Sundridge Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils start each day at Sundridge Primary School with a warm welcome at the gate. They happily enter their classes and are quick to get organised for a day of learning.

The school sets high expectations for all pupils. Teachers consistently identify ways in which individuals can improve their work, and pupils try hard to make those improvements.

Pupils have opportunities to take on responsibilities and to contribute to their community.

They raise money for charity and have opportunities to make improvements to their own school. For example, the school council has been involved in a review of the behaviour policy, making changes so that it is more meaningful ...for pupils. Staff regularly consult with pupils and take account of their views.

This means that all pupils know that they have a voice and that their opinions matter.

Carefully chosen activities, such as a visiting theatre group, enrich the curriculum. The hired swimming pool means that pupils have a block of time when they swim each day in small groups to improve their swimming skills.

Behaviour across the school is good and relationships are positive. Staff know the pupils well and pupils trust them to listen to any concerns. This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

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

Reading is a priority from the day that pupils join the school. Phonics is carefully timetabled so that pupils practise their sounds and build their skills on a daily basis. Regular checks ensure that pupils always learn the correct sounds for their level of learning.

Staff have been trained to teach phonics effectively and pupils make good progress. Those who find learning to read more difficult, or who join the school mid-year, are supported effectively with extra sessions.

The school is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Work is appropriately adapted for pupils with SEND, where necessary, so that they work towards the same outcomes as their classmates. Most-able pupils are challenged, but sometimes they are expected to complete work that they already know, or they complete work quickly and do not receive more challenging tasks promptly enough to deepen their learning.

The school has been reviewing its curriculum.

Staff use effective strategies to recall previous learning so that pupils can remember and build on their understanding, sometimes in significant detail. While appropriate planning and assessments are in place in most subjects, this work is not yet complete. In some foundation subjects, the most important knowledge, skills and concepts that pupils should know and remember have not yet been clearly identified.

This means that, sometimes, pupils do not build on previous learning to gain a firm enough foundation for future learning.

The early years area is an attractive and stimulating learning environment which children enjoy. The classroom is set out effectively to support children to practise their new learning.

A selection of carefully chosen outdoor resources helps them to learn as they play. Children gain the knowledge they will need in Year 1, and routines prepare them effectively for that transition.

Pupils say that although sometimes they fall out on the playground, bullying rarely happens.

They are also confident that if they do have any difficulties, the adults will sort it out quickly for them. The school works hard to improve attendance. However, analysis of attendance is not as sharp as it could be to identify the causes or any patterns of absence.

This is also the case for some other areas of school life, such as participation in after-school clubs. This means that the school is not aware of potential barriers which might prevent some pupils from joining in.

The personal development of pupils is a priority for this caring and inclusive school.

Assemblies promote pupils' spiritual and social awareness through the school rules and understanding of fundamental British values. Pupils not only know what these values are but can discuss them and explain why they are important.

The school knows pupils and their families well.

Leaders work effectively with external agencies to make sure that families receive any additional support they may need, for the benefit of their children.

Leaders work with staff to continually improve the school. Consultations with staff ensure that their well-being is taken into account when changes are planned.

Governors know the school well and use their knowledge to support the school effectively. They challenge leaders to ensure that the best decisions are made to benefit all pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school does not analyse some of the information it collects sufficiently well. This means that it is not always able to identify and remove some of the barriers that affect pupils. The school should ensure that more detailed analysis of some of the information it collects brings about improved opportunities and outcomes for all pupils.

• In a small number of foundation subjects, the school has not yet clearly identified all the key knowledge that pupils should learn. This prevents pupils from building a breadth of relevant knowledge over time. The school should review the curriculum in these subjects so that teachers know exactly what to teach and can focus on the explicit information that pupils should learn and remember.

• Some learning does not consistently build on some pupils' starting points. This means that some pupils sometimes repeat work that they already know, or they finish work quickly that does not allow them to deepen their learning. The school should establish strategies which will allow all pupils to reach their full potential in all subjects.

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