Poplar Street Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this welcoming, nurturing and caring school.

Staff and leaders greet pupils with a smile each morning. This helps to forge the positive relationships that exist between pupils and staff. There is a strong sense of community at the school.

Pupils, including children in the early years, feel happy and safe. They said that their friends, and the staff, look after them well.

Leaders and staff are highly ambitious for the achievement of all pupils, including children in the early years.

This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils. Overall, pupils learn well. This is b...ecause of the high-quality academic, social and emotional support that leaders provide.

Teachers' high expectations for behaviour are clear. Pupils behave well. Classrooms are calm.

Orderly classrooms allow pupils to learn. Pupils try their best in lessons. Pupils said that their teachers act quickly and successfully to resolve any bullying.

Pupils have a well-developed understanding of diversity. They know that everyone is different and that pupils from all backgrounds will be included in their school. Pupils revel in their responsibilities, for example as librarians or members of the eco-council.

Pupils enjoy the varied range of sports and games that are provided for them at lunchtime.

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

Leaders, governors and trustees have built an ambitious curriculum, including in the early years. It is broad and balanced and is commensurate with the national curriculum.

The curriculum is successfully designed to help pupils to extend their subject-specific vocabulary in each area.

In the main, leaders have identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn and remember, including in the early years. In those subjects where the next steps in learning are clear, pupils deepen their knowledge and understanding of key topics and concepts.

For example, in mathematics, teachers give pupils time to learn important number facts and to practise written calculations. However, in one or two subjects, leaders have not identified all the steps in learning that pupils must take from the early years through to key stage 2. On occasions, this prevents some pupils from knowing and remembering all that they could.

This is because, at times, pupils do not have enough opportunity to revisit their previous learning so that new knowledge is fully secure.

Children in the early years get off to a flying start with learning to read. Teachers successfully develop children's early reading knowledge in the Reception class.

They expose children to an appropriate range of activities, including a variety of songs and rhymes. Leaders make sure that phonics is delivered in a logical way. Leaders identify any pupils who need help to keep up with their phonics knowledge quickly and effectively.

By the end of key stage 1, most pupils can read confidently.Throughout the school, teachers provide lots of opportunities for pupils to read or to listen to stories. This successfully improves their knowledge and understanding of vocabulary.

In key stage 2, the reading curriculum helps pupils to develop their understanding of a wide range of texts. Older pupils read fluently. They talk with enthusiasm about the books that they have read.

Teachers, including those in the early years, make suitable checks on pupils' learning. These checks help them to identify which pupils need more help, support and guidance. In most subjects, leaders gather an appropriate range of information about pupils' learning.

This provides leaders with a clear understanding of how effectively the curriculum is helping pupils to build up their knowledge of subjects.

Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are identified accurately. Leaders give detailed information to teachers which sets out precisely the help that these pupils should receive.

These strategies enable pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as other pupils. Staff work closely with outside agencies and specialist providers to ensure that pupils with SEND receive the support that they need. Pupils with SEND acquire a secure body of subject knowledge, which is similar to other pupils in school.

Pupils conduct themselves well in lessons and around the school. They listen carefully to their teachers and concentrate well on their learning. Pupils attend school regularly.

Children in the early years learn to take turns and share.

Pupils enjoy the many extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities available to them. These activities include swimming and a range of after-school clubs.

Pupils said that they enjoy the variety of activities available at lunchtimes. Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe and healthy. They understand fairness, and they know that everyone is equal, regardless of any differences.

Staff appreciate the trust that the leadership team places in them. They recognise leaders' efforts to consider their workload when new initiatives are being introduced. The support given to families highlights the care and consideration that leaders give to members of the school community.

Governors and trustees successfully hold leaders to account for the quality of education that the school provides.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders, governors and trustees take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously.

They have ensured that staff are well trained to protect pupils from harm. Leaders have developed an effective safeguarding team in the school, which includes pastoral workers, counsellors and therapists.Leaders keep meticulous records and diligently follow up on any concerns that they may have about a pupil's safety or welfare.

They work in partnership with outside agencies to ensure that pupils and their families receive the support that they need.

The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe, for example when learning online or when using the local roads.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In one or two subjects, pupils' learning does not build in the most logical order from the early years through to Year 6.

This hinders some pupils from learning and remembering as much knowledge as they could. Leaders should review and improve the sequencing of the curriculum in these subjects. This is so that pupils build securely on earlier learning to embed and deepen their knowledge before they tackle new concepts.