Vine Tree Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Vine Tree Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are encouraged by staff to 'reach for the stars' at Vine Tree Primary. They are excited about going to school and they enjoy learning, having fun and making friends.

Staff have established warm and caring relationships with pupils. They know pupils and their families well in this small school.

Pupils listen attentively in lessons and work well independently or with others.

During the inspection, pupils and children worked together well to build snowmen at playtime. They follow school routines, try their best and achieve well. Leaders have high expectations of pupi...ls' behaviour and achievement.

Pupils take pride in their work and take heed of the advice given to them by their teachers. Pupils and children achieve well.

Pupils are assured that teachers will listen to their concerns.

They are confident to act as advocates for each other. Bullying is dealt with swiftly and effectively by staff.

Leaders provide many opportunities for pupils to participate in clubs and activities.

For example, pupils in Year 5 are preparing for a music performance with a renowned local symphony orchestra. Pupils enjoy playing football and doing gymnastics. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are encouraged to participate in these activities.

Pupils feel safe and well cared for in school. They know who to talk to if they have any concerns.

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

The curriculum covers the full range of subjects from the early years to Year 6.

Leaders have constructed suitably ambitious curriculums that enable all pupils, including those with SEND, to build logically on the skills that they have learned already. In some subjects, leaders have also identified the important knowledge that pupils and children need to learn. Pupils learn well in these subjects.

However, in a few subjects, leaders are not as clear about the knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember. This hinders some teachers when designing learning for pupils and prevents some pupils from progressing well through the curriculum.

Teachers use assessment strategies well to check what pupils have learned and understood.

Staff provide extra help for those pupils who have not grasped what has been taught. Added to this, teachers provide opportunities for pupils to revisit what they have learned before. This helps pupils to recall their learning over time.

Children in the Reception class learn about phonics from the start of the academic year. They enjoy singing and listening to stories. They learn about the world around them through structured activities and through play.

The curriculum in the early years helps to develop children's language and communication skills effectively.

Pupils value the stories that staff read to them each day. They eagerly retell the plots of their favourite books.

Pupils take home books with words that are matched well to the sounds they are learning in school. This helps them to build confidence with their reading. Pupils who are behind with their reading are helped to catch up quickly.

Pupils, including those with SEND, enjoy reading and learn to read well.

Pupils behave well around school. Learning in lessons is not interrupted.

Children in the early years learn to share and to cooperate with each other.

Pupils relish the opportunities to take on additional responsibilities such as form captains and 'book-shack' monitors. They apply in writing for these responsibilities.

This helps to prepare them for future employment. Leaders have designed an appropriate curriculum to support pupils' personal development. For example, pupils learn about different religions and different families.

Their learning is enriched by visits to local museums and libraries. This prepares them for life in modern Britain.

Leaders identify pupils' additional needs at the earliest opportunity.

They work effectively with external agencies to ensure that these needs are met swiftly. Pupils and children with SEND learn alongside their peers and are fully included in school life. Staff receive information and training to allow them to provide the additional help that these pupils need to progress well through the curriculum.

Members the governing body are suitably equipped to hold leaders to account for the quality of education for pupils. However, some staff do not feel that their workload and well-being are prioritised by leaders and governors.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and governors ensure that staff receive regular safeguarding training. Staff know how to recognise the signs of abuse and neglect. They report any concerns that they might have about a pupil's welfare.

Leaders ensure that pupils and their families who need help receive it quickly.Through the curriculum, pupils learn about how to keep themselves and their friends safe. For example, they learn about how to stay safe online and the importance of not disclosing personal information.

Pupils explained that they have learned about how to keep healthy and to be safe on the roads.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, leaders have not identified the key knowledge that pupils need to know. This hinders teachers in designing learning for pupils.

Leaders should ensure that staff are informed well about what curriculum content to deliver and when this knowledge should be taught. This will help to ensure that that pupils, including those with SEND, acquire all the important knowledge they need. ? Some staff do not feel that those responsible for governance have given sufficient attention to their workload and well-being.

This has had a negative impact on some teachers' morale. Members of the governing body should ensure that they give enough consideration to the workload of staff when holding leaders to account for the quality of education.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 2012.

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