Spon Gate Primary School

Inspection of Spon Gate Primary School Upper Spon Street, Coventry, West Midlands CV1 3BQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 25 and 26 April 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love this school. So do their parents and teachers. Pupils are enthusiastic, polite and welcoming. They care about each other and value their learning. They know staff work hard to help them. As one pupil said, ‘They work very hard for us so we should do the same for them.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school serves a very diverse and ever-changing community. Leaders want all pupils to do well and improve their opportunities to succeed in life. Leaders have high expectations of learning and behaviour. Pupils respond well to these. Leaders ensure that all pupils join in with the life of the school, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Every pupil has a chance to join an after-school club or enrichment activity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour within lessons and around school is very positive. Pupils who find it harder to manage their behaviour receive sensitive, effective support. Pupils understand that it is important to be kind and helpful. Pupils know and understand the school’s values and ‘Golden Rules’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know what bullying is and how it differs from ‘falling out’. Staff deal with any incidents quickly and this helps pupils feel safe.

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better?

Leaders have planned an ambitious curriculum which meets pupils’ needs. It provides pupils with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful and to broaden their horizons. Children joining the school in Nursery or Reception, or further up the school, often have very low starting points and complex needs. Pupils’ progress during their time at the school is clear to see in their learning through the curriculum, their positive attitudes to learning and their aspirations for the future.

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better?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of trips and extra-curricular activities. The ‘Spon Gate University’ encourages all pupils to make choices and vote on activities that they will study over a period of six weeks. For instance, pupils can study photography, cooking, jewellery making, sewing and scrapbooking. Pupils undertake research, practical activities and evaluate their end results. They describe their successes with pride.

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better?

The introduction of a new scheme to teach phonics and early reading is having a positive impact. Leaders ensured that all staff received high-quality training and they purchased extensive resources which staff use well. Pupils who find reading more difficult, or who are new to school, receive effective daily support. Staff regularly make assessments of pupils’ progress. These changes are resulting in pupils developing their phonics skills well. 25 and 26 April 2023

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Staff promote a love of reading. Leaders plan rich and varied opportunities for pupils to read and listen to high-quality texts. Pupils enjoy this and are becoming more confident in expressing their understanding of texts, especially in discussion. However, leaders have identified that they need to provide more opportunities for pupils to explain their understanding in written responses with greater skill.

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Leaders have produced a detailed curriculum for all subjects, which helps teachers to teach well. Daily recaps and activities help staff to identify gaps in pupils’ learning. Curriculum information shows assessment opportunities. However, for some subjects, leaders do not identify or use end of unit assessment opportunities well enough to help them to know what pupils can do well and what they need to learn next.

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Children in the early years are happy at school. Leaders have thought carefully about the curriculum they offer. The environment, particularly outside, is well resourced and attractive. It helps children to learn.

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Leaders and staff quickly identify the needs of pupils with SEND. They make sound assessments and give helpful support to pupils and parents. As a result, pupils with SEND experience success.

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Pupils are taught about other religions and cultures. Leaders give pupils responsibilities, for example becoming librarians, play partners and school councillors. Pupils fill in job applications and have an interview. This helps them learn about the world of work.

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Pupils join the school from a diverse range of backgrounds, with many home languages. Pupils move in and out of the school across the year. Leaders deal with this sensitively and with great skill. They spend time and funding to ensure that new arrivals settle quickly and happily, and swiftly start learning. Relationships with parents are very good. Parents feel that leaders and staff are supportive. They value the information they receive about how well their children are learning. Everyone makes new pupils and their families very welcome.

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Staff are very happy and proud to be part of the school. Staff in the early stages of their career feel well supported. Governors are passionate about the school. They take every opportunity to visit the school and meet pupils and parents.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders’ knowledge of their pupils and families is extensive. They know the community and circumstances in which their pupils live and the issues this may cause. Staff are well trained and very alert to any signs that may indicate a cause for concern. Leaders act on any concerns quickly. As a result, pupils are safe and feel safe. 25 and 26 April 2023

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Leaders plan a rich, vibrant curriculum that teaches pupils how to be safe in all aspects of life. Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to keep safe online.

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Governors take their responsibilities seriously. All staff are subject to thorough pre- appointment checks.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders do not currently use opportunities for assessment at the end of a unit of work in the foundation subjects effectively. This means they cannot be sure how well pupils have learned the intended curriculum, or plan the next steps based on a secure knowledge of pupils’ starting points. Leaders should ensure that they check what pupils know and understand at the end of units of work consistently and effectively, so that they know how well pupils are learning and what the next steps should be.

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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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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. 25 and 26 April 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256896 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 10 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, other leaders within the school, teaching and support staff. The lead inspector also met with three members of the governing body, including the chair.  An inspector met with key staff responsible for safeguarding and checked the single central record and procedures for the recruitment of staff. She discussed procedures and policies relating to safeguarding and the welfare of pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, English, geography and physical education (PE). For each deep dive, inspectors discussed 25 and 26 April 2023

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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 spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in class and at other times during the day and spoke with parents, staff and pupils about behaviour.  An inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  An inspector spoke with parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors also considered responses, including free-text comments, to the Ofsted Parent View online questionnaire, and responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.  Inspectors studied the school’s website and public information.

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Inspection team

Tina Willmott, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Gill Turner Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 April 2023

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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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