Sutton Valence Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher has acted successfully to achieve her vision for the school. She has worked unfalteringly to ensure that pupils are cared for and achieve well, through a period of staff changes. Governors provide effective strategic direction and support the headteacher well in her work to improve the school.

Leaders have successfully improved mathematics teaching and now provide pupils with more opportunities to reason and solve problems. Outcomes in the early years and key stage 1 are in line with or better than national figures but pupils do not always build rapidly on this learning as they move into key stage 2. Teaching is typically good and ...is improving quickly.

However, there are times when teachers do not match learning activities closely enough to starting points of individual pupils. As a result, pupils with gaps in their knowledge find it difficult to learn well. Pupils are given a wide range of opportunities to extend their writing, and most take pride in their work.

Nevertheless, some pupils' spelling, punctuation and grammar are not accurate enough. Pupils' personal development, behaviour and welfare are good. Pupils have positive relationships with their teachers, which enables them to learn well.

Pupils' behaviour is good because of the successful systems in place. Pupils know the importance of good manners and are keen to put the school's values into practice. They take responsibility for their good behaviour.

Provision for children in the early years is good. Children are safe and happy. They enjoy the good range of interesting activities provided.

New strategies to improve the progress and attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities are in place but it is too early to measure the impact of this work.

Information about this school

The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. Sutton Valence Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.

A number of leaders and other staff have joined the school recently and since the last inspection. The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is similar to that found in most schools. Most pupils are White British.

The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below average. The school meets the government's floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' achievement in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.