Stansfield Hall Church of England / Methodist Church Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this happy, welcoming and inclusive school. This is because staff place pupils' well-being at the heart of all that they do.

Staff know pupils and their families exceptionally well. This helps the school to identify and address any barriers that pupils may face. Pupils feel safe and cared for.

They typically describe the school as 'brilliant', 'amazing' and 'fun'.

This is a rapidly improving school. There are high aspirations for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The school's curriculum is designed with this ambition in mind. Pupils arrive at school each day full of excitement. Th...ey love spending time together.

Pupils new to the school settle quickly and make new friends. In the playground, pupils chatter happily with each other and their teachers. In lessons, pupils try their best in their work.

Pupils blossom as a result of the school's provision for their personal development. Staff plan activities that help pupils to grow into kind, caring and confident citizens. For example, older pupils are role models to children in the early years, helping them to play well together.

Pupils in the 'ethos club' work diligently to raise money for charities.

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

Pupils' outcomes in national assessments are below average. However, leaders have worked tenaciously with staff to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning.

Leadership of the school is now secure at all levels. Staff and leaders share an almost palpable determination to raise standards. This is leading to rapid improvements in the quality of pupils' education.

Pupils across the school know more and remember more of the curriculum. Outcomes for current pupils are improving.

The school is successfully addressing previous weaknesses in the delivery of the curriculum.

The curriculum is now logically sequenced. It is well constructed to address any barriers that pupils have previously faced, or currently face, in their learning. For example, in the early years, children develop their speaking and listening skills from the moment they start school.

The provision for pupils with SEND has been strengthened. These pupils have their needs identified quickly. Staff work closely with parents and carers and a range of professionals to achieve this.

Pupils with SEND benefit from a wide range of effective support. Parents were keen to share how staff go 'above and beyond' to help pupils with SEND to achieve success.

In most lessons, teachers check to ensure that pupils have the knowledge that they need to progress through the curriculum.

This helps to give pupils the necessary building blocks on which to layer new ideas and concepts. However, on occasions, teachers do not spot and address pupils' errors and misconceptions well enough. This means that some pupils' learning falters because they do not have the necessary knowledge to complete tasks and activities successfully.

Reading lies at the heart of the school's improved curriculum. Developing pupils' love of reading starts in the early years. Children love taking part in story time and listening to poems and rhymes.

Older pupils speak with enthusiasm about the many fun and engaging opportunities that they have to read and enjoy different texts. The school's phonics programme is taught consistently well. This ensures that pupils get off to a flying start in their early reading.

The school quickly identifies any pupils needing extra support in their early reading. Effective strategies are in place to help these pupils to catch up. Pupils in key stage 2 are becoming increasingly confident and fluent readers.

A whole-school focus on language is helping children in the early years and pupils across the rest of the school to strengthen their speaking and writing skills. However, some pupils' written work is not of a high standard. This is because of weaknesses in their knowledge of grammar and spelling.

Some pupils do not develop legible handwriting as soon as they could.

The school provides many extra-curricular clubs, including cross-country and singing. Trips and visits help to open pupils' eyes to the world around them.

Pupils regularly visit the local church and enjoy taking part in community events. They learn about different faiths and religions.

Pupils strive to follow 'Stansfield Stars', such as being polite, friendly and listening carefully.

In the early years, children settle very quickly. They play and learn happily together, quickly learning new routines.

Governors have regular training to keep their skills up to date.

They know the school well. They provide a careful balance of challenge and support to the school. Staff benefit from a range of training to develop their expertise.

Leaders are highly considerate of staff's workload and well-being. Staff form a happy and hardworking team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, teachers do not check pupils' understanding precisely enough before setting new work. This means that pupils can sometimes be provided with work that they find too difficult or develop misunderstandings about their learning. The school should ensure that teachers check pupils' understanding better so that pupils are ready to build new knowledge securely.

• On occasions, the school does not address weaknesses in pupils' written work well enough. For some pupils, these weaknesses in spelling, handwriting and grammar limit their ability to produce work of high quality in subjects across the curriculum. The school should improve how these fundamental skills are taught so that these pupils are better able to produce work of high quality.