The Vine Inter-Church Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

The Vine Inter-Church Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone is welcome at The Vine Inter-Church Primary School. Pupils love coming to school. Staff nurture and support pupils to become courageous learners, to take risks, explore and be ambitious.

Pupils of all faiths embody the school's Christian values. These values underpin the positive relationships that exist between all members of the school community.

Expectations are high.

Pupils enjoy a well-planned curriculum, which is regularly reviewed and refined. The learning environment has been thoughtfully planned. Classrooms are effective spaces for learning....

What is on the walls supports pupils to remember and recall prior learning. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about their learning and the progress they have made. Pupils achieve well.

Classrooms are calm, purposeful and productive. Pupils know the school routines and expectations. They respond quickly to gentle reminders about 'The Vine Way'.

Pupils say there is always an adult you can talk to if you are worried about something. Pupils are confident to have a go and make mistakes. They enjoy opportunities to explore, practise and apply their learning in different ways.

Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips, visits and clubs that enhance their learning and prepare them well for the next stage in their education.

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

There is a broad and balanced curriculum in place. Changes to the writing and mathematics curriculum have been implemented well.

As a result, pupils make good progress and achieve well. There are high levels of engagement in lessons. Routines and consistent practice ensure that pupils have the confidence to try new things.

Subject leaders are knowledgeable and demonstrate enthusiasm and passion for their subjects. All staff have opportunities to network, co-teach, observe and work alongside colleagues. This ensures consistent implementation of the planned curriculum.

This is an inclusive school. Staff have the training they need to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Assessment is used effectively to track the progress of pupils.

The school supports pupils with SEND well. In a few curriculum areas, the adaptations and support for pupils who fall behind are not helpful or ambitious enough. A small number of pupils are reliant on adult support rather than developing independence.

This means some pupils do not make the rapid progress needed to catch up with their peers.

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. The school has thought carefully about the range of books available to children.

The 'Six Book Challenge' prescribes the core texts that children will read during the year. By the time pupils leave school, they have read a rich menu of modern and classic texts. Pupils talk with knowledge and passion about what they have read.

Reading areas, which promote a love of reading, are in every class. When children start in the pre-school, story times are prioritised. Children are encouraged to identify the sounds, rhymes and patterns they hear.

This means that, by the time children enter Reception, they are ready for their phonics learning. Pupils who fall behind in their reading have the support they need to catch up.

Pupils' personal development (their head, heart and hands) is a high priority.

Pupils value and appreciate daily worship. They look forward to celebrating their achievements with others. Trips and visits are carefully planned.

They support and enhance the curriculum and help make learning memorable. Pupils take part in a wide range of sporting opportunities and clubs provided by the school. Older pupils take on leadership roles.

Pupils are encouraged to 'grow the vine' by demonstrating the school values.

Pupils show genuine care for one another. Positive and purposeful praise by all staff is given to pupils for doing the right thing.

Pupils know what is expected of them. They live up to the high expectations and, as a result, behave well. Pupils' attendance is high.

This is because of the procedures in place and because pupils want to be in school. When pupils are absent, they are missed.

Governors are effective and hold leaders to account.

Staff well-being is a high priority. Staff are proud to work at The Vine and value the leadership at the school.

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 few curriculum areas, the support for pupils who fall behind is not ambitious or regular enough to enable pupils to catch up quickly. The school needs to ensure that the adaptations and provision for these pupils are precisely planned so that pupils can meet the ambitions of the curriculum, catch up with their peers and develop independence.Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2014.