Avenue Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Avenue Primary School Avenue Road Extension, Leicester, Leicestershire LE2 3EJ

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Outcome

Avenue Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Avenue Primary is a happy and calm school. Pupils enjoy lessons. They like the variety of clubs that they can join, and their music lessons. They are proud of winning the local schools’ table tennis trophy. Pupils play an active part in school life. They lead the work of the Eco Committee. They support a baby clinic attached to their twinned primary school in The Gambia.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations that all pupils will do well. Staff include pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) fully in the life of the school. Pupils told me that they enjoy learning because they check their own, and their partners’, work so that they understand how to improve in the next lesson.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All the pupils I spoke with were polite and confident. They told me that staff take their mental health and well-being seriously. They know who to talk to if they are worried. Pupils consistently told me that they feel safe in school. Staff and parents and carers agree that they are.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare and dealt with seriously by leaders. Leaders have set clear rules that pupils understand and follow. They move around the school in a sensible and respectful manner.

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

Teaching reading well is a high priority for leaders. This starts right from when children join the school. Staff have clear expectations about what pupils will learn each term in phonics. In the Reception class, staff model language clearly and accurately to children. Well-trained specialist staff provide extra help to those pupils who need to catch up quickly, including those who are new to English. By the end of Year 1, almost all pupils are confident readers. 3–4 March 2020

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Leaders and staff want all pupils to enjoy reading. They make sure that pupils borrow books from the library. Older pupils act as ‘reading buddies’ and spend time listening to the younger children read. In key stage 2, pupils deepen their reading skills through studying a wide range of good-quality books.

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In the early years, staff give children lots of opportunities to practise their number skills. Teachers plan well-structured lessons to meet the needs of all pupils. The mathematics leader has made sure that there is a consistent approach to teaching mathematics throughout the school. Pupils can explain what they find challenging. For example, pupils in Year 6 can explain what they find challenging in algebra. They know how to get help if they are stuck. Pupils are confident in lessons. The work in their books is accurate.

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Leaders have organised the history curriculum well. They have ensured that pupils study topics which prepare them well for the next stage in their learning. Pupils were keen to tell me about how a planned visit to Warwick Castle will help them to learn more. They use knowledge organisers in their history lessons to remind them what they have learned before. Teachers make sure that pupils use the correct vocabulary. However, pupils’ work in their project books is not consistently of a good quality.

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Leaders and staff have worked together to improve the curriculum. Some topics have changed. Some new ones have been introduced, such as the study of Ancient Islamic civilisations. Not all of these changes are completely embedded. Teachers adapt lessons so that pupils with SEND can learn well. All pupils take part fully in lessons. Leaders work closely with other professionals to make sure that pupils with SEND get the help that they need. Leaders help pupils and their parents get ready for the move to secondary school.

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Pupils throughout the school behave well. They have positive attitudes towards learning. All classes have a ‘good to be green’ system for encouraging good behaviour. Pupils enjoy the ‘happy lunchtime’ system and sitting on the top table.

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Staff promote pupils’ wider development well. There is a wide range of after-school clubs and residential visits. Pupils in the school choir are proud that they performed at the Spark Festival in the presence of His Royal Highness, Prince Charles. Teachers make sure that pupils know about a range of faiths and cultures found in modern Britain. Pupils told me about their visit to the Sikh gurdwara and taking part in International Picnic Day, where pupils and parents shared food from different cultures.

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Leaders and governors are mindful of staff workload. All staff agree that they feel supported and part of a team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils’ safety and well-being are of great importance to leaders and staff. All staff understand, and follow, the school’s procedures for raising concerns about pupils’ welfare. They receive regular updates so that they are aware of current safeguarding issues. There is good support for new staff. Leaders act immediately on concerns that are brought to 3–4 March 2020

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their attention. Leaders work effectively with other agencies. Safeguarding training is up to date for staff and governors. The recruitment of new staff is well managed. All the correct checks are made before adults start working in school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced across the full range of subjects. Where the changes to subjects have been recently introduced, these changes are not yet fully implemented. Leaders should now ensure that the school’s intent and implementation are securely embedded so that all pupils achieve well.  While teachers’ expectations of pupils’ work in English and mathematics are high, they do not have the same expectations of the quality of the work that pupils complete in their books in every subject. The quality of pupils’ work is too variable. Leaders should ensure that teachers’ expectations are consistently high so that the work pupils complete in their project books is of good quality.

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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 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 school to be good on 26–27 April 2016.

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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 are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 3–4 March 2020

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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 March 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121259 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26–27 April 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the deputy headteacher has been appointed as the headteacher of the school.  The new deputy headteacher took up her post in September 2019.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and a range of other curriculum leaders and staff.  I did deep dives into these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. I spoke with curriculum leaders, teachers and pupils, looked at planning documents and pupils’ books, and visited lessons with leaders.  I inspected safeguarding by speaking with leaders, staff and pupils, and reviewing policies, documents and the school’s system for recording concerns. I reviewed the single central record of checks on the suitability of staff to work with children.  I met with five representatives of the governing body to discuss how they fulfil their statutory duties, including in relation to safeguarding. 3–4 March 2020

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 I carried out a range of inspection activities to evaluate how the school supports pupils’ wider development, including how pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain.  I observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school.

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Inspection team

Karen Slack, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 3–4 March 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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