Elmgrove Primary School & Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a friendly, welcoming and inclusive community. Pupils value the warm and trusting relationships that they have with all staff.

Leaders place a high importance on pupils' pastoral support. This helps pupils to understand and manage their feelings. Adults have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Behaviour in lessons and around school is calm and purposeful. Routines for pupils' future learning are established right away in the early years. Pupils' attitudes to learning are consistently good.

They respect teachers and concentrate well in lessons. Staff encourage pupils to foll...ow the school values of kindness, respect, responsibility and commitment. Pupils respond and act on these values positively.

Pupils enjoy the wide range of clubs, visits and events at school. They value sporting activities such as the opportunities provided by specialist coaches in football, dance and karate. Pupils also spoke with great enthusiasm about how the school fosters a love of music and art.

Pupils feel safe and are kept safe in school. Parents and carers are happy to send their children to this school. They value the school's nurturing and sense of 'family feel'.

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

Leaders ensure that they provide pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum. The school's ambitious curriculum offer starts in the early years. Staff make sure that children in the early years develop well across all areas of learning.

They are ready for Year 1. In most subjects, leaders' curricular thinking is well sequenced. It is well planned to include the needs of pupils with SEND.

Teachers help pupils to build subject-specific knowledge and understanding well. For instance, in mathematics children in the early years learn to count accurately. Across the school pupils use mathematical vocabulary confidently when discussing their strategies.

In some subjects, the curriculum does not build sequentially from early years to Year 6. In these subjects, the use of assessment to identify key knowledge and skills is not as well developed.Teachers present subject content clearly.

Typically, they check pupils' understanding and address any gaps effectively. Staff support pupils with SEND, including through the use of resources, so that they learn successfully.Leaders make the teaching of reading a key priority.

The school has implemented a phonics programme for younger children and pupils. Typically, staff have strong phonic knowledge and deliver phonics lessons with fidelity. Leaders put effective support into place to help pupils who need support to build reading fluency and keep up with their phonics.

For a minority of the weakest readers, staff do not ensure that they support these pupils to read with precision. This limits these pupils' ability to segment and blend sounds accurately. The school has considered the books and texts teachers read with all pupils carefully.

This ensures that pupils experience a rich and diverse range of books and language. Older pupils love to go as often as they can to their new well-resourced library, where they get immersed in a world of imagination and literature.Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND swiftly.

They work closely with external specialists so pupils receive the right support. Staff have effective systems in place to adapt and meet the needs of pupils who may benefit from any additional help. As a result, pupils with SEND are well supported to learn alongside their peers in all subjects in the classroom.

Pupils are well behaved, polite and courteous. In early years, staff enable children to follow consistent routines.Leaders promote pupils' wider development well.

This builds from the rich curriculum in subjects such as art and design and music, where pupils have high-quality experiences. Pupils can take part in a range of clubs and visits. Staff encourage staff to be respectful of differences, including faiths and beliefs.

This helps pupils to develop mature views around tolerance and equality.Staff said that leaders listen to their views and are considerate of their workload and well-being. They appreciate the opportunities they have to develop their practice.

Staff feel proud to work at the school. Governors are well informed and assure themselves that the school fulfils its statutory duties well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• For a minority of the weakest readers, staff do not ensure that they support these pupils to read with precision. This limits their ability to segment and blend sounds accurately. The school must make sure that all staff, including support staff and those who teach in key stage 2, provide all pupils with effective support to develop their reading fluency.

• In some foundation subjects, the school's curricular thinking is not well developed. It does not identify clearly the key knowledge and skills that pupils need to build from early years to Year 6. The school should ensure that subject leaders continue to develop their knowledge and subject expertise and bring about further improvements in how the curriculum is delivered and assessed.

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