Elmbrook School

Inspection of Leicester City Primary PRU Gervas Road, Leicester LE5 2EJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

For many pupils, Leicester City Primary PRU is a second chance. Parents, carers and pupils appreciate this. Pupils say that they are happy here and that the staff look after them well. Staff make sure that the school is a welcoming and positive environment. One parent stated: ‘My child has thrived while being here and they now love school.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they feel safe. Staff know pupils and their families well. Pupils learn to respect each other. They say that if bullying happens, teachers deal with it immediately. Staff help pupils to improve their behaviour. Leaders and staff have high expectations. They are effective in helping pupils to re-engage with learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have ensured that there is a strong focus on developing ‘ready to learn’ skills. These skills help pupils to understand how to manage their emotions and feelings. Pupils are able to engage more fully in their lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high ambitions for all pupils. They provide a broad range of opportunities for pupils’ personal development. Leaders are determined to ensure that pupils are ready to be successful in their next steps.

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better?

Leaders have constructed a curriculum that supports pupils with their social, emotional and mental health needs. This curriculum consists of a blend of subjects and experiences. Combined, these provide a wealth of positive learning opportunities for pupils.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that the knowledge they want pupils to learn is well structured. This helps teachers to fill gaps in pupils’ knowledge and develop their skills. Teachers frequently give pupils opportunities to build on and improve what they know and can do. For example, in mathematics, one pupil said: ‘I used to get upset when doing division, but now my teacher has explained it to me I can do it and don’t get cross any more.’

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better?

The ‘experience curriculum’ is embedded in the topic work that pupils undertake. Leaders plan appropriate educational visits. These help to motivate and engage pupils with their learning. This curriculum also includes a ‘magic 30’ list, which comprises activities and experiences that leaders provide for all pupils before they leave the school. They range from feeding an animal to climbing a hill so they can appreciate the view.

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better?

Teachers assess pupils when they first arrive. This helps them to identify what pupils know and what they still need to learn. Teachers use this knowledge well when planning what they will teach pupils next. These assessments also check how ‘school ready’ a pupil is. This helps teachers to understand how pupils are improving their self-control, resilience and social skills. 24 and 25 May 2022

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Leaders have prioritised reading. All pupils have appropriate daily reading and phonics lessons. Many pupils who are reluctant readers say that they are starting to enjoy reading. Many pupils read frequently. They know that they are improving. Pupils access online books that are at the correct level of challenge. However, other books are not. They are not always well matched to the sounds pupils know. Pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read receive useful help. However, leaders have not yet ensured that staff use a consistent approach to help pupils who become stuck when reading aloud.

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The curriculum for pupils’ personal development is well thought through. Pupils enjoy outdoor adventure activities and visits to different places of worship. Some pupils have raised money for a local charity. All pupils have community lessons, where they learn how to make a positive difference to their local area.

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The governing body is a strength. Governors are knowledgeable about the school. They visit the school frequently to find out for themselves what is happening. Leaders have created an open and reflective culture that staff value. Staff are committed to the school. They appreciate the support the school leaders give them. They say that leaders care about their well-being and are considerate of their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school has a strong safeguarding culture. Staff are knowledgeable about pupils’ vulnerabilities and behaviours that might put them at risk. There are very close links between the school’s safeguarding team and the pupils’ families. Staff receive safeguarding training and frequent updates. Staff understand their responsibility to report any safeguarding or welfare concerns. These are recorded in a timely manner and tenaciously followed up with the appropriate agencies when needed. Leaders have appropriate procedures in place to manage any allegations about staff. Staff work with pupils to help them understand online risks.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not ensured that all pupils’ reading books are at the correct level of challenge. Staff do not use a consistent approach when helping pupils who become stuck when they read aloud. This is preventing some pupils from becoming confident and fluent readers. Leaders should ensure that pupils’ reading books are at the correct level of challenge and that staff use a consistent approach when helping pupils who become stuck when they are reading aloud. 24 and 25 May 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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 .

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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. 24 and 25 May 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10200198 Type of school Pupil referral unit

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a pupil referral unit. It provides education for pupils who have been excluded or are at risk of exclusion from a mainstream primary school.  Some pupils attend part-time and are dual registered with the pupil referral unit and their mainstream primary school.  All pupils at the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The primary area of need for most pupils is social, emotional and mental health.  The school uses one unregistered provider of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading and phonics, mathematics, and personal, social and health education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed 24 and 25 May 2022

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the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at individual pupils’ education, health and care plans and checked these against the school’s provision.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors heard pupils in different year groups read.  Inspectors met with representatives of the governing body and with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide variety of school documents, including the school development plan.  Inspectors took note of the responses received on Ofsted’s Parent View and considered the results of the Ofsted staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors met with several groups of pupils to gather their views.  To judge the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors read the school’s relevant

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policies, scrutinised the single central record, safeguarding records, checked the school’s procedures for the safe recruitment of staff and met with the safeguarding team. Inspectors also spoke with staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Dave Gilkerson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jason Brooks Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 May 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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