Montpelier Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high standards and ambitious aspirations for pupils' academic and personal achievement. There is a clear focus on helping pupils to develop their own identity as well as understanding differences.

Pupils are kind and behave extremely well. Pupils are respectful of the different cultures, faiths and backgrounds of others, and all this helps pupils to feel safe.

The school provides a range of experiences to nurture and develop pupils' confidence and resilience.

This includes encouraging pupils to be ambitious for themselves with their learning as well as in other pursuits, like abseiling or performing dance routines.

Pupils achieve high...ly. They leave the school well prepared for their secondary education.

All staff work closely together to ensure that all pupils achieve strong outcomes.

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

The school has designed a curriculum that is ambitious and accessible for all pupils.In Years 1 to 6, curriculum thinking in all subjects consistently and systematically sets out the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils need to know.

This is sequenced so that pupils' knowledge and skills build increasingly over time. Pupils recall prior learning because they have regular opportunities to practise and revise what they know and can do. This has a strong impact on pupils' achievements, which are high in reading, writing and mathematics.

In the early years, curriculum thinking for early mathematics ensures that children develop their knowledge of numbers securely and in the Reception Year children are taught phonics in a systematic way. This helps children to deepen their knowledge and understanding, which prepares them well for their next stage in those subjects. However, some other elements of the early years curriculum are not as carefully thought through.

As a consequence, sometimes the intended learning aim of some activities is not clear or precise.There is a well embedded approach to teaching. This is underpinned by the school's personal development work which aims to encourage pupils to feel valued, be resilient and motivate pupils through their learning experiences.

Pupils' sensible behaviour in the classroom helps to ensure that learning proceeds uninterrupted. Pupils work alongside one another and do not disrupt the learning of others.

Reading is prioritised throughout the school and staff have the expertise to deliver the school's ambitious phonics and early reading curriculum.

There is a systematic approach to teaching reading, that is followed by all staff. As a result, pupils have strong outcomes in reading. Any pupils who begin to fall behind in reading are quickly identified, and support is put in place to enable them to catch up and keep up.

The school works with a range of professionals to assess and understand the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This enables leaders to identify, and put in place swiftly, the right support needed. The school reviews this support regularly and makes adaptations where needed.

Pupils with SEND access the same curriculum and learn alongside their peers. They are included in all aspects of the school.

The school prepares pupils for their future lives in modern Britain through a well-thought-through personal development programme.

Pupils take on various responsibility roles in the school. Pupils become part of the school council, playground champions or members of the eco committee. Pupils are proud to have contributed their ideas to changes to the lunch menu and the building of a 'bug hotel'.

Children in the early years and older pupils attend school regularly. Leaders ensure that all parents are aware that regular attendance impacts positively on pupils' academic and personal outcomes at school.

The governing body works effectively with the school.

Members visit the school regularly to check the quality of the school's work. Governors use a wide range of information to hold leaders to account.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some curriculum thinking in the early years is not as ambitiously sequenced as it is further up the school. Sometimes the key vocabulary, knowledge and skills that children need to know are not routinely clear. The school should ensure that the early years curriculum is always sequenced and builds children's new knowledge, skills and vocabulary cumulatively term by term.

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