Denholme Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 November 2023

Pupils like going to school. They speak proudly of the school moto 'happy learners, high achievers' and the '4Rs', Readiness, Resilience, Reflection and Respect. The school takes great care to teach pupils about becoming valuable members of society. Pupils know what racist and homophobic language is. They say that sort of language and any form of bullying is not acceptable in their school. This is a very inclusive school. Pupils show great respect to new people they meet and their peers. Expectations are high in all aspects of school life. Pupils rise to meet these expectations. From Nursery to Year 6, pupils behave well and are eager to learn. Pupils achieve well. Leaders have planned opportunities for pupils that go beyond the academic curriculum. Pupils enthusiastically recall the residential trips they take part in. They speak of responsibilities they have in school such as being lunch leaders. Some roles that pupils led previously have not been set up this academic year. Pupils say they would welcome the opportunity to take on more responsibilities in school. This means that opportunities to develop pupils' skills of responsibility and leadership are being overlooked.

What the school should improve

• Subject leaders and the SENDCo do not get enough opportunities to focus on the implementation of the curriculum. A small minority of them do not have the knowledge to be able to evaluate implementation effectively. Consequently, different and isolated areas for improvement are not being dealt with quickly enough. The impact of this is wide ranging and, ultimately, means some pupils do not grasp knowledge as securely as they should. For example, some pupils require knowledge to be in smaller steps, while others need more reinforcement of prior knowledge. Some pupils require more precise adaptations to be able to access learning. Senior leaders need to ensure that these leaders are provided with more opportunities for professional development and training. Senior leaders also need to ensure that these leaders get the time to review and evaluate the implementation of the curriculums in the classroom.
• The school has not reinstated some of the roles and responsibilities that pupils previously held. Pupils want to take on responsibilities and are disappointed that they currently have fewer opportunities to develop skills of responsibility and leadership. The school needs to consider different ways of developing leadership roles to help pupils further their personal development.

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