West Acton Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy coming to school and are polite and welcoming. They help those who are new to the school to settle in quickly. Pupils are safe.

Leaders place great importance on pupils' physical and mental health and emotional well-being. Leaders expect pupils to be kind and considerate towards each other. Pupils are encouraged to speak out if there is anything that makes them feel unhappy or uncomfortable, or if they are worried about a friend.

Pupils make use of the school's 'SafeTTSpot' locations and class 'calm boxes' to alert staff if they have any concerns. Teachers are quick to put things right if there is ever any poor behaviour.

Pupils enjoy taking ...on responsibilities.

They elect school councillors, who then select charities to support through fundraising. Pupil 'champions' promote environmental awareness and the importance of being physically active and of eating healthily.

Pupils enjoy educational excursions.

A recent outing helped pupils in Year 1 to learn about capital cities and landmarks. Pupils in Year 5 visited a mosque as part of their learning in history and religious education. Pupils in Year 6 look forward to a residential trip planned for later in the year.

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

Senior leaders have swiftly addressed the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. They have strengthened subject leadership and launched a new and effective behaviour policy.

Senior and subject leaders have thought carefully about the key content they expect pupils to learn and the sequence in which this should be taught.

They ensure that their curriculum design reflects the breadth and depth of the national curriculum.Leaders ensure that pupils recognise the relevance of curriculum subjects to their lives and the local community. This helps pupils to be motivated and attentive and to learn well.

Teachers follow leaders' curriculum thinking carefully and teach subject content in the order leaders have decided. Teachers encourage pupils to learn and use key technical vocabulary. Teaching enables pupils to make links between the knowledge and skills that pupils learn across subjects.

Leaders have clear systems for checking for gaps in pupils' learning. Teachers spot pupils who need extra help and support them to catch up. From the early years onwards, staff are quick to identify any pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Support for pupils with SEND is very carefully tailored to their needs, including for pupils who attend the additional resource provision. Staff skilfully adapt their teaching and resources and ensure that all pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers.

Leaders have developed a range of strategies to help pupils recall key facts from their prior learning before moving on to new learning.

In a few subjects, teachers' use of these strategies is not an established routine, and pupils' recall of prior learning is not as strong as in other subjects.

All teachers and teaching assistants have been trained in the teaching of early reading. Leaders ensure there are consistent and well-established routines so that pupils develop their use of phonics and reading fluency.

Staff provide strong support for targeted pupils to meet their individual needs, including pupils who speak English as an additional language and those who join the school with little prior knowledge of phonics. Leaders organise a range of activities to encourage pupils' interest in reading. Pupils have access to high-quality books in the classroom collections and school library.

Personal, social, health and economics education, assemblies, special events and taking on responsibilities all help pupils to be well prepared for their next stages of learning and life beyond school. Pupils are taught about and discuss current issues, including issues in relation to the environment. They hear from visitors about different career choices.

Through relationships and health education, pupils are taught about different types of families and the importance of protected characteristics. Pupils in all phases are introduced in an age-appropriate way to concepts such as consent and how to recognise safe and unsafe situations.

Leaders, including the governing body, regularly consult with staff, parents and pupils about all aspects of life in the school, including curriculum development.

Leaders work closely with families when pupils are persistently absent from school to help improve their attendance.

Staff are well supported by leaders in managing their workload and work-life balance. Leaders, including the governing body, take purposeful steps to support staff well-being.

The governing body plays an active role in the school. It checks regularly on the effectiveness and quality of the school's provision.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders are thoroughly committed to promoting a culture of safeguarding across the school. They ensure that staff are suitably trained and up to date with the latest requirements and are alert to any sign that a child might be at risk. Leaders give staff regular safeguarding reminders and check on the impact of safeguarding training.

Staff know and follow correct referral processes. Leaders maintain oversight of the quality and accuracy of reporting and respond swiftly when any concerns are raised.

Leaders maintain purposeful communication with outside agencies to source the right support for pupils and their families.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, routines to help pupils recall prior learning are not as well established as in most other subjects. This means that pupils do not remember key facts from their prior learning as well in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that strategies to support pupils' recall of key facts are fully established in all subjects.

Also at this postcode