Spring Cottage Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The Spring Cottage values of respect, determination and happiness underpin everything everyone does. Pupils recognise that these values influence their highly positive attitudes to learning.

Pupils behave with exemplary levels of respect for each other, adults and visitors. There are three simple school rules that pupils know and apply in their lives. Pupils consistently endeavour to 'do the right thing'.

The school's exceptional curriculum is designed to meet the specific needs of the Spring Cottage community.

Pupils can apply for a wide range of leadership opportunities provided by the school. These roles have a noticeable impact on pupils.

For exa...mple, the well-being ambassadors support pupils at playtime, and the reading ambassadors encourage reading in the key stage 1 reading shed. The ambassadors have a high status in the school community. These pupils are excellent role models.

The school exudes inclusivity. The two specially resourced provisions for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) provide exceptional learning support for pupils with autism or communication needs. Leaders include these pupils, where possible, in the life of the school.

Everyone loves Maggie, the school dog. She is instrumental in enabling pupils to openly talk about their worries or difficult issues. Pupils recognise that Maggie's presence enhances their well-being.

There is high-quality pastoral support for pupils.

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

The school's curriculum is incredibly ambitious. Leaders redesigned the curriculum after the pandemic to ensure that knowledge, skills and vocabulary are sequenced effectively from Nursery to Year 6.

The school identifies the essential knowledge in each topic that enables pupils to build a depth of knowledge and skills over time. Teachers have a secure and common understanding of the curriculum structure. The school's approach to teaching lessons is consistent across the school.

One aspect of every lesson is continuous feedback. This ensures that high-quality oral feedback from adults provides pupils with specific information on how to improve.

The school checks that pupils are remembering the essential knowledge throughout a topic.

For example, in the first week of a unit, teachers refresh pupils' knowledge. Following new learning, pupils have in-depth discussions with teachers about what they have learned. Finally, teachers use a quiz to check that pupils have retained the knowledge in their long-term memories.

This is an extremely effective tool that informs teachers if there are gaps in pupils' knowledge.

The school has prioritised the teaching of early reading. There is a dedicated story session every day.

The school has a comprehensive set of age-appropriate books that reflect a range of genres and authors. These books are shared to encourage a love of reading. Pupils' reading books match the sounds that they know.

This helps to build their confidence as independent readers. Teachers swiftly identify pupils who need more support to practise their phonics. They receive extra, personalised sessions every day, which ensures they catch up quickly.

The school has exceptionally high expectations for pupils. In mathematics, teachers encourage pupils to solve complex mathematical problems in different ways, explaining their mathematical thinking clearly. The quality of work in pupils' mathematics books is of a high quality.

The school has created two specially resourced provisions, Springboard and Spring Meadows, for pupils with SEND. These dedicated settings have impacted positively on the progress, attendance and behaviour of pupils with complex needs. Relationships between adults and pupils in the specially resourced provisions are caring and nurturing.

Pupils with SEND follow the same curriculum as their peers with appropriate adaptations. Teachers have high expectations of their work.

The early years curriculum is ambitious for children in Nursery and Reception.

It focuses on ensuring that children develop a wide vocabulary and communicate effectively. It prepares children extremely well for Year 1. Children deeply engage and sustain high levels of concentration in play-based activities.

Adults consistently model routines. As a result, children display good levels of self-control.

Pupils receive an extensive personal development curriculum.

They particularly appreciate the 'open floor discussions' teachers facilitate. These are lessons where pupils debate in an open and courteous manner relevant topics. Pupils respect the views of others.

There are '50 things to do' at Spring Cottage before pupils leave in Year 6. These support character development and the acquisition of life skills, such as learning to cook or making a video for social media.

The local governing board recognises the strengths in the school's approach to inclusivity in supporting pupils with high level SEND.

Meeting with subject leaders helps the governors assure themselves that the school has identified the right priorities for sustained improvement.

The school provides high-quality professional development for staff, including those early in their teaching career and support staff. Leaders coach staff to meet their individual training needs.

The school is instrumental in working collaboratively with other trust schools. This leads to continual curriculum improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.