments are only at the very early stages of implementation, pupils are beginning to benefit from the rich learning opportunities the school has built into these new curriculums. Leaders' high ambitions for the curriculum are not fully realised. Assessment is not used effectively to ensure teaching addresses gaps in pupils' learning or to gain an accurate understanding of pupils' progress.

Pupils enjoy coming to school. However, too many pupils are persistently absent. These pupils miss a great deal of curriculum content.

They fall behind their peers and do not attend often enough to catch up. Leaders work with pupils and their families to identify and address the barriers to regular attendance. This partnership work is beginning to bear fruit.

The opportunities that pupils have for leadership are a strength of the school's provision. Young interpreters help those pupils who arrive in school with little spoken English. Play leaders help other pupils to play productively at breaktimes and lunchtimes.

Pupils in Years 5 and 6 benefit from the activities provided by the Children's University, especially by receiving arts, academic, community and sports awards. Participation and graduation rates are high, particularly for pupils with SEND and for those who speak English as an additional language (EAL).

Pupils display tolerance and understanding towards those from different cultures and faiths.

They speak confidently about the importance of equality. Pupils learn about a range of different religions. Their knowledge helps them to be prepared well for life in modern Britain.

Pupils are at the heart of all leadership decisions in the school. There are high expectations and ambitions for all, although these are not evident in current academic outcomes. The trust has taken effective action, including seeking external expertise, to address the areas of the school's work that require development.

Governors and trustees receive the information they need to make informed and strategic decisions. These decisions have had a marked and positive impact since the school became a sponsored academy with Coast and Vale Learning Trust.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The planned curriculum is not delivered consistently. This means that pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable. The school must ensure that the curriculums are embedded to prepare pupils well for the next stage of their education.

• Some foundation subject curriculums have been put into practice recently. This means that the implementation of these curriculums is not secure and consistent. The school should check these curriculums regularly to ensure they reflect leaders' high ambitions.

• Assessment is not used effectively in some foundation subjects. This means that teaching does not consistently address gaps in pupils' learning. The school must develop its assessment procedures in these subjects to ensure gaps in pupils' knowledge are closed rapidly.