Stivichall Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school This forward thinking school is well led and managed. The headteacher has been relentless and successful in improving this school to ensure that it provides a good quality of education. The headteacher and newly established leadership team have ensured the quality of teaching has improved and is now good.

Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to ensure that pupils make good progress from their starting points in a wide range of subjects, including English and mathematics. Effective teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) has led to an increase in the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the phonics c...heck. Pupils enjoy coming to school and learning.

They feel safe. This is shown in their good attendance and low levels of persistent absence. Pupils' personal development and welfare are outstanding.

Parents agree that their children are kept extremely safe. Leaders and staff build very positive attitudes to learning through the school motto 'Learning at Stivichall is a passport for life'. The curriculum is well designed, enriching pupils' skills, knowledge, understanding, behaviours and values through engaging activities.

Many memorable experiences help to bring learning alive. Good teaching and effective support in the early years ensures that learning gets off to a good start. Governors make a significant contribution to improving the school.

They know the school well and use their expertise and local knowledge to great effect. They provide an effective balance of support and challenge to school leaders. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Although teaching is good, it is not consistently strong.

As a result, outcomes are not outstanding. Teachers are sometimes slow in addressing misconceptions and errors in pupils' work to inform and improve learning. Leaders and teachers do not make full use of the new assessment system to ensure all pupils make rapid progress.

Pupils are not sufficiently reflective in reviewing their learning and correcting their own work, especially in mathematics.

Information about this school

This school is much larger than the average-sized primary school. About two thirds of the pupils come from White British backgrounds.

The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average. The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is well below average. The funding is received for pupils who are, or have been, known to be eligible for free school meals, and those who are looked after by the local authority.

The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is broadly in line with national average. However, few pupils have a statement of special educational need or an education, health and care plan. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Since the previous inspection there have been some changes in leadership and staff. A new deputy headteacher and two assistant headteachers have been appointed. The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.