Sandbrook Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Caring for pupils and their families is at the heart of everything that the staff do. Pupils feel secure.

Pupils who spoke with us said that they feel safe. They have a strong understanding of how to keep safe online. They play and socialise well at breaktimes.

Pupils said that bullying is rare. If there is any, they said that staff take it seriously and sort it out. Most pupils behave well in class for most of the time.

They are eager to give their answers to teachers' questions. They follow adults' instructions well.

Pupils are happy and they enjoy school.

They like the different subjects, particularly history, geography and science. Pupil...s also said that they enjoy the wide range of clubs, trips and experiences.

Teachers' expectations for pupils' attainment are not high enough.

Close to a half of Year 6 pupils in 2019 did not have the reading attainment that they needed in order to be ready for secondary school. These pupils' skills in mathematics were also not strong enough. Leaders have reshaped the curriculum to help pupils to learn more and address the low standards achieved by pupils in the past.

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

The children in the Nursery and Reception classes get off to a good start. The curriculum is well planned in early years. Adults choose appropriate activities.

These give the children the experience and the knowledge that they need. The curriculum builds on children's prior learning. Staff check on children's learning well.

They give children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) the teaching that they need to become successful learners. The staff develop in children a love of books and reading. Each week, a secret reader comes into the Nursery and Reception classes to share a book and to inspire children.

Over recent years, an increasing number of children have been ready for Year 1 by the end of Reception Year.

Standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 have been low in the past. The curriculum has not helped the disadvantaged pupils to catch up with other pupils nationally.

There is still some way to go to raise the attainment of all pupils so that it is comparable with the national averages. Leaders have acted. They have started to refine the curriculum further, particularly in mathematics.

Teachers do not teach the skills and knowledge that pupils need in small enough chunks. However, in writing the curriculum helps pupils with SEND to catch up to their peers.

Reading is the school's main priority.

Leaders have invested in new books. They make sure that the youngest children have the books that match their reading skills. Teachers help most, but not all, pupils to catch up to where they should be in the reading programme.

There is a well-planned system in place to help pupils new to the country to be able to read. Some adults are not accurate in the pronunciation of the sounds that letters represent. Some adults make errors in their standard spoken English.

Across the curriculum, pupils struggle to spell words well in their work. They sometimes make repeated errors, spelling the same word incorrectly over a period of time.

The curriculum builds pupils' personal development well.

For instance, in physical education (PE), leaders help pupils to have the skills they need to lead a healthy lifestyle. They show pupils that they should keep trying if they cannot do a skill the first time. This is particularly effective for disadvantaged pupils and for pupils with SEND.

Pupils have many chances to take on responsibilities in school, for example as French, geography or history ambassadors. Through the curriculum, teachers also develop pupils' wider cultural understanding. They make sure that all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, have the chance to visit places such as The Lowry and the 'Theatre of Dreams'.

The curriculum supports pupils' good behaviour. They learn how to respect and care for others.

The governing body and leaders take steps to make sure that the workload on staff is well managed.

They have reduced the amount of marking and assessment. They look after the teachers' well-being. They provide the time that subject leaders need to do their jobs.

They provide the training that staff need.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have a passion for making sure that all pupils are safe.

Staff and governors are well trained and knowledgeable about safeguarding. Leaders provide frequent updates to make sure that staff and governors have the latest information.

Induction for new staff is highly effective.

Staff know how to make referrals should they be concerned about pupils' welfare. The school's records following any incidents are comprehensive. Leaders work well with many different professionals to get help to families and to individual pupils.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The curriculum in reading does not allow pupils to attain as well as possible. Pupils do not develop their reading as well as they could. The standards that pupils achieve have been below the national average by the end of Year 6.

Disadvantaged pupils do not catch up with other pupils nationally. Pupils find it harder to use reading in other subjects and are less well prepared for secondary school. Leaders should continue their development of the curriculum in reading to make sure that the quality of education in this area continues to improve.

. Some adults do not use correct English or accurately pronounce the sounds that letters represent when they speak to children and pupils. This makes it harder for pupils to develop their speaking and reading skills, including their knowledge of these sounds.

Leaders should ensure that all staff are confident and accurate in the way they provide pupils with a model for standard spoken English. . Pupils' work shows repeated spelling errors.

This makes their writing less effective. Leaders should ensure that staff use effective strategies to help pupils know the importance of accurate spelling and become better spellers. .

Leaders have started to refine the subjects taught into smaller pieces of knowledge and skills that build up to ambitious end points. This work is not yet finished. The school should complete this process so that pupils are helped to raise their attainment across the curriculum.

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