Waterloo Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement Although new senior leaders are working tirelessly to raise achievement, they have not been in position long enough to ensure good achievement for all pupils. Currently, progress remains variable and standards are not high enough.

By the end of the early years, too many children are not ready for Year 1 work and by the end of Year 2, not enough are ready for the work in Year 3. At the end of Year 6, too few pupils are well prepared for secondary school. The quality of teaching has improved but it is not yet consistently good across the school.

Leaders have not ensured sufficient improvement to the provision for pupils... who have special educational needs or disability. Although behaviour is improving, it is not yet good. Incidents of derogatory behaviour continue and are not being eradicated quickly enough.

While pupils are aware of British values, their understanding is sketchy. Communication with parents is not as strong as it should be. The school has the following strengths The headteacher and deputy are leading an unremitting drive to move this school to 'good'.

Staff are on board, morale is high and improvements are evident. There has been significant improvement to governance. Governors know much more about the school's work and challenge school leaders well about the school's performance.

School leaders' rigorous checks on teaching and learning and increased staff training have resulted in improvements to the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils' presentation of work is much better. Their writing and spelling skills are showing good improvement and key reading skills are being taught effectively from the early years upwards.

Pupils have more opportunities to solve problems in mathematics and deepen their learning. More thorough checks on pupils' work by school leaders and teachers are enabling them to intervene swiftly to improve pupils' learning. Pupils at an early stage of learning to speak English make good progress.

Safeguarding is effective and attendance has improved.

Information about this school

The school is larger than the average-sized primary school The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. Around a third of pupils are from minority ethnic groups and almost a quarter of pupils speak English as an additional language; a small minority of these pupils are at an early stage of learning to speak English.

The proportion of pupils for whom the pupil premium provides support is high. (The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and who are in the care of the local authority.) The proportion of pupils receiving support for special educational needs is above average.

The proportion with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is below average. The proportion of pupils who join and leave the school other than at the usual admission and transfer times is above average. The school's early years provision consists of a 26-place Nursery, where children attend part time each morning, and two full-time Reception classes.

The school does not meet the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress. A new headteacher and deputy headteacher have been in place since September 2015. Since the last inspection, a review of governance has occurred and the governing body has been reconstituted.

From September 2015, the governing body has been led by two new co-chairs. In addition, an interim strategic group, with responsibility for the effectiveness of leadership and management and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment has also been in place. A breakfast club and after-school service operates from the site, both of which are subject to a separate inspection.

Also at this postcode