Scotholme Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Scotholme Primary and Nursery School Fisher Street, Hyson Green, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG7 6FJ

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Outcome

Scotholme Primary and Nursery School continues to be a good school. However, inspectors have some concerns that standards may be declining, as set out below.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Scotholme is a friendly and caring school where pupils feel safe. They say that they like coming to school and think that bullying is rare. Pupils told me that if someone is unkind, teachers sort it out quickly. Playtimes and lunchtimes are calm. Pupils are polite and consistently display good manners. Staff treat pupils with respect. Pupils are respectful of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to learn. Some lessons help them to build on what they already know. Sometimes the curriculum is not demanding enough. Parts of the curriculum do not help pupils to make connections between what they learned before and what they are learning now.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have lots of opportunities to learn outside the classroom. They told me how much they enjoy visiting the allotment to build bonfires, carve keyrings or plan garden parties. There is a wide range of clubs which pupils can join, including basketball, sewing and drama.

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

Leaders are ambitious to equip pupils for life. They make sure that the curriculum contains many rich experiences for pupils. They harness staff expertise, such as in music. Pupils enjoy a wide range of trips and visits such as playing cricket at Trent Bridge, ice- skating and going to the theatre.

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

The mathematics curriculum is carefully planned. Leaders have thought about what should be taught and in which order. Teachers know what the pupils already know and what they need to learn next. Pupils could explain to me how they have solved problems. They say that they like being able to talk about mathematics with their friends as it helps them to think more deeply. 3–4 December 2019

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Teachers have high expectations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders make sure that their individual needs are well met. Teachers adapt their plans so that all pupils can take part in their lessons. Leaders make sure that disadvantaged pupils can and do take part in all the opportunities available to them.

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Staff in the Nursery develop children’s language well. They skilfully use children’s home language as well as English to take them on an exciting ‘bear hunt’ during story time. They encourage children to join in and learn new vocabulary. Children are keen to talk about what they have read together. Pupils who have regular story-times with their teachers really enjoy them. Older pupils can explain who their favourite authors are and what kind of stories they like. They appreciate the rewards they get for reading.

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Leaders want pupils to get off to a flying start with their reading. However, they have not made sure that there is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. Some lessons help pupils to practise phonics well. In other lessons, staff do not spot when children have not remembered a sound. Some of the staff do not model pure sounds well and some books that pupils have to read are too hard. As a result, not all pupils make the progress that they could.

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Leaders want pupils to be able to think deeply about events in the past. They have identified which skills pupils need to become historians. Pupils tell me they enjoy learning facts during their history lessons. Some pupils know about the Victorian period based on a fascinating local study. They are enthusiastic about their learning. However, leaders have not yet made sure that the curriculum is organised well enough so that pupils build on what they learned before. Sometimes the activities planned do not help pupils to gain the skills that they need.

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Staff teach pupils to think about the needs of others. Pupils consider how they can make a difference to their community. For example, pupils have the chance to share their views in the advocacy group and to consider the views of others who they may disagree with.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that pupils feel safe in school. All staff are well trained. Staff listen carefully to pupils. Pupils are confident that an adult will do something about their problems. Leaders work well with other agencies to make sure that families get the help that they need.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The teaching of reading is stronger in some areas of the school than others. Leaders have not planned the teaching of early reading as a coherent sequence from early years into key stage 1. They have not made sure that all staff teach this well. The quality of the teaching of phonics is variable. Leaders should make sure that the 3–4 December 2019

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school’s approach to the teaching of phonics is consistently well organised. They should ensure that all members of staff have the subject knowledge that they need to be able to teach phonics well. They should check that teachers quickly spot what pupils have not understood and that books match the sounds that pupils know.  Leaders have not yet made sure that in all subjects the curriculum builds on what pupils know and can do. Topics are not planned in a clear sequence so that pupils can know more and remember more. Leaders should construct the curriculum so that teachers know what pupils have learned before and will learn next. They should make sure that these are planned in detail from Reception to Year 6. They should make sure that the curriculum is planned so that children have the chance to build on what they know and deepen their understanding.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Scotholme Primary and Nursery School, to be good on 10–11 October 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 3–4 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10103391 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school became an academy within the Shine Multi-Academy Trust on 1 February 2017.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. I met with the chair of governors and trustees from the Shine Multi-Academy Trust.  During this inspection, reading, mathematics and history were considered in detail. This included meeting leaders with responsibility for these subjects, visiting lessons, talking with teachers and pupils about the lessons, and looking at work in pupils’ books.  I looked at the school’s safeguarding records. I met with pupils and staff. I met parents at the start of the school day and considered the 48 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. I also took account of the 17 pupil survey replies, as well as 27 staff questionnaire responses. 3–4 December 2019

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Inspection team

Martin Fitzwilliam, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 3–4 December 2019

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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