Aycliffe Drive Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 October 2024

Pupils feel welcome and respected at Aycliffe Drive Primary School. From the moment children join the school in Nursery or Reception, routines are in place to help children quickly settle and feel comfortable and safe. Pupils respond maturely to adults' high expectations for conduct. This results in pupils becoming valued and active members of the wider school family. Pupils are recognised for showing important qualities such as kindness and helping others. They are proud of the leadership roles they take on that make a difference to their school community. However, the quality of lessons pupils receive does vary, and this limits their achievement in some areas of the curriculum. This can disproportionately impact learners who have gaps in their prior knowledge, including some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). A wide range of opportunities help pupils get ready for the challenges of learning. Pupils know that adults care about them. They say that adults go above and beyond to help them belong and be happy. This includes the opportunity for pupils to attend a morning club to encourage them to be in school every day. Too many pupils are still regularly absent from school, and this is a barrier to their achievement.

What the school should improve

• There is variability in the planning and delivery of the school's curriculum. This means that, sometimes, the education pupils receive is not focused enough on the important knowledge and skills they need for future learning. The school should continue with its work to ensure that it is clear what pupils need to know and remember in each subject.
• The choices teachers make for activities and resources are not consistently effective. This means that, sometimes, pupils do not get opportunities to practise the most important curriculum content. The school should ensure that teachers have strong, shared knowledge about how to deliver the curriculum well across all subjects. This will help to improve how teachers select tasks and resources to maximise pupils' learning.
• Until recently, the actions governors have taken to hold leaders to account have not been sufficiently robust. Their knowledge about some aspects of the school, including pupils' attendance and the quality of education, has not been secure. This means the required improvements in these areas have not been rapid enough. The school should continue with plans already set out to build the expertise and confidence of governors. This will help them fulfil their roles, with a sharp focus on monitoring pupils' attendance and the curriculum.

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