Shevington Vale Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy and safe at this school. They attend regularly and receive a caring welcome each day from leaders and staff. Parents and carers would not hesitate to recommend the school to others.

Pupils behave well. They listen carefully to each other and adults and follow instructions immediately. Staff and pupils help anyone who is new to the school to settle in quickly.

Pupils treat others with respect. They told inspectors that staff deal with any instances of bullying quickly so that they are not repeated.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils' attitudes, behaviour and work.

Staff give pupils the help that they need to succeed. Pupils... work hard and are keen to do their best. They achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders ensure that every single pupil takes part in an exceptionally rich range of experiences to develop their talents, character and appreciation of culture. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Pupils benefit from working alongside external organisations to enhance their personal development.

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

Leaders have devised a well-balanced curriculum that meets the needs of pupils and matches the requirements of the national curriculum. Across a wide range of subjects, from the Reception Year to the end of Year 6, leaders have identified the most important knowledge that they want pupils to learn. They have also made clear the logical order in which pupils should learn it.

Teachers have a strong understanding of the subjects that they teach. They make sure that pupils successfully meet the expectations that leaders set for their learning.

Each unit of work starts with an 'archive' of prior knowledge which allows teachers to revisit previous learning and build on it.

In most subjects, this allows pupils to consolidate new learning and commit it to memory before moving on. However, sometimes pupils do not have enough opportunity to embed their knowledge and use it for future learning. At times, this slows pupils learning, for example when they use new methods to solve problems in mathematics.

The curriculum in the Reception class lays a firm foundation for pupils to make a strong start in Year 1. Teachers regularly check on how well pupils, and children in the early years, know and remember what they have learned. Teachers use this information to plan appropriate support where needed.

By the end of Year 6, pupils are well prepared socially and academically for secondary school.

Lessons are calm, positive and purposeful. Lessons are not disrupted by pupils' behaviour, so no learning time is wasted.

Pupils keenly use regular opportunities for discussion to increase their understanding and help each other.

The reading curriculum is carefully thought out. From the start of the Reception Year, children are taught well to recognise letters and the sounds that they make.

In key stage 1, the books that pupils read match their phonics knowledge. Pupils read to adults regularly in school. Teachers and teaching assistants make sure that those pupils who find reading difficult have the help that they need to keep up with the intended curriculum.

Pupils move from reading words and simple sentences accurately to becoming confident and fluent readers.

Teachers accurately identify and assess the learning and social needs of disadvantaged pupils and those pupils with SEND. They make sure that these pupils are well supported.

These pupils follow the same ambitious curriculum as their peers in all subjects and achieve well.

The school provides an extensive array of high-quality experiences designed to develop pupils' wider skills and experience. These include a range of exciting and memorable educational experiences which are integrated into the curriculum every year.

They give pupils a thirst for knowledge and put school subjects into real-life contexts. There are many and varied opportunities for pupils to develop enterprise skills, such as running the school's radio station and restaurant. The school's 'Young Governors' play a real role in decision-making.

Pupils enthusiastically learn about race, culture, beliefs and lifestyles that are different from their own so that they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate how leaders, including governors, consider their well-being.

They value the many opportunities that leaders give them to undertake training and develop professionally. Governors bring many skills to their roles and use them very effectively in carrying out their responsibilities. Leaders regularly gather the views of parents and involve them in the life of the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

A strong culture of safeguarding permeates all aspects of the school. Policies are clear and well implemented.

Procedures and roles are understood by all. Staff undertake regular training and have weekly updates about local and national issues.

Staff know how to spot when a pupil is in difficulty and quickly give vulnerable pupils the help that they need.

Pupils are confident that they can share worries with adults in the school and that staff will act quickly.

Leaders welcome support from external agencies when specialist help is required. The curriculum helps pupils to understand how to stay safe online, in school and the outside world.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, sometimes pupils do not have opportunities to consolidate new learning, for example in mathematics. This means that some pupils do not remember aspects of their prior learning as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that pupils have more regular opportunities to embed their knowledge and skills, so they can build on these in future learning.