Murrayfield Primary - A Paradigm Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being at this school. Most attend well and are keen to learn.

Pupils are happy that the school has got a lot better over the past two years. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils should be able to do in a wide range of subjects. Lessons are interesting because teachers are confident in knowing the subjects they are teaching.

Older pupils say that behaviour now 'is fabulous'. Pupils from different backgrounds get on really well together at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Bullying is very rare, but pupils know what to do if they have concerns.

They are confident that adults will deal with situations immediately.

Staff expect pupils to ...behave well at all times. This includes children new to Reception, who adjust quickly to new routines.

Pupils work hard and respond quickly to teachers' instructions and requests. Pupils are polite. They show respect to teachers, visitors and each other.

They take pride in their appearance and in their schoolwork. Pupils learn in a safe, welcoming environment. Pupils have many opportunities to take part in a range of sports, art, music activities and educational trips.

Parents and carers are now highly positive about the school.

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

When the Paradigm multi-academy trust (MAT) took over the school, pupils' achievements in reading were exceptionally low. This proved a barrier to pupils learning well in other subjects.

Leaders prioritised reading, which is now very strong. The curriculum was narrowed to focus on basic reading, writing and mathematics. Once pupils could read, additional subjects were introduced.

This is the first year of the full implementation of a much broader curriculum.

Standards in English and mathematics have risen dramatically and now reflect the national averages in national tests at the end of key stage 2. Disadvantaged pupils do at least as well as others.

In key stage 2, pupils still have gaps in their learning from a previously poor curriculum. Teachers check pupils' learning in lessons and through computer-based tests. The information teachers gather is used to adjust plans and provide additional support when needed.

A large proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language. Leaders are particularly successful at enabling these pupils to learn to read and write. Leaders carefully plan the additional support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities so that they still experience a wide range of subjects.

Leaders have high expectations of achievement and behaviour. Year 6 pupils talked about their enjoyment of studying Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' in English. Across subjects, there is a very good emphasis on developing pupils' vocabulary.

For example, in music, pupils in Year 3 are able to use words such as tempo, texture or dynamics correctly. Teachers regularly return to what pupils learned in earlier lessons, which helps pupils to remember.

Subject leaders benefit from working with other leaders across the MAT.

For each subject there is a well-planned curriculum across the MAT from Year 1 to Year 9, ensuring that pupils are prepared well for secondary school. There is a real partnership between primary and secondary teachers developing their subject expertise. This strong subject knowledge is found across all subjects.

Leaders have effectively developed the teaching of phonics. There is a clear sequence from the time children start in Nursery. Pupils achieve well, and results are high in the Year 1 phonics screening check.

Pupils are well prepared for reading activities in key stage 2. Similarly, leaders ensure that pupils continue to develop their reading skills through the use of carefully selected and high-quality books. Pupils are being successfully prepared for the reading requirements of key stage 3.

Children start well in the early years. They enter the school with skills that are slightly below those expected for their age. They listen to adults and follow instructions carefully and focus well on their learning.

Most leave Reception with a good level of development. Leaders aim to increase the proportion of children exceeding the skills expected for their age. To do this they have introduced a new checking system this year, enabling staff to check more accurately how well children are doing in different areas of learning.

Staff are in the early stages of using this system.

Adults provide plenty of opportunities for children to develop skills in preparation for writing. Children develop important skills with the broad range of learning activities adults provide.

Children are prepared well for Year 1.

Leaders ensure that pupils' personal development is well considered. A specialist teacher delivers a well-planned programme for personal, health, social and economic (PHSE) lessons.

However, there are too few opportunities to celebrate the faiths of different groups of pupils in school and to develop pupils' understanding of British values. Attendance has improved strongly but remains a little below average.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There are highly organised systems to check that pupils are kept safe. Pupils said that the main reason they feel safe is that teachers are like their parents and the other pupils are like their brothers and sisters.

There are regular checks from people outside the school to make sure that leaders are doing the right things.

Everything required by law is done.

Leaders have adapted their work in the light of safeguarding risks in the local area. For example, in response to a recent knife attack, they ran an age-appropriate workshop.

They ensure that staff are aware of the risks from drug gangs. Staff are aware of the warning signs that a pupil may require additional help or welfare support.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

There has been a dramatic rise in the proportion of pupils reaching the expected level in national test results at key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics.

However, very few pupils achieve the higher standards. This results from a legacy of poor provision leaving gaps in learning for older pupils. Therefore, without overburdening teachers or overloading pupils' memory, leaders should ensure that the gaps that still exist in older pupils' learning are filled.

. Faced with the challenges of low standards, especially in reading, leaders pared back the curriculum. All national curriculum subjects are planned well, but leaders now need to improve opportunities for pupils' spiritual development and understanding of British values, by adopting similar levels of rigour as in other aspects of the school's provision.

. The system to monitor children's progress in the early years is new. There is a need to train staff in the more effective use of assessment so that they are able to help children do as well as they possibly can so that more exceed expectations.

. The attitudes and conduct of the overwhelming majority of pupils are strengths of the school. However, in order to be judged better than good, the impact of leaders' effective work to raise attendance must result in further improvement.