Asquith Primary School

Inspection of Asquith Primary School Asquith Street, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG18 3DG

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 7 and 8 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff put the care of pupils at the core of everything they do. They support the well- being of pupils and their families. Pupils become confident and resilient and learn to respect others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning new things. They say that teachers make learning fun. Pupils enjoy receiving rewards for doing their best. However, some pupils do not learn as well as they could because the curriculum is not always suitably ambitious.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know the school rules. They understand how staff expect them to behave. Behaviour in lessons is generally positive. However, a few pupils struggle to behave well, particularly during social times. This can unsettle other pupils. Some staff and parents and carers also echo these concerns. Staff provide appropriate support to help a small number of pupils improve their behaviour. Bullying happens, occasionally. When it does, staff ensure that they deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A broad range of extra-curricular clubs develops pupils’ interests and talents. Parents and pupils greatly appreciate these. Many pupils engage with a range of different sports, including football and gymnastics. Others enjoy gardening club, attend homework and reading clubs, or like to sing in the choir.

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better?

Leaders have begun to revise the school’s curriculum, so that it is well planned and sequenced from the early years to Year 6. Leaders are equally ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have thought about the important knowledge and skills that pupils should gain, and when. However, leaders’ work to revise the curriculum is very recent, so any impact is limited.

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better?

Mathematics is a strength of the school. Leaders have introduced a well-sequenced curriculum. Teachers make regular checks on what pupils know, to inform their teaching. Pupils know and remember more over time in mathematics. However, this is not the case in all subject areas. For example, in some subjects, the work given to pupils is not always demanding enough. In other areas, the work in books does not consistently reflect the planned curriculum.

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better?

Leaders quickly identify the needs of pupils with SEND. They are ambitious for those pupils to access the full curriculum. Staff provide skilled support for pupils’ social and emotional needs. However, teachers do not always adapt their teaching precisely enough to cater for the needs of pupils with SEND. Some of those pupils do not learn to read and write as well as they should.

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better?

Leaders encourage pupils to develop a love of reading across the school, from the early years to Year 6. There has been a focus on early reading and phonics. Leaders 7 and 8 March 2023

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have ensured that staff teach the early reading programme consistently. Pupils read from books that match the sounds that they know. Teachers quickly identify which pupils are struggling with their reading. However, some pupils do not always receive the precise support they need to catch up quickly.

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Children in the early years are well looked after. Relationships are strong. Staff know the children well. When children work with adult support, they focus well and learn to communicate effectively. However, without adult support, children’s language development slows. Their behaviour and attitudes are not securely good. This is because staff have not established clear routines for children to follow.

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Leaders promote pupils’ wider development well. Pupils learn how to be safe and healthy, including online. Through activities such as the ‘ECO club’ and the ‘Forest School’, pupils learn how to be responsible citizens, for example by recycling. Pupils enjoy taking on additional responsibilities. Older pupils support younger pupils with reading. Lessons on mindfulness promote pupils’ positive mental health. Pupils learn about a range of faiths and cultures, and different types of families. Most pupils show respect for each other. As one pupil said: ‘Good relationships are equal and trusting.’

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Staff enjoy working at the school. Teachers appreciate the curriculum training that has been provided. Staff say that leaders’ actions have supported their well-being. However, a small number of staff feel that not enough is done to reduce their workload or support them in managing the behaviour of some pupils.

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Governors hold leaders to account effectively for the school’s performance. They carry out their statutory responsibilities well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have prioritised the safeguarding of all pupils. They provide staff with regular training and weekly safeguarding updates. Staff have the expertise to identify and report safeguarding concerns.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work closely with external organisations. They make sure that pupils and their families get the right support. Staff regularly check on the welfare of vulnerable pupils to ensure that these pupils are safe. Leaders maintain thorough safeguarding records.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum teaches pupils how to keep themselves safe. Older pupils learn about healthy relationships, drugs and alcohol misuse at an age-appropriate level. Pupils learn how to stay safe when using the internet. 7 and 8 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not had a strong enough focus on establishing routines and supporting children’s language and communication skills in the early years. As a result, some children are not well prepared for the next stage in their learning. They do not display consistently good attitudes to learning or behave appropriately without direct adult support. Leaders should ensure that children in the early years develop the full range of knowledge and skills to equip them for future learning.  Some pupils do not have a secure-enough knowledge of the letters and sounds to help them to learn to read quickly and efficiently. This hinders their progress and they struggle to read with confidence and independence. Leaders should make sure that all pupils receive the support they need to become fluent, confident readers.  There are inconsistencies in the implementation of the school’s curriculum. In some subjects, teachers do not follow the intended curriculum closely enough.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Pupils do not learn and remember what they need to in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that the teaching pupils receive enables them to remember long term what they have been taught in all subjects.  Some pupils’ behaviour at social times is not as good as it is at other times of the school day. This is because a small number of pupils are not able to regulate their behaviour effectively. Leaders should ensure that all staff and pupils understand and apply high expectations for behaviour at all times during the school day.

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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. 7 and 8 March 2023

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Headteacher Clare Harding Website www.asquith.notts.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use the services of any alternative providers.

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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 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior and curriculum leaders.  The lead inspector held discussions with some members of the governing body, including the chair. The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority by telephone.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and art. For each deep dive, inspectors undertook activities such as 7 and 8 March 2023

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meeting with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visiting lessons, examining samples of pupils’ work and speaking with teachers and pupils.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors met with several groups of pupils. They spoke informally with pupils in class, and they observed their behaviour during social times.  Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of the school’s safeguarding arrangements by reviewing documents and records and holding discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Stephen Long, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Elliot Hazlehurst-Howles Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 March 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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