Sparrow Farm Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve at Sparrow Farm School.

The school is welcoming and inclusive. All pupils follow the ambitious curriculum, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils enjoy coming to school.

They feel safe and know who to talk to if they have a concern.

Pupils behave well. They understand the school's values and appreciate the support they get from staff if they struggle.

Children in early years settle quickly into the school's routines and learn well together. Pupils value the help the school provides for their mental and physical health. Pupils understand what bullying is....

Staff take swift and effective action if it occurs.

Pupils are positive about recent changes in the school that have increased the number of opportunities available. They appreciate the school's expansion of the sports clubs and creative activities on offer.

Pupils are motivated by the rewards given for good work and their contributions to school life. They enjoy taking up leadership responsibilities such as those of peer mediators and eco-warriors. All members of the Sparrow Farm community celebrate the diversity of the school.

Pupils get the opportunity to visit many different places of worship. They understand why it is so important to respect different ways of life.

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

The school has designed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious right from the start.

For example, in music, pupils get the opportunity to learn to play three instruments. Children in the early years grasp ideas securely and develop the foundational knowledge they need to start Year 1. They are also encouraged to take risks in a safe and interactive environment.

This allows them to build confidence and resilience. Pupils build on their knowledge as they move through the school. For example, they revisit mathematical concepts and vocabulary, enabling them to tackle more difficult tasks in older year groups.

The school focuses on widening pupils' vocabulary. This results in improvements in their writing, especially in the older years. For example, in English, Year 6 pupils confidently talk about and use complex techniques such as 'ellipsis' and 'metaphor'.

In most subjects, teachers have good subject knowledge. They explain ideas clearly. They design activities that help pupils to remember and practise what they have learned.

In a few subjects, the curriculum is at an earlier stage of development. Sometimes pupils' misconceptions are not swiftly identified and addressed. Where this is the case, pupils do not consistently develop a deep understanding and apply their learning in different contexts.

The school promotes a love of reading in all year groups and plans regular visits to the library. Leaders ensure that the books pupils read have a rich range of vocabulary and reflect the diversity of the school community. A significant proportion of pupils join the school later than would usually be expected and are often new to English.

The school identified this change in their cohort and adapted the phonics programme accordingly. This is now starting to have an impact on published outcomes. The curriculum is designed so that pupils develop the phonics knowledge they need to become fluent and accurate readers.

Effective training has ensured that phonics is taught in a logical order. Staff ensure that books are matched to the sounds that pupils have been learning. Pupils continue to develop reading skills as they move through school.

Pupils who need extra support in their reading, particularly those who join the school later in the academic year, receive targeted help so that they can catch up with their peers.

The school has ensured that there are effective systems for identifying pupils with SEND. The school works well with external agencies to ensure that specialist advice is sought and acted upon.

On occasion, teachers do not use information about pupils' needs to make suitable adaptations to tasks and activities. This means that pupils with SEND can sometimes struggle to access the same curriculum as their peers.

Most staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

The school has increased the support available to help pupils manage their own behaviour if they struggle. Relationships at the school are positive and respectful.

Pupils enjoy learning about difference and diversity.

They are keen to help others, for example, as 'play leaders', who check that pupils have friends to talk to at breaktimes. The curriculum helps pupils to learn about keeping themselves safe, including online, and the importance of respectful behaviour towards their peers and staff.

The school emphasises the importance of high attendance.

As a result, attendance is improving. Staff are swift in identifying any concerns. They work closely with external agencies to support pupils' well-being if they identify a concern.

The school has ensured that there are good-quality opportunities for staff's professional development. Staff appreciate the focus on developing their practice. Governors have received effective training to support them in their roles.

They share leaders' high ambitions. They know the school well and hold leaders to account effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On occasion, pupils' misconceptions are not identified and addressed with enough rigour and accuracy. This limits pupils' understanding and means they are not well prepared for future learning. The school should ensure that checks on pupils' learning are used routinely and purposefully to plug any gaps in their knowledge and deepen their understanding.

• Sometimes, information about the needs of pupils with SEND is not used well to adapt teaching activities. This means that these pupils sometimes struggle to access the full curriculum. The school should ensure that teaching is consistently and suitably adapted so that these pupils are able to access the same curriculum as their peers.

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