Alston Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 February 2025

Pupils are happy and proud to be members of the school community. They enjoy their lessons and feel safe at school. They know they have trusted adults that they can talk to about worries or concerns. There are high expectations for all pupils to achieve well. Pupils understand these expectations. In their lessons, they work hard, achieve well and successfully reach the lofty expectations. In lessons and around school, pupils behave well. They warmly greet each other and their teachers. Movement around school is very orderly. Pupils are polite and respectful towards each other, school staff and visitors. Staff deal with any bullying rapidly and to the satisfaction of pupils and their parents or carers. Each class has the opportunity to visit three venues or special places each year. These trips enhance the curriculum and bring it to life for pupils. Pupils enjoy the many extra activities provided. These include the whole school trip to the pantomime to see 'Jack and the Beanstalk' at a local theatre. The school choir participated in a national singing project for schools. Pupils are proud of their success in a national cheerleading competition.

What the school should improve

• Occasionally, teachers do not explain subject-specific vocabulary precisely enough or model their expectations of the learning tasks carefully enough. This means some pupils do not have a clear understanding of the meaning of the vocabulary or understand what they need to do in their lessons to improve further. The school should ensure that teachers' explanations are clear and learning tasks are explained precisely.

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