Sabden Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Sabden Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who spoke with inspectors said that there are many features that make Sabden Primary School a special place for them.

They said that they feel safe in school. Pupils described staff as supportive. They are confident that teachers will help them if anything is worrying them.

Pupils know that teachers expect them to work hard. They show this in their very positive approach to learning. Most pupils do well in their work.

They remember what they learn and can build on it securely.

Pupils behave well in class and around school. They are very polite to adults and ...get on well with each other at breaktimes.

Pupils said that there are very few examples of bullying. However, pupils know that, if it does happen, leaders will deal with it effectively.

Pupils have a wide array of pursuits that they can take part in beyond curriculum subjects.

They enjoy varied activities, from 'knitting and natter' to samba drumming. They are keen to do their best in the 'race to school challenge', which encourages them to have high attendance. They take on responsibilities, such as being members of the school council.

They understand fundamental British values, such as democracy.

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

School leaders and governors have a clear vision about the education that they want to provide. The curriculum is broad and ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils. Teachers choose activities that help most pupils to learn well. They check effectively on pupils' understanding and give them extra help to catch up if they need it.

Leaders have an effective reading curriculum in place. They make sure that children start learning about the basics of reading soon after they begin their time at school. In the Nursery, for example, staff help children to communicate clearly by teaching them important words and sounds.

In the Reception class, a carefully planned phonics curriculum enables most children to learn and remember the sounds that they need to know before they move into Year 1. Leaders also have a structured approach to continuing to develop pupils' reading in key stage 2. For example, staff focus on teaching key aspects of reading, such as predicting what will happen in a text.

Pupils are able to read with fluency, a secure understanding and enjoyment.

Most pupils in the early stages of learning to read know their phonics well. However, a few younger pupils who find reading more difficult sometimes read books that are too hard for them.

Staff do not check accurately enough how well these pupils have remembered the phonics that they are learning before progressing to a more difficult book. This means that these pupils do not become as fluent in reading as they can.

Across almost all subjects, leaders have carefully planned what they want pupils to learn and the order in which they want them to learn it.

They successfully link what children learn in the early years with the subjects taught in key stage 1 and key stage 2. In subjects such as mathematics and geography, pupils build their knowledge well and remember what they have learned. However, details of the content and order of the curriculum in languages are not planned clearly enough.

Pupils show highly positive attitudes to their work, which contributes strongly to their successful learning. They behave very well in class and are courteous and considerate around the school. Leaders have high expectations of pupils' conduct.

Leaders provide a varied range of interesting activities for pupils that give them experiences beyond the subjects that they learn in class. For example, pupils raise money for different charities, visit the theatre or enjoy school clubs.

Leaders provide well for pupils with SEND.

They identify pupils' needs effectively and work with parents to plan a programme of suitable support. Leaders help most of these pupils to acquire and remember knowledge successfully.

Staff who spoke with the inspectors said that leaders are approachable and supportive.

Leaders consider the well-being of staff and do all they can to manage their workload. Governors are well informed and have a strong awareness of the school. They have a clear understanding of the vision for the school.

They also have a strong grasp of the curriculum and its quality. They check leaders' work and hold them to account effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders' systems for ensuring that they keep pupils safe are robust. Leaders have effective systems in place to identify concerns and they keep detailed records. Responses to concerns are prompt and pupils receive the support that they need.

There is a well-planned and extensive programme of training for staff. Teachers who spoke to inspectors were clear about how this training enables them to be alert to possible safeguarding concerns.

Pupils who spoke with inspectors said that they feel safe in school.

They receive helpful information about how to stay safe in different situations, such as on the internet.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Although leaders have planned and sequenced the school's curriculum effectively across almost all subjects, a few details about the content and sequence of the curriculum are currently missing. This means that pupils cannot build their knowledge and skills across the whole curriculum.

Leaders should ensure that the existing strong planning and sequencing is present across all subjects. ? Occasionally, staff do not accurately assess how well younger pupils who find reading difficult have remembered the phonics that they are learning. This sometimes results in teachers moving pupils on to harder reading books before they are ready for them.

This does not help these pupils to become fluent readers. Leaders must ensure that they enable staff to assess the phonics that these pupils have learned accurately, so that pupils can read suitable books to secure their fluency and confidence.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2012.