Springvale Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 June 2023

The school's ethos, 'play together, learn together and achieve together', is at the heart of everything this school has to offer. Leaders and governors are determined that every child who attends Springvale has a well-rounded education. Staff know the pupils well. There is a strong and caring ethos that makes Springvale a warm and welcoming school. Parents also value this. One parent said, 'They are like a family and my child is valued, cared for and pushed to be the very best he can be.' This was typical of comments received. Staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils live up to these expectations and achieve well in many areas of the curriculum. Pupils work hard in lessons and focus well on their learning. Pupils behave well in classes and around the school. Pupils know the school rules: 'be kind and gentle, be resilient and brave, be ready to learn'. They know that these rules help them to behave well. Pupils feel safe in school. They trust adults to deal with their worries swiftly. Leaders deal with any cases of bullying quickly. Pupils are polite, friendly and respectful. They are happy to engage in conversation with adults. Pupils have a good understanding of equality and difference and know it is wrong to bully someone who is different.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, leaders have not thought about how disciplinary knowledge is set out in the curriculum. This means that teachers do not know how and when this should be taught. Leaders should ensure that pupils are taught the disciplinary knowledge that they need, so that they understand what it means to be a subject expert.
• Although staff have received regular training, some staff do not model pure sounds precisely enough when teaching phonics. As a result, some pupils do not pronounce sounds correctly, and this impacts on their ability to accurately blend sounds to make words. Leaders need to provide additional training to ensure that all staff use pure sounds accurately and consistently.

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