Etwall Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 February 2023

Pupils develop strong positive relationships with the staff at this school. They are confident and polite. Teachers remind pupils to 'be safe, be respectful and be ready to learn'. Pupils rise to these expectations. They feel safe and happy. Many pupils take on roles which allow them to demonstrate leadership and responsibility. For example, 'I-vengers' promote internet safety and anti-stigma ambassadors promote mental well-being. Pupils believe bullying is rare. There are occasional fall outs between pupils, but staff sort this out quickly. Pupils know what bullying is. They know it is wrong and they know staff take it seriously. Teachers are aware that pupils will sometimes make bad choices. Teachers encourage pupils to put things right when this occurs. Children in the early years benefit from a well-led and planned provision. Children are eager and excited about the new things they will learn. The overwhelming majority of parents and carers would recommend the school. Parents recognise the support that staff give to their children. One parent's comment, which summed up the views of many parents, was, 'This is a wonderful school that we are proud to have in our village.'

What the school should improve

• Some teachers do not have the skills and knowledge they need to teach some of the foundation subjects effectively. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should when teachers' subject knowledge is not as secure as it could be. Leaders must ensure that all teachers gain the subject-specific knowledge they need to teach the foundation subjects effectively.
• On occasions, pupils do not get the depth of knowledge that is set out in some subjects. The work given to them does not consistently allow them to achieve this. Leaders should ensure that all teachers across all subjects give pupils work that allows them to gain the depth of knowledge that is set out in the curriculum.

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