Godfrey Ermen Memorial CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being at this school. They conduct themselves well and have positive relationships with staff.

Pupils said that their teachers are kind and caring. They also said that their classmates are respectful of each other's differences. This helps pupils to feel secure, accepted and valued members of the school community.

Pupils spoke highly of the many extra-curricular clubs on offer. These clubs range from sports to art, choir and sewing. Pupils' uptake of these clubs is high.

Older pupils appreciate the lessons that teach them how to cycle safely in public spaces. Pupils take on a range of responsibilities such as being school councillors and digital ...leaders. They look forward to their residential trips.

The school has high expectations for what pupils should achieve in the early years and in subjects such as English and mathematics. This includes for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, leaders are still working to finalise their expectations for what pupils should learn in some other curriculum subjects.

Younger pupils are starting to achieve well in their learning. That said, older pupils have not achieved as well as they could in recent times.

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

The school has taken positive steps to develop its curriculum since the last inspection.

For example, it has now outlined its broad expectations for the knowledge and skills that pupils should acquire by the end of each year. In some subjects, and in the early years, the school has also broken down these expectations into smaller, logical steps of learning. This helps staff to deliver new subject content well.

In turn, pupils, particularly those in younger year groups, are starting to build a secure body of knowledge.

Although the school has improved aspects of its curriculum, more work is still required. In several subjects, the school is still at an early stage of identifying the specific knowledge that pupils need to know.

Consequently, teachers do not have enough guidance on what they should teach. In these subjects, some lessons do not build well on what has come before. This leads to pupils developing gaps in their knowledge, or only gaining a superficial understanding of what they are taught.

In English and mathematics, the school has introduced assessment approaches that help to pinpoint the gaps that pupils have in their learning. This is beginning to help teachers to close some of the historic knowledge gaps that pupils still have in these subjects. However, these checks on learning are lacking in most other curriculum subjects.

This means that the school is not sure what pupils know and remember. In turn, the school is not well placed to address some of the knowledge gaps and misconceptions that pupils have.

The school is improving its ability to evaluate the impact of its curriculum.

However, this work is still in development. This means that the school is at an early stage of addressing some variability in how the curriculum is being implemented.

The school puts a high priority on pupils learning to read.

Children start to learn about letters and the sounds that they make as soon as they begin their schooling. Staff are well trained in the school's chosen phonics scheme. They deliver this scheme consistently well.

Pupils read books that are closely matched to the sounds that they know. Those who need extra help with their reading receive highly effective additional support. This is helping more pupils to develop into fluent, confident readers.

Pupils behave well in classrooms and around the school. They engage in their learning and are attentive in lessons. Children in the early years settle in well.

They receive effective support to quickly learn classroom routines and expectations. This helps children in the early years to get off to a positive start.

Pupils' attendance at school is not enough of a high priority.

The school has taken some actions to improve pupils' attendance. However, these actions are not having the desired effect. Many pupils continue to miss out on important learning.

This causes these pupils to develop gaps in their knowledge over time.

The school provides well for pupils' personal development. Pupils learn to value and respect the differences of others.

They are taught how to develop and maintain healthy relationships. They know how to keep themselves safe online. They engage with their local police force to learn how to be a positive member of their local community.

They have a secure knowledge of physical health. Pupils value the range of trips and experiences that enhance their learning in different curriculum subjects.

Staff have the knowledge and skills to quickly identify pupils with potential SEND.

The school ensures that pupils with additional needs are supported to access the same curriculum as their classmates.

Staff spoke positively about the support that they get from leaders to manage their workload. This includes getting dedicated time to carry out additional tasks asked of them.

Many members of the governing body are new since the last inspection. Governors have increased the level of challenge that they provide school leaders. However, they are not well informed about some issues that are impacting on pupils' achievement.

This means that governors do not concentrate enough of their efforts on improving some of the most pressing issues for the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school is not doing all that it reasonably can to improve pupils' attendance.

This means that many pupils miss out on important learning, which is causing gaps in their knowledge over time. The school should review the actions that it takes to ensure that more pupils attend school regularly. ? The school is still in the process of setting out the crucial knowledge that pupils need to learn.

This means that, in some subjects, teachers are sometimes uncertain about what to teach. Pupils' knowledge is variable in some of these subjects. The school should complete its curriculum development work so that teachers have clear guidance on what they should teach their pupils.

• The school has not sufficiently developed its assessment strategies since the previous inspection. This means that, in many subjects beyond English and mathematics, the school remains limited in being able to identify and address the gaps that pupils have in their learning. The school should ensure that staff are well equipped to establish what pupils know and remember in these subjects.

• The school is at the early stages of developing systems, and staff, so that it can review the quality and impact of its subject curriculums. This sometimes means that the school does not act quickly enough to address variabilities in how some subjects are being taught. The school should ensure that it has clearer oversight of how the curriculum is delivered so that it can swiftly address issues that impact on how well pupils learn.

• Governors do not have enough insight into some of the school's development needs. This means that some issues are not given due care and attention. Governors should ensure that they gather sufficient information to help them to provide robust strategic direction and challenge.

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