Joseph Locke Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Joseph Locke Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this nurturing and inclusive school.

Positive relationships between adults and pupils are at the heart of this school community. Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment activities such as football, sewing, games club and cookery. Pupils across the whole school are proactive in their leadership roles.

They contribute to important decisions such as deciding on fundraising events and improving playtime activities. Trained pupil first aiders play an important role in taking care of their peers. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.<...br/>
They have a mature understanding of important concepts like equality.

Pupils know what is expected of them. Behaviour is positive in classrooms and around school.

Pupils understand that some of their friends have different needs to themselves and are kind and supportive. Bullying is rare, and pupils feel confident that adults will sort out any problems quickly. Pupils are safe in school.

Pupils benefit from a well-designed, interesting curriculum. Children in the early years get off to a strong start. Routines are quickly established.

The school prioritises language development and early reading. This prepares children well for future learning. Pupils achieve well.

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

Leaders are determined that all pupils learn to read. Work begins at the start of early years. Phonics is taught consistently well by trained adults.

Staff are skilled at holding pupils' interest in lessons. Pupils quickly learn to decode and begin to read confidently and accurately. Any gaps in their knowledge are swiftly identified.

A range of interventions are used effectively to help pupils to catch up. However, the teaching of reading beyond phonics is not as well thought out. Some pupils, in particular the most able pupils, do not make the progress that they should.

The school recognises this is an area for improvement.The school has designed an ambitious curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils. Art and design is taught well across school.

Pupils study a range of artists and techniques. They can appraise their own work and talk about the inspiration they have taken from work by artists such as Frida Kahlo. Pupils' artwork is of a high standard.

Across the curriculum, pupils have many opportunities to revisit and build on their prior learning in lessons. Staff quickly identify and address any misunderstandings that pupils may have. Teachers' enthusiasm is infectious, and pupils are keen to try their best.

Learning is enjoyable.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Staff make adaptations for pupils with SEND when required so that they can learn successfully alongside their classmates.

Those pupils who need more specialist interventions get the right support. Staff monitor interventions regularly to make sure that pupils with SEND stay on track. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

The teaching of mathematics is a strength of the school. Teachers ensure that pupils have a firm understanding of taught mathematical concepts before moving on. Same-day intervention is effective in ensuring that pupils keep up.

Pupils understand that an accurate recall of number facts is important. This is so they can then easily apply their knowledge to problem-solving. Pupils are proud of their work in mathematics.

Children get off to a flying start in the early years. Adults create rich and varied learning opportunities that enable children to learn about the world around them. For example, children were paying close interest to a snail that they had found.

They were keen to learn how to care for it.

The school has made attendance a high priority. Staff work supportively with families to determine the causes of any absence.

Strategies put in place to improve attendance are having a positive impact. Most pupils attend school regularly.

The school's provision for pupils' wider development is strong.

There are many opportunities for pupils to engage in activities that promote their spiritual, moral, cultural, and social development. The school focuses on developing pupils' character. Pupils say they feel proud of their achievements when they have performed in front of others or tried something challenging, for example on the residential visits.

Governors provide effective support and challenge to the school. The school is considerate of staff's well-being and workload. Staff feel valued and enjoy working at the school.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the care and quality of education their children receive.

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's reading curriculum beyond phonics is not rigorous enough.

As a result, pupils are not making as much progress in reading as they should. The school needs to develop a comprehensive approach to teaching reading beyond phonics to ensure that pupils' progress in reading fluency and comprehension improves.

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 March 2015.

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