The Cambridge Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their vibrant and welcoming school.

They move around happily and greet visitors with a smile. Everyone is made to feel special.

Pupils feel safe and well looked after.

They trust adults to help them with any worries. Bullying is not tolerated. Leaders act swiftly if high expectations for behaviour are not met.

The school rules of 'be safe, be respectful, be ready' help pupils to be kind and responsible.

Pupils respect and celebrate differences. They enjoy learning about each other's faiths and beliefs.

Pupils relish the opportunity to be school councillors. They value democracy and fairness when they run election...s.

Pupils love attending 'careers clubs' after school.

They learn to be 'little chefs', scientists and fashion designers. These opportunities inspire pupils with greater aspirations for the future. Pupils look forward to lunchtimes when they keep active with football, basketball, running and dancing.

Staff work tirelessly to provide free sports opportunities. Activities such as 'resilient runners' and circuit training are well attended before school. These experiences help boost pupils' health and well-being.

Leaders have organised events, such as an outdoor cinema and sleepover at school, which pupils adored. Parents and carers regard the school highly. One parent said, 'This school has really helped pull the community together.'



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

Leaders strive to ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, access a well-planned curriculum. Teachers adapt learning to excite and engage pupils, helping them to make progress and remember more of the curriculum.

Staff are ambitious for all pupils to learn to read quickly and confidently.

Pupils talk excitedly about books. They love welcoming special guests for 'mystery reader' storytelling sessions. The school's phonics programme is well sequenced and sets out clearly the order in which pupils will learn to read the letters that represent sounds.

This begins in early years, where children make a strong start in reading in a nurturing and language-rich environment. Pupils read books that match the sounds they learn in lessons.

Sometimes, staff do not check closely that pupils have learned specific phonics sounds before moving on to other activities.

While staff dedicate time and resources to help pupils to catch up, support is not precisely targeted to help pupils decode.

Subject leaders are passionate about the areas they lead. With strong support from school and trust leaders, they continually develop their subject expertise.

Leaders have planned skills for pupils to acquire in all subjects. The religious education syllabus has been adapted to encourage rich discussions between pupils to help them understand the world. Mathematics is taught well, with a clearly sequenced curriculum, from early years onwards.

However, sometimes assessment does not accurately identify how well pupils have learned and remembered essential knowledge.

The atmosphere around school is positive and harmonious. Pupils are polite and friendly.

Playtimes are happy, sociable and safe. Pupils stay active and enjoy playing together. Many choose to eat healthy hot lunches and salads that are freshly prepared at school.

Relationships are warm and nurturing. Teachers deal with minor distractions well to ensure that pupils are not disruptive. When pupils find it hard to meet teachers' high expectations, specific strategies are in place to help them settle in class and access learning.

Leaders focus relentlessly on attendance. As a result, attendance for most pupils is high. When this is not the case, leaders make exceptional efforts to help families.

Many pupils enjoy breakfast alongside friends and the caring staff in 'The Nest' before school. This improves attendance and gives pupils a positive start.

Pupils care about equality.

They believe that 'you should be an upstander, not a bystander' and always help others. Pupils understand democracy and the school's values. They know how to stay safe when online.

Pupils enjoy learning about different faiths and world views. They explore tolerance, respect and understanding through well-considered concepts such as 'belonging'. The school provides high-quality pastoral support.

From children's first days at school, staff form nurturing relationships with them and their families, built on clear communication. Governors and trustees share school leaders' high expectations for an inclusive learning community. They know the school well, offering suitable challenge to help the school fulfil its aims and statutory duties.

Leaders have the full trust and confidence of staff and parents and carers. They lead by example with dedication and determination to find the best for everyone. Leaders help staff well-being by ensuring that workload is manageable.

This positive support has nurtured the skills and aspirations of teachers early in their careers. This shared enthusiasm benefits pupils every day in this caring and ambitious school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have embedded rigorous processes for safeguarding. All staff understand their role in ensuring that pupils are safe. Staff are well trained and take swift action to share any concerns.

There is a culture of vigilance across the school. Leaders refer issues and enlist extra support for families whenever needed. Safeguarding records are detailed, robust and well maintained.

Recruitment processes are managed diligently by both the trust and the school.Pupils learn about healthy relationships through assemblies and curriculum activities. Pupils across all year groups know how to stay safe when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Catch-up support for readers is not always effective. This means that some pupils are not secure enough with learning sounds. Leaders should ensure that all staff are trained to support pupils with decoding before they can develop fluency and comprehension.

• Staff do not always check closely enough that pupils have secured essential knowledge before moving on to new learning. As a result, pupils do not always know and remember what they have learned. Leaders should ensure that assessment is used more precisely to identify gaps in knowledge.