Stoneraise School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like their school. They get on well with staff and enjoy playing with their friends.

Pupils who are new to the school feel welcome, settle in quickly and soon make new friends. Older pupils are proud to be buddies to younger ones. Everyone tries to live up to the school's motto of 'Living and learning together, to care for each other and our world'.

Leaders and staff have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils do their best to meet these expectations and achieve well. They listen respectfully to their teachers and get on with their work.

Pupils are confident that adults would ...put a stop to bullying if ever it happened. Pupils feel safe in school. They trust adults to take care of them.

Pupils know whom to talk to if ever they are worried.

There are plenty of extra-curricular activities to meet pupils' needs and interests, such as clubs for chess, gardening and sport. Pupils especially enjoy the visits that they make to an outdoor education centre.

All pupils can take part in these activities.

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

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. All pupils learn from this curriculum, including those with SEND.

Leaders have decided on the most important knowledge that they want pupils to learn in each subject. They have organised the curriculum so that pupils build up this knowledge from the early years to Year 6.

Pupils enjoy the interesting learning that teachers provide.

For example, in mathematics, pupils in Year 6 relished solving problems using fractions. Pupils in Year 2 followed musical notation as they clapped to the beat of African music. They participate in choir events with other schools and learn at least two musical instruments during their time at the school.

In most subjects, staff make sure that pupils' knowledge is secure before they move on to new learning. On occasions, in a small number of subjects, staff do not check this carefully enough. When this happens, pupils' learning is not as strong.

Pupils learn to read well. Children in the Nursery class listen to plenty of stories and enjoy joining in with songs and rhymes. Phonics lessons begin straight away in the Reception class.

Children quickly build up their knowledge of letters and sounds. Older pupils receive help to catch up if they need it. Staff make sure that the words in reading books contain the letters and sounds pupils have learned.

This helps pupils to read successfully. Sometimes, adults pronounce letter sounds incorrectly in phonics lessons. On a small number of occasions, children and pupils copy these incorrect sounds when they try to read.

Pupils of all ages, including those with SEND, develop a love of reading. They especially enjoy it when their teachers read to them. This introduces pupils to a wide range of books.

Leaders and staff work well together to identify any pupils who may have SEND. They consult with parents and carers and with a wide range of professionals to make sure these pupils get the help that they need. This helps pupils with SEND to learn and achieve well.

Pupils behave well in school. For example, children in the early years stop playing and tidy up when it is time to do so. Older pupils strive to achieve the headteacher's award for good behaviour.

Pupils try not to disturb each other by chatting. This helps everyone to get on with their learning.

Leaders make sure that pupils, including those with SEND, are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

For example, pupils in Year 6 visit secondary schools to find out what life will be like there. Staff chat to parents before children start school in the early years. This helps staff to take account of children's needs and interests in their new class.

Pupils learn about a range of cultures and faiths. Leaders provide trips and visits to museums, cities and places of worship. These trips enrich pupils' learning about their community and about the wider world.

Pupils learn to take responsibility through roles such as school councillors or house captains. They learn to consider the needs of others when they take part in fundraising activities, or care for the school's brood of hens. Pupils contribute to important aspects of school life.

For example, they helped to develop the school's behaviour rules, through the 'School Charter' and the 'Pathway to Success'. All of these activities help pupils to develop important characteristics such as empathy, tolerance and the ability to work as part of a team.

Staff value the support for their well-being that they receive from governors and leaders.

Governors are mindful of any impact their decisions might have on staff's workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and governors are highly committed to keeping pupils safe.

They make sure that all staff have regular training in a range of safeguarding matters. All staff know how to recognise the signs of possible abuse and neglect in pupils.

There are very strong systems in place to identify and help pupils who may be at risk from harm.

Staff know how to report any concerns they may have. Leaders work with a range of professionals to make sure that pupils receive help if they need it.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations.

For example, they learn the school's rules for keeping safe near the very busy road outside school. They learn about risks associated with using the internet, such as cyber-bullying.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some staff lack the expertise they need to model the correct sounds when teaching phonics.

This means that pupils sometimes repeat the mistakes that adults make. This hinders their reading accuracy. Leaders should ensure that all staff have the training they need so that they model sounds correctly and support pupils' fluency in reading.

• On occasions, in a small number of subjects, teachers do not make sure that pupils' knowledge is secure before they move on to new learning. This means that pupils do not remember some of their earlier learning. Leaders, including subject leaders, should ensure that pupils' knowledge is secure before they tackle new learning.