Nishkam Primary School Wolverhampton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love to learn at this happy, caring school and typically told inspectors, 'We are loved here.' The school's values and virtues are well known by the pupils and are seen in everything that the school does.

Pupils are safe and happy, and this shows in how confidently they express their views and opinions. They have faith in the adults at the school to keep them safe, and any bullying is dealt with quickly.

Leaders have high expectations of the pupils' behaviour and learning.

Pupils are rarely absent or late. Pupils behave very well and have positive attitudes. They are polite, respectful and caring of everyone.

This results in the school being a...n extremely positive and inclusive place to learn.

Pupils appreciate the range of exciting activities they are offered at school. They talk with enthusiasm about clubs such as sitar, wrestling and 'Parkour'.

Leaders provide a vast selection of opportunities for pupils to develop as individuals and to learn about the lives of others.

The school is inclusive and welcoming, and adults work hard to do what is best for every child. Teachers are passionate about what they teach and inspire pupils to learn.

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

The school has improved a great deal since the last inspection. Leaders and governors have relentlessly focused their attention on the quality of education provided by the school. They are passionate about providing the best for all pupils.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. The support and training that leaders offer staff is exceptional and highly effective. Staff feel valued at Nishkam Primary School and report that leaders always consider their well-being.

Leaders at all levels have thought very carefully about every aspect of the school curriculum to make sure that pupils build on their learning from one year to the next. The values and virtues of the school run through everything the school does. For instance, pupils talk about the need to have 'humility, persistence and patience' when talking about how to improve their work.

The teaching of early reading is a strength of the school. Leaders have been highly effective in planning the way reading is taught. The books that pupils take home are very well matched to the sounds and letters pupils know.

Children throughout the school enjoy their teachers reading to them, telling inspectors that their teachers, 'put on funny voices and jump around to make the stories more exciting'. Pupils talk about the books they enjoy reading and being read and give reasons for why they choose them. Teachers read a variety of books to children, but this could be broadened to include a wider range of authors.

The English and mathematics curriculums are strengths. Teachers plan and deliver lessons which are engaging for pupils. Teachers know how well pupils are doing and offer guidance quickly to ensure that pupils improve.

Children have lots of chances to talk through their thinking and their ideas, and do so with confidence. Pupils do well in developing their mathematics and English skills, and the quality of their work is improving. The vast majority of pupils, including those with SEND, are proud of their work.

Leaders and staff want all pupils to achieve their best in all subjects. Staff have good subject knowledge and enthusiasm for the subjects they lead. They receive lots of training opportunities and provide very effective support for their colleagues.

A new curriculum has been developed for foundation subjects and has been sequenced to build on previous learning. The new curriculum has been embedded in subjects such as history and physical education (PE). However, it has not yet been fully embedded in all foundation subjects.

Children are happy in the early years and get off to a good start at Nishkam Primary School. The indoor space is an environment full of language, and this is helping children to broaden their vocabulary from the day they start school. Similarly, reading is a priority from day one at the school.

Pupils enjoy sharing books and taking them home to show their parents how well they read. The outside learning space is tired and uninviting and is not as well used as the indoor space. The leader of the early years is very keen to make further improvements to the provision and has a clear plan to do so.

The school provides a wide range of opportunities for pupils' positive personal development. These are captured in 'One hundred things to do before you leave Nishkam'. Pupils enjoy the clubs they attend, and uptake of these is high.

However, disadvantaged pupils attend fewer clubs than their peers.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements at the school are effective. The safeguarding culture is strong.

Pupils and their parents agree that the school is a safe place to learn.

Staff are well trained in knowing how to notice and report any concerns about pupils' welfare. Procedures for logging and dealing with concerns are well established and effective.

Leaders make sure that all the required employment checks are carried out on adults before they start work at the school. They follow up concerns about pupil welfare quickly and appropriately. Staff at the school work well with parents and partner agencies to keep children safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The early years outdoor area and outdoor activities do not reflect the purposeful environment provided within the early years classroom. This means that children are not learning as well outdoors as they do indoors. Staff should ensure that the outdoor area and activities are engaging, and well planned and delivered.

Staff must make sure that children's outdoor learning fully contributes to the development of their knowledge, understanding and skills. . The new curriculum has not been fully embedded in all foundation subjects.

Therefore, pupils' opportunities to build knowledge, understanding and skills over time across and within subjects are reduced. Leaders need to ensure that the significant success they have achieved in implementing the improved curriculum in subjects such as history and PE is mirrored across other foundation subjects. .

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who take up extra-curricular activities remains lower than that of their peers. This restricts their range of experiences. Leaders need to continue to increase the number of disadvantaged pupils who participate in the wide-ranging, creative opportunities offered by the school.

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