Salfords Primary School and Nursery

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 February 2022

The inclusive and nurturing environment at Salfords Primary School ensures that all pupils feel safe and secure. Pupils say that their teachers are the best thing about their school. Leaders and staff have high expectations for every child. The curriculum, particularly in English and mathematics, has been developed to ensure all learners, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. Behaviour in the school is exceptional. Pupils are highly motivated to learn. They understand and live by the school's core values of kindness, respect, courage and excellence. Pupils showing these values are recognised and celebrated through the school's house point system. To support them in their learning and to prepare them for the wider world, pupils are supported to develop their leadership, organisation, resilience, initiative and communication ('LORIC') skills and behaviours. Pupils are confident in staff and say they would quickly resolve any instances of unkind behaviour. Parents are very supportive of the school. They feel that remote education provision, which is still in place for any pupils who need to self-isolate, is excellent. They say their children are very happy at school. One parent commented that their child was disappointed each Saturday when she realised it was not a school day.

What the school should improve

• Pupils at the school say that they enjoy reading. However, pupils find it difficult to discuss their reading preferences. Some pupils find it hard to name a favourite book, story or author. Leaders need to continue their work to develop a reading curriculum that sets out the core books that pupils will read within the curriculum, along with the themes and vocabulary that teachers will emphasise as they read these books with pupils. Leaders should also ensure that they provide teachers with further training to deepen their knowledge of children's literature and how to support pupils' developing love of reading.
• Teachers are very positive about the support they have received in developing their own teaching practice. However, outside the core subjects, leaders have not yet focused on developing teachers' subject-specific knowledge across the subjects that they teach. Leaders now need to ensure that the continuing professional development programme for teachers and staff is aligned with the curriculum so that, over time, it develops teachers' subject knowledge and teaching content knowledge in every subject that they teach.

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