Paganel Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's 'pursuit for greatness' is threaded throughout all aspects of school life.

Pupils have positive attitudes to school and are proud of their achievements. They take responsibilities seriously, for example as librarians, eco-warriors and digital leaders. Pupils seek ways to support their community, such as reading Remembrance Day poems to local people.

They are good role-models to others.

Pupils behave well. They follow the school's three core values: respect, enquire and persevere.

Pupils know that adults will always listen to any concerns. Staff deal quickly with any unkind behaviour, including bullying. This helps pupils to feel safe and... well cared for.

Pupils told us that 'teachers give us lots of information'. They enjoy learning about local and global issues and working in the science laboratory. Leaders have high expectations for the pupils.

Over the last year, leaders have improved curriculum planning in all subjects. This is more recent in some subjects. However, pupils are already making better progress across the curriculum.

Pupils enjoy many unique experiences. They love the theme weeks, for example the 'art and culture' week. They also enjoy visits linked to what they are learning about, such as to the National Space Centre.

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

Children get off to a good start in the early years. Staff care about children and support them to develop trusting relationships. They respond to children's social and emotional needs well, which helps children to be happy and settled.

Staff develop children's communication and language skills, for example through stories, rhymes and songs. Staff hold workshops for parents every Friday afternoon with the children. Parents really appreciate this.

Children make good use of books in their learning, for example, to support the model-making of a car, a guitar and a zoo. There are many activities for children to practise their number skills.

Leaders place a high priority on developing pupils' reading skills.

As soon as they enter school, children learn phonics. Staff are well trained, and a high proportion of pupils achieve the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. Teachers plan carefully for the sounds that pupils will learn and when.

This is helping them with their reading and spelling. Extra support is available for those pupils at risk of falling behind. Teachers promote 'reading for pleasure' by reading to pupils.

Leaders encourage parents and carers to share a love of reading with their children. Pupils can talk about their favourite books and authors.

In mathematics, the curriculum is well planned and ordered logically.

Teachers know what to teach and when to teach it. This means that steps in learning build well on what pupils already know. Pupils regularly revisit number operations such as addition and multiplication.

Pupils' work on problem-solving and reasoning shows they can recall and use calculation knowledge well to solve these challenges successfully.Leaders provide pupils with a wide range of enriching opportunities. For example, pupils visit Cadbury World to study the Cadbury family and the impact they had on the local area.

Pupils also compete in many sporting events. Activities are linked to the curriculum. This means that pupils can make connections to deepen their learning.

The pupils told us that 'this is a fair school, and no one is left out here'. Pupils are treated equally and fairly. Pupils told us that teachers listen to both sides in any disputes.

Everyone is encouraged to attend a wide range of clubs. These include dance, archive, art, yoga, football and choir. The school works closely with the local community.

This helps to develop pupils' awareness of global issues, such as environmental changes.Leaders are ambitious for pupils. Plans for pupils' learning reflect the expectations of the national curriculum in all subjects.

At the moment, plans are less well developed in some subjects. This includes music and design and technology. Consequently, these subjects are not implemented as well as others.

This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects. Leaders know what to do to further improve their plans.

Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well.

Pupils with SEND are fully included in all school activities and experience a broad curriculum. Learning tasks are well matched to their needs. This helps them to make strong progress in many subjects.

Teachers feel valued. Leaders support staff, including newly qualified teachers, with guidance and help where needed. Staff told us that leaders have made positive changes to support their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Keeping pupils safe is extremely important at this school. Adults have regular training and know how to report any concerns they have about a pupil's welfare.

Leaders respond quickly to any concerns that are raised. Leaders work with the local authority and other agencies to make sure children get the help they need. Leaders make the right checks on staff before they start work.

Pupils of all ages learn how to keep themselves safe in lessons, during other school activities and when not in school. For example, they learn how to stay safe when using the internet.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Plans in some subjects, including design and technology and music, are not sequenced well enough.

In addition, gaps remain in pupils' knowledge. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that all curriculum plans are designed so that pupils can build on what they already know and can do.