Elaine Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 September 2022

Pupils are happy and feel safe at Elaine Primary School. The relationships between pupils and teachers are respectful. Pupils described their teachers as being helpful and interested in them. Pupils benefit from a very ambitious curriculum. Leaders have made reading a high priority. As a result, most pupils quickly become confident and fluent readers. Pupils have a clear understanding of what bullying is. They say that incidents of bullying are incredibly rare. Inspectors agree. Pupils told inspectors that when they fall out, teachers listen carefully to them and help to resolve any problems. All staff have consistently high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils who find managing their emotions more difficult get the support they need. Highly trained staff help pupils, including those within the Elaine Education Centre, to manage their anxieties and work towards self-regulation. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. As a result, classrooms are calm and purposeful places. Pupils are given a range of responsibilities. Jobs such as the school's club, play and junior leaders mean that older pupils make a purposeful contribution to the life of the school.

What the school should improve

• In some foundation subjects, leaders have not ensured that the curriculum takes enough account of the learning that some pupils lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, some pupils are not building their learning securely. Leaders should refine the curriculum to address this and ensure that pupils have the prerequisite knowledge they need to tackle challenging concepts and curriculum content.
• Assessment processes in some foundation subjects are still being refined to reflect the school's new curriculum. As a result, teachers are not yet able to consistently identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge. Leaders need to ensure that teachers are clear about what pupils know and understand and can address any knowledge gaps.
• Good relationships have developed between home and school, resulting in most parents and carers helping their children at home. Leaders need to build on this positive partnership work to ensure every family expects to send their child to school every day.

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