Cobden Primary School & Community Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Cobden Primary is a welcoming and friendly school where pupils are celebrated for their individuality. Pupils arrive at school with an eagerness to learn.

The new school values are beginning to help pupils to be 'resilient, proud, caring and ambitious'.

Pupils feel safe in school. The school has recently reviewed its behaviour policy.

Subsequent changes have been positive but are at an early stage of implementation. The school recognises that there is more to do to ensure that expectations of behaviour are always made clear to pupils.

The school aspires for its pupils to achieve well.

Actions to improve some aspects of the curriculum have be...en effective. However, pupils do not learn as well as they could in other areas. The school is taking action to ensure the whole curriculum is well designed and clearly sequenced.

Pupils talk proudly about their leadership roles, including as sports leaders and school councillors. These help to develop pupils' sense of responsibility. Pupils learn about future opportunities and careers.

Right from the early years, the school has budding hairdressers and vets. While pupils learn about important fundamental British values, their knowledge and understanding of these are limited. Pupils are not prepared fully for life in modern Britain.

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

The school is working successfully to bring about improvements. It is further ahead in some areas than others. The school is reviewing the curriculum to ensure it is increasingly broad and balanced.

These curriculum developments are at an early stage. The school has not identified the important knowledge pupils need to learn in some subjects from early years upwards. As a result, in these subjects, the chosen activities and resources are sometimes not matched well enough to what pupils need to know.

When this happens, pupils do not learn as well as they should.

In some subjects, the school checks the impact of the curriculum carefully so that gaps in pupils' knowledge are identified and resolved. However, in other subjects, information is not gathered or used effectively to shape pupils' future learning.

In a few subjects, pupils' misconceptions are not resolved quickly enough. Consequently, inaccuracies in pupils' understanding become embedded over time.

A love of reading flows through the school.

This starts in the Nursery, where children learn rhymes, poems and songs. In the Reception Year, children begin to learn how to read and are introduced to a range of books. Pupils enjoy reading and describe their favourite books and authors with enthusiasm.

The school ensures any pupils who find reading difficult get the extra support they need to catch up quickly. Many pupils become confident, fluent readers.

There are suitable processes in place for identifying pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

The school works closely with external organisations to secure appropriate advice and help for pupils. Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive bespoke support to allow them to access the curriculum. The school celebrates the rich and diverse cultures that the pupils bring.

Pupils are proud of who they are and where they come from.

The pastoral support for pupils is a strength of the school. Pupils who need help to manage their emotions receive expert support from skilled staff in 'The Ark'.

The provision for pupils' personal development is designed to build pupils' awareness of some important issues. Pupils learn how to stay safe, including online, and the importance of healthy mental well-being. While pupils learn about British values, including respect and tolerance, some pupils do not develop a sufficient understanding of these.

They are less well prepared for life beyond the local community than they should be.

Pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning are variable throughout the school day. At times, pupils listen well to staff.

However, during social times, some pupils can be disrespectful. The school has already made important changes to arrangements at lunchtimes, and incidents of poor behaviour are reducing.

The school has strong systems in place to support families and their children's attendance.

There are signs that pupils' attendance is improving. At the moment, the number of pupils who are persistently absent remains too high. These pupils miss out on vital learning.

The school and the trust have an ambitious vision for the school. They share a relentless determination that all pupils will succeed. Rapid improvements have been made already.

The most important actions required to improve the school further are being prioritised. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the impact of the recent changes. They value the care and consideration given to 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)

• In some subjects, the school has not identified the key knowledge that pupils should learn from early years to Year 6. This hinders teachers in designing learning that helps pupils build their knowledge over time.

The school should ensure the key knowledge in all subjects is identified so staff are clear about what pupils should learn and how and when it should be taught. ? Checks on pupils' knowledge and understanding in some subjects are in the very early stages. As a result, misconceptions and gaps in pupils' knowledge are sometimes not identified or rectified.

When this happens, pupils struggle to recall their learning. The school should ensure staff implement the curriculum effectively in each subject and check pupils have secured the intended knowledge. ? Expectations of pupils' behaviour and attitudes are not consistently high during the school day.

Some pupils do not show respect to their peers and staff in school. This hinders pupils' learning and their enjoyment of social times. The school should ensure that new systems to manage pupils' behaviour continue to impact their conduct and attitudes positively.

• Some pupils do not attend school as often as they should. They are missing out on vital learning and opportunities to socialise with their peers. The school should continue to review the impact of its recent work to improve attendance and implement further improvements so pupils attend well.

• Pupils' knowledge and understanding of British values are not secure. They are not as well prepared for life beyond the local community as they could be. The school should ensure that pupils' knowledge and understanding of British values are embedded fully so pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.