Friars Primary School and Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Leaders, managers and governors have a very clear view of how well the school is performing and where it can do better.

As a result, all aspects of the school have improved since the previous inspection. Leaders' checks on teaching have led to improvements and this has made a positive impact on pupils' achievement. Children get a good start to their learning in the early years, where they make good progress in a stimulating environment.

Pupils build on this good start in the rest of the school. By the time they leave Year 6, they have achieved well in reading, writing and mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils supported through the pupil prem...ium, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported well, so they make good progress and achieve well.

Teaching is good. Teachers ask probing questions to ascertain what pupils know, and adapt their planning well to ensure progress is good. Pupils enjoy coming to school.

Their behaviour is good, they are proud of their school and they are keen to learn. Their social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is good. The school's work to keep pupils safe is effective.

Most parents who stated a view agree and would recommend the school to others. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Pupils, including the most able, are not always given work that is hard enough to enable them to make the best possible progress. Teachers' marking is not always effective in helping to improve pupils' work.

The school's system for checking and analysing how well different groups of pupils are doing is too complicated. This means staff cannot use it quickly and easily to identify any pupils who could be making better progress.

Information about this school

The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.

There are fewer pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds than in most schools of this size. Few pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, at about 17%, is broadly average.

Over half the pupils are disadvantaged and supported by the pupil premium, which is additional government funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or in local authority care. This is well above average. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

The school runs its own breakfast club. An executive headteacher and a head of school from a local outstanding school were appointed by the governing body to lead the school from September 2012. The school is part of the Shoeburyness Cluster, which supports the work of leaders in this and other local schools.

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