Stanwix School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

Throughout their time at Stanwix pupils make good progress overall. Their achievement in reading is much higher than the national average; in mathematics their achievement is outstanding. Teaching is good and some is outstanding.

There are many interesting activities in lessons which the pupils enjoy. Pupils particularly enjoy their topic work which captures their imagination and helps them to further develop their literacy and numeracy skills. All staff are dedicated to providing a stimulating and safe environment in which pupils learn well and develop into responsible young people.

The school's relationship with parents is exc...eptionally strong. The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. From an early age, pupils clearly enjoy school and this is demonstrated in their eagerness to learn.

They show a great deal of respect towards each other and to all the staff and visitors to the school. They are polite, courteous, work hard and take pride in all that they do. This is an improving school where leaders and managers have successfully introduced recent changes to enhance further the quality of teaching.

The dedicated governing body provides a good balance of support and challenge for the school. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Not enough pupils make better than expected progress, particularly in writing. In some lessons, pupils are not always given work which challenges them to reach their full potential.

Occasionally, teachers do not check on pupils' understanding regularly enough during lessons. There are inconsistencies in the quality of teachers' marking and pupils are not always given time in lessons to improve their work. Some plans for whole-school improvement lack precise timescales.

Information about this school

Stanwix is a larger than average sized primary school. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding provided by the government to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children looked after by the local authority and the children of military personnel) is much lower than average.

The proportion of pupils supported at school action is about half the national average as is the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs. There have been significant changes in staff since the previous inspection and a new management structure took effect in September 2012. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics.