Low Road Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are happy and safe. Staff create beautiful environments where pupils can thrive.

They provide the care and nurture each pupil needs to do their best. Pupils are proud to perform the school anthem, which they helped to write. It represents the school's vision that anything is possible.

The school has high aspirations for every pupil, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is broad and engaging. Enrichment activities, such as visits to outdoor activity centres, a living history museum, art galleries and a farm, help to bring learning to life.

Pupils are polite and respectful.... They try hard in lessons and play happily together at breaktimes. There are no recorded incidents of bullying or of racist or homophobic name-calling.

Pupils say that, occasionally, some pupils are silly in class and that bullying and inappropriate name-calling happen. They are confident that staff deal effectively with any issues.

Music is at the heart of school life.

Every pupil learns to play a musical instrument and has voice coaching. They have many opportunities to perform for parents and carers and in the community. Staff provide a changing programme of after-school clubs for pupils to enjoy.

These include craft, computing, multi-sports, choir and string band.

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

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with SEND. Adaptations help pupils study the full curriculum wherever possible.

These include the use of additional adult support and physical resources. These adaptations help most pupils with SEND to achieve well.

Teachers repeat and revisit learning to help pupils remember more.

They check pupils' understanding and help them to keep up. Over sequences of lessons, pupils build step by step on prior learning. For example, in a computing lesson, pupils created a drum and bass track.

They used their knowledge of music technology learned in previous lessons. However, some pupils struggle to remember curriculum content over longer periods. For example, they are unable to remember important knowledge from personal, social and health education (PSHE).

Some pupils struggle to remember number facts.

The school values and promotes reading for pleasure. Teachers read to pupils every day.

The school library is a welcoming and comfortable space to settle down with a book. High-quality books that interest and engage pupils are available around school. The school provides weekly stay-and-read sessions for parents of children in Reception.

This helps parents to read with their children at home. Teachers have the expertise to deliver effective daily phonics sessions. They check pupils' phonics knowledge throughout each session.

They provide 'keep-up' support every day. Pupils who have fallen behind in reading receive regular help to catch up.

In early years, the curriculums for reading and number prepare children for the next stage of learning.

Further work is under way to ensure that all areas of learning provide a firm foundation for learning in Year 1. The learning environment provides opportunities for children to explore and follow their ideas and interests. Adults support them in their play.

Where high-quality adult interactions take place, the impact is visible. However, opportunities to help children develop their ideas, communication and language are sometimes missed.

Leaders and governors want every pupil to develop self-esteem and confidence.

Visits by inspirational role models help to raise pupils' aspirations. Pupils are able to become school councillors, eco-leaders and librarians. Assemblies, events, visits and visitors enhance pupils' broader development.

Pupils learn about other faiths, mental and physical health and diversity. The curriculum includes online safety, the dangers of knife crime and drug awareness. Pupils remember important facts about online safety.

Their knowledge of different faiths, British values and healthy lifestyles is less secure.

Staff appreciate the opportunities they have for professional development. Colleagues from across the federation provide valuable support for each other.

Staff say leaders and governors are mindful of their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils do not remember prior learning consistently well across the curriculum.

Leaders should check what pupils can remember and adjust the curriculum to address gaps in pupils' knowledge. ? Missed opportunities to extend children's ideas in the early years influence how well they develop communication and language skills. Leaders should provide appropriate training in effective communication and modelling of language for staff.