Salisbury Road Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about learning at Salisbury Road. They show exemplary attitudes to their learning. They take pride in their work, always striving to do their best.

This contributes to them achieving well across the curriculum.

Everyone has high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils clearly understand these expectations and show high levels of respect.

Pupils feel that staff are consistent and fair in managing behaviour. The support that the school provides for any pupils who struggle with their behaviour is highly effective. Pupils feel safe.

They trust adults to listen to them and take effective actions if they are worried about anything....

Children in the early years quickly settle and learn important routines. This sets them up well for learning.

They develop confidence and curiosity due to the clear focus on learning when in the classroom and in outdoor areas. Children are highly motivated to take part in the activities. They independently use resources and learn to take responsibility for looking after them and tidying away.

The school community is diverse and celebrates the many different cultures in the school. Pupils enjoy learning about world religions and traditions from one another and parent visitors. Pupils thrive together, understanding that people are different, and that this is a positive aspect of belonging to a community.

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

Children get off to a flying start in Reception. The school is ambitious for all, but particularly effective with its youngest children. They have designed the curriculum with enough flexibility to be able to respond to children's interests.

Learning is exciting. Children learn new knowledge and concepts in interesting ways. This makes them curious.

Children explore these concepts through a variety of activities and play. This helps to secure their understanding.

The sharp focus on language in the early years is a theme throughout the school.

Across the curriculum, pupils learn subject-specific words. They build confidence and accuracy in using these in their writing and explanations. As a result, they recall learning in detail.

A love of reading is everywhere. Pupils enjoy their teachers reading to them. Many are inspired to continue reading the class text.

Pupils appreciate the range of books available to them. There is something for everyone so that texts broaden pupils' experiences of culture and diversity.

The school has focused on ensuring that every pupil learns to read well.

Staff teach early reading well and pupils start learning phonics as soon as they join Reception. Teaching ensures that pupils learn to segment words and blend sounds successfully so that they can read with greater fluency and accuracy. An effective 'bridging' programme makes sure that all pupils move confidently from the phonics programme to whole-class reading.

As a result, all pupils can securely read more difficult texts when they are ready. Staff use assessment well. This ensures that pupils learn what they need to learn next in a timely way, including those who join during the academic year.

The school has carefully sequenced the essential knowledge it wants pupils to learn. For example, in history, the school makes sure that pupils learn about democracy in each history unit that they study. This means they can make links with what they already know about other time periods.

The curriculum helps pupils to make sense of the local area of Plymouth and their global citizenship. Visits and visitors are chosen carefully to add value to pupils' learning.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have support and well-adapted resources that mean they can follow the curriculum alongside their peers.

However, they do not all learn as well as they could. This is because, for some pupils with SEND, targets are too broad. This makes it difficult for teaching to be precise enough to close the gaps for them.

The trust and local governing board have good strategic oversight of the school's work. Careful evaluation of the information they receive means they have remained focused on the education the school provides. Staff are proud to work at the school.

They value the training and collaboration with colleagues from other trust schools.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Plans for some pupils with SEND are not specific enough to meet their individual needs.

As a result, these pupils do not make the progress that they could. This is because teachers are not clear enough about how to close the specific gaps in knowledge. The school must continue to develop individual plans and provision for pupils with SEND so that their individual needs are addressed, and they learn well.