Preston Greenlands Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their welcoming school.

They arrive at school each day happy and ready to learn. Pupils' attendance is high. They want to come to school because of the warm relationships that they have with staff and each other.

Pupils are well behaved and they demonstrate good manners. The school's values of compassion and respect for others underpin pupils' conduct. Pupils are well supported to manage their emotions and make positive choices.

Children in the Reception Year settle into routines quickly. Across the school, pupils easily meet the schools' high expectations for their behaviour.

Pupils' wider development is well considered at this s...chool.

Their school experience is enriched by a range of trips and visits. For example, pupils spoke enthusiastically about visits to Blackpool and to the theatre. Pupils increase their independence by taking on various roles and responsibilities, such as acting as school councillors.

These opportunities help pupils to better understand the wider world. Pupils flourish at this school.

The school expects the very best for pupils' achievement.

Since the previous inspection, it has taken effective action to strengthen the curriculum. This has been successful. Pupils respond well to the high aspirations that the school has for their success.

Typically, pupils achieve well.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has ensured that a broad and ambitious curriculum is in place. The curriculum sets out clearly the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn from the Reception Year to Year 6.

This is helping pupils to learn better than they have in the past, including in mathematics.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. Generally, they design activities that help pupils to secure the knowledge in the curriculum.

In most subjects, teachers routinely identify how well pupils are learning the curriculum. In these subjects, teachers use information successfully to revisit content that is not secure and to shape future learning.

In a small number of subjects, some older pupils have gaps in their learning.

This is due to weaknesses in the previous curriculum. At times, teachers do not check that these pupils have the knowledge that they need to make sense of new learning. As a result, some pupils' knowledge in these subjects is not as secure as it could be.

The school swiftly identifies the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It ensures that staff benefit from suitable training so that they can meet the needs of these pupils effectively. The school liaises with different agencies when required, to further support pupils with SEND.

Typically, pupils' additional needs are met well.

Children in the Reception Year benefit from an engaging and well-designed environment. Staff focus on developing children's communication and language skills, for example, through effective questioning and strong modelling of ambitious vocabulary.

Children are prepared well for Year 1.

The school ensures that reading is a priority. Staff are equipped to deliver the phonics programme consistently well.

The school makes sure that pupils read from books that are matched accurately to the sounds that they know. As a result, most pupils become confident and fluent readers. However, a few pupils struggle to read fluently.

The school has not ensured that support for these pupils addresses the gaps in their reading knowledge sufficiently well. This hinders how well these pupils access the curriculum.

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning.

This is successfully encouraged by staff who know them well. Pupils understand the value of high attendance. When a pupil's attendance is low, the school works closely with the family to provide support to bring about swift improvement.

The school ensures that pupils learn to respect the differences between people. Pupils appreciate the extra-curricular activities offered by the school, for example joining a sports team, singing in the choir or acting in the drama club. Pupils learn important information to equip them well for life in modern Britain, such as learning about democracy through visits from a magistrate.

Pupils understand how to stay safe online and who to talk to if they have worries and concerns.

Governors know the school well. Staff appreciate the care and support that the school provides for their well-being.

Staff value the school's consideration of their workload when implementing recent improvements to the curriculum. Staff are proud to work at this school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A small number of pupils do not receive the support that they need to become confident and fluent readers. When this happens, these pupils struggle to access the full breadth of the school's curriculum. The school should ensure that these pupils receive appropriate and timely support, so that they catch up quickly and learn to read well.

• Some older pupils have gaps in their knowledge due to weaknesses in the previous curriculum. This hinders these pupils from building successfully on what they already know. The school should ensure that staff are suitably equipped to identify and remedy the gaps in these pupils' knowledge, before introducing new learning.