Abbey Farm Educate Together Primary

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and inclusive school. The school's vision, 'Learn together, live together', is at the heart of all the school provides.

Staff have high expectations of pupils' achievement and behaviour.

Most pupils meet these well. Pupils enjoy school and attend regularly. They are happy and sociable.

Pupils have positive attitudes. They work hard and achieve well, particularly in the early years.

The school provides interesting opportunities, which ignite pupils' enthusiasm for learning.

For example, children in the Reception Year learn to print beehive patterns using paint and bubble wrap. A mobile farm visits the school so that pupils... can learn about animals. Pupils have the opportunity to perform at the local theatre.

They learn about different cultures, for example, when they learn about the Chinese New Year and Eid.

Pastoral provision is strong. Staff forge supportive relationships with families.

Pupils feel well cared for and safe at school. The school prioritises pupils' well-being. Pupils can practise mindfulness and yoga.

The school helps pupils to pursue their interests, through activities such as cookery club, dance and football.

Parents and carers talk about the school in glowing terms. They typically comment that this is a 'fantastic school' that helps their children to thrive.

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

The school has designed an ambitious and interesting curriculum, which identifies the important knowledge and skills pupils must learn. The early years curriculum is particularly well designed and taught. As a result, outcomes for children in the early years are exceptionally strong.

Children get off to a good start in reading and begin to read as soon as they start school. Phonics is taught effectively, and most pupils do well. Pupils who find reading tricky are given extra practice.

This improves their fluency and confidence.

The school provides a wide range of books for pupils to read for pleasure. Pupils thoroughly enjoy listening to texts that adults read to them.

However, the teaching of the reading curriculum beyond phonics is not yet implemented consistently. This means that pupils do not routinely develop wider reading skills, such as comprehension, as well as they should.

The curriculum in other subjects is mostly implemented well.

Interesting activities capture pupils' curiosity and help them to develop their knowledge. For example, pre-school children create 'snakes' out of beads to develop their fine motor skills. They use mathematical language, such as 'longer' and 'shorter', to describe them.

Year 2 pupils chat confidently about the cause of the Great Fire of London and how it spread.

Teachers explain carefully what they expect pupils to do. They check pupils' learning to find out how they are doing.

However, occasionally, they do not swiftly identify when pupils have made errors. This limits how well pupils can correct these and move their learning on. Consequently, some pupils have gaps in their learning.

The school skilfully and swiftly identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school works closely with pupils, parents and external agencies. This ensures that extra pastoral and academic support for pupils is precisely focused on their needs.

Pupils benefit from the help they get, which enables them to learn the same curriculum as others. Most pupils with SEND make good progress with their learning.

Most pupils understand the school's expectations of them and want to learn.

As a result, they behave well and become fully involved in their learning. Thoughtfully planned teaching activities motivate pupils to sustain high levels of concentration, develop their imagination and explore. For example, children in the early years carefully select different animals to build a zoo.

They roll a tyre down a ramp to find out how far it will travel. They measure water into containers and make 'potions' with mud and leaves.

A minority of pupils with complex needs require extra help to manage their emotions appropriately.

The school supports them well. Pupils find that going to 'calm corners' gives them the time they need to become calmer so that they can continue with their learning.

The school supports pupils' personal development well.

Visits the school organises, such as trips to the supermarket, enable pupils to develop their understanding of road safety. Pupils can explain what makes a good friend. They have an awareness of human rights and of British Values.

They know that discrimination is wrong.

The school and trust are deeply committed to providing the best education they can for all pupils. Staff appreciate the training the school and trust provide to develop their subject knowledge.

Staff morale is high. They feel very well supported to manage their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The teaching of reading beyond phonics is not yet implemented consistently. As a result, pupils do not yet develop the depth of knowledge and skills they should. The school and trust must support staff to deliver the curriculum as intended so that pupils gain deeper reading knowledge and skills.

In some subjects, assessment strategies are not sufficiently well developed. As a result, misconceptions are not routinely picked up, so these persist. The school and trust must ensure that staff have the expertise to assess accurately what pupils know and to adapt their teaching to ensure that gaps in pupils' knowledge are filled.

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