Saviour CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The pupils who attend Saviour Church of England Primary School value every opportunity that staff provide. They appreciate the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer.

For example, pupils relish the opportunity to make a tote bag in the fashion design club. More recently, they also enjoyed a visit to a football museum where they met some of their idols.

Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

They live out the school's values of 'ready, respectful and safe' in all that they do. Leaders deal effectively with any bullying when it occurs. Pupils said that they are happy to be in school.

Leaders have ensured that staff have higher... expectations for pupils' behaviour. In the main, pupils behave well. They follow the school rules.

Pupils explained that they feel safe in this calm and nurturing learning environment.

Leaders' work around the curriculum is underdeveloped. As a result, pupils receive an uneven experience of learning across different subjects.

Leaders' and teachers' expectations of what pupils can and should achieve are not high enough in some year groups or subjects. This includes for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Overall, pupils do not learn and achieve consistently well.

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

Since the previous inspection, leaders have taken effective steps to identify the key knowledge that pupils should learn in different subjects. They have thought carefully about the order in which pupils must learn new topics and concepts. The overarching aims of the curriculum are suitably ambitious.

The curriculum is broad and balanced. Despite this, some teachers do not expect pupils to achieve as highly as they should.

In some subjects, teachers are delivering the curriculum as leaders intend.

In these subjects, typically, teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge. In the main, they also select activities which are appropriate to help pupils to learn new information. For the most part, pupils learn well in these curriculum areas.

This, however, is not the case in other subjects.

In several subjects, some staff do not demonstrate secure subject knowledge to enable them to deliver new learning consistently well. In these subjects, when selecting activities for pupils, some teachers do not choose tasks which support pupils to learn new knowledge to the depth that they should.

In these subjects, pupils do not reach their potential. They do not learn as effectively as they should.

Leaders' assessment systems do not provide teachers with sufficient information about how well pupils are learning the curriculum.

This prevents some teachers from identifying the next steps in pupils' learning. As a result, some pupils develop misconceptions and misunderstandings which go unchecked.

In the Reception class, leaders ensure that children settle quickly into school life.

However, the curriculum in the early years has not been finalised. Teachers miss opportunities to develop children's vocabulary and language. This means that some children are not as prepared as they should be for the demands of Year 1.

Leaders ensure that there is a clear system in place to identify pupils with SEND. Leaders accurately identify pupils' additional learning needs. However, leaders' and teachers' expectations for what pupils with SEND can achieve are not high enough in some subjects.

This means some pupils with SEND do not achieve all that they should.

Staff foster pupils' love of reading from the Reception class to Year 6. Pupils are encouraged to read widely and often across a range of genres.

Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the books that they have read.

Leaders have recently implemented a new phonics programme. However, some staff do not demonstrate secure subject knowledge in the teaching of phonics.

In addition, the phonics programme is not delivered consistently well by some staff. Furthermore, a few staff do not use assessment information as effectively as they should to identify the gaps in pupils' phonic knowledge. This hinders some pupils from learning to read with fluency and with confidence.

Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They value their education. Typically, lessons proceed without interruptions.

Pupils learn in a calm and orderly environment. They are kind and considerate to each other. Pupils treat each other, staff and visitors with the upmost respect.

Pupils' wider development is a priority for leaders. They carefully think about the different experiences beyond the curriculum that will broaden pupils' horizons. For example, pupils learn to play a musical instrument and they have met different authors.

Pupils also have many opportunities to develop their leadership skills. For example, pupils join the school council, the 'bee green council', or they can become a school cadet.

Leaders and governors have a clear vision for the school.

However, leaders and governors have not ensured that pupils experience a consistently high-quality education. Staff report that leaders engage well with them around their well-being. They feel appropriately supported by leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding is a high priority for all staff. Staff are crystal clear about their responsibilities for keeping pupils safe.

Staff are vigilant in looking for any signs of changes in pupils' behaviour or attitudes, which may indicate that they are coming to potential harm. Staff receive regular updates from leaders, which keep their knowledge of safeguarding issues current. If leaders are concerned about a pupil, they make links with other agencies at a very early stage to ensure that pupils, and parents and carers, receive the support that they need.

Pupils' learning about how to keep themselves safe is critical to leaders. Through the curriculum, pupils learn about different aspects of safety, including online and in the local area.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, leaders have not ensured that teachers have high enough expectations for pupils' achievement.

This includes some pupils with SEND. As a result, pupils do not always achieve as well as they should. Leaders and governors should ensure that teachers raise their expectations of what pupils, including those with SEND, can and should achieve.

• The curriculum in the early years is underdeveloped. Added to this, in some subjects in key stages 1 and 2, teachers do not implement the curriculum as leaders intend. Consequently, some staff do not choose the most appropriate activities to help pupils to learn new knowledge.

Leaders should finalise the curriculum in the early years. They should ensure that teachers in key stages 1 and 2 implement the curriculum as expected. ? In a few subjects, some teachers do not have secure subject knowledge.

This includes in phonics. As a result, some staff do not deliver the curriculum consistently well. Leaders should ensure that teachers and teaching assistants have the training that they require to improve their subject knowledge across the curriculum, including in phonics.

• In some subjects, including in phonics, teachers do not use assessment information carefully enough. As a result, some teachers do not know where pupils have developed gaps in their knowledge or where they have misconceptions. Leaders should ensure that teachers use the information that they gather from their checks on pupils' learning to address any gaps in pupils' knowledge and to rectify any misunderstandings.