Oldfleet Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Positive relationships between staff and pupils are at the heart of Oldfleet Primary School. Staff know all pupils and families individually.

Everyone is valued and included. There is a strong commitment to supporting pupils' emotional needs.

The school has an ambition that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), will receive a high-quality education.

In some areas, including in the early years, these high expectations are not realised. Pupils' achievement does not match the school's intentions. There is still work to do to ensure that all pupils have the breadth, and depth, of knowledge that they need to be read...y for the next stage of their education.

Pupils know that the school rules of 'ready, respectful and safe' help them to behave well. This can be seen in their positive behaviour around school. At social times, pupils enjoy the range of activities on offer to them in the playground.

Adults support pupils to play well together. Pupils are safe.

The school is rightly proud of the wealth of experiences they offer for pupils both within, and beyond, their local community.

Pupils enjoy these opportunities, which include residential visits, visits to London to parliament and the Royal Opera House and the planting programme with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

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

The school has designed a broad and balanced curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. From Nursery to Year 6, the school has carefully mapped out the knowledge that pupils need to learn.

The curriculum is well sequenced to help pupils build their knowledge over time. In some subjects, such as Art, pupils confidently recall what they have learned. However, in other subjects, pupils find it difficult to remember important knowledge.

Some curriculum leaders have not had the opportunity to check regularly how well pupils are achieving in their subjects.

The curriculum for mathematics is well considered. The school has recently made changes to how mathematics is taught in lessons.

The school ensures that pupils cover key mathematical concepts. However, some pupils do not learn these concepts in sufficient depth. Too many pupils still have gaps in their mathematical knowledge.

The school has prioritised early reading. Staff implement the school's chosen phonics programme consistently and effectively. The books that pupils read match the sounds that they know.

Younger pupils, who are at risk of falling behind in phonics, receive the support that they need to catch up. However, some older pupils who are still at the early stages of reading have gaps in their reading knowledge. This group of older pupils do not become confident readers as quickly as they should.

Pupils with SEND receive highly effective support. Right from Nursery, there are clear systems in place to identify pupils who need extra help. Staff check regularly that the provision made for these pupils meets their needs and links well to targets in their individual support plans.

Staff make successful adaptations to how the curriculum is taught, so that pupils with SEND learn well. The school keeps parents and carers well informed. Parents appreciate the support that they receive.

In the early years, the school establishes children's starting points quickly. The curriculum is well planned and sequenced from Nursery to Reception. However, the school has not matched the learning activities precisely to children's needs.

As a result, these activities do not provide children with the opportunity to build a secure foundation for later learning.

The school has recently reviewed the behaviour policy. This needs more time to embed.

In some lessons, pupils listen attentively and work cooperatively with one another. However, for some other pupils, their attitudes to learning are not as strong. Pupils do not always actively join in with learning.

The school is aware that attendance and punctuality are ongoing issues. Although pupils' attendance is improving overall, some pupils do not attend school as often as they should or arrive on time. Recently, leaders have put systems in place to further improve pupils' attendance and to reduce the number of pupils who are persistently absent.

There is a well-considered programme for pupils' personal development. Pupils have a clear understanding of the fundamental British values, healthy relationships and equality. Pupils enjoy the choice of extra-curricular clubs on offer, including singing, dance and gardening.

They value the chance to learn a musical instrument.

The trust has an ambitious vision for the school. Leaders, including trust leaders, have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and what needs to be better.

They have a clear strategy to ensure that the school continues to move forward. Leaders respond positively to staff needs. They ensure that training and support is robust.

Staff value the support that they receive from leaders and each other.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some areas of the wider curriculum, pupils have not developed a secure understanding of the important subject knowledge.

Systems to check what pupils know and remember over time are not embedded in all subjects. The school should ensure that curriculum leaders have the time to check how well the curriculum is being implemented and understand how well pupils are achieving in their subject over time. ? For older pupils, who need additional support in reading and mathematics, the school has not identified the gaps in their knowledge precisely enough.

This means that some pupils are not achieving as well as they should. The school should ensure that all staff have the training and support necessary to address gaps in knowledge for older pupils rapidly. As part of this work, the school should continue to monitor closely how well pupils are prepared for their next stage in education.

• Some pupils do not attend school often enough, while others do not arrive on time at the start of the school day. This means that these pupils miss out on important learning and do not make the progress of which they are capable. The school should continue to develop the recently implemented systems to ensure that parents understand the importance of regular attendance and punctuality.

• For some pupils, attitudes to learning are not consistently high throughout the school day. This means that these pupils are not learning the curriculum as well as they should. The school should continue to implement the new approach to behaviour management to help pupils develop more positive attitudes towards school.

• Sometimes, activities in the early years are not matched closely to the children's learning needs. This means children are not engaged in their learning and do not learn as much as they could. The school should ensure that activities are precisely matched to the intended curriculum so that children achieve well over time.