Springdale First School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.

The relentless pursuit of excellence, underpinned by outstanding procedures for checking the effectiveness of the school's work, and highly successful strategies for addressing weaker aspects are the key to the school's success. It is exceptionally well placed to maintain its high quality education. This is because leadership and management at all levels and in governance are outstanding due to the headteacher's exceptionally effective team-building skills and capacity to develop other leaders' effectiveness.

Staff and governors have a very clear picture of how well pupils are progressing and a strong determination to provide the... very best level of education for each pupil whatever their needs or talents. In this they are highly successful. Monitoring and support of teaching quality by leaders and governors is exemplary.

Opportunities for staff development take place every week, with subject leaders, for example, helping to drive forward improvement especially well. Teaching is outstanding, with the strongly coherent approach to promoting pupils' learning and the excellent way this always builds very effectively on their prior skills helping pupils to achieve exceptionally well. The high priority given to Reception children's acquisition of early communication, literacy and numeracy skills provides a very good platform for staff to build on subsequently.

Progress is rapid, including for pupils who might be at risk of underachieving. As a result, almost all pupils reach the levels expected for their age and the majority exceed them. In reading, writing and mathematics attainment at the end of both Years 2 and 4 is high.

Pupils thrive at the school, developing outstanding attitudes to learning due to the excellent relationships they form with adults and the very practical, interesting and challenging lesson activities provided. Their excellent behaviour is evident in all aspects of school life.

Information about this school

Springdale is a larger than average-sized first school with two classes in each year group.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported by school action is below the national average as is the proportion supported by school action plus or a statement of special educational needs. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups including those who speak English as an additional language is low. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides funding for children in local authority care, children from service families and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is low.

The headteacher, senior and middle leaders, and specialist higher level teaching assistants provide support to other local schools. The inspection was carried out in response to a complaint made to Ofsted which raised serious concerns. The complaint was deemed to be a qualifying complaint and Her Majesty's Chief Inspector decided that an inspection of the school should take place to follow up the whole-school issues that were raised.

Inspectors sought to establish whether the school has followed the National Curriculum for mathematics effectively, whether this subject is regularly taught in the older classes and whether the school follows the recommendations for mathematics homework as set out in its homework policy. The inspectors found that the school does teach mathematics in line with the national curriculum across all year groups. The subject is taught regularly in the older classes and teachers set homework as appropriate.