Prestbury CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who spoke to us told us what makes their school special to them.

They said, 'It is caring.' They also said that everyone follows the Christian values that are at the heart of the school. Pupils are happy and feel safe.

A large majority of the parents and carers who gave an opinion said that their children develop well.

There are high expectations from all staff that pupils will do their best in everything. This is one of the school's 'high five rules'.

Pupils live up to these expectations. They work hard. They get on very well with each other and with staff.

They show good manners and are polite.

Pupils behave well most of th...e time. They said that there is hardly any bullying in school.

They know that the headteacher and his staff will not put up with it, if it does happen.

Pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities outside the classroom. Leaders provide lots of clubs, with activities as different as singing in the school choir and curling.

Pupils also go on trips that help them better understand what they are learning. For example, they visit places like a zoo, a mill or a castle.

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

The curriculum is ambitious.

Leaders organise it well. They allow for the mixed-age classes in key stage 2 when they are planning. Leaders also adapt the curriculum well to cater for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Across almost all subjects, it is clear what pupils should be learning and when. Teachers check pupils' understanding well. This helps them to plan the next part of pupils' learning.

Consequently, pupils achieve well.

Leaders have organised reading very carefully. There is a clear structure to the teaching of phonics.

Teachers receive good training and their knowledge of the subject is strong. They make sure that children begin to learn phonics soon after they start in Nursery. Children are very good at reading by the time they finish the Reception Year.

A large proportion of pupils meet the expected standard in the phonics check at the end of Year 1. Those who need it get help to catch up. Attainment at the end of key stage 1 is high.

Pupils continue to strengthen their knowledge of reading as they move through key stage 2. Pupils enjoy reading and show strong fluency and understanding. Attainment by the end of Year 6 has been very strong in recent years.

However, progress has been no better than average. Leaders have recognised this. They introduced a new approach to teaching reading 18 months ago.

They focus on specific skills, like explaining the meaning of a text. This helps pupils to understand what they are reading more fully.In mathematics, leaders realised that some areas of pupils' performance have not been as strong as others.

They have adjusted the curriculum to bring about improvements. For instance, there is a sharper focus on pupils knowing about place value and number more securely. This led to improved progress by the end of key stage 2 in 2019.

In other subjects, the curriculum typically enables pupils to know more and remember more as they progress through it. However, in foreign languages and history, leaders sometimes do not organise what pupils need to know in as clear an order as possible. Where this happens, pupils do not build on earlier learning as well as they could.

The curriculum in the early years meets children's needs well. Staff have strong knowledge across the areas of learning. There are many resources in classrooms that help children learn how to read and write.

However, there are not as many that help them to learn mathematics. Almost all children reach a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year.

Pupils mostly behave well and show positive attitudes to their learning.

As a result, staff can teach the curriculum with little disruption. Staff deal with occasional misbehaviour effectively.

Leaders provide pupils with a rich variety of things to do outside the classroom.

They can take on responsibilities by being 'buddies' to younger pupils or house captains. They take part in sports competitions and find out about healthy eating. They even get the chance to think about what jobs they could do when they finish their education.

Governors and senior leaders understand what the school does well and where it needs to improve. Staff who spoke with us said that leaders care about their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There are strong safeguarding systems in school. The safeguarding leader keeps detailed records of any worries about pupils' safety. He follows up any issues when required.

He makes sure that pupils get the help they need.

Staff are well trained in safeguarding procedures. They know the different signs of abuse and how to report any concerns.

Pupils know how to stay safe in various situations, such as when using the internet. This is because staff regularly tell them what they need to know to avoid harm.

Leaders carry out the required checks on people who work at the school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The curriculum is sometimes not as coherently sequenced as it could be in foreign languages and history. There are some parts where the intended learning does not build on earlier knowledge firmly enough. Leaders need to ensure that, across all subjects, the curriculum is clearly organised to teach knowledge that consistently builds on previous learning.

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