Stanmore Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this happy school. Strong relationships between pupils, families and staff thrive in its positive and safe community. The school's expectations of pupils are high.

The vision, 'be the best that you can be' permeates through school life. Pupils and staff aim to be the best versions of themselves all day, every day. Pupils typically achieve well.

They are self-motivated and work hard in lessons. Pupils behave well. The 'keys for success', a toolkit of skills such as 'confidence', 'organisation' and 'resilience', help pupils to learn successfully.

Pupils love taking home 'merit cards' to show their families, having used the 'keys' in lesso...ns.Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment opportunities. All pupils in Year 3 are learning how to play a brass instrument currently.

There is a school orchestra and choir. Pupils love the clubs they can attend such as Spanish, football and the popular chess club.

This is a school at the centre of its community.

It works well with other education settings and local services to support pupils to feel safe beyond the school gate. The popular 'in it together' coffee morning helps parents and carers with a wide range of support. Parents speak highly of the school.

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

The school has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of education since the previous inspection. This has been very successful. The school and governors share high aspirations for Stanmore's pupils.

Governors have supported and challenged the school on its improving journey diligently. Staff love working here and fully support the many changes the school has made. They appreciate the school's support in helping them do their jobs well.

There is now an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum in place. It follows a clear sequence of learning from Reception to Year 6. At times, in some non-core subjects, there is a lot of content for pupils to learn.

The school has not identified clearly enough what it wants pupils to remember long term in these subjects. Consequently, this makes it difficult for teachers to know what content to prioritise in lessons and to check what pupils have remembered over time.

Teachers are skilled and confident to teach the curriculum, because of well-considered professional development.

Staff model and explain new ideas clearly. They support pupils to learn and use subject-specific vocabulary well.The school has transformed the teaching in many subjects since the previous inspection.

Current pupils learn well. For example, in mathematics, teachers check pupils' learning and address any gaps in their understanding effectively. In the early years, children develop a secure understanding of number, preparing them well for Year 1.

The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) swiftly and accurately. The school has trained staff to know how to meet pupils' needs well. Staff adapt tasks and resources so that pupils with SEND learn the curriculum successfully.

In the past, published outcomes in mathematics have not been high enough. This was due, in part, to a legacy of weaker teaching, assessment and curriculum design, as well as COVID-19. This does not reflect the current quality of education in the school.

Pastoral support is especially strong. There is a well-understood approach to pupils' behaviour choices. Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

Pupils who need extra support to help manage their behaviour benefit from carefully planned programmes. Suspensions have greatly reduced. The school's nurture provision offers well-considered and bespoke support to vulnerable pupils.

This helps these pupils be successful back in class.Pupils learn to read quickly. They talk about books enthusiastically.

The school places a high priority on the teaching of reading. Teachers in the early years and in key stage 1 develop pupils' phonics knowledge skilfully. Once a pupil can decode text, the school ensures that pupils read with appropriate fluency.

Any pupil who struggles to learn their sounds are well supported to catch up.Most children attend school regularly. The school has an effective approach to understanding the reasons for non-attendance.

Pupils' attendance is improving rapidly. Despite this, there remains too many pupils who persistently miss school or take a day off here and there. They miss out on vital learning.

The school considers pupils' wider development carefully. Pupils learn about differences between people, including a range of religions and cultures. For example, Year 6 pupils are reading the book 'Pig Heart Boy' currently.

They are establishing their thoughts on using animal organs to save human life. Pupils appreciate the viewpoints of others.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some foundation subjects, the school has not identified well enough the most important knowledge that pupils need to recall long term. This means that teachers do not know what to check up on, which slows pupils' learning. The school should ensure that teachers are clear what pupils need to remember over time, so that all pupils achieve as well as they could.

• Some pupils have poor attendance. This means that they miss out on important learning and all the great experiences that this school offers. The school should continue to work with families so that all pupils, especially the most disadvantaged, attend school regularly.

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