Salusbury Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a nurturing and caring school with the community at its heart.

It encourages pupils to celebrate differences and treat everyone as individuals. Pupils feel safe and are welcoming and polite to visitors.

The school has high expectations of pupils and ensures that they achieve well.

Staff work together to meet the needs of all pupils, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils' behaviour and attitudes towards their learning are highly positive. There is a calm, focused and respectful atmosphere around the school.

Pupils show kindness and consideration towards each other and build trusting r...elationships with staff. The school focuses on rewarding positive behaviour and celebrating pupils' success.

The school carefully enriches pupils' experiences beyond the academic curriculum.

A variety of workshops, visits, and themed weeks, such as those on keeping safe or art, are purposefully woven into the curriculum. Pupils talk enthusiastically about how these opportunities have enhanced their learning of other places and cultures.

The school is committed to building pupils' character through thoughtfully designed initiatives, such as pupil leadership roles, which include bespoke training and guidance for the pupils involved.

For example, peer mediators support other pupils in the playground to promote their well-being.

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

The school has created a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils and is logically sequenced. For example, in mathematics, Reception children repeatedly practise counting and grouping numbers in a variety of ways.

Older pupils then apply this number knowledge to solve complex problems. In computing, younger pupils learn basic photo editing. The curriculum then builds on these foundations successfully as pupils move through the school.

As a result, pupils develop a secure understanding of film editing. They learn to cut and trim, eventually becoming proficient in creating their own videos.

Staff develop pupils' curiosity and love of learning, addressing any misconceptions.

This approach helps pupils confidently recall important subject content. For example, in music, Year 6 pupils can explain how to use different chords on instruments like the ukulele. In early years and in a small number of subjects in Years 1 to 6, the school is working on making sure that curriculum fully embeds the key knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in the long term.

As a result, pupils sometimes struggle to connect prior learning to new concepts. This can affect their ability to develop deeper knowledge over time.

Pupils with SEND are extremely well supported throughout the school.

Their needs are identified early. Precise plans are put in place so that staff know how to help them. Pupils with SEND are fully included in lessons and receive the support that they need to succeed.

Reading is a high priority. The school's agreed approach to teaching reading is applied consistently across all year groups. As a result, pupils successfully develop their fluency and comprehension.

Staff quickly identify and support any pupils at risk of falling behind. The effective implementation of the phonics programme helps these pupils keep up and become more confident readers. A strong culture of reading is evident throughout the school.

Reading ambassadors, for example, actively promote this across all year groups. They have a dedicated budget to buy books from a local shop and to stock a book trolley for outdoor reading. The ambassadors select which books to add, fostering ownership and inspiring others to read.

Pupils demonstrate exemplary behaviour. Expectations are clear and consistently applied. From early years, the school helps pupils grow in confidence and independence.

This prepares them well for the next stage in their learning. The school works closely with families to prioritise attendance and punctuality. As a result, pupils attend regularly and on time.

The school provides a wide range of opportunities to enhance pupils' broader development. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum encourages pupils to develop empathy and understand other faiths and cultures. As a result, pupils are knowledgeable about fundamental British values.

They show interest in and respect for how other people in modern Britain live. Assemblies are carefully planned to teach kindness and understanding of others. Pupils participate in events that help them consider careers and their future roles as citizens.

For example, from the early years, visitors from various professions give talks and provide interactive workshops to inspire pupils.

Leaders and those responsible for governance have a detailed and accurate understanding of the school's effectiveness. The school's actions to develop pupils' learning further are ambitious and well thought out.

Leaders review their work carefully, making sure that it is securing the intended improvements. The school makes sure that staff have bespoke opportunities for high-quality professional development to help them improve how they teach the curriculum. These strengths mean that the school is addressing aspects of the curriculum that could be stronger.

Staff are extremely appreciative of leaders' nurturing approach to their workload and well-being. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school, describing it as a warm and welcoming community.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In the early years and in a few foundation subjects, the curriculum is not fully embedding pupils' knowledge and skills. Where this is the case, this can sometimes affect how well pupils articulate and connect what is being taught to their prior learning. The school should continue its work on supporting pupils to consolidate key knowledge and deepen their understanding.

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