Priory Lane Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations of what they expect pupils to learn.

Pupils meet these expectations. The school welcomes visitors from different career paths to speak to pupils. Visitors have included a health worker, a priest and an archaeologist.

Pupils find these opportunities inspirational. They help pupils make strong links between their learning and real life. Leaders organise external visits to events that allow pupils to further enrich and support their learning.

Pupils spoke with awe about a workshop they attended with a famous illustrator. They explained how this helped them to enjoy reading and develop their interest in writing.

P...upils are safe and happy at school.

Pupils say that they could go to a trusted adult if they had any worries and that these adults would support them. Pupils learn how to stay safe. This includes with regard to road safety and how to stay safe when online.

These lessons are effective, and pupils have a clear and detailed understanding of the steps they can take to protect themselves.

Pupils behave well in lessons and at breaktimes. They are clear about the school's approach to behaviour.

They say it is fair. Pupils understand how their actions and choices affect others. Pupils say that bullying can sometimes happen at their school.

However, if it does happen, they say that adults help them to sort this out quickly.

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

The school is highly ambitious in what it plans for pupils to learn and experience. The school has a well-structured approach to the teaching of reading and phonics.

Teachers provide pupils with books to practise reading the sounds they know well. These closely match their reading ability. Leaders have created an approach to developing reading fluency.

This provides small steps for pupils to practise and develop confidence. This is effective, and supports pupils to read with expression. The small number of pupils who find reading more difficult access additional phonics sessions.

These small-group and one-to-one sessions target any misconceptions and gaps in learning, so that pupils can quickly catch up with their peers.

The school has made carefully thought-out changes to improve the curriculum. The important knowledge pupils need to learn and remember has been clearly set out so that pupils build their knowledge over time.

Pupils can talk about what they have learned, making strong links between the information they learn in different lessons. Assessments are in place for all subjects in the school's curriculum. These are highly effective in core subjects.

However, the school's chosen assessments in the wider curriculum are not specifically aligned to the key knowledge pupils learn. As a result, leaders are not able to precisely identify and address gaps in pupils' learning.

Pupils learn about different faiths and religions.

They visit the places of worship that they learn about. Pupils can talk confidently about similarities and differences across religions. Pupils learn about fundamental British values.

This gives them an understanding of concepts such as democracy. In addition to theoretical learning about this, the school ensures that there are opportunities across the curriculum for pupils to experience these concepts first hand. This includes voting on the class reading books and sharing ideas through the school council.

This supports pupils to have a deeper understanding around the impact and importance of British values.

Pupils take on various leadership roles in school. Pupils are invited to apply and interview for these posts, which include becoming playground leaders and well-being ambassadors.

Pupils receive training for these roles. This enables pupils to fulfil the responsibilities needed. In these leadership roles, pupils support others to regulate their emotions and to have a good relationship with their peers.

A number of pupils explained that there are not enough clubs in school. Pupils said they would like to learn a musical instrument but they do not get the opportunity. This prevents some pupils from having the chance to fully develop their talents and interests.

There is a clear process for identifying pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school works with parents to ensure that pupils with SEND receive the support they need. Pupils are supported in lessons using practical resources and personalised targets.

These steps allow pupils to learn alongside their peers and to produce work that reflects their developing understanding.

In the early years, the curriculum is delivered in a well-designed environment. Activities are personalised to meet children's learning needs.

For example, children learn to write when they are ready. They begin by using sounds they know well. They start with the initial sounds of a word.

Adults then use templates to help the children to break words down into different, familiar sounds. They then use this knowledge to support children to build their writing of words and then sentences, talking these through before writing them. As a result, children make strong progress and are well prepared for Year 1.

The school invests in the staff team. Staff value this support. Leaders make sure staff have access to training across all parts of the school's curriculum.

This has increased staff's subject knowledge in all subjects. This is evident in lessons and has a positive impact on pupils' learning.

School governors triangulate information from speaking to pupils and staff and meeting with leaders.

They speak with different groups in their school community to assure themselves that the information they receive is accurate. They use this information well to support further development and improvement across the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The assessment processes in the wider curriculum are not appropriately linked with what leaders want pupils to know and remember. This means that leaders are not able to accurately check how well pupils are learning what is being taught. Leaders should ensure that they put in place effective checking processes so that they can easily identify and address any misconceptions and gaps in pupils' learning.

• Pupils have limited opportunities to develop their interests beyond the academic curriculum. Pupils do not have the chance to explore their talents and interests through a wide range of extra-curricular clubs or lessons. Leaders need to make sure that pupils can access a range of opportunities, to support their broader development.

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