Ethelbert Road Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 October 2024

Pupils are rightly very proud of their school and their achievements. They enjoy coming to this welcoming and friendly school and appreciate all aspects of school life. A group of pupils agreed that the school 'brightens your horizons'. There is an extremely calm, purposeful atmosphere with happy pupils in every class. Parents appreciate this, with one saying, 'Teachers and teaching assistants, along with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, create a welcoming environment, where children feel valued, heard, and are encouraged to be the best version of themselves.' Pupils' well-being is paramount and as a result pupils feel safe. Staff know the pupils very well and there are strong and trusting relationships. Pupils know that staff will listen to them if they have any worries or concerns. Expectations are very high. All pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are challenged to achieve their very best academically and personally. Pupils are polite and kind. They look out for each other. Their behaviour and attitudes to learning are exemplary and consequently they achieve highly. Children in Reception settle exceptionally well. Older pupils are excellent role models for children starting school.

What the school should improve

• In some curriculum subjects, the learning related to specific subjects within cross- curricular work is not clearly defined. As a result, pupils are not always clear about what they are learning or what they have learned. This means they are not always confident to draw on what they have been taught in order to help them with new learning. The school should ensure that subject-specific learning intentions are very clear so that pupils have clarity about what they are learning and why.

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