Larchwood Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this happy and welcoming school.

Staff expect pupils to work hard and they do. They know why 'achievement and enjoyment' are important goals. The ethos of the school shines through as pupils model their six school values.

This helps to prepare pupils well for their next stage of learning.

Pupils are kind and respect each other. They freely share their views and opinions.

For example, when discussing different religious beliefs. Pupils know staff will listen to and value them. This helps them to feel safe.

The school has carefully designed high-quality enrichment opportunities. Pupils benefit greatly from this. Trips to... museums and farms help pupils to learn more about the subjects they study.

A range of visitors, including other pupils from China, open pupils' eyes to the world around them. The junior governing board learn the importance of responsibility through their roles. They appreciate having a say in how to make improvements to the school.

They are proud to have raised funds to improve resources for the playground.

Pupils love the extensive extra-curricular opportunities on offer such as playing chess, singing in the choir, learning to ride a bike in Year 2, or planting at gardening club. These provide pupils with many opportunities to develop talents and interests.

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

The school has refined the curriculum over recent years. They have identified the important knowledge pupils need to learn and understand. This is set into a logical order.

The school expects pupils to apply their knowledge to increasingly complex learning. Pupils do this appropriately in many subjects. For example, pupils learn about influential artists before securing their understanding of different sketching techniques.

This helps pupils to create high quality artwork. However, occasionally staff expect pupils to complete complex tasks before they have the prior knowledge they need. When this happens, pupils have misconceptions and do not understand important content as well as they could.

Children make a flying start in the Reception classes. This is because staff are experts at identifying and supporting their needs. Children learn the routines and expectations of school quickly.

They listen and concentrate exceptionally well when learning to read and write. Interactions between children are of an incredibly high quality. They are kind and happily take turns such as when choosing their favourite snack from the fruit bowl.

The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities with precision. The school provides staff with training in how to make useful adaptations for these pupils. For example, staff provide pupils with resources that remind them of the sounds that letters make.

This helps pupils to access their learning.Reading is a highlight of the school day for many. This ranges from listening to a favourite story in the Reception class to choosing a new book from 'the hub'.

The school identifies pupils who need more help with reading. These pupils then receive effective support. Reading books match the sounds pupils know so they can practise them.

Well-trained staff help pupils to sound out and blend unfamiliar words to become more confident readers.

The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum teaches an understanding of differences. It also teaches pupils how to maintain healthy lifestyles.

This includes the importance of healthy relationships. Carefully planned assembly themes enhance this further. Pupils develop a secure understanding of the knowledge they need to be well-prepared for their futures.

Pupils behave well in lessons. They also behave when walking throughout the school or playing outside. Sports coaches help pupils to play structured games during lunchtime.

Pupils also play their own games and readily join in with each other. There is a buzz to the dining hall as pupils sit down to chat over lunch.

The school works with families to remove some of the barriers that prevent pupils attending school regularly.

They have success in much of this. However, there remains a small group of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, who regularly miss too much school. This leads to gaps in their learning.

The school, and the trust, are working on how to better improve some of their systems for addressing this.

The trust, and the school, proactively look for ways to improve the provision on offer. The trust provides effective support to the school.

It checks how well leaders are working towards key areas to improve. Leaders have created an environment where staff are incredibly well-respected and supported. Staff are freely giving of their time to run the wide ranging extra-curricular offer in place.

They are immensely proud to be a part of the school. Parents are equally appreciative of the way staff and leaders support their children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally staff expect pupils to complete complex work before they are ready. When this happens, pupils do not secure their understanding as well as they should. Staff should ensure pupils secure the building blocks of knowledge they need before attempting to apply this knowledge to more complex work.

There are a small number of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, who are persistently absent from school. This means they miss important learning and have gaps in their knowledge. The school, and the trust, should ensure their systems for securing positive attendance result in reduced absence for these pupils.