Elfrida Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 22 June 2022

Pupils are well looked after in this school. They feel happy and safe. Pupils said that if they need help, or if they have any worries, there is always someone to go to. Staff work hard to support pupils and families. They know them very well. Leaders are ambitious for pupils. They have high expectations of them. Staff make sure that pupils achieve well. Pupils are prepared effectively for the next stage in their education. Pupils behave well. They are polite and respectful towards adults. They look after each other and they take care of their school environment. They use equipment, in and out of lessons, with great care. In rare instances when bullying occurs, staff deal with it promptly and effectively. Leaders create meaningful wider experiences for pupils in addition to their academic studies. For example, pupils have had many opportunities to spark their creative development. They have worked with a philharmonic orchestra, local and national art organisations, and with African drummers, for example. Pupils recalled with enthusiasm their many trips to museums and galleries as well as their residential journeys to adventure centres.

What the school should improve

• Occasionally, teachers give books to pupils which are too hard for them to read. In these instances, pupils exert lots of effort sounding out every phoneme and this hampers their fluency. Leaders need to make sure that teachers give pupils books which they can read fluently and confidently.
• Leaders have planned a well-sequenced and coherent curriculum in all subjects. However, sometimes, and in a few subjects, teachers do not emphasise the key knowledge that they want pupils to learn. This affects pupils' learning and results in pupils not knowing or remembering important subject content. Leaders need to ensure that in these subjects, pupils learn the essential content and build their knowledge securely over time.

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