The James Cambell Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Since the school's previous inspection, leaders have taken decisive and effective action to improve the quality of teaching and learning as well as pupils' behaviour in and outside the classroom. Consequently, pupils' are typically attentive and calm in lessons and academic outcomes in assessments at the end of Year 6 are typically in line with national averages. Pupils are happy and feel safe.

Pupils are respectful of one another, and they are welcoming to all kinds of people. They are taught about different faiths and cultures. Children in the early years are encouraged to be kind to each other and to animals, through turn taking activities and visits to farms.

Pupi...ls are given opportunities to express their views and opinions through weekly debates on local and national issues. Generally, this helps pupils to develop their oracy, broaden their vocabulary and increase their confidence. Pupils have opportunities to take on responsibilities as anti-bullying ambassadors, or feeding Medusa the school's snake, or growing and selling vegetables.

Pupils' achievements are regularly celebrated and rewarded. These achievements include success in poetry competitions, inter-borough sports games and enterprise day.

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

The school has in place a well-thought-through curriculum, which builds pupils' knowledge in a logical order.

This is designed to ensure that pupils and children in the early years are prepared for their next stage of learning.

Curriculum leaders have secure knowledge of the subjects they lead. They value the support they receive from the trust and opportunities for professional development.

In the main, the school measures the effectiveness of subjects and identifies areas in need of refining. Typically, subject content is explained clearly, and pupils have regular opportunities to recall, revisit and practise prior learning. On a few occasions, the intended curriculum is not as equally well delivered.

When subject expertise is not as secure and checks on pupils' understanding are not as robust, what pupils know and can do is not as firmly understood. Therefore, pupils' misconceptions sometimes go unaddressed, and pupils' knowledge is not built up as securely over time.

The school has ensured that staff who teach early reading are well trained.

Staff continuously develop their teaching skills, working alongside a range of experts. Pupils routinely practise the sounds that they have been taught. Leaders regularly check pupils' phonic knowledge.

This helps to make sure that reading books are well matched to pupils' reading abilities. Reading checks also identify any pupils who are falling behind. Support is given where needed to ensure that they catch up and keep up.

This aids pupils to become positive about reading as well as confident and fluent readers.

The school identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In the main, the school provides appropriate support and makes adaptations to teaching for pupils with SEND.

As a result, pupils with SEND generally learn the same curriculum along with their peers. Occasionally, resources and adaptations for pupils with more complex needs are not as fully supportive when the essential content that pupils need to know and be able to do is not as clearly identified.

Through raising pupils' awareness of issues including gangs and knife crime, as well as a dental hygiene programme, pupils are encouraged to keep themselves safe and healthy.

The school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Learning typically proceeds uninterrupted, including in early years. Pupils are taught strategies to manage their feelings, from adults that they trust and with whom they have strong working relationships.

The school monitors pupils' attendance robustly. Leaders respond swiftly when pupils' attendance rates drop. They work together with parents and carers to understand reasons for non-attendance.

They discuss solutions and put actions in place to enable pupils to attend school regularly and promptly. As a result, most pupils attend regularly or their attendance is improving.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Adaptations to resources and teaching are not equally clearly defined or made explicit for all pupils with SEND. Occasionally, this limits the development of pupils' skills and knowledge. Leaders should ensure that curriculum thinking and communication strategies specifically identify what all pupils with SEND need to know and be able to do.

• On a few occasions, the essential knowledge leaders want pupils to know and remember is not precisely delivered and pupils' understanding and recall is not checked as routinely in all subjects. As a result, sometimes pupils are not helped to build on what they already know or gaps or misconceptions are not identified. The school should ensure that all teaching delivers core content as intended and what pupils know and remember is checked routinely to identify and address any gaps or misconceptions.

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