Vernon Park Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.

The headteacher, the leadership team and the governors lead the school exceptionally well, to make sure that both teaching and achievement are of the highest standard. Together they have moved the school forward rapidly since the previous inspection. Children begin school in the Nursery class with skills that are below those expected for their age.

They make rapid and sustained progress in literacy and numeracy because : their experiences in school are very well planned and exciting. Standards have improved significantly since the last inspection in Key Stages 1 and 2. The progress that pupils are making is outstanding and better... than the national average in reading, writing and mathematics.

The tracking of pupils' learning and progress is accurate, consistent and rigorous. Teachers have consistently high expectations. They set challenging activities for pupils of all abilities.

Pupils rise to these challenges and make rapid progress. All staff work well together as a team and learn from each other to enhance their teaching skills still further. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and pupils eligible for the pupil premium make excellent progress because teachers and teaching assistants understand pupils' needs and how to meet them.

Pupils behave extremely well in lessons and around the school. They are confident and feel safe in school. They are respectful towards each other and adults.

Information about how well pupils are doing is skilfully used by leaders and managers, including governors, to make sure all groups of pupils make rapid and sustained progress. Governors make sure that resources are allocated well and that pupil premium funding makes a positive contribution to the excellent achievement of the pupils. The partnership with parents could be closer, especially in recruiting a full complement of parent governors.

Information about this school

The school is a larger than the average-sized primary school. Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils supported by school action, school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is higher than the national average.

The proportion of pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium funding is above the national average. The pupil premium is funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and children who are looked after by the local authority. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress.

The school has an additional resource base for up to 10 young children with speech and language difficulties from three to five years. The unit supports pupils from within the local authority who need specialist support. At the time of the inspection there were three reception- aged children and seven nursery-aged children within the unit.