Phoenix Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. Outstanding leadership at all levels maintains an unrelenting focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning at the school.

As a result, all groups of pupils achieve exceptionally well. The continuous drive for improvement, together with focused support and challenge for teachers and support staff, means that teaching is outstanding. Exceptionally strong middle leaders working across the Mayflower Federation, together with excellent professional development, ensure teaching is of a consistently high quality.

A real strength of the teaching is the support of teaching assistants. They work with teachers very effectively an...d enhance pupils' learning right across the school. Governors are ambitious and challenge leaders to maintain and build on the very strong outcomes as well as meeting the specific needs of the community that the school serves.

Pupils' behaviour is impeccable. They are unfailingly polite and courteous to visitors and work and play together exceptionally well. In lessons, pupils work hard and enjoy their learning.

They cooperate exceptionally well when working on all types of activities as well as when moving around the school buildings. Pupils are rightly very proud of the standard of their work. The curriculum provides pupils with a range of opportunities and experiences where they can develop their skills, understanding and knowledge extremely well.

They are very well prepared for life in modern Britain. The headteacher ensures that pupils' progress is tracked and analysed exceptionally well. This information is shared with staff and enables teaching to be precisely focused on the needs of each pupil.

Learning activities are skilfully designed so that pupils are challenged. Where underachievement is identified, support is swiftly provided and progress is monitored closely. Progress data also enable leaders to hold teachers to account and provide support and challenge as appropriate.

By the end of Key Stage 2, disadvantaged pupils attain extremely well in reading, writing and mathematics when compared with other children nationally. When compared with other children within the school, over time the outcomes have been a little variable. There has been significant improvement over the last year, particularly in reading, but small gaps remain in writing and mathematics.

School leaders are aware of this. Procedures for keeping pupils safe and secure are of the highest quality. The Early Years Foundation Stage provides an excellent start for children.

High-quality teaching provides extremely effective and structured learning. This means that children make outstanding progress. By the time they complete the Reception Year, children are excellently prepared for Year 1.

Information about this school

This school is larger than the average-sized primary school. Most of the pupils are from minority ethnic groups; the proportion is over three times the national average. The largest groups are about one quarter of the pupils who come from a Black African heritage and about a fifth who are White British.

The majority of pupils have a first language other than English. However, only a few are in the early stages of learning English. The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for looked after children and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is around four in 10, which is greater than the national average.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is twice the national average. The proportion of pupils with greater learning needs and those supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average. A larger-than-average proportion of pupils join or leave the school other than at the usual times.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum levels expected for pupils' attainment and progress. The school has full- and part-time nursery provision within the Early Years Foundation Stage. There is a breakfast club and after-school provision on the school site.

This is managed by an independent contractor and so was not part of this inspection. The school does not use any alternative provision. The executive headteacher of the Mayflower Federation is a National Leader of Education (NLE).

Since the last inspection, the governing body has appointed the executive headteacher and headteacher of the school. Subject and other leaders work across the schools in the Mayflower Federation. Staff from the federation are currently supporting another primary school within the local authority.

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