Sutton Park Primary

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a highly inclusive school where everyone is valued. Pupils and staff embody the school's values of 'believe, inspire and achieve'.

They are proud of their school and the improvements that have been made over recent years.

In class, pupils are focused on learning. They progress well across the curriculum.

Staff encourage pupils to treat others with respect, to build their resilience and to look after their physical and mental health.

Staff have high expectations for pupils' behaviour and conduct. More recently, pupils' behaviour has improved, including for the growing number of pupils with complex needs.

Bullying is not a concern for ...pupils. Staff swiftly sort out any issues so that pupils feel safe and cared for.

Pupils relish the opportunities that are on offer, including the trips and residential experiences in which they can take part.

Pupils benefit from a wide range of lunchtime and after-school activities, such as choir, reading club and a range of sports. This helps them to develop their talents and interests.

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

The curriculum has been designed with care to meet the needs of all pupils.

The school sets out the knowledge and skills that pupils need to acquire over time. Staff receive high-quality training. Their subject knowledge is strong.

In English, mathematics and science, the school uses assessment to check what pupils have learned effectively. Subsequent learning builds on this feedback to correct pupils' misconceptions and remedy gaps in their knowledge and skills. However, in some other curriculum areas, assessment is not used as effectively.

Reading is central to the curriculum. Children start learning letter sounds as soon as they begin school. Pupils develop their reading fluency with expert staff, who teach them well.

Pupils read books that are matched carefully to the sounds they are learning. This builds pupils' reading fluency and confidence. The school's 'snuggle up and read' approach and systems for pupils to recommend books to each other promote a culture where reading is highly valued.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified swiftly and play a full part in the life of the school. Teachers adapt activities skilfully so that pupils with SEND can learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Pupils with SEND in the additionally resourced provision receive tailored support so that their needs are met well.

Staff know the pupils very well, and professional relationships are strong and well established. Many parents and carers speak highly of the inclusive and supportive ethos of the school.

The early years is a vibrant, engaging environment.

Children get off to a good start with their learning. The high expectations for behaviour and learning are established in the early years. Staff are warm and caring.

Children benefit from a range of activities and resources to develop their interests.

Many parents speak highly of the school. However, some parents raised concerns following a period of turbulence in staffing.

In most areas of the school, this has now been remedied. However, some pupils have been more adversely affected. In a small number of classes, particularly where staffing has been unstable, the expectations for pupils' behaviour are not as high.

Leaders have ensured that all pupils continue to access the same high-quality curriculum and pastoral support, as is the case for pupils who require additional support.

The school analyses trends in attendance effectively and provides additional support for pupils who do not attend regularly enough. Effective support for pupils and their families is helping to improve the attendance of some pupils.

Pupils gain from the opportunities provided to support their personal development. They learn how to stay safe online and where to seek help if they need it. Pupils play their part in promoting equality.

They take pride in pupil leadership opportunities, such as being a school prefect or being elected to represent the school council. This helps pupils to make a positive contribution to the school.

There has been significant, positive change at Sutton Park in recent years.

A strong partnership between the school and the trust has ensured that there has been a considered approach to school improvement. New staff have come together quickly to form a supportive team. This has helped the school to implement improvement plans at pace.

Staff are positive about the support they receive and the opportunities they have to improve their practice. Staff's workload is always considered before necessary changes take place.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of classes, where staffing has been unstable, the behaviour and attitudes of some pupils are not always positive. As a result, sometimes, learning is disrupted, and incidents of poor behaviour are not always dealt with effectively. The school should ensure that the school's behaviour policy is consistently applied so that the behaviour of all pupils lives up to the high expectations of the school.

• The way the school uses assessment in some curriculum areas is not as effective as it could be in enabling staff to identify, with sufficient precision, gaps in pupils' understanding and address their misconceptions. As a result, pupils do not revisit key areas of learning that they may not have fully grasped. The school needs to ensure that all subjects include timely assessment opportunities that allow teachers to adjust teaching and ensure that pupils' progress is as strong as it can be across the curriculum.

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