Abbots Hall Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this happy and welcoming school.

The nurturing relationships between staff and pupils shine through. As a result, pupils feel happy and safe here. Pupils are proud of their school and display the 'Abbots Hall core values' of confidence, resilience, courage, respect, compassion and responsibility.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), enjoy their learning. They strive to meet the high expectation and ambition that the school has set for their achievement. Across the curriculum, many pupils achieve well.

Pupils behave well. They are considerate and polite. Rewards, such as tokens given for upholding ...the school's values, encourage good behaviour.

They motivate pupils to adhere to the school's rules. Throughout the school, there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere.

The provision for pupils' wider development is a strength.

Pupils take pleasure in the varied opportunities on offer, such as art and crafts, dance and sports. These activities develop pupils' interests and talents exceptionally well.

Parents and carers are delighted with the safe and nurturing environment that the school provides.

Comments such as 'they truly value every child' and 'the school has such a warm and positive atmosphere' were typical.

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

The school has placed a sharp focus on ensuring that the curriculum is broad and ambitious. Across the curriculum, the school has chosen the most important knowledge it wants pupils to learn.

This gives clarity to teachers, who know what to teach and when to teach it. Teachers regularly check how well pupils have learned this new information. Consequently, pupils remember their learning well over time.

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They explain new learning clearly and logically.

However, at times work is not adapted as well as it could be, to ensure that pupils securely build on prior learning.

This means that, sometimes, gaps in learning or misconceptions are not identified or addressed by teachers. As a result, in some lessons, some pupils do not learn as well as they could.

Children in the early years benefit from an excellent start to their education.

The school works diligently to identify children's needs as soon as they begin. This ensures that they receive timely and tailored support. Children benefit from a highly ambitious curriculum that develops their interests.

They are highly motivated as a result and eager to join in. For example, children in the Nursery can confidently identify the minibeasts that they find. This approach enables children to develop strong skills in English and mathematics.

Reading is prioritised and taught well. The school wastes no time in providing effective, extra support for any pupils who are not keeping up with the school's programme. Pupils continue to read and analyse high-quality texts, which they use to inform and shape their writing.

The school has effective processes to identify and support pupils with SEND. It seeks and provides specialist support where appropriate. Additional needs are swiftly identified, and effective support is put in place.

For example, the school's additional support provision, the 'Luxembourg Class', provides a bespoke curriculum within a small, nurturing environment. This provision supports pupils well in developing their early communication, language and social skills.

Pupils' positive attitudes to their education ensure that learning is rarely disrupted.

This respectful behaviour means that classrooms are purposeful and productive. The school has rightly made pupils' attendance a key priority. It has a clear picture of pupils' individual circumstances, including the reasons which might cause higher rates of absence.

The school has a range of effective systems in place that support and challenge issues with attendance.

The school's programme for pupils' personal development is exceptional. It is integral to its work.

Opportunities to expand and develop pupils' interests are abundant and open to everyone. Residentials and other trips are planned carefully. For example, the trip to Norfolk is a firm favourite, at which pupils build their resilience and perseverance.

Pupils talk with great enthusiasm about the chances they have to develop their leadership skills through the school's 'future citizens programme'. They relish the numerous roles and responsibilities afforded to them, which include 'play rangers' and 'IT technicians'. Pupils learn how to become thoughtful young people who respect and promote equality and diversity within the world in which they live.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel supported by leaders. The school accurately understands what it does well and what needs to improve.

Those responsible for governance provide effective support. They fulfil their statutory duties well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, the tasks that pupils are given to complete are not appropriately adapted to the needs of the pupils. This means some pupils do not achieve as well as they could and can develop misconceptions and gaps in their understanding. The school should ensure that teachers provide pupils with appropriately adapted tasks so that they can build on prior learning and secure their skills and knowledge effectively.

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