Yew Tree Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this vibrant and popular school. They receive a warm welcome from staff at the start of each day. When children first join the early years, they settle well into the comfortable and safe environment.

Pupils are happy at school. They feel valued for who they are. Pupils are included well in all aspects of the school life.

Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well in a range of subjects across the curriculum. They are meeting the high aspirations that the school is setting for their learning.

Pupils behave respectfully towards one another.

They are confident and well mann...ered. They said that it is easy to make friends at school. However, despite these strengths, too many pupils, especially younger pupils, are persistently absent from school.

This hinders these pupils from making the most of all that the school offers.

Pupils have lots of opportunities to develop their interests and talents. For example, pupils enjoy after-school clubs for fitness, dancing and martial arts.

They also enjoy well-thought-out experiences that bring the curriculum to life. For example, in Year 4, pupils visit Chester to learn about the Romans and in Year 5 pupils attend a workshop to enhance their understanding of the Vikings.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has revised the way in which the curriculum is organised.

In many subjects, the school has provided clear guidance to help staff to deliver the curriculum with greater consistency. In these subjects, and including in the early years, teachers clearly set out their expectations for pupils' learning. This enables staff to check on pupils' understanding and then to correct any misconceptions so that pupils deepen their learning.

However, there are a small number of subjects that are at an earlier stage of development. In these subjects, pupils do not recall key knowledge as well as they can in other areas of the curriculum.

The school has successfully improved reading.

It has ensured that staff are suitably equipped to deliver the phonics programme. In the early years, staff take every opportunity to strengthen children's vocabulary and spoken language. In the Reception Year and in key stage 1, those pupils who struggle to recall some of their phonics knowledge are identified early and supported effectively.

This helps pupils to build and apply their learning well to read with increasing speed and accuracy. By the time pupils are in Year 6, they read fluently and with understanding.

The school has strong systems in place to identify pupils with SEND.

The way in which staff skilfully adapt learning ensures that these pupils achieve well from their starting points.

The school has improved the way in which it manages pupils' behaviour. As a result, pupils have positive attitudes towards their education.

For example, children in the early years cooperate well together when learning. Across the school, disruptions to lessons are rare. Pupils said that staff manage rare interruptions to learning well.

This means that they can concentrate during lessons.

The school's work to improve the attendance of some pupils has shown recent signs of success. This is most marked in key stage 2.

However, in contrast, the school has been less successful in reducing the persistent absence of younger pupils. This remains high. The school has not been explicit enough in its expectations for attendance with parents and carers.

That said, parents who make the most of the school's offer are positive about the support that they receive, not only for their children but often for their whole family.

Pupils have a strong understanding of other cultures and religions. School trips include visits to places of worship, which help pupils to understand how people celebrate different faiths and beliefs.

The personal, social, health and economic education programme supports pupils well to understand about healthy lifestyles and relationships. Pupils also know what it means to be a responsible citizen. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain through their understanding of fundamental British values.

Governors assure themselves about the quality of education through meetings with subject leaders and through feedback from other professionals. They have a strong understanding of the school's provision.

Staff appreciate the way in which the school has introduced structured curriculum schemes and a streamlined marking policy.

They believe that this has helped them to focus on improving pupils' learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is at an early stage of development.

As such, pupils cannot remember some of their prior learning as well as in other subjects. The school should continue to develop these subjects so that pupils can recall the key knowledge that they will use in their future learning. ? Many pupils, especially younger pupils, do not attend school often enough.

The school's work to improve this has only recently started to have an impact. This means that too many pupils miss out on important learning. The school should seek to engage more effectively with parents to ensure that these pupils attend school more often.

Also at this postcode