Stag Lane Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's mission statement, 'Forever Learners: achieving our dreams in an everchanging world', is well understood. It forms the foundation for the high expectations staff have for pupils' academic achievement and behaviour. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

Pupils enjoy their learning at Stag Lane. This begins in early years, where children quickly learn routines and settle well to school life. The school develops successful partnerships with pupils and their families.

Staff care effectively for pupils' emotional and physical well-being through the school's strong pastoral support offer. As a resu...lt, pupils are happy and kept safe. They trust adults to take good care of them.

There are clear routines and high expectations for behaviour, and pupils rise to meet these. Around the school and during social times, pupils behave sensibly and show respect and kindness towards adults and each other. Classrooms are calm and purposeful.

Pupils benefit from a range of additional activities to develop their talents and interests. This includes a programme of clubs and educational visits. Older pupils benefit from the opportunity to take on leadership roles, such as head boy or head girl.

Pupils learn more about democracy through voting for school councillors across the school.

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

From early years onwards, the school has a broad and ambitious curriculum that sets out what pupils need to learn and in what order. In most subjects, this is coherently sequenced and helps pupils secure a strong recall of what they have learned.

For example, in mathematics, children in early years are introduced to shapes and patterns. They apply this knowledge when they subsequently learn about sides, corners, faces and reflective symmetry. In some subjects and year groups, the curriculum is less precise and not implemented as leaders intend.

In these instances, pupils do not build their knowledge and understanding as consistently.

In most subjects, teachers have strong subject knowledge and explain concepts clearly. Occasionally, this is less secure, and pupils' understanding is not checked carefully enough.

This means that errors and misconceptions are sometimes repeated in pupils' work. Typically, pupils with SEND are supported to learn alongside their peers, wherever possible, and most achieve well from their different starting points. This is because most staff make appropriate adaptations to their learning and the environment to support equal access.

Pupils' achievement in published outcomes is strong.

The school ensures that reading is a high priority. Pupils at the early stages of learning to read are supported well.

Pupils practise reading using books that staff closely match to the sounds that they have learned. The school focuses on developing pupils' fluency, which supports those who are struggling to develop a deeper understanding of what they read. This also helps pupils to develop a love of reading.

Regular checks are made on pupils' progress in reading. Pupils who fall behind are supported by expert staff to catch up and keep up with their peers. As a result, many pupils learn to read fluently and confidently.

Leaders have placed high importance on working closely with families to improve attendance and punctuality. The school communicates well with families, offering support, including from outside agencies, when required. Parents and carers are supported to be involved with their children's learning.

For example, parents attend workshops and coffee mornings. Strategies to improve pupils' rates of attendance have been successful, and the attendance of many pupils have improved as a result.

The school makes sure that pupils have opportunities to develop personally.

This includes visiting places of worship and attending a range of clubs such as art, football and cooking. Pupils learn how to stay safe online and the importance of treating others with respect and understanding. Pupils take on additional leadership opportunities such as librarians and sports captains as they move up the school.

Pupils behave well in lessons and in the playground. They get on well with each other, and disruptions to learning are rare. When they do occur, staff use consistent strategies to promote positive behaviour, and this ensures that pupils understand the school's high expectations.

Staff are very positive about working at the school. They appreciate leaders' support for their workload and well-being. Governors are committed to the school.

They provide leaders with an effective balance of support and challenge.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, the important knowledge pupils need to learn has not been clearly identified or sequenced.

In these instances, the curriculum is not as securely implemented. As a result, some pupils develop gaps in their understanding and do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that the knowledge that pupils should learn in each subject is precisely identified and logically ordered.

• In some instances, pupils' understanding is not checked carefully enough. This means that some misconceptions go unaddressed or are reinforced. The school should ensure that pupils' understanding is checked accurately and used to decide what they need to learn next.

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