St Mary’s, Prittlewell, CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy, polite and energetic. The school's core values of trust, responsibility, respect and friendship are demonstrated in what pupils say and do.

Most pupils are enthusiastic learners and participate well in lessons. Pupils enjoy a wide range of exciting opportunities that enrich their learning. There are many opportunities for pupils to take part fully in school life.

Pupils love drama, sporting competitions and performing in the school orchestra.

Children get off to a good start in the early years. They learn about the wider world, for example learning about the danger of plastics in the oceans and the impact of the Australian bush fires.
...r/>Pupils respect differences. They are reflective about their own beliefs and show interest in the variety of different cultures within the school. There is a well-structured curriculum that supports pupils' development.

Most pupils behave well throughout the school. Lunchtimes and breaktimes are sociable affairs. Most parents are extremely positive about school.

However, some parents raised concerns about pupils' behaviour. Some pupils said that adults deal with poor behaviour differently. They said that some adults are stricter than others.

Pupils say they feel safe and most parents agree that they are.

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

There have been some changes in teaching staff that have impacted significantly on the school community. This has raised concerns for some parents.

The headteacher has secured an effective and committed senior leadership team. The team work purposefully with staff to ensure that teachers get the support they need. In addition, they routinely check pupils' achievement in different subjects to ensure that the quality of education remains good.

Leaders ensure that all learning is accessible for all. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported very well to achieve the best they can in all subject areas. This includes drama and physical education.

Pupils have opportunities to be included in different aspects of school life, such as being a journalist at sporting events, school councillor or a pupil governor.

Pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, achieve well. They are supported well to read.

They use their phonics skills to help them read accurately. However, some have not had the focused support that they need to catch up quickly. Leaders know this is a high priority and have reviewed their teaching programme to ensure that pupils catch up quicker.

Curriculum leaders of most subjects have developed clear plans that set out what pupils need to know and do. This is particularly the case in mathematics and writing. Teachers deliver effectively what leaders intend.

In some subjects, such as history and science, curriculum plans do not specify when skills will be taught in each year group.

Leaders have been very reflective after disappointing reading results achieved at the end of Year 6 in 2019. They have identified what they need to do to ensure pupils can achieve better in reading.

Leaders' actions are showing positive signs of improvement. Leaders have ensured that children develop a love of reading when they start in Reception. The 'hub' enables parents to share books and have reading time with their children.

Pupils have access to high-quality texts across the school, and they talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors.

Developing pupils' vocabulary has been a focus. This is being addressed with 'word of the day' and the school's 'Big Read'.

In addition, assemblies give pupils opportunities to practise their drama, speaking and listening skills. Leaders' plans, however, do not yet set out specifically how pupils will build on their vocabulary across year groups or subjects.

In Reception, teachers have high expectations of what children can do.

Activities are exciting, and the children are keen learners. Children transition well into key stage 1. Year 1 pupils told us they love their history work.

They spoke maturely about their learning of the Crimean war and the dedicated work of Florence Nightingale.

Leaders, including governors, have an accurate view of the school. They have engaged well with the support provided by the local authority.

Governors are ambitious for the pupils, and they ensure that they challenge and support school leaders effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders carry out all checks on staff to make sure that they are suitable to work with children.

Pupils know how to stay safe when using the internet. Records show that staff report incidents of poor behaviour, including bullying incidents, when they happen. Concerns recorded are followed up appropriately.

However, some pupils and parents are not confident that all staff consistently apply the behaviour policy well enough. Leaders know that there is more work to do to reassure parents that all behaviour concerns are followed up appropriately.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders have not been specific enough in their curriculum plans for ensuring that pupils build on and extend their knowledge and use of vocabulary as well as they could.

The plans do not set out what vocabulary pupils need to learn across subject areas in each year group. For pupils to be able to build and extend their vocabulary, teachers need to know what has been taught previously so that they can plan to extend and deepen pupils' understanding effectively. .

In some curriculum subjects, plans are not specific enough to show clear progression from year-to-year. Leaders' curriculum plans need to be precise so that teachers can plan and teach skills sequentially for each subject. .

Some pupils who fall behind in their reading are not catching up quickly, because teaching and learning in phonics has not been specific enough to help pupils catch up. This is particularly the case for some pupils in Year 2. Leaders need to ensure that the right support is put in place to help the pupils catch up as quickly as possible, before they leave key stage 1.

. Not all staff deal with poor behaviour in the same way. This is because the behaviour policy is not being applied consistently.

Some pupils and parents have the perception that poor behaviour goes unnoticed. It is imperative that leaders ensure all staff apply the behaviour policy in the same agreed way. In addition, they must make sure that pupils and parents are clear about how poor behaviour is dealt with in the school.