Suffolks Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel valued and welcome at Suffolks Primary. They comment on how much they appreciate the kind and helpful staff, who look after them so well. Pupils like many things about their school.

They especially enjoy learning about the different religions, languages and cultures that exist within the school and the community.

Pupils' motivation for learning is clear to see. They behave well.

When a problem occurs, staff deal with it swiftly. Pupils like their 'circle times' and assemblies, where they talk about themes such as friendships and cooperation. This all starts in the early years, where children are taught to show lots of kindness to each other.
<...br/>For example, children shared the funnels and pipettes as they mixed coloured liquids at the water tray. They waited their turn and looked out for their friends.

At lunchtimes, pupils readily help each other.

They enjoy their posts of responsibility. School councillors like watching for 'marvellous' behaviour in assemblies. Others take seriously the part they play in keeping the school clean in their roles as 'recyclers'.

Staff want the very best for pupils. Overall, pupils achieve well. Even though many pupils come and go at different times of the year, staff work hard to help pupils to catch up with any learning that they have missed.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn well. They are supported effectively by well-trained staff, including therapists.

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

Leaders have designed a well-planned curriculum, which intends for pupils to build their knowledge over time.

Leaders have worked out what pupils need to learn and when. Teachers are well trained to deliver the curriculum. They have strong subject knowledge.

Teachers provide pupils with activities that allow them to recap and revisit prior learning. For example, in mathematics, pupils in Year 2 used their knowledge of doubling to calculate more complex number problems. In art, pupils in Year 3 built on their prior knowledge of primary and secondary colours to create colour wheels.

Overall, pupils learn well. Pupils remember many of the key concepts they have been taught. For example, in science, pupils remembered in detail how humans digest food.

In Year 6, pupils remembered key facts around the Islamic civilisation and Baghdad. The school's 2022 statutory assessment information showed that pupils' attainment was below the national average. Leaders have responded to this.

They have made changes to how things are taught this year. For example, they have introduced even more chances for pupils to deepen their knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics, and to build up their stamina in applying their understanding. The school's reading programme has been enhanced to give pupils more opportunities to read and respond to longer, more demanding texts.

Every mathematics lesson includes well-planned opportunities for pupils to recap and consolidate their learning.

Teachers have high expectations for pupils' use of language and vocabulary. However, in some subjects, leaders have not selected the most important words and concepts that pupils need to know and come back to in their future learning, including in the early years.

Sometimes, this affects how securely pupils remember key concepts over time.

Teachers adjust activities well to help all pupils to understand new concepts. For example, in the early years, children were introduced to the idea of pairs and counting in twos.

Some children used real pairs of socks to help them to understand, while others used pictures and numbers instead. In lessons, staff provided some pupils with extra help to break down big ideas into smaller chunks. This helped pupils with SEND to plan and then write their answers.

Pupils learn to read well. This is because staff are well trained in helping pupils to use phonics for reading and writing. Leaders make sure that pupils get extra help when they need it, including in Years 3 to 6.

Pupils love the library and particularly like checking their chosen books in and out using the barcode scanners. Teachers help pupils to make connections in their learning. For example, in the early years, children loved looking at the snails through the magnifying glasses.

They used cameras and 'view finders' to capture the best action shots.

In most subjects, teachers check if pupils have remembered the most important subject knowledge. For example, in mathematics and science, teachers use tasks to find out if pupils have remembered concepts before moving on.

However, in a few subjects, teachers' checks on what pupils know and remember are not as precise as they need to be. This makes it harder for staff to address pupils' misconceptions.

Pupils are taught about diversity and equality.

They get to go on different trips, including visits to local places of worship. Pupils enjoy learning from positive role models. For example, youth football players from a nearby London club visit regularly to read with pupils and talk to them about their future possibilities.

The school council plays an active role in school. These elected pupils work hard to listen and act on the views and ideas of their classmates.

Staff, including those new to their careers, feel very well supported at Suffolks.

Leaders, including governors, make deliberate decisions to remove unnecessary workload from staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make sure that safeguarding is woven through the curriculum.

Pupils are taught how to stay safe in different situations. For example, pupils know why it is important to keep their personal information to themselves online. They know to be alert to strangers that might pose as children in online games.

Leaders make sure that all the required recruitment checks are completed on staff. They ensure that staff training is up to date and that everyone is aware of the potential risks that pupils might face outside school. Staff report any concerns they have about pupils' welfare.

Leaders act on these concerns promptly and effectively. Leaders work well with other professionals to get families the help they need.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some of the foundation subjects, teachers' checks on pupils' learning do not focus on whether pupils know and remember the most important curriculum content.

In these subjects, it is difficult to establish precisely what pupils know and remember. Leaders should ensure that the use of assessment helps teachers to check if pupils know and remember the most important subject content. ? In a few subjects, leaders have not identified the most important subject-specific ideas and vocabulary that pupils need to learn in each unit of work.

This leads to gaps in the knowledge of some pupils. It makes it harder for them to connect ideas together and build their knowledge securely. Leaders should ensure that everyone is clear about the most important words and concepts that pupils need to know so that pupils use these accurately and their knowledge in these subjects builds securely.

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