Earlsdon Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Earlsdon Primary School Earlsdon Avenue North, Coventry, West Midlands CV5 6FZ

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Outcome

Earlsdon Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Earlsdon Primary is a school at the heart of the community. Caring staff welcome and value all pupils. Pupils say that there are ‘lots of friends and kind people’ that are always there for them. Pupils thrive as citizens because staff prioritise learning about life in modern Britain.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well in class, around the school and at playtimes. Positive and caring relationships have created an environment where pupil feel safe and are safe. Pupils know that staff want the very best for them, saying, ‘Teachers really care and work hard to make sure you do not slip behind.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

All staff commit to preparing pupils for the world around them. Exciting lessons and experiences inspire pupils and broaden their view of the world. Every day they come to school and have fun and learn. Pupils leave the school as active citizens who are proud of and knowledgeable about their community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils clearly understand what bullying is. They say it rarely happens, but if it did, teachers would deal with it. Leaders investigate any reported incidents and act when needed.

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

Children make a great start in the early years. This is because leaders and teachers work hard to get to know the children well before they start at the school. Positive relationships and carefully planned learning mean that children gain the skills they need to be successful learners.

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

Leaders have ensured that all pupils access a broad range of different subjects. They want every lesson to help pupils understand the world around them. Lessons not only teach academic skills but also provide opportunities to practise these skills in the 18–19 February 2020

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community. Pupils celebrate the achievements of former pupils such as Frank Whittle. As a result, pupils develop pride in their school, town and city.

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The teaching of reading is a strength. Teachers have high expectations that all pupils will be confident readers as soon as possible. Pupils quickly learn the phonics they need and use these to read many different books. Teachers enthusiastically read to pupils daily. This inspires the pupils to develop a love of reading. When pupils fall behind, teachers are quick to act to make sure they get the support they need to catch up.

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Developing pupils’ mathematic skills has been a priority for leaders. Ambitious lessons provide opportunities for pupils to learn and remember more than ever before. Teachers encourage pupils to try new ways to solve problems and learn from times when they are not successful. As a result, they talk confidently about their knowledge of such areas as fractions, money and algebra.

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Music, information and communication technology (ICT) and science, like other subjects, ensure that pupils learn a broad range of skills before they leave the school. Lessons excite the pupils because staff are passionate about what they teach. From singing clearly to computer programming to taking part in local science fairs, pupils learn from a wide range of experiences. Pupils’ knowledge of robotics and forces is particularly impressive.

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The school has developed the subjects it teaches well over the last few years, but teachers’ subject knowledge still has a way to go to catch up. While some teachers have strong subject knowledge in different subjects, others have some gaps. In some cases, teachers are not clear enough in what pupils should achieve by the end of the lesson.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their additional needs met well. Leaders have ensured that teachers work together with different services such as speech and language therapists to make sure that pupils get the right support. However, in some lessons, the match of the work to the ability of the pupils is not always accurate. This means lessons can be too hard for some pupils.

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Pupils access a broad range of opportunities to prepare them for life in modern Britain. Leaders have carefully considered what life skills pupils need. Leaders prioritise learning opportunities within Coventry. These include regular planned trips to places such as local museums and art galleries. Local magistrates visit to teach the pupils about law and order. An impressive range of clubs develop pupils’ sporting, creative and technical skills.

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Staff are positive about the school. They are proud to be members of the team. They feel valued, support and respected. They are eager to improve things further. They rightly feel the school is well led and managed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have made sure that staff have had the training they need to keep pupils safe. When staff are worried about a pupil’s welfare, they act quickly to raise concerns. Leaders 18–19 February 2020

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investigate these concerns swiftly to make sure that pupils are safe. When needed, leaders will work with services such as the local authority to make sure that pupils get the support they need.

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From the early years, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. Older pupils learn about the risks of knives, criminal exploitation and online abuse.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 While there are clear plans to meet the additional needs of each pupil, the match of work to their ability is not always effective. This slows the progress they make in lessons. Leaders need to make sure that all pupils with SEND always have access to sequences of lessons that build on what they know and that they are ambitious for what these pupils should learn in the future  Leaders have established clear processes for developing the subject and pedagogical knowledge of all staff. However, some gaps in teachers’ subject knowledge remain. As a result, teachers are not always able to accurately assess pupils’ learning and provide precise feedback to pupils. Leaders need to ensure that teachers’ subject knowledge is further developed so that they can accurately assess pupils’ learning.

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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 second section 8 inspection since we judged Earlsdon Primary School to be good on 14–15 November 2011.

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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. 18–19 February 2020

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If you are the school and you are 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. 18–19 February 2020

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 June 2016

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, a new headteacher took up post in September 2017.  The school runs its own before- and after-school provision.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, we focused on the following subjects: reading, mathematics, ICT, science and music. In these subjects, we visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work, examined teachers’ plans and talked with pupils and staff about the way these subjects were taught.  We examined external performance data about the school and looked at school documents. These included information about behaviour, attendance, the school curriculum and improvement planning. The school website was also checked.  We asked pupils, staff, leaders and trustees about safeguarding arrangements. We examined the record of employment checks on school staff and looked at other school records. We also found out about safety procedures and routines.  We observed informal times of the day, to evaluate safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour. We visited a local alternative provision that the school uses. 18–19 February 2020

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 During the inspection, we had formal meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject teachers, governors, teachers and pupils. We also talked informally with parents, pupils and staff to gather general information about school life. We also spoke to the school improvement partner.

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Inspection team

Chris Pollitt, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Christopher Stevens Her Majesty’s Inspector 18–19 February 2020

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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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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