Two Mile Hill Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have a clear vision for pupils to show respect, integrity and excellence.

Everyone tries to make sure these '3 shows' are part of their daily life. Pupils talk positively about the core values. They say that these help to 'make us richer' as people and prepare them for the future.

Leaders have ensured that staff have a secure understanding of how pupils learn. However, they have not yet identified the knowledge they want pupils to learn across the curriculum. Pupils struggle to recall prior learning because the curriculum does not enable them to know more and remember more over time.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils behave w...ell in lessons. There is a culture of respect that means pupils and staff listen carefully to one another.

Pupils thoroughly enjoy their break times and the new opportunities on offer. Pupils play well, mix well and collaborate across year groups. They say bullying is very rare and they trust adults to resolve this if it should happen.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They feel their children are safe, known and nurtured.

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

Leaders have ensured the curriculum is well sequenced.

They have chosen content to reflect the diverse context of the school community. However, the small steps of knowledge they want pupils to learn are not clearly identified across the curriculum. This means that teachers are not clear enough about the specific knowledge they need to teach.

Learning in key stage 1 does not build on the knowledge pupils have secured in the early years.

The whole school community shares a love of reading. Pupils are passionate about their library and appreciate the range of books available as well as the expertise of the school librarian.

They talk about book recommendations, author pen-pals and reading initiatives with enthusiasm. Most older pupils are fluent readers which enables them to read a wide range of books.

Leaders are currently in the process of adopting a new phonics programme.

Although the teaching of phonics meets the needs of many pupils, it is not well matched to those pupils who struggle to read. These pupils do not always receive the precise teaching they need. There is an emphasis on additional interventions to secure the progress they need to catch up.

This indicates that the core phonics programme is not working as well as it should.

Pupils, including those in the early years, develop fluency in their number work. They can apply this to problem solving and reasoning.

Teachers' effective questioning enables pupils to develop their thinking, which pupils enjoy.Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to follow the full curriculum, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with complex needs have these needs well met through carefully planned, bespoke support.

Some other pupils with SEND, however, do not get the support they need within lessons.

Governors are committed to fulfilling their statutory duties. While they understand their role in providing critical oversight of the school's work, this has not yet contributed to securing a good quality of education for pupils.

Pupils are kind and tolerant. They celebrate the diversity within their school. They understand what discrimination is and why it might happen, but they are adamant that everyone is treated with dignity and equality at the school.

They are proud of the many leadership roles they have within the school. They talk about the impact their decisions have had in making the school a better place to be. This is particularly the case with the exciting changes to playtime.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders are tenacious in their actions to keep pupils safe. They carry out recruitment processes and staff induction robustly.

Leaders' work with external agencies results in positive support for pupils and families.

Effective reporting systems mean staff share information with the right people in a timely way. This means leaders can take swift action where there are concerns for pupils.

Regular training for staff ensures they know the signs of abuse. Staff are aware of the local risks for pupils and build this into the curriculum. Pupils have a secure knowledge of online safety and ways to keep themselves safe in the community.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The approach to the teaching of early reading is not yet systematic across the school. Some pupils, particularly those who find reading difficult, do not have the precise teaching and support they need to catch up. Leaders need to ensure that teaching and books are matched with greater precision and accuracy to the sounds these pupils already know and are learning.

• Leaders have not yet identified the essential knowledge they want pupils to learn in all subjects and how this builds from the early years curriculum. Consequently, pupils are not able to build on prior learning effectively. Leaders, including subject leaders, must identify the specific knowledge they want pupils to learn across the curriculum, so pupils know more and remember more.