Springwell Village Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's motto, 'Learning today for a brighter future', spreads through all aspects of school life. Pupils are enthusiastic. They love to debate, challenge and discuss ideas when in class.

Classrooms are calm and purposeful.

Pupils are safe and happy and enjoy coming to school. They develop good friendships and are supportive of one another.

They demonstrate tolerance and respect and display positive attitudes to learning. They know that they will have a 'brighter future' because of the school.

Pupils have strong relationships with their teachers.

They consistently behave well and strive to meet the high expectations set. Pupils know tha...t if they have a worry or concern, there is always an adult whom they can talk to. Children in early years receive care and nurture, but the curriculum is not as strong as it could be.

Leaders have not prioritised the curriculum in early years to ensure that children get off to the flying start they need.

Pupils recognise that there are different types of bullying. They are confident that any bullying would be dealt with.

Pupils know that the staff want the best for them and articulate this with confidence. One pupil explained, 'Teachers allow us to have choices but also guide us along the right path at the same time.'

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

Recently, leaders have further developed subjects such as history, art and computing by focusing on the order in which content is taught.

The curriculum is now ambitious and well designed to meet the needs of the pupils. Leaders ensure that vital knowledge is organised for each year group, so that pupils can build on what they already know as they move through the school. In lessons, teachers revisit previous content to help pupils remember what they have learned and check their understanding.

However, leaders are aware that with new staff and a high number of less experienced teachers, there is still work to do so that staff know exactly what to teach and when. Leaders are monitoring curriculum modifications, but currently, quality assurance is not robust enough to evidence the impact of these changes.

Leaders have recently introduced a new early reading programme.

All staff have been trained and teach phonics effectively. As a result, pupils can confidently apply the phonic knowledge they have learned. Leaders ensure that those who are at the early stages of learning to read or who have fallen behind quickly access extra support to help them become fluent readers.

Pupils' behaviour is a particular strength. There is a calm and orderly environment around the school. Pupils are respectful when speaking to adults.

Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Pupils' attitudes to learning are positive. This helps them to achieve well.

Leaders have designed and implemented the personal, social and health education curriculum effectively. Pupils learn about inclusion, diversity and healthy relationships at an age-appropriate stage. Assemblies are used to embed this knowledge and to teach pupils about the school's values such as resilience and trust.

As a result, pupils are articulate and confident. They demonstrate tolerance and respect for each other.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported.

Staff adapt teaching methods and resources to match pupils' individual support plans. Pupils with SEND access the full curriculum and receive precise, focused support from teachers and teaching assistants.

Leaders have not prioritised the curriculum in early years.

As a result, children are not receiving enough opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills they need for future learning. Staff are not getting the best out of the children. Leaders are aware that staff do not prioritise vocabulary to develop children's speech.

Staff are caring and nurturing, but they miss opportunities to guide children's learning.

Trustees and governors have a secure understanding of the school and its priorities. They carry out their roles effectively by setting the strategic vision and holding leaders to account.

The multi-academy trust supports the school with curriculum design. Staff feel well supported by leaders to carry out their roles in school. Staff believe that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff have received up-to-date training so they are aware of all the procedures in place to keep pupils safe. They receive regular safeguarding updates in the form of weekly briefings.

Any concerns raised are addressed in a timely manner by the designated safeguarding lead. Leaders work effectively with external agency support if necessary. Relevant staff checks have been completed.

Leaders ensure that pupils are taught about how to keep safe through lessons and safety awareness assemblies. There is a clear priority around safeguarding.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders' actions to implement changes to the curriculum have been negatively impacted by high staff turnover.

As a result, some subjects and early years provision have not improved as quickly as they should have. Leaders should ensure that they regularly check the impact of the new curriculum and how effectively it is being implemented from Nursery to Year 6. ? The early years curriculum is not effectively designed to meet the needs of children.

As a result, teachers are unsure about what content to deliver and how to deliver it. Leaders should review the curriculum, so that staff are clear about the important knowledge that they need to teach. They should also ensure that staff are adequately supported to deliver the curriculum effectively.