Dale Community Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 October 2023

Pupils are happy and safe at this friendly, welcoming and inclusive school. Pupils appreciate the care and support that they receive from the school. They know the school will help with any worries they may have. Pupils value the 'worries and wobbles boxes' that they can use to share any concerns. Parents and carers appreciate the support that their children receive, both at school and at home. Pupils are kind and accepting of one another. They talk positively about welcoming any recently arrived pupils into their school community. Pupils often join the school midway through the academic year. Where extra help is needed, this is quickly identified. The school makes sure that these pupils get the right support and that they soon settle in. Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They have positive attitudes towards their learning. The school has high expectations of all pupils, both personally and academically. Pupils learn in a supportive and caring environment. The school gives pupils the emotional support they need to be happy and successful. There is a 'family feel' to this school. Staff, including Bramble, the school dog, greet pupils each morning with a cheery smile or a wag of the tail.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of lessons, teaching does not make explicit links to the key knowledge that pupils learn for that subject. Therefore, some pupils struggle to connect their learning to that subject and build on their knowledge. The school should ensure that the precise subject knowledge that pupils learn is clear in lessons, so that pupils can build their knowledge over time.
• Recent refinements to the curriculum in some subjects are still new. It is too soon to see the full impact on pupils knowing and remembering more in these subjects. The school should continue with its refinements of the ambitious curriculum plans in their entirety and monitor the impact developments have on improving pupils' knowledge over time.
• Despite the school's best efforts so far, the number of pupils who are regularly absent from school is too high. As a result, these pupils miss out on vital learning and do not achieve as well as they could. The school should continue to work with pupils and their families to reinforce their expectations, and to make sure pupils attend school regularly, so that they can maximise their achievement.

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