Springfield Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

This school provides a good education for its pupils. Under the headteacher's clear guidance, ably supported by the senior leadership team and members of the governing body, the school has improved year on year. Parents and carers recognise the improvements that have taken place.

One parent, expressing views of many said, 'I have seen the school go from strength to strength, which as a parent is very reassuring and pleasing.' Senior leaders are quick to identify what needs to be done and implement successful measures. As a result, the school has recovered from the dip in attainment at the end of Year 6 in 2009 so that in July 2011, pupils at the end of Year 6 reached levels of attainment that were sig...nificantly above average in all subjects.

Senior leaders and staff are united in their commitment to ensure that this upward trend is maintained. Recently introduced initiatives which make learning far more practical have accelerated progress in mathematics, particularly for boys and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These concerted actions to raise standards, based on the school's clear and accurate review of its performance, demonstrate its good capacity to sustain improvement.

Pupils enjoy school and attendance rates are high. Their behaviour is outstanding. They are highly considerate and very supportive of each other.

They feel very safe, secure and ready to learn. They have a clear understanding of what they need to do to live a healthy lifestyle and take their responsibilities seriously. Parents and carers appreciate the good care, support and guidance that the school gives their children and are very supportive of all that the school does.

They enjoy an excellent partnership with the school and this helps them make a very positive contribution to their children's learning. Children make an excellent start to their learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage unit, where Reception and Nursery children delight in the rich, imaginative experiences that bring an excitement and relevance to their learning. Throughout the rest of the school, pupils make good progress overall.

They achieve well as a result of the school's good partnerships with schools and other agencies in promoting learning and well-being and a creative curriculum. Teaching is generally good and some is outstanding. However, there are a few inconsistencies.

There are occasions when teachers' expectations of the quality and quantity of pupils' work are not as high as it should be. There are also a few times when teachers move pupils' learning on before ensuring that everyone has understood. As a result, the rigour and accuracy of classroom assessment are not always as sharp as they should be.

Although most teachers are skilled at listening to pupils' responses and using their own good subject knowledge and understanding to probe pupils' thinking and deepen their understanding, this is not always the case. Senior leaders are keen to tackle these areas of weakness by ensuring that the outstanding practice that exists within the school is shared more widely.

Information about the school

This primary school is larger than average.

A very large majority of the pupils are White British. A below-average proportion of pupils are identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those with a statement of special educational needs. Their needs mainly relate to speech, language and social communication difficulties, moderate and specific learning difficulties, emotional behavioural difficulties and hearing-impairment.

Very few of the pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are provided for in one Early Years Foundation Stage Unit. The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.

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