High Ercall Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

High Ercall Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

High Ercall Primary is a highly motivating place for pupils to learn.

Pupils love coming to school and attend regularly. They say that the teachers make them feel safe, confident and happy.

Leaders expect pupils to behave well.

They monitor behaviour carefully. Leaders act quickly to support pupils to make better choices if there are any potential bullying incidents. As a result, pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning are usually exemplary.

Leaders are determined to provide a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils. In the subjects that have been revi...ewed by leaders, this ambition is being realised. Staff want pupils to enjoy and be active in their learning, and plan innovative ways to achieve this.

For example, on World Book Day, pupils returned in the early evening in pyjamas and with their parents. They drank hot chocolate while teachers read them bedtime stories.

Leaders consistently promote and provide extensive high-quality personal development opportunities for all pupils.

Pupils experience a wide and rich set of experiences through the curriculum and after-school clubs. For example, they enjoy outward-bound trips. Pupils have participated in a national children's choir and sing at community events.

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

The school is well led and managed by school leaders and the governing body.

Leaders ensure that the school provides a broad curriculum. They make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers.

They identify their needs accurately and provide pupils with SEND with additional support, adapted teaching and resources. These adaptations are effective in helping pupils with SEND to access the curriculum. This enables pupils with SEND to achieve well.

Leaders have reviewed most of the curriculum subjects. In the subjects reviewed so far, they have identified the knowledge to be taught and the sequence in which pupils should learn it. For example, the mathematics curriculum provides a clear sequence of learning that teachers follow.

Subject leaders share leaders' ambitions. Many of them make the leaders' plans a reality. New subject leaders get the support they need to lead their curriculum areas effectively.

Consequently, leaders' intentions for an ambitious curriculum are being realised in class in the majority of subjects. In addition, pupils' positive attitudes help them to learn.

Teachers understand leaders' curriculum intentions.

They use the curriculum to plan and deliver sequences of lessons that enable pupils to build on their prior learning. Teachers use assessment effectively to identify any gaps in what pupils know. For instance, they develop curriculum 'mind maps' for different subjects to check what pupils know and to help them remember more.

Leaders carry out rigorous checks on how well the curriculum is being delivered. This helps them to identify what is going well and what additional support or guidance may be needed.

The teaching of reading is a high priority in the school.

Phonics is taught well across the early years, key stage 1 and beyond if required. Pupils read every day in school, and there is an extensive stock of high-quality books. Leaders have carefully considered the books they want pupils to read each year.

They are planned to extend pupils' vocabulary and improve their understanding of literature. Pupils say they love reading and talk confidently about different authors. Pupils receive extra support with reading if they need it, which helps them to catch up

Understanding diversity and building acceptance are among the school's core values.

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum helps pupils to understand fundamental British values, different faiths and cultures. All pupils participate in a well-planned careers week each year. This helps them to learn about different jobs and how these link to the subjects they are learning.

Through a well-thought-through programme of opportunities in school and the community, pupils learn how to become responsible citizens. For example, lunchtime monitors expertly support younger pupils, helping them in kindly ways and rewarding them with stickers that encourage them.

The staff say that leaders provide support to help them manage their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Keeping pupils safe is the highest priority in this school. All staff receive regular training and weekly updates so that they have the information they need to keep pupils safe.

Staff identify and report any concerns quickly. The safeguarding leader is tenacious in following up any concerns so pupils and families get the help they need.

Leaders have thought carefully about what pupils need to know to keep themselves safe.

This is delivered through a well-planned curriculum. For example, there is a strong focus on teaching pupils how to stay safe in different situations, such as online and on the roads.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There are a few areas of the curriculum that leaders still need to review to ensure that they are fully sequenced, reflect the school's two-year curriculum cycle and are embedded in practice.

As a result, in a few curriculum areas pupils have not had the time yet to use their taught knowledge to make links to the key concepts. Leaders should complete these reviews and ensure that they are consistently embedded in practice.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2017.

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