Somerville Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning and playing at this caring school. They learn to treat everyone equally.

Pupils make the most of everything that the school offers. They live up to the school's values of happiness, respect, resilience and responsibility.

Pupils are considerate and polite.

Their conduct in and around the school is impeccable. Pupils who spoke to the inspectors said that adults in school help them to resolve worries or problems.

Pupils are keen to learn.

They know that staff expect them to do their best and achieve well. Pupils listen attentively in lessons and confidently answer questions. Most pupils become successful learners who achi...eve well in most subjects.

Pupils take part in a variety of trips, visits and clubs, including yoga, origami and debating. They support the local community, for example, by collecting food for local food banks. Pupils carry out extra responsibilities with pride.

These include being eco-councillors, librarians and members of the online-safety team.

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

In the last academic year, the school has raised its expectations of how well pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), should achieve. It has designed a well-ordered curriculum so that, from the early years to the end of Year 6, pupils' learning builds logically on what they already know and remember.

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND quickly. This means that staff can give these pupils the help that they need to follow the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils, including pupils with SEND, now achieve better than they did in most subjects as a result.

The school's well-designed curriculum means that teachers know exactly what pupils need to learn and when this should happen. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. In the main, they choose appropriate resources, activities and questions to help pupils learn.

Teachers check what pupils know and remember and use this information to adapt the curriculum. However, in a small number of subjects, teachers do not give pupils sufficient opportunity to learn essential knowledge. As a result, in these subjects, pupils do not build a strong body of knowledge that enables them to achieve well.

Reading is a priority for the school. All staff who teach early reading are well trained. This ensures that children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 make a good start in becoming readers.

Staff make frequent checks to identify when pupils are falling behind with the reading programme and to provide the help that they need to catch up. From the early years upwards, staff make sure that pupils read books that match their reading knowledge. Most pupils read fluently and accurately by the end of key stage 1.

In key stage 2, pupils continue to develop secure reading skills, including comprehension. The school ensures that all pupils read for pleasure.

From the start of the early years, staff establish routines that contribute to pupils' positive behaviour.

Staff model calm, respectful and caring relationships. These are reflected in all aspects of school life. Occasionally, lessons are disturbed by some pupils who find it difficult to concentrate.

Staff skilfully help these pupils to pay attention so that disruption is minimal. In the past, too many pupils did not attend school regularly enough. This has had a negative impact on their achievement.

The school has put in place more rigorous systems to discourage poor attendance and reward those who attend well. As a result, there has been significant improvement. Nevertheless, some pupils are absent too often.

The school provides well for pupils' personal development. Staff look after pupils well, especially those who are vulnerable. Pupils learn how to respect and value others who may be different to them.

They know what it means to have a healthy relationship. Pupils are well prepared for life in a diverse and modern Britain.

The school takes account of staff workload and well-being.

Staff feel that they are valued members of a supportive team. The school provides many opportunities for parents and carers to be involved in their children's education. These include workshops and online materials to support parents in helping their children to read.

Governors bring a wide range of skills and experience to their roles. They have helped the school to bring about recent improvements to the curriculum.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, teachers do not deliver the curriculum well enough to develop the full range of skills and knowledge required by the school. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. In these areas, the school should review the implementation of the curriculum to ensure an appropriate balance across all aspects of the programmes of study so that pupils achieve well.

• Many pupils do not attend school regularly enough. As a result, a considerable number do not benefit fully from their primary education. The school should strengthen its work with parents to improve attendance so that all pupils flourish academically and personally.