Salisbury Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The headteacher and her senior team have provided very clear guidance for teachers on how to raise standards of teaching and learning since the last inspection.

Teaching is monitored closely and the impact has been a rapid improvement in the progress that pupils are making in all year groups. The school's own internal information now shows that the proportion of pupils in all classes who are making better than expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics is much higher than the national average. Teachers are making good use of information about the progress that the pupils are making in order to provide work which is at the right level a...nd which is accelerating their learning rapidly.

Nursery and Reception classes are very well organised and managed, and pupils make good progress as a result. Pupils behave well in classes, corridors and the playground and say that they feel safe in school. They have a pride in their work, are polite and well-mannered and enjoy their learning.

The governors have a good understanding of the strengths of the school and what needs to be done next in order to improve further. They have put systems in place which will help them become more effective over a short space of time. It is not yet an outstanding school because: Some disadvantaged pupils are not making the same high levels of progress in writing and mathematics as they are in reading.

Too few of the most-able pupils are attaining the higher levels of Level 3 and Level 5 by the end of Year 2 and Year 6.

Information about this school

The school became part of a federation in January 2013, which was dissolved in October 2014. The school then formed its own governing body, co-opted a serving headteacher who is a Local Leader of Education as an associative governor, and made changes to staffing.

The school is led by an interim acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher. The members of staff responsible for leading special educational needs, Years 1 and 2 and early years provision are all new to post. The local authority appointed a new consultant to the school in December 2014.

This school is larger than the average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and looked after children) is very high in comparison with the national average. The majority of pupils are from minority ethnic groups.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average. The school's population is much less stable than average. Children attend the Nursery for separate morning and afternoon sessions.

They attend the Reception class on a full-time basis. Some pupils in Years 1 to 6 are taught in mixed-age classes. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress.