Summerseat Methodist Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who currently attend this school do not thrive academically. They want to learn.

However, the quality of education across the school in most subjects is poorly organised and often not well thought out. Pupils try their best, but they do not achieve well.

Teachers do not expect the best from pupils.

This is particularly true for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils do not learn to read well enough, including children in the early years. Many teachers do not have the subject knowledge to teach many areas of the curriculum.

Pupils enjoy coming to this small, friendly school. They behave well in class and around... the school. Their good manners and cooperation mean that they accept whatever they are given to do in class, even when it does not catch their interest.

The pupils who spoke to us said that they feel safe. Bullying is rare. Any instances of bullying are swiftly sorted out.

Pupils are caring towards one another. All staff are kind and sensitive to pupils' emotions.

Pupils relish the wide range of sporting activities in the school, including the competitive events.

They are keen to get involved in extra-curricular activities.

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

Leaders and governors have not done enough to address the considerable weaknesses in the curriculum. Governors have not been effective in holding leaders to account for the quality of education at this school.

They do not have the knowledge and skills to do this well.

A period of significant staffing change has had a negative impact on all pupils' achievement, including those pupils with SEND. The positive picture shown in published data for previous Year 6 classes is not reflected in pupils' current work.

While this data indicates that pupils do well in reading, writing and mathematics by the time that they leave key stage 2, pupils' learning in subjects other than English and mathematics is weak.

Staffing has been stabilised recently, but there is still much work to be done to improve teachers' subject expertise. The training that teachers have recently received has not had sufficient impact.

It has not helped them to understand many of the subjects that they teach. Most teachers do not know what good practice looks like. The newly appointed headteacher has begun to tackle weaknesses in the curriculum.

However, she is often tied up with Year 6 in an attempt to help this group of pupils make up lost ground. As a result, the pace of improvement has been hampered.The organisation of learning in most subjects is disjointed and muddled.

Plans are underway to tackle this weakness, but they are making too little difference at this point. Teachers' planning rarely takes account of what pupils have learned or will be learning in the future. Pupils' knowledge and skills are often weak because teachers do not systematically plan learning over time.

For example, pupils' learning about bulbs and plants in science in key stage 1 does not build on what they already know or link to what they are going to learn later. Teachers are at the very early stages of considering how they are going to develop and embed pupils' knowledge across the school. Some curriculum plans do not match closely with the ambition of the national curriculum.

Pupils' mathematical knowledge has not been consolidated well enough. Year 6 pupils are not confident about basic facts, such as how many millilitres are in a litre. Too many pupils in key stage 1 cannot tell the time on an analogue clock.

In contrast, pupils' writing is improving because the leaders have focused their efforts on this subject recently.

Pupils do not develop a real love of reading. The phonics curriculum is disjointed.

This means that phonics is not taught systematically or effectively. The lack of a common approach is confusing for pupils. A high proportion of Year 1 pupils reached the expected standards in the phonics screening check in 2019.

However, this success is not replicated for current pupils. Their knowledge of sounds and the letters that they make is weak. Books are not well matched to the sounds that pupils have learned.

In addition, pupils who are falling behind in their reading are not provided with effective support to help them catch up quickly. Pupils with SEND are not supported well enough to help them to read confidently. These pupils continue to struggle because they are often given work to keep them busy rather than help them learn.

The curriculum to help develop pupils' reading comprehension is weak.

Pupils conduct themselves sensibly around school. They enjoy their lessons and they relate well to teachers.

Pupils have a strong moral code. They accept and embrace difference.

Assemblies and personal, social and health education sessions help pupils to develop their understanding of their responsibilities towards society and the environment.

Older pupils take up leadership responsibilities proudly, such as the role of house captain.

The leadership of early years has improved considerably since the previous inspection. Children are confident and benefit from strong relationships with adults.

The learning environment supports children's curiosity and interests well. Teachers help them to enjoy books and stories. Children are happy, well looked after and safe.

The quality of the curriculum, including phonics teaching, is improving. However, adults do not give some children enough practice to consolidate the sounds and letters that they learn before moving on to the next phase. Children falling behind are not provided with the precise teaching that they need to help them catch up quickly.

Staff told us that leaders and governors consider well their work-life balance and well-being. Parents and carers are very positive about the new leadership. Parents enjoy the new opportunities to celebrate their children's achievements and attend workshops.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are trained to understand their responsibilities to keep pupils safe. Adults report concerns in a timely manner.

The designated safeguarding leader is experienced and knowledgeable. She enlists the support of professional agencies quickly and appropriately. The curriculum supports safeguarding well.

For example, pupils know how to keep safe online. They know who they can speak to if they are worried or concerned.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Pupils do not achieve well.

The school's curriculum has little structure or coherence. Pupils' learning is not sequenced in a logical order. As a result, all pupils, including those with SEND, are not able to build their knowledge, skills or understanding well enough over units of work or between year groups.

Leaders must ensure that a well-planned curriculum, that meets the ambition of the national curriculum, is implemented without delay. This will ensure that teachers understand what pupils must learn in each subject and enable pupils to build on previous learning in an ordered way. .

Leaders have not ensured that teachers have the subject knowledge that they need to deliver the national curriculum for the age groups that they teach. They have had too few opportunities to develop their teaching skills so that they are well prepared to deliver a new curriculum. This means that they do not plan learning that enables pupils to gain the knowledge that they need to be successful.

Leaders should ensure that the implementation of a new curriculum goes hand in hand with suitable professional development for all adults. . The school's reading strategy is at an early stage of development.

As a result, children in the early years and pupils across the school, particularly those with SEND, do not develop the reading knowledge that they need to become confident and fluent readers. Leaders should ensure that the reading curriculum includes a strong focus on a common approach to the teaching of phonics. Leaders must also ensure that teachers have the skills and knowledge to develop pupils' comprehension skills, so that pupils read for pleasure and with understanding.

. Governors have not acted quickly enough to address the weaknesses in the quality of education. As a result, the current curriculum does not meet the needs of all learners.

The areas for improvement identified in the previous inspection report have not been resolved quickly enough. Governors need to have a more accurate understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. They must act decisively to ensure that the newly appointed headteacher has the opportunity to implement her planned improvements.

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