Friskney All Saints Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this warm and welcoming school.

The school is ambitious for all pupils.

It has made many improvements to the curriculum, to deepen pupils' knowledge. Pupils enjoy learning the subjects that they are taught. They achieve well.

This is an inclusive school. Recent improvements in the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) ensure they are supported well. Strong pastoral support for all pupils' social and emotional well-being enables pupils to thrive.

Pupils are sensitive to the needs of others and understand that people are all different. They respect that some of their friends might ha...ve different learning requirements.

The 'Friskney Five' school values of love, hope, respect, trust, and kindness are proudly displayed.

Pupils know and live out these values. They are good friends to each other. Pupils welcome leadership roles, such as playground leaders.

They organise popular games at lunchtime for everyone to enjoy.

Pupils flourish from the choice of well-attended clubs on offer. For example, engineering club.

They develop new interests through these. The school encourages pupils to recognise and celebrate their own unique gifts and talents. Pupils are confident to talk about their individual achievements in the arts or sports.

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

The school has recently improved its curriculum, which is founded on the school's principles of 'old and new horizons'. This helps pupils understand important links between local context and knowledge of the wider world. For example, in history pupils learn about the significant connection between the local town of Boston and the American city of Boston.

Curriculum subjects are sequenced well, with the foundations of knowledge established effectively in the early years.

Staff use appropriate strategies to introduce new knowledge to pupils. They prioritise vocabulary development to deepen pupils' understanding.

Pupils with SEND access the same learning as their peers. They achieve well from their starting points. Staff make regular checks on what pupils know and remember.

This allows them to identify any gaps or misconceptions in learning that pupils develop. Pupils learn new knowledge well, but sometimes do not recall all of the knowledge that they have been taught in previous topics.

The school gives pupils useful opportunities to write about the knowledge that they have understood and remembered.

However, pupils' written presentation is not always of a high standard. Sometimes, this hinders communication of their learning.

Reading is taught effectively and pupils, including children in the early years, make a strong start with early reading skills.

This begins well with language and communication development. Children enjoy songs, sounds and rhymes. The school's chosen phonics scheme is implemented well for all early readers.

Skilled staff use consistent routines to teach phonics effectively. Pupils, including those with SEND, demonstrate the reading skills they have been taught to help them read fluently.

Pupils benefit from a carefully curated and diverse reading curriculum.

Books are selected to link well with topics being studied. For example, a range of fiction and non-fiction books linked to minibeasts are enjoyed by children in the early years.

The school has a clear approach for pupils' good behaviour choices.

Staff have consistently high expectations of all pupils. Classrooms are positive environments, where pupils typically concentrate well. Pupils who need support to help manage their behaviour benefit from carefully planned programmes to help them succeed.

The school has successfully reduced the number of pupil suspensions. There is a caring ethos for all pupils to flourish, including in the early years, where children have a nurturing start to their education.

Attendance for all pupils is managed well.

The school has an effective personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) curriculum. Pupils learn about life in modern Britain and understand about protected characteristics and discrimination. They learn about road safety and online safety.

Pupils are inspired by the school's annual careers week. This event enriches the PSHE curriculum with visits from local businesses and the Royal Air Force to support pupils' awareness of future opportunities. The school encourages pupils' citizenship.

For example, pupils fundraise for local charities.

Staff are well supported with training through expertise from the trust and other partnership networks. Staff value leaders' consideration for their well-being and workload.

Local governors and trustees are effective in carrying out their legal responsibilities. There are rigorous systems in place to monitor school improvements. Many parents and carers recognise and value these improvements and the care from staff.

One parent who expressed a view typical of many said: 'The staff really care very deeply; they act with a sense of mission.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some curriculum subjects are new and embedding.

Sometimes, there is not enough opportunity for pupils to revisit important knowledge in these subjects. As a result, they do not remember some of the knowledge they have previously been taught. The school should continue to embed the new curriculum and ensure that pupils are supported well with opportunities to recall and remember all the content they are taught so that new learning builds effectively over time.

• The school has not ensured that pupils' written presentation of what they have learned is done well. Pupils' communication of what they understand is hindered by poor handwriting, presentation and recording in books. The school should ensure that pupils are able to communicate their understanding well in all written forms.