Germoe Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Germoe Community Primary School are polite and courteous. Pupils say, 'We are a welcoming school.' Staff build positive relationships with pupils.

This helps pupils to learn in a calm and nurturing environment.

The school is ambitious for pupils to learn well. This starts in the early years, where children get off to a strong start.

The 'inquiry' curriculum provides many opportunities for children to learn both indoors and outdoors. Children are supported to develop independence and build resilience.

Pupils learn to be respectful and active citizens.

For example, they take part in litter picking on the beach while collecting materi...als to recycle for a lighting project. The development of character is promoted through various pupil leadership roles. These include anti-bullying ambassadors and school councillors.

Pupils know their voice matters.

Parents are supportive of the school. They praise the care and support their children receive.

Parents and pupils value the opportunities pupils have to develop their talents, such as the range of clubs on offer. Pupils say these help them to improve their skills, such as artistic skills through the art club.

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

The school has identified the knowledge it wants pupils to know and remember.

The school's approach to teaching the curriculum encourages pupils to be independent learners, showing curiosity about the world around them. Within the curriculum design, the important concepts that are to be revisited over time have been identified. For example, in history, concepts such as monarchy and empire are threaded through the curriculum.

Teachers use a range of strategies to help pupils learn. Pupils have opportunities to revisit what they have learned before. For example, in mathematics, pupils take part in a 'discovery' mathematics session to support their memory and retrieval of their prior learning.

Teaching is adapted to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, pupils benefit from the use of objects to enable a hands-on approach to support their understanding in mathematics.

Assessment is used to check what pupils know and remember.

Teachers use assessment to provide regular feedback to pupils about how well they are learning the curriculum. However, sometimes assessment is not used precisely enough in identifying pupils' misconceptions. Some pupils make repeated errors in their learning, particularly in their writing.

For example, inaccurate letter formation, grammar and punctuation are not always picked up and so pupils' progress stalls.

The school supports pupils to learn to read and to develop an enjoyment of reading. This starts in the early years, where children enjoy regular story times as a group and in the reading corner.

Across the school, pupils value reading and take pleasure in sharing their favourite books and authors.

Pupils are taught how to read from the start of Reception. Staff have the expertise they need to teach the phonics programme successfully.

Most pupils read books that match the sounds they know. In many cases, assessment is used to identify gaps in their knowledge. However, a few pupils do not get the precise support they need as they move up through the school.

Gaps in their phonics knowledge are not addressed quickly enough to develop their reading securely. Consequently, these pupils find it harder to read fluently and to learn the curriculum.

The school is calm and orderly.

Pupils value making their own class rules through the 'class charter' at the start of the school year. Most pupils show positive attitudes to their learning. They engage well and know the expectations of staff.

This starts in the early years, where children settle well. They know the school routines, such as how to sit sensibly on the carpet when listening to a story.

Pupils' wider development is considered well.

The school provides many opportunities to enhance the curriculum. Pupils value these experiences. They enjoy the trips that enrich their knowledge.

For example, pupils visited a local 'Britain in the Blitz' exhibition linked to their historical study. Pupils have an experience of democracy through the school's 'pupil parliament'. They share ideas to change the school through their representatives.

Pupils talk confidently about their tolerance of others, including those who may have differing beliefs.

The school monitors the implementation of the curriculum well. However, monitoring of some other areas of the school's work lacks rigour.

Some of the information the school shares with governors is not precise, such as information about aspects of safeguarding. This makes it hard for governors to hold leaders to account fully in these areas.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

At the time of the inspection, minor weaknesses in the implementation of the school's safeguarding policy were identified. These included staff training and record-keeping. The school, with support from the local authority, took rapid action to address these deficiencies during the inspection.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the school does not use assessment precisely. As a result, some pupils make repeated errors in their learning that go unaddressed. The school needs to ensure assessment is used effectively to check how well pupils are building their knowledge and adjust learning to address pupils' misconceptions.

• A small minority of pupils at the early stages of learning to read are not supported well enough to grasp the basics of reading. These pupils do not become confident, fluent readers quickly. The school must ensure that these pupils get the precise support they need to learn to read successfully.

• The school, including the governing body, does not monitor safeguarding practice with enough rigour. Consequently, some elements of this work, such as following government guidance in relation to record-keeping and training, are not fully adhered to. The school must ensure that statutory safeguarding guidance is implemented rigorously.