Arden Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school A strong sense of community pervades the school. This is a highly inclusive school where tolerance, acceptance and equality abound. The new headteacher's strong leadership and determination, together with excellent support from senior leaders and governors, are highly effective in maintaining the high-quality provision across the school.

Leaders, including governors, demonstrate a strong moral purpose and a passion to ensure that every child is successful. Leadership and management at every level are outstanding. Leaders have developed an exceptional staff team that is fully committed to the shared vision for high standards and broadening pupils' ...horizons.

Governors know the school well. They use their expertise and skills to support and challenge school leaders effectively. Teaching is good.

Although teachers' expectations of children are high, sometimes work does not provide enough challenge to pupils to develop their learning to a greater depth across the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are exceptionally well supported. Personalised learning support enables them to be successful and make the progress of which they are capable.

The arrangements for safeguarding pupils are extremely effective. All staff and governors are fully committed to ensuring that 'everybody matters'. They are continually mindful of pupils' welfare.

The school's work to promote pupils' personal development and welfare is outstanding. Pupils are self-confident, with a well-developed understanding of how to be successful in their learning. Pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons and their conduct around the school is exemplary.

The early years provision is of a very high quality. It is very well led and managed, teaching is outstanding, and all groups of children make exceptional progress from their low starting points. The curriculum is broad and balanced.

Provision for physical education (PE), drama, music and technology are exceptionally strong. The curriculum for mathematics has been revised but changes are not fully embedded. Opportunities to study other foundation subjects are not as well developed and pupils' progress is slower as a result.

The vast majority of parents and carers are extremely supportive and fully engaged with the work of the school.

Information about this school

Arden Primary School is a much larger school than the average primary school. The large majority of pupils are of Asian or Asian British Pakistani heritage, with the others coming from various other minority ethnic backgrounds.

The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is below the national average.

The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is above the national average. The early years provision consists of two part-time Nursery classes and three full-time Reception classes. This year, for the first time, the school has offered 30-hour places for families with nursery-aged children.

A new headteacher was appointed in April 2018. She was one of the substantive deputy headteachers at the school. The other deputy headteacher left the school in December 2018.

This post is currently being advertised and temporarily filled by a deputy seconded from another local authority school. Due to financial difficulties, 13 support staff were made redundant in September 2018. The school provides a breakfast club each morning.