Surfleet Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Most of the time pupils behave well in school. There have been improvements in how well pupils treat each other. Yet, pupils say they are 'working on getting on together'.

There are no significant incidents of bullying but pupils are sometimes unkind to each other. Pupils say that, when this happens, adults will sort the problems out. This helps them to feel safe.

Pupils do not receive a good standard of education at this school. The curriculum is poorly planned and lacks ambition. Leaders and teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve.

Teachers work hard to help pupils to learn but curriculum planning is not good enough. Many pu...pils are behind where they need to be for their age. The curriculum does not help them to catch up quickly.

Pupils have a limited understanding of people who are different from them. They know that they should respect others. They do not have enough opportunities to learn about different cultures and lifestyles.

Pupils take part in outdoor learning. This is beginning to develop their independence and confidence. Older pupils enjoy the responsibility of becoming 'mini police' during the school day.

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

Leaders have failed to address the poor achievement of pupils over the last three years. They have not recognised where the problems lie. Their actions for improvement have not focused on the right things.

This has meant that pupils continue to underachieve.

There are significant weaknesses in the school's curriculum. In a few subjects there is no planned curriculum in place.

In others, the curriculum is not adapted well enough for pupils in mixed-aged classes. Teachers spend a lot of time planning from scratch or heavily adapting the plans they have been given. Leaders have not made sure that teachers receive the support they need.

Leaders have not given staff up-to-date training in the approach to teaching phonics. Pupils who fall behind do not receive the right support. This means they are never given the chance to catch up.

There is no planned curriculum for reading and writing. Teachers plan lessons with no overview of what has gone before or what pupils should cover next. Learning does not build on previous knowledge.

It is not clear what pupils are expected to know by the end of each school year. Pupils achieve poorly in reading and writing.

Leaders have introduced a planned curriculum for mathematics.

This sets out how pupils' knowledge will be developed as they move through the school. However, leaders have not supported teachers to know how to adapt this plan for pupils in mixed-aged classes. Many pupils have gaps in their mathematical knowledge.

They are not working at the standard they should.

Leaders have introduced curriculum plans for science and other curriculum subjects. These set out what pupils should cover in each year group.

Pupils are now taught all subjects of the national curriculum. However, the ambition for what pupils in some year groups should know and be able to do is not high enough.

The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils is not good enough.

Leaders have not checked to make sure that the planned support for these pupils is happening. Poor curriculum planning means that these pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

The curriculum in the early years lacks ambition.

There is no planned approach as to how teachers will develop children's knowledge to prepare them for Year 1. This means that the gaps in children's knowledge appear at the very start of their education. Staff make sure that children are cared for and looked after well.

Children visit the school several times before they start. This helps them to settle quickly.

In some lessons, pupils do not behave as well as they should.

Low-level disruption and poor behaviour sometimes affect learning. The curriculum for personal development is not good. There are not enough opportunities for pupils to learn about equality, diversity and the different cultures and lifestyles represented in modern Britain.

Governors know that some subjects are not well planned. They know that outcomes have been too low. However, they are not aware of the full extent of the weaknesses in the curriculum.

They have not ensured that leaders across the federation have worked effectively to ensure that all aspects of the curriculum are well planned.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

While pupils are well cared for, leaders have not instilled a culture of safeguarding.

Some staff do not take safeguarding procedures seriously enough. Staff do not record all incidents or concerns routinely, no matter how small. This means that leaders do not have an overview of the concerns about a pupil, or the risks they may face.

This is particularly the case when spotting the possible signs of neglect. Staff have received training in the importance of passing on all concerns; however, they do not act on this training. Leaders have not made sure that all staff follow the school's procedures.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The school's culture for safeguarding pupils is not strong enough. Leaders have not considered the implications of failing to pass on or record all concerns they may have about pupils. They have not made sure that staff understand the risks that pupils may face.

Staff do not routinely pass on all concerns that they may have. Leaders have not made sure that the school's records accurately reflect concerns. Leaders must urgently make sure that all staff understand their responsibility for keeping pupils safe and pass on all concerns using the school's system.

Leaders must make sure that records are an accurate account of safeguarding concerns. . There is no planned curriculum in place for reading and writing.

Learning is not well sequenced. It does not build on what pupils have learned before. The ambition for what pupils should know is not high enough.

Leaders must implement a curriculum for reading and writing which is ambitious, well sequenced and well designed to meet the needs of pupils. Leaders must check that the curriculum is being implemented to enable pupils to achieve well. .

Leaders have not supported teachers to develop and implement curriculum plans for mixed-age classes. This includes in mathematics. The current curriculum plans do not enable pupils to develop their knowledge sequentially.

The ambition for what pupils should know is not high enough. Leaders must ensure that the curriculum is designed to meet the needs of pupils who are taught in mixed-age classes, and that the ambition for what pupils should be able to achieve is high enough. .

The programme for pupils' personal development is not well thought out. Leaders have not made links between curriculum content and personal development. Leaders need to make sure the curriculum for personal development is meaningful and provides pupils with opportunities to develop their character and understanding of British values, different faiths, cultures and lifestyles.

. The school's curriculum does not provide pupils with enough opportunities to develop independence, resilience or determination. Teachers do not have high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

Some pupils do not behave well enough. Leaders need to make sure that teachers' expectations of behaviour are high enough, and that pupils are provided with opportunities to develop positive learning behaviours. .

There is no planned curriculum for the early years. It is not clear how children's knowledge will be developed as they move through the Reception Year. This is particularly the case in reading and writing.

Some children leave the early years with gaps in their knowledge. Leaders must ensure that there is a planned curriculum for the early years that shows how children's knowledge will be developed and their learning revisited so that their knowledge and skills are secure. Leaders must check that the curriculum is implemented effectively so that pupils have the knowledge they need when they move into Year 1.

The support for pupils with SEND and for disadvantaged pupils does not meet their needs. Leaders do not check that pupils receive the support they need. These pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

Leaders must make sure the support pupils need is in place and helps these pupils to achieve. This includes in reading, where the weakest readers do not receive the support they need to help them to catch up. .

Governors do not have a secure understanding of the school's weaknesses. They know that outcomes have not been good enough but are not aware that the curriculum is not meeting the needs of pupils. Governors have commissioned an external review of governance.

They should act upon recommendations to determine how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. . An external review of the use of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of the school's work may be improved.