Abbey Park Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 March 2023

Pupils are happy and safe at Abbey Park First School and Nursery. Leaders want the best for all pupils. Pupils try hard to live the school values and do their best. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Leaders do all they can to make sure pupils attend regularly. Leaders have set high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Incidents of bullying are dealt with effectively by school leaders. However, on occasion, behaviour in lessons is not as good as it could be, and a few pupils say that their learning is disrupted. Pupils enjoy reading. Leaders have ambitious plans for teaching early reading. However, some inconsistencies in the teaching of phonics slows learning for a few pupils. Pupils value the range of clubs, trips and visitors to school. Activities such as author visits, singing club and sports clubs allow all pupils opportunities to broaden their interests. Parents and carers are positive about the work of the school. One parent's comment was typical of many when they said, 'My daughter is blossoming here. Any queries have been dealt with. It shines through how much the children are at the heart of everything here.'

What the school should improve

• There are some inconsistencies in the quality of the delivery of phonics teaching. This is because a few staff who are new to the school are not yet skilled in the school's approach to teaching phonics. Leaders should ensure that phonics teaching is consistently delivered, so that all pupils achieve well.
• Not all staff consistently apply the high expectations for behaviour. This means that sometimes, behaviour in classrooms is not as good as it could be. A very small number of pupils say that this sometimes has a negative impact on their learning. Leaders should ensure that all staff understand and consistently apply the behaviour policy.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)