Leek First School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 March 2023

Leek First School is a friendly school with a family feel and a strong sense of community. Leaders and staff know pupils extremely well and put them at the heart of every decision. Parents and carers are very positive about the school. They especially value the personalised approach that their children receive. A typical comment sums up the views of many: 'staff bring out the best in the children'. Leaders and staff have a clear vision for the school. They have high expectations, and pupils meet these expectations to work hard and achieve their best. Pupils display an eagerness to please and a motivation to learn. Pupils are proud to attend their school, and they feel safe because staff look after them. They say that bullying does sometimes happen, but adults will deal with it. Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities that enrich the curriculum. These promote pupils' confidence and sense of responsibility. There is a variety of clubs on offer, including cookery, yoga and mindfulness. Pupils can also take on positions of responsibility, such as school librarians or Year 4 monitors. They enjoy these roles and take their responsibilities seriously.

What the school should improve

• Leaders have not defined the precise knowledge they want pupils to learn in some foundation subjects. Consequently, pupils do not learn as well as they could, and knowledge is not embedded for the long term. Leaders should ensure that they identify the important knowledge they want pupils to learn from early years to Year 4 in these subjects.
• Staff do not have high enough expectations of behaviour when pupils are moving around the school. At times, pupils run in the school building. This is not safe. Leaders should ensure that all staff have the same high expectations for pupils' behaviour when pupils are moving around the school building as they do for pupils' behaviour in the classroom.

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