Stafford Leys Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very proud of their school. They know that the staff will look after them, and they feel safe. Staff provide pupils with a curriculum that builds on prior learning.

Teachers have high expectations for what pupils should be able to achieve. Around the school, staff display and celebrate examples of pupils' work.

Pupils are very polite and well mannered.

They know what acceptable behaviour is and strive to maintain these high standards. The school's learning mascots help pupils to develop their learning behaviours. Geri the Giraffe encourages them to 'give it a go', and Staffy the Dragon helps them to 'stay focused'.

Pupils consider how thei...r actions affect the world around them. For example, after learning about the impact of palm-oil production on rainforests, pupils found out whether the school's kitchen used palm-oil products.

While leaders have made sure that the curriculum for key stages 1 and 2 is well planned, this is not the case for all aspects of learning in early years.

In some areas, the early years curriculum is still being developed. Some early years staff are not confident to develop children's knowledge in all subjects.

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

Leaders and teachers have planned a key stage 1 and key stage 2 curriculum that develops pupils' knowledge as they move through the school.

Subject leaders are checking to make sure that pupils are learning what the curriculum plan sets out. Leaders have created a positive environment where staff feel valued. Staff say that they are well supported by leaders, who consider their well-being and check that their workload is manageable.

Teachers use assessment to make sure that pupils are secure in their prior knowledge before moving on with new learning. Pupils have access to documents that help them to remember the knowledge that teachers want them to learn. Pupils are enthusiastic learners.

They use their knowledge to consider broader questions. For example, pupils in Year 6 discussed why people might have changed their allegiances during the Second World War.

Leaders have introduced a new approach to teaching phonics.

Teachers introduce new sounds with a new book. This introduces pupils to a wide range of different books. Leaders have checked that the teaching of phonics is consistent across early years and key stage 1.

The 'tricky troll' helps pupils to know words that they cannot sound out. When reading, pupils use the sounds they know to read unfamiliar words.

In mathematics, the curriculum builds on what pupils have learned before.

Teachers revisit learning to help it stick in pupils' memory. Teachers encourage pupils to explain how they have come to an answer. Pupils know that the 'deep' and 'deeper' questions help them take their learning further.

Pupils use the traffic-light system to show their teacher if they have struggled with something. They say that teachers give them extra help if they have not understood something.

The school's curriculum for pupils' personal development is helping them to be well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Pupils believe that everyone should be treated fairly. They are aware of global environmental issues. For example, they are determined to reduce plastic pollution and have challenged the headteacher to make the school carbon neutral.

Leaders know that some disadvantaged pupils do not have opportunities to take part in clubs outside school. These pupils choose the extra-curricular activities the school puts on, so that they can take part.

Leaders for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make sure that teachers know how to help pupils with their learning.

Staff have received training to support different learning needs, such as making all classrooms dyslexia friendly. Teachers set achievable targets for pupils. If pupils do not meet these targets, leaders will seek further support from external agencies.

Occasionally, some adults do not provide effective support. They sometimes give pupils too much help or give pupils tasks that do not match their needs.

The leader for early years knows what children need to do to be ready for Year 1.

This is particularly true in phonics and mathematics. However, while the leader knows what pupils need to learn, this is not planned in detail to cover all the areas of learning. In some areas of learning, leaders have not set out what they want children in early years to know.

Some staff do not know enough about the early years curriculum to develop children's learning effectively in all areas.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The members of the school's safeguarding team work well together to make sure that they know what is happening in pupils' lives.

They monitor high-profile cases carefully, as well as keeping an eye on pupils who may not appear to be at immediate risk. They keep detailed records that log any concerns or actions they have taken. When they need to, they take their concerns to local agencies.

Leaders are diligent in following up these referrals. They strive to get families the support they need. Staff know that they must pass on concerns in a timely manner.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not planned and sequenced what they want children to know in all the areas of the early years curriculum. Curriculum planning in some subjects does not start from early years. Leaders must make sure that the curriculum sets out what children will learn in all areas of the early years curriculum, and that whole-school planning includes and builds from the Reception Year.

The subject knowledge of some staff in early years is not secure enough to develop children's learning in all areas of the curriculum. Staff do not know how children's knowledge should develop over time. Leaders should ensure that staff know and use the early years curriculum to develop children's learning in all areas.

• Occasionally, the support that pupils receive from additional adults is not effective. Staff give too much support, or the activities they ask pupils to complete do not meet pupils' needs. Leaders should make sure that staff have the required knowledge to know when to support, and what effective support looks like.

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