Ordsall Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, staff, parents and carers are proud of their school. Pupils enjoy coming to school and spending time with their friends. They relish opportunities to help each other.

Pupils say that staff are friendly and supportive. They say that school is a 'safe place'.

Behaviour is positive.

There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere around the school. Pupils listen attentively and respond to adults' instructions promptly. They develop positive attitudes towards their learning.

When they find something tricky, they 'dig in' and learn from their mistakes. Pupils spoke fondly of the various rewards systems. As one pupil commented, 'I love the brick in the w...all and star of the week because they help me to behave and to be good.'



Social times are purposeful. Pupils who need additional support to regulate their emotions are provided with quiet spaces. Adults help them to manage their feelings.

Pupils know that adults will quickly address any incidents of poor behaviour or bullying, should they occur.

Pupils work hard in lessons. However, the school's curriculum is not yet fully planned and sequenced.

As a result, pupils do not learn and remember curriculum content as well as they should in some subjects.

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

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They are remodelling the school's curriculum to ensure that it makes clear what pupils are expected to know at each stage of their education.

In some subjects, leaders have ensured that key concepts and ideas are revisited over time. This helps pupils to recall information and make links in their knowledge. In these subjects, leaders check how well pupils remember what they have learned.

However, not all subjects are as well developed. In some subjects, concepts and content is not broken down sufficiently. Teachers do not revisit key knowledge in some subjects over time.

As one pupil commented, 'We are taught it once and then we have to remember it. We need to go back to it.' Leaders are addressing this for the start of the next academic year.

Pupils enjoy reading. The school has a range of literature that reflects diversity, pupils' interests and different genres. Children in the early years revisit key stories so they become familiar with the repetition and language.

Pupils treasure the literature they receive for attending the school's book club. They enjoy visiting the local book shop, and visits from different authors.

The school's early reading programme is well established.

Leaders ensure that all adults have regular training to help them to deliver the programme. Most pupils have reading books that are matched to the sounds that they know. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive a tailored curriculum which helps them to learn to read.

Children in the early years respond well to routines. Relationships with adults are positive. Children enjoy the 'rainbow challenges' that help them to complete tasks.

However, when children work on their own, learning slows. Adults do not intervene quickly enough to support children to develop their communication, language and social skills.

All pupils, including those with SEND, have a wide range of activities and opportunities to enhance their wider development.

Pupils enjoy a range of musical, sports and arts clubs. They learn about values, respect and tolerance. For example, in a Year 6 lesson about the Holocaust, pupils considered concepts such as prejudice and tolerance.

Pupils value learning about diverse, historical figures that stood up to injustice. Others are proud of the opportunities they receive to develop their self-confidence. One pupil commented how the school's snack shop helped to improve their knowledge of mathematics.

Pupils are developing their understanding of how to make appropriate choices online. Leaders have adapted the curriculum to enable pupils to understand how to use technology and social platforms safely and considerately.

Staff say they are proud to work at the school.

They appreciate the actions leaders take to support their well-being. Staff feel that communication and teamwork are well promoted by leaders. Governors check that the actions that leaders take make a difference to pupils and staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school's systems for recording information helps leaders to understand the needs of pupils and their families. Leaders put the right support in place for pupils who may be at risk of harm.

They ensure that all relevant checks are in place for adults working at the school.

Staff receive regular training. They understand the importance of reporting all concerns, no matter how small they might appear.

Pupils know that they should report anything they see online that upsets them or is inappropriate. They know who they can talk to about any worries or concerns they may have.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in some subjects.

However, it is clear from leaders' actions that they are in the process of bringing this about. Leaders need to complete the process of reviewing the curriculum, in all subjects, within their identified timescale. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.

In some subjects, the curriculum does not set out clearly enough the most important content that pupils should acquire at each stage of their education. Key concepts and ideas have not been broken down sufficiently into small units of knowledge. Pupils are unable to recall what they have learned before.

Leaders should identify the important knowledge that all pupils, including pupils with SEND, should learn and remember. They should make sure that the curriculum is delivered to help pupils know and remember more over time in all subjects. ? Independent activities for children in the early years are not sufficiently challenging.

Misconceptions are not identified quickly enough when pupils are in continuous provision. As a result, learning slows. Leaders must ensure that all adults in the early years have the knowledge and expertise to support children to know and remember the early years curriculum.