Salterforth Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to be part of this small school community where they know everyone well. They appreciate the care that staff provide.

This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

Pupils work hard to meet staff's high expectations of their academic achievement and their personal development. Pupils benefit from leaders' emphasis on emotional health and well-being.

Staff ensure that pupils with more complex needs get the help that they need to manage their feelings. Staff support all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well.

Pupils know that all staff expect them to try their best and behave well....

Most pupils are attentive during lessons and they engage positively in their learning. This includes children in the early years, who quickly settle into their daily routines. Leaders make sure that any incidents of bullying are dealt with quickly and effectively.

Pupils live out the school values in their everyday actions. For example, older pupils demonstrate kindness towards younger pupils in their roles as 'gardeners and seeds' buddies. Pupils actively contribute to initiatives in their local community.

They are eager to run stalls at the village fete and litter pick around the local area. Pupils are well prepared to be responsible citizens in a modern world.

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

Across most subjects, and in the early years, the curriculum content is ambitious for all pupils and children, including those with SEND.

Leaders ensure that pupils build the vocabulary that they need for future learning.

Leaders have set out the essential knowledge that they want pupils to know in most subjects and the order in which this content should be learned. Teachers routinely check that pupils know and remember their previous learning.

Teachers use assessment information well to identify and address any gaps or misconceptions that pupils may have before moving on to new content. This enables pupils to successfully build well on what they already know and can do.

In most subjects, leaders have ensured that teachers know how to deliver the curriculum effectively.

However, in a small number of subjects, teachers do not have secure subject knowledge. Occasionally, this hinders some pupils from gaining a sufficiently secure enough understanding of concepts.

Most pupils learn to read accurately and fluently.

Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme consistently well. Leaders prioritise teaching children to read as soon as they begin in the Reception Year. Teachers ensure that pupils practise their reading using books that are well matched to the sounds that they are learning.

Staff provide some additional support for those pupils who struggle to learn to read. However, from time to time, this support is not as effective as it could in enabling pupils to catch up with their peers.

Older pupils spoke enthusiastically about reading.

They said that they particularly enjoy reading Shakespeare's plays and sonnets. Pupils value the time that they spend in the school library. They have a thorough knowledge of a range of authors.

Pupils enjoy listening to the books that their teachers share with them each day. This fosters a love of reading.

Leaders have refined the systems for identifying pupils with SEND.

Teachers now identify pupils with SEND quickly and accurately. Teachers adjust the delivery of the curriculum to help these pupils to learn alongside their peers.

Leaders ensure that those pupils who need extra help to manage their behaviour get the support that they need.

In the main, pupils focus well during lessons. Lessons are seldom disrupted by poor behaviour. Children in the early years learn to follow routines and to cooperate with each other.

Leaders provide pupils with a broad range of opportunities to learn about diversity in modern Britain. Pupils understand and respect the differences between people. Pupils learn how their actions can make a positive difference to their school.

For example, the school council decides which charities pupils should support each year. Pupils, including those with SEND, are actively involved in school life.

Leaders and staff work closely with the governing body to identify with accuracy the school's strengths and areas for further development.

Staff feel valued and appreciate the support that they receive from leaders to look after their well-being and manage their workloads. Staff enjoy working collaboratively as a team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established a culture of care and vigilance. Staff know pupils well. Leaders provide staff with regular safeguarding training.

This helps staff to identify vulnerable pupils and to take swift and appropriate action when required.

Leaders respond to any safeguarding concerns tenaciously. They make sure that vulnerable pupils and their families get the help that they need.

Leaders ensure that pupils know how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, pupils learn how to develop appropriate friendships. Pupils are also taught how to identify and manage risk when they are online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On occasion, a few pupils who find reading more difficult do not receive all the support that they need to catch up with their peers. This means that these pupils do not learn to read fluently as quickly as they should. Leaders should make sure that staff are fully equipped to support these pupils to catch up with their reading knowledge.

• In a small number of subjects, staff do not have the necessary subject expertise that they need to deliver the curriculum consistently well. Occasionally, this means that some pupils have a superficial understanding of important concepts. Leaders should ensure that, in these subjects, staff receive the training that they require to deliver the curriculum confidently.