Palatine Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

Select In relation to their skills and understanding when they start school, pupils make good progress by the time they leave at the end of Year 6 and achieve well. They make particularly good progress in the key skills of literacy and numeracy. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress, which prepares them well for moving into Year 1.

Teaching is good and some is outstanding. Teachers plan their lessons well and make sure all pupils are involved in their learning through the use of a wide range of strategies. Pupils thoroughly enjoy their learning.

Their behaviour is excellent as a result of highly effecti...ve support from staff in lessons and around the school. Pupils say they feel happy and safe at the school, which is confirmed by the school's own records. As a result of a continuous focus on improvement by senior leaders, including governors, the quality of teaching and learning, and pupils' achievement, have improved since the previous inspection and continue to improve.

Leadership and management are good. Senior leaders, including governors, know the school well and successfully act on what is needed to secure further improvement. It is not yet an outstanding school because : On a few occasions pupils' small steps in learning are not checked thoroughly enough.

Consequently teachers do not always provide enough challenging work for the more able pupils. There are not enough training opportunities for staff in the use of new technologies which would make the curriculum more exciting.

Information about this school

Palatine Primary School provides for children with a wide range of special educational needs including moderate to severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders.

Many pupils also have associated medical and mobility needs. All pupils have a statement of special educational needs. Pupils are generally taught in same age-group classes.

However, at certain times in their education, pupils with very particular needs are taught alongside others with similar needs, particularly those who have profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex autistic spectrum disorders. The school provides an outreach service for mainstream schools within the local authority. Currently, the large majority of pupils are boys.

Most pupils are of White British heritage. A few come from a range of other ethnic backgrounds. A few are looked after by the local authority.

The proportion of pupils (40%) known to be eligible for pupil premium, which provides additional government funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is well above the national average. A new headteacher was appointed at Easter 2012. The school does not use alternative provision.