Aloeric Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Aloeric Primary School St Michael’s Road, Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 6HN

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Outcome

Aloeric Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this inclusive school. They feel safe. Strong pastoral provision is in place. Parents are extremely positive about the care the school provides. One commented, ‘Aloeric embraces individuality; strengths of children have always been recognised, even if they aren’t all academic.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are determined that all pupils reach their full potential. Staff work together to create a curriculum that engages and interests pupils. Pupils enjoy their learning. They like finding out new things and sharing their learning with others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school site. They understand the school’s values and why these are important. Incidents of poor behaviour are rare. When this happens, staff respond appropriately and with sensitivity. Pupils understand what bullying is. They say it does not happen but if it did, they were confident that adults would deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop positive relationships with staff and each other. They have a good understanding of respect and the feelings of their fellow peers. Pupils appreciate the wide range of opportunities leaders provide, both in and out of school.

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

Leaders have high expectations of what all pupils can achieve. Effective teamwork between staff is a strength. Adults communicate well with each other and are proud to work at the school. They appreciate and respect the leadership of the headteacher. Staff value the support provided for them, including those new to the profession, and value the training they receive.

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

Leaders prioritise reading. From the moment children start in Reception, they learn phonics. Books match the sounds pupils are learning. Staff are well trained. This ensures a consistent approach to the teaching of reading. Careful assessment identifies those 26 and 27 April 2022

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pupils who may be falling behind. Leaders’ investment in a range of high-quality texts across the school has had a positive impact on pupils’ enjoyment of reading. Texts support pupils’ understanding of the diverse community in which they live. Older pupils enjoy reading. They say that ‘reading takes us to different worlds where we can use our imagination’. They understand why it is important to be able to read.

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Leaders have made improvements to the mathematics curriculum. It is well organised and resourced. Leaders assess what pupils know and can do effectively so they build on prior knowledge well. Pupils enjoy mathematics, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They can explain what they have learned in the past and how they can use that knowledge in new learning. Staff in the early years provide pupils with a range of mathematical activities to deepen their understanding of number well.

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Leaders have systematically developed a curriculum to engage and excite pupils, including in the early years, with clear links to their locality. However, in some wider curriculum areas in key stage 2, the key knowledge that pupils need to know and understand has not been identified. Assessment is not always used precisely enough to identify gaps in some pupils’ subject-specific knowledge. For example, in geography, some pupils have gaps in their understanding of the differences between human and physical geography. As a result, they struggle to recall the key knowledge they should know and need for future learning.

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Staff know pupils well. They have a strong understanding of the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff ensure pupils receive effective support, including those pupils with complex needs. As a result, pupils with SEND thrive in a supportive and caring environment.

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Pupils conduct themselves well around the school. They understand the school’s ethos of being ready, respectful and safe. Pupils are motivated to do their best. Consequently, the school is a positive place to be and learn.

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Pupils appreciate how leaders support their personal and social development. Leaders promote well-being through a range of responsibilities pupils can undertake, including eco-warriors, house captains and rights ambassadors. Pupils have a good understanding of right and wrong. As a result, they are developing into responsible citizens of the future.

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Governors and the trust share leaders’ determination for all pupils to succeed. They understand the school well and hold leaders to account effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors and the trust, keep a close check on safeguarding processes. They ensure staff understand their responsibilities. Staff receive frequent and relevant safeguarding training. Consequently, staff are confident in reporting concerns through effective and thorough procedures. Staff know their concerns will be taken seriously. Leaders carry out appropriate checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils. 26 and 27 April 2022

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Pupils are clear about how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations. Through the curriculum, pupils know how to stay safe, including when using the internet.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not identified with sufficient precision the important knowledge pupils need to learn in some wider curriculum subjects. It is not always explicit what pupils should know to enable them to have the building blocks for future learning. Leaders should ensure that key knowledge is identified and sequenced well so that all pupils know more and remember more over time.  Assessment information is not always used well enough to check what pupils know and understand. In some wider curriculum subjects, pupils have gaps in subject-specific knowledge. Leaders need to ensure teachers systematically check what pupils know and can do when implementing the curriculum, so pupils are learning the essential knowledge they need.

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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 outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Aloeric Primary School, to be good in January 2015.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 . 26 and 27 April 2022

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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. 26 and 27 April 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Aloeric Primary School joined the Pickwick Academy Trust in September 2017.  Since joining the trust, there have been significant changes within the leadership team, including a new headteacher.  The school uses two unregistered alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the assistant deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, groups of staff, representatives from the multi-academy trust and members of the local governance committee.  The inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited samples of lessons, spoke to teachers, looked at samples of pupils’ work and spoke to pupils about their learning. 26 and 27 April 2022

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 The inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  The inspector considered how well the school protects pupils and keeps them safe. The inspector reviewed how well the designated safeguarding leads act upon concerns about pupils’ welfare. The inspector talked to pupils, staff, trustees and governors about how the school keeps everyone safe.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspector considered 34 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 20 free-text responses, 71 responses to the pupil survey and 26 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Heather Barraclough, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 26 and 27 April 2022

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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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