Ingrow Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 19 July 2022

Pupils flourish at Ingrow Primary School. Pupils say that they are happy. They enjoy the wide range of activities on offer at breaktimes and lunchtimes. One parent, who represented the views of the majority, said, 'I know when I drop my child off at school he is cared for and well looked after.' Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils rise to meet these expectations. Parents have confidence in leaders. They feel that leaders listen to their concerns and respond quickly. Parents feel that staff 'go the extra mile' to support them. Pupils say that bullying rarely happens. They know that there is a 'no tolerance to bullying' system in place. As a result, they feel safe. Pupils are confident to talk to adults if they have an issue or concern. They report their worries through the 'buddy box' or by writing a note to the headteacher. Pupils say that adults always support them. Pupils know the behaviour policy and respond to it well. They follow the school values: 'Be safe, be kind, be respectful, be inquisitive.' Pupils enjoy the rewards they get for focusing in class. They engage with their learning and are on task. As a result, classrooms are calm and purposeful places where pupils can learn. Pupils have many opportunities to be leaders. For example, they can be a member of the school council, a digital leader, playground buddy or fire marshal. They take their roles seriously.

What the school should improve

• Not all staff have had the training they need to support pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read. As a result, some pupils do not read with fluency. Leaders should ensure that all staff receive training on how to listen to pupils read effectively so that they can help pupils develop accuracy and fluency.
• Some staff give pupils books to read that do match the sounds that they know. This means those pupils who struggle to read are not able to use their phonic knowledge to decode words accurately. Leaders need to ensure that the books pupils read are matched to the sounds that they are learning so that they will have the confidence to decode unknown words accurately.
• Teachers' subject knowledge is stronger in some year groups than it is in others. Some teachers do not ensure that they use the technical vocabulary that pupils need to know. As a result, some pupils do not use subject-specific vocabulary well. They cannot explain concepts in their subjects with the precision required. Leaders need to provide training so that teachers' subject knowledge and use of vocabulary are consistent in all year groups.

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