William Davis Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

William Davis Primary provides a good quality of education and serves its community well.

It is an inclusive school where all pupils are known as individuals and are valued in the school's safe and caring environment. The headteacher and the staff work successfully together as a strong team to ensure pupils have interesting work to do and enjoy their time at school. This is reflected in pupils' consistently above average attendance, good behaviour, positive relationships and well-being.

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage get off to a good start. Adults plan a good balance of activities for children to choose and adult-led tasks. They use the accommodation inside and outside well..../>
Pupils' progress well in their learning through the rest of the school to reach average attainment at the end of Year 6. They make particularly good progress in reading. Teachers track how well pupils are progressing and identify those who need additional support.

In lessons, teachers' planning uses assessment information well to match work to pupils' needs. Additional help, tailored to pupils' specific needs, ensures all groups of pupils, including those speaking English as an additional language, those who join the school part-way through their education and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress. Marking in pupils' books often makes clear what pupils should do to improve their work, although in a small minority of classes, this is less detailed.

Pupils appreciate the wide variety of extra-curricular clubs that the school organises. These take place before and after school and at lunchtime to ensure that many pupils are able to participate. Monitoring and accurate self-evaluation enables the school's leaders and managers to identify appropriate priorities for improvement.

Since the previous inspection, the school has successfully sustained average attainment and pupils' positive attitudes to learning; developed the topic-themed curriculum to motivate pupils and engage their interest; enhanced the provision for computing at the school; and ensured that children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and pupils in Years 1 and 2 develop their good knowledge of letters and the sounds they make (phonics) through daily small-group sessions. These developments reflect the school's good capacity to sustain improvement. The governing body is supportive and knows the school's strengths and weaknesses.

Since the previous inspection, difficulties in recruiting governing body members have limited the rigour with which the governing body has taken a fully active part in checking the school's work and holding the school to account. Recently fully recruited, members of the governing body are now taking a more active part in challenging the school to raise attainment further. Procedures to safeguard pupils' safety, health and welfare are good.

The school site is safe, secure and very well maintained. However, the governing body is not ensuring that all policy documentation fully reflects the school's good practice.

Information about the school

This is an average-size primary school with Early Years Foundation Stage provision in one Nursery and one Reception class.

The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. Almost all the pupils are from minority ethnic groups.

Ninety per cent of pupils speak English as an additional language and the majority of these pupils are at an early stage of learning English. In November 2009, the school admitted an additional class of pupils into Year 1. The proportion of pupils who join and leave the school part-way through their education is above average.

There have been a number of recent staff changes. The school has achieved several nationally recognised awards including the Activemark. The school operates and manages an early morning activity club.