Swaythling Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Swaythling Primary School Mayfield Road, Southampton, Hampshire SO17 3SZ

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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Outcome

Swaythling Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn in a happy, safe and secure school, reflecting the exceptionally high levels of care shown by staff. The school puts pupils at the centre of all that it does. One parent’s comments are a reflection of many, ‘Staff are always extremely caring.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ attitudes reflect the school’s motto of ‘Be thoughtful’. Values such as teamwork and kindness are apparent every day. Excellent, consistent routines in Reception ensure that the youngest children get off to the best start. They settle quickly, develop good attitudes to learning and confidently make friends.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard to meet the high expectations set by their teachers in learning and behaviour. This reflects their positive attitudes to learning. Pupils work hard in lessons, appreciating the help given if they are struggling to understand something. They are particularly grateful for the opportunities given to learn outdoors in the school grounds. Parents agree, describing outdoor learning as ‘amazing’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons. They understand the different forms bullying can take. Bullying is rare, but if it does happen, staff take swift and appropriate action. Pupils trust the staff who care for them. There is always someone to listen to their worries or concerns.

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

The school is developing a robust and ambitious curriculum to meet the needs of its pupils. The curriculum is designed to make sure that every subject can meet pupils’ learning needs. The English and mathematics curriculum are well embedded. This reflects the improving outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. In 21 and 22 January 2025

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other subjects, pupils learn the right concepts in the right order. The school rightly recognises that in some subjects in the wider curriculum, pupils are not making as much progress through the curriculum as they could. This is because the school has not identified all of the key knowledge that pupils need to learn in these subjects.

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The school prioritises reading as the ‘gateway’ to all learning. A structured phonics programme ensures that young children start reading early. If a child falls behind, the issue is quickly identified with extra help provided. In Year 1, this support leads to above average results in the phonics reading check. The school’s reading programme helps older pupils read with confidence and fluency.

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In Reception, children learn their numbers quickly. Teachers encourage counting forwards and backwards at every chance. This builds their confidence. The focus on basic skills pays off in later years. By Year 6, pupils have a strong grasp of numbers. They can add, subtract, multiply and divide accurately. They also understand more complex concepts, such as equivalent fractions.

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Teachers design engaging lessons, drawing on their strong subject knowledge to make learning fun. Staff offer significant emotional support to help pupils learn effectively. This approach benefits pupils, including disadvantaged ones and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, they achieve well. Teachers know their subjects well and frequently check pupils’ understanding to avoid misconceptions. Pupils with SEND are quickly identified, ensuring that they receive the necessary help.

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Pupils enjoy school, as shown by their above average attendance. The strong personal development provision is at the centre of everything the school does. Pupils learn to be accepting and tolerant. Relationships at all levels are strong, especially between pupils themselves. Pupils show high levels of care for one another. One pupil summed up the feelings of many, ‘In this school, all are welcome, all are different.’ Pupils have many chances to take on responsibilities. Well-being ambassadors and school travel ambassadors inspire pupils to advocate for others. These roles build confidence, character and resilience. Pupils learn to stay healthy and navigate the internet’s challenges and opportunities. They are very aware of the importance of mental health. Pupils are encouraged to and do speak out if they are anxious or confused. They can join various clubs, such as sports, chess and musical theatre.

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The trust’s support has a significant impact. Working with governors has helped the school to build on its strengths. Staff say that leaders at all levels listen to their views and consider the impact any changes have on their workload. They trust leaders and are confident that if they need help, it will be forthcoming.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 21 and 22 January 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects in the wider curriculum, the essential knowledge which pupils need to know has not been specifically identified. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and cannot build on what they already know. The school should clearly define the precise knowledge they want pupils to learn so that pupils can achieve as much as they can in these subjects.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in July 2016.

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 21 and 22 January 2025

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Swaythling Primary School became part of the Aspire Community Trust in September 2017. ◼ An external provider runs before- and after-school provision on site.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with members of staff, the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. The inspector met governors, including the chair of the local governing body. He also met with representatives of the Aspire community trust. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered the views of parents submitted via Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for school staff.

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Inspection team

Bill James, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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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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