Sharley Park Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Sharley Park Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel both safe and happy at Sharley Park. Staff and pupils know each other well.

Senior leaders greet pupils enthusiastically each morning at the gates, and any concerns are addressed straight away. Staff and pupils describe the school as a 'true community school', supporting each other like a family. There is a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils and create a calm atmosphere in the school. Pupils work well together. They engage with each other and particularly like working in groups.

They behave very well.Teddy, the s...chool dog, is talked of highly. Parents and carers are very happy with the school.

They feel it is a supportive and caring family school. Pupils are given experiences to help them become world citizens. One pupil commented that a trip to Matlock Farm was 'the best day of my life'.

Pupils are taught to recognise bullying and what to do when it happens. Pupils feel confident in their teachers to deal with any problems. Where issues of bullying do occur, staff act quickly.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious and creative curriculum. Leaders have identified the important knowledge that pupils should learn and when. Leaders ensure that knowledge is broken down into small steps.

Teachers have good subject knowledge. They use their knowledge to help pupils remember more. Teachers use effective questioning and modelling to deepen pupils' understanding.

Pupils are able to talk confidently about their learning in some subjects. For example, they are able to describe key instructions needed for a robotic device as part of their computing curriculum.Teachers regularly revisit learning and check pupils' understanding in English and mathematics.

They identify and address misconceptions quickly. This ensures that pupils can build on what they know and remember. For example, in mathematics pupils are able to apply previous learning when finding the area of compound shapes.

However, in some foundation subjects teachers do not always check pupils' learning. Teachers do not always identify gaps in pupils' knowledge. Not all pupils learn as much as they could in these subjects.

Leaders work with staff to identify pupils who need extra help. Teachers adapt the curriculum to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teaching assistants work together with teachers to provide targeted support to pupils who need it.

Pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as other pupils.Leaders have revised the reading curriculum. There is a whole-school culture of prioritising reading.

Leaders prioritise phonics as part of their approach to early reading. All staff have been trained to deliver the phonics programme. The curriculum systematically builds on pupils' knowledge.

Books are well matched to the sounds pupils need to practise. Pupils who need further support receive extra teaching to help them keep up. Older pupils enjoy reading.

They are keen to discuss the authors and genres that they like. Pupils understand the importance of reading and describe how the school helps them to do this. Staff regularly read to pupils and model how to be an effective reader.

Pupils talk about reading enthusiastically.Leaders provide many opportunities that support pupils' wider development. Pupils learn about healthy lifestyles and age-appropriate relationships.

Pupils learn about people with different backgrounds and beliefs. They learn the importance of respect, equality and diversity. Pupils take part in a range of extra-curricular activities, including a dance festival.

Staff appreciate the actions that leaders take in relation to workload. Staff feel valued and are proud to work at the school. Leaders listen and respond to the staff team.

Governors hold leaders to account and fulfil their statutory duties. The governing body has an accurate view of the school's strengths and weaknesses.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Staff are vigilant and well trained. They know how to identify concerns.

Staff report concerns and appropriate action is taken by staff at all levels.

The curriculum ensures that pupils learn how to keep safe in a variety of situations. Pupils say they know who they can talk to if they have worries.

Leaders are tenacious in their approach to ensure that pupils and families receive the extra help they need from external agencies.

Pre-employment checks are thorough. Records are well maintained.

Governors understand the school's safeguarding procedures.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have established secure approaches to assessment in core subjects. However, in a minority of foundation subjects, assessment is less well developed.

Teachers do not always identify gaps in pupils' knowledge. Leaders should ensure that effective assessment is in place in all foundation subjects to help teachers identify what pupils have learned, and to determine the next steps in pupils' learning.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2017.