Northfield Road Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school are well cared for and their positive relationships with staff help them to feel safe.

Pupils who have experienced difficulties with their behaviour, or those who have faced other issues, know that adults are there to help them and they do. Many pupils enjoy school and attend regularly and on time.

There have been significant changes at this school since the last inspection.

In partnership with a highly supportive trust, the school has changed the curriculum. Pupils are now making better progress and outcomes have improved as a result. Not all improvements to the curriculum are yet fully embedded, but leaders' work is continuing to make ...sure it is being consistently delivered as intended.

Pupils understand the importance of including everyone at their school and know that differences are to be celebrated. This school knows the importance of providing a wide range of life experiences for their pupils and do so successfully. Pupils enjoy opportunities to sing at events and visits to places linked to their learning.

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

A strong partnership between the school and the trust has led to many improvements. Despite recent staffing changes and recruitment challenges, the school has maintained a focus on developing their curriculum in areas such as mathematics and in the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Some changes to the curriculum though are relatively new and are not yet being delivered consistently well across the school.

The school and trust have an accurate view of what needs improving and they have shown capacity to make the necessary improvements.

The school has provided training for staff to support them to deliver the curriculum as intended. Such training has taken place over a long period of time and leaders have worked to make sure that new and less-experienced staff are equipped to deliver agreed approaches.

However, staff do not consistently identify how well pupils are learning, and they occasionally miss opportunities to address misconceptions as they arise. This results in some pupils developing an insecure understanding of what they are learning.

The school prioritises children learning to read from the first days of being in Reception.

Those at the early stages of reading use the strategies they learn in their phonics lessons to help them read unfamiliar words. By the end of Year 2, an increasing number of pupils can read fluently. A carefully selected range of books are found in class library areas and these books are linked to topics pupils' study in the wider curriculum.

Many pupils report enjoying when their teachers share stories with them. Some are developing a love of reading outside of school and read regularly at home.

Many pupils with SEND are now better supported to access the same learning as their peers.

New systems have recently been put in place to support staff to identify whether pupils have additional needs. Changes to individual pupil support plans now reflect how best to help these pupils with their learning.

Children in the early years settle well at school.

The curriculum is designed to support their personal and social development, as well as helping prepare them for formal learning in reading and mathematics. The school is working to ensure that children become more independent when learning. However, some children are not ready for this yet and require more support to do so.

The school know that there is work to do to improve the quality of interactions between children and staff to both promote and deepen children's learning.

Many pupils understand the importance of showing positive behaviour and reflect on recent improvements in classroom and playtime behaviour. In most classes, pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning.

However, when learning is less structured, a few pupils do not behave as they are expected and this can result in them missing important information.

A well-planned personal development curriculum provides many opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests. The school ensures that pupils get equal access to the clubs on offer.

Many pupils attend sports, arts and music clubs. The school has worked to develop pupils' sense of civic responsibility. Junior PCSOs are trained by local police officers to support other pupils to be good citizens.

Pupils understand that keeping themselves safe is important in society and online. They understand what are 'safe and unsafe secrets' and know that should they feel at risk that they should share their concerns with a trusted adult.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some recent changes in 'how' to teach specific subjects are not being delivered fully effectively by all staff. As a result, there is a variable quality of education, impacting on pupils' learning. The school should continue to support staff in understanding 'how' to deliver new approaches so that all subjects are taught consistently well.

Some staff do not always insist on all pupils demonstrating good listening and concentration when learning. This leads to them missing important learning. The school should ensure that behaviour expectations are consistently applied.

Some staff do not identify and address pupils' misunderstandings in learning well enough. As a result, misconceptions remain unaddressed and some pupils move on without a secure understanding of their learning. The school should ensure that their approaches to assessment seek to find gaps in learning as they occur and address them as quickly as possible.

In the early years, when children take part in continuous provision, opportunities for adults to consolidate previous learning and promote deeper understanding can sometimes be missed. As a result, the purpose of activities can be unclear to children and their encounters fleeting. The school should ensure that all adults are trained to support effective learning in the early years.