Great Dunmow Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this happy inclusive school.

They are incredibly proud of their school. Pupils value that they have friends who are kind and staff that care for them. Pupils appreciate how staff listen and quickly resolve any worries they may have.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary in classrooms and during social times. Pupils delight in receiving a special school badge for 'doing the right thing'. They enjoy celebrating the achievements of their classmates.

Pupils work well together across the school. This makes classrooms purposeful places to learn.

Pupils celebrate faiths and cultures that may be different from their own.

For example, the...y discussed the festival of Diwali with respect because their teachers have taught them the importance of learning about others.

The school provides a range of educational experiences to enrich the curriculum. There are a wide range of clubs here, such as dodgeball, gardening and cookery club.

These clubs are very well attended. Pupils take part in a high number of sporting competitions with success. These opportunities support pupils to develop resilience.

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

Reading is a priority here. Pupils are eager to talk about their favourite authors. Staff read aloud to pupils regularly and authors visit the school to share books with pupils.

These experiences develop a love for reading.

Staff have received effective training to teach reading. There is a consistent approach to the teaching of reading across classes.

The school wants pupils to develop confidence in reading. Therefore, children begin to learn phonics as soon as they join the Reception Year. The school is successful in ensuring that pupils recall sounds well.

Pupils practise reading daily. They develop reading fluency by reading books with letters and sounds they know. This means that pupils read with enthusiasm and access reading well, across the curriculum.

Those pupils at risk of falling behind are quickly given help to keep up.

The school has in place an ambitious curriculum. The school has identified the key content for pupils to learn from Reception to Year 6.

Teachers present this content in a logical order. For example, in the Reception Year, children confidently recognise small amounts of objects without counting. This is because the school has taught them what each number is made up of.

Teachers have good subject knowledge. They explain new concepts clearly and correct misconceptions promptly. For example, in history, Year 4 pupils explained how artefacts help them to understand the past.

This is because teachers have taught them about the reliability of different historical sources.

The school identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) as early as possible. Teaching staff are well trained.

They effectively make adaptations to teaching so these pupils can achieve well.

Pupils achieve highly in mathematics and English. Over time, high pupil outcomes in the national assessments at the end of Year 6 reflect this.

However, pupils' achievement in some wider curriculum subjects is not as high. This is because the checking of what pupils know and remember is not always effective. This means staff cannot pick up on mistakes and misconceptions as quickly as they might.

The school has extremely high expectations of pupils. Pupils' attitudes to their learning are excellent. This starts from the Reception Year, where children learn to follow routines and to share.

Learning is not interrupted by any silly behaviour.

The programme for personal development is exceptional. Pupils visit the Houses of Parliament and magistrates visit the school to discuss the importance of rules.

These experiences help pupils to understand the values of honesty and respect. Pupils learn about consent and healthy relationships in an age-appropriate manner.

The school has identified significant individuals that pupils will learn about.

Through assemblies, carefully chosen visitors share their journey of being different. This helps pupils to appreciate the uniqueness of everyone.

The school provides opportunities for pupils to take on roles of responsibility.

Pupils in Year 6 are 'buddied' with children in the Reception Year. This helps children to settle into school quickly. Pupils learn to look after their environment.

Eco-warriors show responsibility by reminding staff of the importance of conserving energy. Pupils plant seeds to grow vegetables. They look after, harvest, and cook them.

These opportunities enable pupils to show the school's values of respect and effort.

Governors have an accurate understanding of the school. They have appropriate systems in place to check the effectiveness of the school.

Staff are extremely proud to work here. They value the initiatives to support their well-being and manage their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the school's checks on how well pupils have learned the curriculum are not fully effective. This means that some pupils have gaps in their learning which staff have not addressed. The school needs to strengthen this aspect of its work so that pupils achieve highly across the breadth of the curriculum.

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