Shawlands Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

The executive headteacher and head of school have created an effective and dynamic leadership team. Leaders at all levels confidently contribute towards improving the quality of teaching and pupils' achievement. The strong governing body has an accurate view of the school's strengths and what needs to improve still further.

They are passionate advocates of this improving school and hold leaders robustly to account for the standards reached. The new curriculum interests and engages pupils, who say, 'we now enjoy our lessons and coming to school'. As a result of effective training and support, teachers have addressed the inadequacies ident...ified at the last inspection.

Teaching is now good overall and support staff are used effectively to support pupils' learning. Pupils' behaviour is now good. They have developed positive attitudes to their work and encourage one another to try hard in their lessons.

They have a good awareness of how to stay safe when, for example, using the internet. Attendance is improving and the proportion of pupils that are persistently absent is falling quickly. Pupils' achievement is good and continues to improve each term.

The majority of pupils now make good progress in their reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, standards by the end of Year 6 improved significantly in 2014. Children in the early years benefit from a good start to their school life.

They are helped to settle quickly and develop positive attitudes to learning. The proportion of children who are well prepared to start Year 1 improves each year. It is not yet an outstanding school because : The quality of teachers' marking has improved, but some staff are not always thoroughly checking pupils' corrections.

This means some pupils continue to make the same mistakes. Occasionally, all pupils are given the same mathematics work to complete. This means some pupils find the work too tricky while for others it is too easy.

On these occasions, teachers or teaching assistants do not always step in quickly enough to change the activities. The attainment of all groups of pupils remains below the national average in the Year 1 check on the sounds that letters make (phonics).

Information about this school

This is an average sized primary school.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is additional government funding provided for children who are looked after by the local authority and those known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.

The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups or who speak English as an additional language is below average but rising. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6. Since the time of the last inspection, there have been a significant number of changes.

An executive headteacher (from Gawber Primary School) has been appointed together with a new head of school. Three new assistant headteachers have also been appointed. A new Chair of the Governing Body, safeguarding officer and three new governors have been appointed.

Four new teachers have taken up post, as well as a new special educational needs coordinator. A new early years unit and two additional classrooms have been built to accommodate the growing number of pupils who attend the school. Children in the Nursery attend part time, the children in Reception attend full time.

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