Flash Ley Primary School

Inspection of Flash Ley Primary School Hawksmoor Road, Stafford, Staffordshire ST17 9DR

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school motto of ‘believe to achieve’ is realised at Flash Ley Primary. Leaders have high aspirations for what pupils can achieve. Pupils live up to these expectations. They flourish both academically and socially. There is a strong sense of pastoral care across the school. One parent’s comment echoed that of many when they talked about how the staff go above and beyond to support pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers make sure that pupils follow the school’s rules, but also support pupils who need help to manage their behaviour. Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to learning are exemplary. Bullying does not worry pupils. They know that leaders will respond to any incidents of bullying and deal with them quickly and effectively. Pupils are safe in school at all times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders help pupils to become responsible, active citizens. They do this exceptionally well. Pupils can be a member of the school council, the e-safety council or a reading buddy. Leaders teach pupils that everyone is different. Pupils respect other people’s differences and support one other. They also support their local community. This includes, for example, making posters for local display, asking dog owners to clean up after their dogs. Pupils take on these responsibilities enthusiastically.

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better?

Leaders have created an environment in which pupils enjoy learning. Leaders think carefully about what pupils will learn in different subjects. The leader for early years plans with subject leaders to make sure what children learn in Nursery and Reception prepares them well for their learning in Year 1.

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better?

All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), study a broad range of subjects alongside their peers. Lessons are well planned and sequenced. Teachers regularly revisit pupils’ prior learning. This helps learning to stick in pupils’ memories.

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better?

Teachers use a variety of ways to check pupils’ learning. This includes questioning in lessons and correcting pupils’ mistakes as they happen. Their use of assessment is well established in subjects such as reading and mathematics. In these subjects, staff have a good knowledge of how well pupils are achieving. However, in some subjects, assessment systems are less well developed. Staff do not know enough about how well pupils are doing in these subjects.

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better?

Reading is a priority. Children in early years quickly develop a love of reading. There is an effective reading programme in place and staff receive regular training in how to deliver this. Leaders check how well pupils are reading. They put appropriate support in place for those who need it. Consequently, pupils are developing into 7 and 8 June 2023

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confident, fluent readers. The value of reading is evident around the school. For example, all classrooms have an inviting reading area. Staff invite parents into school to share their children’s reading. Pupils read widely and often.

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Children get off to an excellent start in early years. The Nursery and Reception classes provide a welcoming, nurturing environment. Staff know the children’s needs exceptionally well. They support children to be happy, settled and eager to learn. Clearly established routines for behaviour begin in Nursery. Children learn to take turns and share equipment. These expectations continue throughout other year groups. This leads to pupils behaving impeccably across school.

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Leaders quickly check if children in the early years and pupils in the rest of the school need extra support. They seek specialist advice from external agencies when needed. Teachers create individual education plans (IEPs) for all pupils with SEND. The plans describe what the pupils need help with. However, leaders have not ensured that they are precise enough. They do not accurately identify what staff need to do to help pupils with their learning or manage their emotions. This may hinder pupils’ progress.

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Leaders promote pupils’ personal development exceptionally well. Leaders create a plethora of opportunities for pupils to develop beyond the classroom. This includes residential visits, forest school and a wide range of clubs and activities. Leaders encourage pupils to aim high for their future. For instance, pupils can use ‘aspiration jars’ in classrooms to identify careers that interest them. Staff follow up these interests. For example, a professional chef visited to deliver a workshop for Year 4 pupils.

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Staff work closely together and support each other. Leaders are mindful of their well-being and workload. Staff cited many examples about how leaders have supported them. Staff greatly value this support.

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Governors are committed to the school and its pupils. They make sure that bought- in services provide good value for money. Therefore, pupils have a well-resourced environment in which to learn.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff take pupils’ safety and welfare seriously. They report concerns and are confident that leaders will take effective action. Leaders make sure that staff receive regular training. The pastoral team works well with external agencies. This supports pupils and their families to get the right help when they need it.

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Safeguarding

The school completes all the appropriate checks on all adults who work at or visit the school. 7 and 8 June 2023

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Through lessons and assemblies, leaders make sure pupils know how to keep themselves safe This includes e-safety and road safety. Pupils know that they should not share their personal information when working online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the use of assessment to check pupils’ understanding and inform teaching is less developed than in other subjects. As a result, not all staff know how well pupils are achieving across subjects. Leaders should ensure effective assessment in all subjects. They should do this so that teachers are well informed about what pupils know and can do and then use this information to inform their teaching.  Leaders have not ensured that IEPs are as effective as they could be in supporting the learning of pupils with SEND. Information about what support will look like for individual pupils is not precise enough. This means that some pupils may not receive the support they need to be successful. Leaders should ensure that the information they share with staff is detailed and enables staff to provide the support pupils need to make good progress.

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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 June 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268225 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 19 May 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one registered alternative provider.  The school has provision for three-year-olds.  Flash Ley Voyage operates on the school site, providing a range of pre-school and wraparound childcare. This provision is registered and inspected separately to the school.

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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 second routine inspection the school received since COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders, the chair of the governing body, staff and pupils. 7 and 8 June 2023

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 The lead inspector spoke on the telephone to a representative of the local authority. She also spoke on the telephone with a representative of the alternative provision used by the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, computing and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed 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.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to an adult.  The inspectors talked to pupils and staff. They talked to parents at the school gate.  The inspectors evaluated a range of school documents and looked at information published on the school’s website.  The lead inspector reviewed the single central record of checks on adults in school. She met with the school’s safeguarding leaders to discuss how the school

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keeps pupils safe.  The inspectors reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. They also considered the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Lesley Yates, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Ray Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 June 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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