Offmore Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Offmore is a vibrant and friendly school where everyone does their best to live up to its motto 'be smart, be proud, be Offmore'.

It is a school where smiles are frequent and frowns are rare.

The school's core value of respect is at the heart of all that it does. Pupils and staff are rightly proud to belong to a school where kindness, thoughtfulness and concern for one another shines through.

Pupils do their best in lessons, include everyone in their play and care for each other. Adults cherish and nurture pupils, especially at times when pupils might find life a struggle.

Leaders have designed a curriculum that helps pupils to remember what they lea...rn.

For example, the mascots 'TAG' and 'TELL' help pupils to explain how they solve mathematics problems. Exciting and engaging lessons, together with leaders' high expectations, ensure that pupils enjoy coming to school and achieve well.

Pupils are safe in school.

Pupils say that bullying is rare, and that adults deal with any issues promptly and effectively.

Staff feel valued and very well supported. Highly effective senior leaders inspire the staff's commitment to working together for the benefit of all pupils.

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

Leaders have developed an ambitious and engaging curriculum. They have identified the skills, knowledge and vocabulary pupils will learn in each subject. Almost always, teachers use this information well to check what pupils know and remember.

Teachers plan work that builds on pupils' knowledge, so they make good progress. For example, older pupils used their knowledge of chronology to sequence events in history.

Sometimes, teachers underestimate what the most-able pupils remember and can do.

When this happens, these pupils do work that is too easy and they do not make as much progress as they could.

In a few curriculum areas, such as computing, leaders have only recently identified the key knowledge that pupils need to learn. Teachers have not yet taught all of the curriculum in these subjects.

As a result, they are not sure what pupils know and remember in these subjects.

Leaders and staff identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities quickly. Staff provide the extra support these pupils need so they achieve well.

The pastoral team ensures that pupils with social and emotional needs are very well supported.

Reading is a priority. Children begin to learn phonics as soon as they join the school.

Highly skilled staff teach phonics every day, so pupils build their phonics skills and knowledge well. Children enjoy learning new words from 'Flump' the alien. Adults check children's progress carefully in lessons.

Daily support ensures that anyone in danger of falling behind catches up rapidly. Leaders have matched pupils' reading books to their phonics skills and knowledge. As a result, pupils make good progress and read with increasing confidence and fluency as they move through school.

Older pupils talk with enthusiasm about authors whose work they enjoy.

Leaders have sequenced the mathematics curriculum skilfully, so pupils build their knowledge and understanding. Teachers help pupils to devise 'You rules' that summarise their learning.

Pupils use these well to solve problems. For example, in a Year 5 lesson, pupils used their 'You rule' (that 360 degrees makes a full circle) to identify missing angles in a diagram.

Pupils listen attentively in lessons and behave well around school.

This means learning is rarely disrupted.

Adults promote pupils' wider development exceptionally well in all curriculum subjects. For example, in science, pupils reflect on their thankfulness for natural resources.

Pupils learn about people from different backgrounds. They proudly display the badges they earn for showing respect. They take turns, for example when using the outdoor gymnasium and playing in the mud kitchen.

Pupils are keen to become digital leaders, well-being champions or members of the sports crew. 'Vocation stations' link the curriculum to the world of work well. Pupils enjoy the wide range of activities provided in the before- and after-school clubs.

Parents and carers welcome opportunities to visit school to see what their children are learning. For example, parents enjoyed taking part in the 'dinosaur museum' activities devised by children in the early years.

Governors have an accurate view of the school's strengths and the areas in which it needs to improve.

They understand and fulfil their statutory responsibilities. Staff are proud to work at Offmore. They appreciate the steps leaders take to help them manage their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Keeping pupils safe is a high priority. All staff receive regular safeguarding training and know what to do if a child may be at risk.

They report any concerns promptly. Leaders are persistent when seeking support from outside agencies so that pupils and their families receive the help they need. Parents value the care that staff provide.

Checks on the suitability of staff to work with children are thorough. Pupils feel safe. They know staff will help them when required.

Pupils learn about healthy relationships. For example, they understand the NSPCC's 'PANTS' rules about keeping themselves safe, including when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A few foundation subjects, such as computing, are at an earlier stage of implementation than others.

As a result, pupils do not yet have all the knowledge and skills they need in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that the delivery of the curriculum in these subjects is as strong as it is in others. ? In some subjects, such as science, staff do not use assessment information well enough to check what pupils already know and can do.

As a result, some of the most-able pupils complete work they can already do easily. This slows their progress. Leaders should ensure staff use assessment information effectively in order to ensure that all pupils achieve as well as they can.