Martin Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy attending school. This is because staff create a safe, calm and orderly environment.

All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), access the ambitious curriculum.

Children in the early years receive a very strong start to their learning journey. Outcomes at the end of each key stage are strong. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education and life beyond Martin Primary.

Pupils demonstrate highly positive attitudes in meeting the high expectations set out by school leaders. Relationships at all levels are respectful. This is built on the school's emphasis on respecting each ...other's rights.

Pupils articulate confidently that they have the right to learn and play. They are confident they can share with staff any concerns they may have.

In all subjects, pupils learn content that is connected to real-life experiences.

For instance, the planned approach to educational visits, particularly within the locality, enables pupils to put learning into relevant and meaningful contexts. Leaders ensure that all pupils benefit from these inspiring learning opportunities. The school plays a crucial role within the local community.

The school goes above and beyond in providing extensive support for families in need.

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

The school has undertaken an intensive review of the curriculum. Staff have developed an aspirational curriculum in which crucial content is broken down into small steps.

Key vocabulary, knowledge and skills build progressively over time, in all subjects. For example, in science, pupils learn to question the world around them through increasingly complex experimental testing of ideas. The mathematics curriculum enables pupils to develop knowledge and concepts based on preparation for everyday life.

Teachers model and demonstrate key knowledge and skills effectively. Some staff do not routinely check what pupils know and have learned. This leads to some teaching not being appropriately adapted to meet the immediate needs of pupils within the lesson.

As a result, some pupils do not secure, strengthen or deepen their understanding before the teacher moves on to new content. The recently developed approach to assessment is helping teachers and subject leaders form a greater awareness of what pupils know and remember. This is in its infancy.

The school identifies pupils with SEND effectively from the moment they start school. An extensive range of interventions is in place to help pupils catch up in learning the things they need to know.

The school wants all pupils to be confident and fluent readers.

Leaders place great importance on developing children's communication and language in the early years. Keywords feature highly in the environment and through adults' interactions with children. Pupils are exposed to a wide range of stories and rich texts.

In Reception, adults use the story of 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff' to teach children positional language. Staff regularly introduce new sounds in phonics lessons. Pupils use books that match the sounds they are learning.

They make use of the words they sound out by placing them appropriately into sentences. Pupils enjoy reading for pleasure and visiting the school and local library.

The school provides pupils with secure opportunities to succeed by, for example, fostering the development of self-regulation, perseverance and resilience.

This begins in the early years, where children learn the fundamentals of being a good friend, showing good manners and respecting others. Pupils respond well to instructions. As such, learning proceeds without hindrance.

There is a robust strategy in place for promoting and improving pupils' attendance.Pupils appreciate the many opportunities the school provides to extend and enrich their learning experiences. Leaders are deliberate in organising specific cultural experiences for disadvantaged pupils, including to places such as theatres and exhibitions.

Pupils demonstrate a strong sense of helping others. They take immense pride in contributing to events in the community and wider society through, for example, the collection and donation of food parcels. Pupils know that discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.

This includes judging or harassing others through words or physical actions.Leaders have high expectations for all. They are diligent in their pursuit of excellence.

Those responsible for governance bring a wide range of skills to the governing body. They fulfil their statutory duties in maintaining oversight of the strategic direction of the school and the well-being of the school community. They are well informed.

Opportunities for staff's professional development are clearly identified. Staff appreciate the support and consideration leaders provide in support of their workload and work-life balance.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some staff do not routinely check what pupils know and understand carefully enough. Consequently, some pupils are not secure in their understanding before teachers move on to new content. Leaders should ensure that all staff check pupils' understanding and adapt the teaching to meet pupils' immediate needs within the context of the lesson so that pupils are fully prepared for future learning.

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