Stonesfield Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school.

They enjoy learning and experiences such as their weekly forest school sessions. They value these opportunities to learn about nature and the environment. They know how to respect the environment.

Older pupils understand the importance of the 'Stonesfield Standards' and how these help them to follow the school's rules and routines.Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Since the last inspection, the school has reviewed its curriculum.

The school has identified the essential knowledge pupils should know and remember in most subjects. However, th...e quality of learning activities varies between subjects and year groups. Consequently, pupils are not able to secure curriculum knowledge sufficiently well across the subjects they study.

Pupils are happy, polite and respectful. They show positive attitudes to their learning, to each other and to adults. The school has introduced a new behaviour policy and, as a result, most pupils behave well.

Pupils feel safe. They know they can talk to an adult if they have concerns. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe.

This includes when they are online and out in the local community. Staff understand their role in promoting a safe and effective learning environment.

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

Children get off to a positive start in the early years.

The school has designed the curriculum to interest children and help them connect their learning. For example, teachers encourage children to write birthday party invitations to develop their vocabulary and handwriting. Phonics teaching in early years is strong.

Children remember the sounds that adults have taught them. They recognise letters and match them to the correct sound. They enjoy practising writing the sounds daily.

In mathematics, children in the early years are able to count securely to 10 and group objects together. They talk confidently about numbers and use their knowledge to help them enjoy the wider provision activities.

The school's reading curriculum ensures that pupils experience high-quality texts from the early years to Year 6.

The school has trained all adults in the phonics scheme. However, some phonics teaching for pupils outside of the early years lacks precision. This means that pupils are less confident in remembering sounds and using these in their reading and writing.

Pupils take books home to read that match the sounds they are learning in school. The reading record supports strong links between home and school. Those pupils who fall behind have daily phonics practice.

Pupils with SEND receive additional support from skilled adults to improve their reading stamina. The school provides many opportunities to foster a love of reading. Pupils value the recent improvements made to the school library.

The curriculum is broad and balanced. The school has planned most subjects so that pupils build on previous knowledge. The school has identified the key knowledge and vocabulary for pupils to learn.

However, learning activities do not routinely help pupils to learn the curriculum's essential knowledge. Sometimes, pupils remember the tasks but they do not remember key facts or concepts. This means they are not building important knowledge over time.

Checks on what pupils know and can do are not embedded well enough. In some lessons, misconceptions are not identified. This means that next steps in pupils' learning are not always thought through and acted on.

As a result, pupils lack secure knowledge before moving on to more challenging tasks.Pupils respond well to the established rules and routines in classrooms. Adults support pupils with SEND to respond to these routines and regulate their emotions.

Older pupils can talk about how their behaviour has consequences. There is more to do to ensure that all parents are clear about how the new rules work for all pupils, including those with SEND. Most pupils attend school regularly.

The school supports pupils and their families who do not attend as well to improve their attendance over time.Pupils appreciate the extra-curricular activities on offer. These include learning to play a musical instrument and taking part in trips.

They value the visits to activity centres. There, they learn new skills with their friends. Pupils enjoy celebrating the Harvest Festival together through songs and stories.

Older pupils recognise the importance of being play leaders. Play leaders make sure everyone uses the equipment well. Younger pupils know that their classroom roles are key to being part of their class team.

Pupils understand equality and respect. In assemblies, they learn about influential people. They can explain the significance of their actions.

They know why it is important to be kind and considerate to everyone all the time.

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 subjects, the work given to pupils does not enable them to achieve the aims and ambition of the curriculum.

As a result, pupils' learning does not build in complexity over time as they have not secured the most important knowledge they must remember. The school must make sure that the tasks given to pupils match the key knowledge and skills the school wants pupils to learn. Teachers do not routinely check that pupils understand and remember the intended learning and are ready to move on.

There are times when pupils move on to more challenging tasks before they have secured foundational knowledge. At other times, pupils repeat learning that they have already secured. The school must ensure that teachers regularly check what pupils know and can do before they move on.

• The teaching of phonics is inconsistent. Some pupils do not learn to read as well as they could. The school should ensure that all staff use effective strategies consistently well when teaching pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read.