Swanland Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a warm and welcoming place where pupils are safe and happy.

Pupils enjoy the challenge of the curriculum and achieve well. The school has high expectations for all pupils' achievement. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the whole curriculum alongside their peers whenever possible.

Pupils demonstrate exemplary conduct throughout the school day. They are polite and considerate. Pupils are respectful towards staff and their peers.

This creates a harmonious environment in which to learn together.

The school has carefully designed and implemented a tailored personal development offer. It ensures pupils h...ave access to experiences that deepen their learning as they progress through the school.

Pupils go on several residential trips. This initially starts with a school sleepover. This builds pupils' confidence in a familiar setting before staying at an outdoor activity centre in a later year group.

This helps pupils to develop resilience and team-building skills.

Pupils take on several pupil leadership roles in the school, including the school council. These roles tangibly contribute to school life.

Pupils understand how their actions make a difference to others and the school community. Pupils get the chance to take part in a range of extra-curricular clubs. These include music and sports clubs.

These successfully develop pupils' talents and interests.

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

Children get an extremely strong start to their education in this school. The early years is exceptional.

Staff demonstrate expert knowledge of child development and use it to create a stimulating environment. The learning opportunities that children complete are precisely in line with their learning needs. The activities are highly engaging.

Children spend extended periods enthralled in learning. Adults have a clear understanding of each child. They use this to ask children questions that support their development.

This leads to a deep understanding across the curriculum.

Early reading in the school is prioritised. Staff receive effective training in the teaching of phonics.

Staff provide expert guidance and support to pupils. This develops strong reading foundations. Pupils practise reading, using books that align closely with the sounds they learn in the classroom.

This reinforces their understanding, and they quickly become confident and fluent readers. The school regularly checks what pupils know and can do. They use this information to identify any pupils who need extra support.

Tailored sessions provide the help needed to ensure they quickly catch up and stay on track with their peers.

The school has carefully identified additional reading books for parents and carers to read with their children. These high-quality books cover a range of genres and topics.

Pupils enjoy taking these books home. As a result, pupils are enthusiastic about reading and develop a genuine love of books.

The school has designed a purposeful curriculum that identifies the knowledge and vocabulary pupils need to learn year on year.

The school revisits prior learning and checks what pupils remember. This is helping pupils make links in their learning and develop a deep understanding across the curriculum. This is most effective where the curriculum is consistently delivered throughout the school.

However, at times, teachers do not cover the carefully designed curriculum as closely as they could. This means that some pupils have some gaps in their knowledge.

Pupils have highly positive attitudes to their learning.

Pupils remain focused and listen attentively. Pupils are motivated by a house point reward system. This reinforces expectations and supports positive conduct throughout the school.

The school works well with outside agencies to ensure the needs of pupils with SEND are identified quickly. Careful adaptations are made to enable pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils with SEND are successful in all aspects of school life.

Personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils are extremely articulate in sharing their ideas and opinions. They demonstrate a strong knowledge of healthy relationships and know how to keep themselves safe.

Pupils have a strong understanding of diversity and show a robust awareness of protected characteristics in society. Pupils also exhibit a clear grasp of fundamental British values. Pupils confidently relate these to what they see in school and the world around them.

The school rigorously reviews its work. It uses this evaluation to identify areas to improve. The trust has effective systems that ensure the school can work successfully to address these areas.

This includes accessing training and sharing effective practice. Teachers value the professional development and well-being support they receive. The school monitors attendance carefully.

When pupils' attendance drops, this is quickly identified and addressed. This means that pupils do not miss out on valuable learning.

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 pupils complete does not support them to practise and embed their new learning. This means that, at times, some pupils do not learn as much as they could. The school should ensure that the ambitious curriculum is delivered consistently well so that pupils can build on their understanding effectively over time.