William Torbitt Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this welcoming and friendly school. They build positive relationships with the staff and with each other.

The school has a calm and orderly environment. Pupils enjoy their learning and participate enthusiastically in school life. They understand how to behave and are keen to earn rewards and take part in class discussion.

The school has high ambitions for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff make sure pupils have the support they need to achieve well.

Pupils feel safe.

They can post their concerns in the class worry boxes but they also know who to talk to if they need any ...help. Bullying is rare and pupils know that if it happens, it will be dealt with swiftly and effectively.

Pupils enjoy the range of enriching activities to support their wider development.

They can take on leadership positions such as the eco-champions who have created a mini forest by planting trees on the school field or the reading champions who help younger pupils with their reading. There are also lots of clubs for pupils to attend, including dance, cooking and karate, and trips to places like the Cutty Sark and the Science Museum.

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

Leaders have constructed a broad and ambitious curriculum where lessons are carefully sequenced to build on previous learning.

Pupils start focusing on learning to read as soon as they start in the early years. In Nursery, they listen to stories, songs and rhymes. In Reception, they start the chosen phonics programme and the staff ensure that if any child struggles, they are offered additional support to catch up as soon as possible.

The enjoyment of reading is also fostered, for example by teachers reading to each class every day and 'Books for Breakfast' sessions where parents and carers can come into the classroom in the mornings and read with their child. Pupils use their phonics knowledge to blend sounds and read words, and the books read are at an appropriate level.

Pupils are given the support they need to help their learning.

For example, in mathematics, Reception pupils put strips of paper in order of length by using both cubes and rulers. Pupils with SEND have their needs identified and met. Staff adapt lessons when needed, for example by providing extra support from additional adults or use of concrete resources.

Some pupils spend time in specialist SEND classes, where they learn a personalised curriculum that is carefully considered for each pupil.

Leaders ensure that diversity is woven through the curriculum and that pupils debate and discuss different issues. For example, in history, pupils learn about the Windrush generation and compare and contrast this to other periods of immigration.

This is linked to learning in geography about the areas where migrants came from and what factors caused them to emigrate.

In other subjects, although the curriculum intent is strong and leaders are ambitious for all pupils, this is not consistently matched by the delivery. For example, sometimes teaching does not ensure that pupils have the necessary prior knowledge or that their explanations are completely accurate.

Sometimes questioning lacks precision, so some pupils are not asked questions that require them to think hard about their response.

Leaders have high expectations for pupils' behaviour and conduct throughout their time at school, both in the classroom and the playground. Pupils behave well.

They understand the importance of reflecting on their behaviour when they make mistakes and thinking about what they will do in the future. Some pupils who arrive at the school display difficult behaviour but learn the school's restorative and respectful approach quickly.

The school has taken effective action to address low attendance.

They track attendance and punctuality closely and take steps to support individual families to ensure that these pupils attend school regularly.

The personal development of pupils is a strength of the school. The school's programme has been carefully selected by leaders.

It helps develop pupils' character and informs the way pupils are taught about appropriate behaviour. The school provides a wide and rich set of experiences, including clubs, trips and visitors and the use of artefacts and experiences such as themed ancient Egyptian and Greek days.

Staff are well supported, including with access to the training they need.

Their workload and well-being are taken into account by leaders. Governors understand their safeguarding duties and continually work to drive school improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the intended curriculum is not delivered with the same accuracy and precision as others. In these instances, pupils do not consistently develop the same depth of knowledge and understanding as they do in other subjects. Leaders should ensure they continue to develop staff expertise and knowledge and ensure consistency of delivery across the curriculum.

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