West Road Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a safe and happy school. Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils generally meet those expectations well.

The school motto is 'to learn, to grow, together'. This ethos can be seen in the strong relationships between staff and pupils, which underpin a calm and purposeful atmosphere. Most pupils enjoy coming to school.

At social times, they get along well together. If pupils fall out, they resolve it themselves or, if needed, staff help them.

The ambitious curriculum is well thought through.

Pupils generally engage and learn well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective support. A smal...l number of pupils with SEND follow a bespoke curriculum that meets their needs well.

Children in the early years and pupils in key stages 1 and 2 get off to a positive start to their education.

There is a wide range of opportunities that extend beyond the curriculum. For example, there are various extra-curricular clubs, including 'computer whizz', 'art attack' and 'just dance'.

Pupils raise funds for charities and support the local food bank. An annual careers fair helps pupils to learn about jobs in the local area. Some pupils are working with the local council to help them design a new park.

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

The work of the school has rapidly developed since the last inspection. Leaders at all levels, including those with responsibility for governance, know the pupils and community well. Robust processes are in place to ensure good communication between the trust board, the local governing body and the school.

This ensures that trustees and governors have a clear understanding of the school's effectiveness. The trust provides highly effective training and networking opportunities for staff. Staff welcome and value the support of the trust.

Staff morale is high.

The quality of the school's curriculum has strengthened considerably. In most subjects, the school has identified what pupils need to learn.

Most of the knowledge and skills are broken down into the steps that pupils need. In lessons, teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to revisit prior knowledge. This helps pupils to remember what they learn.

It also allows teachers to check how well pupils have understood concepts. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They address misconceptions effectively.

Pupils, including those with SEND, usually learn well. However, some aspects of the curriculum that pupils need to learn are less well defined. When this happens, staff do not draw out and emphasise important knowledge, and pupils do not deepen their understanding.

Where necessary, staff adapt the teaching of the curriculum for pupils with SEND. If these pupils need more help, the school ensures that effective support, such as speech and language therapy, is in place to meet pupils' needs. The school seeks out and takes expert advice to ensure that staff's work is effective.

Pupils enjoy reading. Books are celebrated across the school. Staff are well trained in reading instruction.

Pupils learn to read quickly. Reading books are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. Pupils who need help to catch up with reading are well supported.

Older pupils regularly practise reading aloud, which develops their expression and confidence.

In the early years, the content of the curriculum is carefully considered. What children learn in Reception builds securely on what they learn in Nursery.

The school designs purposeful activities to help children to explore concepts further. Staff seize opportunities to develop children's vocabulary. Staff in the early years are well trained to identify children that might have SEND so that the right support can be put in place early.

Children learn the knowledge and skills that they need for Year 1.

The school is highly effective in helping pupils to come to school regularly. Leaders work closely with each family to understand their situation.

This work ensures that each family gets the right support. This is a real strength of the school. The school has a consistent approach to managing pupils' behaviour.

Staff are trained well. Rules and routines are clear, which helps pupils to stay on track.

The curriculum for pupils' personal, social and health education is well designed to prepare them for life in modern Britain.

Pupils remember some aspects of the curriculum in more depth than in others. For example, pupils have a secure breadth of knowledge of online safety. Some pupils' knowledge of other faiths and cultures is less secure.

The school offers pupils a broad range of experiences that go beyond the curriculum. A new 'pupil passport' is enabling the school to track pupils' participation more effectively. Pupils with SEND are fully involved in the life of the school.

There is a wide range of pupil leadership opportunities, including roles as well-being ambassadors and mini police. Pupils are proud to take on leadership roles and make a positive contribution to the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school takes purposeful action to safeguard pupils and follow up concerns. On occasion, the school's records do not fully reflect the actions that it has taken to keep pupils safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the school has not broken down some of the important knowledge that pupils should learn clearly enough.

Where this happens, staff do not draw out and emphasise important concepts. Therefore, pupils' understanding lacks depth. The school should ensure that staff know how to break down and emphasise important concepts so that pupils deepen their understanding of aspects of the curriculum.

• On occasion, the school's records do not fully reflect the actions that it has taken to keep pupils safe. When this happens, pupils continue to be safe but the narrative of the school's work to support them has minor gaps. The school should make sure that its records fully reflect the actions taken to keep pupils safe.