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Across Walker Primary School there is warmth, ambition and a real sense of community. Leaders have the highest expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils enjoy coming to school every day and learning a wide range of subjects.
Most pupils achieve well, especially in English, mathematics and science.
Pupils' behaviour is exemplary in lessons and all around the school. The school is calm, and disruptions to learning are rare.
Leaders promote the school's values well. For instance, staff encourage pupils to be respectful and to help each other. Leaders ensure that pupils are safe.
Leaders... make sure pupils have exceptional opportunities to develop their characters. They support pupils to take on many leadership roles across the school, such as reading champions. Adults have implemented a remarkably rich ethos of cooperation and harmony across the school.
For instance, children from Reception through to Year 6 all play together happily in the same playground at breaktimes. Pupils look after each other here.
Pupils are polite and very friendly to adults.
Parents and carers appreciate the caring and nurturing environment at the school.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders have prioritised the development of the curriculum. They ensure that staff develop into subject experts in most subjects.
In early years, leaders' curricular thinking is well developed across all areas of learning. Teachers know children well and plan learning for them carefully. For example, teachers provide children with regular opportunities to practise counting, calculating and investigating.
As a result, children are fully prepared for Year 1. Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum, which matches or exceeds the national curriculum in many subjects. However, in a few subjects, teaching does not ensure that pupils develop their understanding securely.
Typically, teaching builds on pupils' prior knowledge and understanding effectively. For example, in mathematics, the modelling of mathematical language by teachers helps pupils to use a range of vocabulary accurately. Teachers use questioning well to check pupils' understanding.
They address any misconceptions in a timely way. In a few subjects, leaders do not use assessment information precisely. This means that leadership in some subjects does not check pupils' learning as well as it could.
The teaching of reading is a strength. Children in the early years learn phonics as soon as they start school. Teachers use assessment accurately to identify where pupils may be starting to fall behind.
They ensure that they support any pupils quickly so that they keep up with their reading skills. Throughout the school, leaders use books that are well matched to pupils' ability. Some pupils speak with great enthusiasm about the book vending machine.
They like to choose high-quality texts as a reward for good behaviour and achievement.
There is a strong, welcoming culture at this school. Most pupils learn British Sign Language.
Leaders consider the needs of pupils with SEND in every aspect of school life. Adults support pupils with SEND to access the full curriculum in every subject. This allows them to work alongside their peers and to make progress successfully.
Pupils receive an exceptional offer around their wider personal development. Leaders have structured personal, social, health and economic education so that it is woven throughout the curriculum. Pupils take part in regular debates and discussions.
Teachers encourage pupils to learn about and show respect to different faiths and cultures. Pupils take their responsibilities seriously. For example, through their work as playground buddies and digital leaders, pupils help others to stay safe online.
The behaviour of pupils is impressive. Bullying is not a concern for pupils in this school. Classrooms and corridors are calm and orderly, and no time is lost in lessons.
Pupils' behaviour in the playground is equally exemplary. Pupils of all ages play together in a joyful and considerate manner.
Trustees of the multi-academy trust have a clear understanding of the priorities facing the school.
The local governing body knows its community well. There are clear lines of accountability through which school leaders are challenged and supported.
Staff are very supportive of improvements made by the new leadership team and are proud to work at the school.
Staff and subject leaders comment on how senior leaders are continually improving the curriculum and wider provision offered to pupils. Leaders take the impact of workload on staff seriously.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Leaders ensure that there is a strong culture of safeguarding throughout the school. Staff are well trained to recognise when pupils and their families may need help. Leaders take swift action to ensure that support and help for families is in place at the right time.
Leaders work well with external agencies. They make sure that safeguarding records are rigorous and well maintained. The trust and governing body have strong oversight of safeguarding in the school.
What does the school need to do to improve?
(Information for the school and appropriate authority)
• Leaders have recently implemented a range of new approaches to the curriculum in some foundation subjects. Teaching in these subjects does not ensure that pupils have opportunities to develop secure knowledge. Leaders should continue their work to plan, review and refine the changes they have made to the curriculum so that pupils build knowledge consistently well in all subjects.
• Leaders' use of summative assessment in a few subjects does not identify curriculum endpoints precisely. This means that subject leaders are not sufficiently clear about the impact of the curriculum on pupils' learning in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that all subject leaders sharpen assessment and monitoring systems so that they can evaluate the impact of the curriculum in these subjects effectively.
