Starcross Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 January 2025

The school has been through a considerable period of turbulence. Most staff are new. The school is more settled now. The school has redesigned its curriculum. It has redefined what pupils should learn and when. In most subjects, this has increased the ambition of the curriculum for pupils. However, the development of some aspects of the curriculum, and how it is taught, is not as advanced. This, alongside existing gaps in pupils' knowledge, means pupils do not learn as well as they should. There is still more work to be done to improve parts of the curriculum. Pupils are happy at Starcross. They are polite and welcoming. Pupils behave well and enjoy coming to school. Social times are harmonious and fun. Most pupils have positive attitudes to learning. However, some younger pupils struggle to maintain concentration in some lessons. Pupils trust adults to keep them safe. The school has overhauled the range of opportunities available beyond the academic curriculum. Pupils express delight about the 35 experiences they complete before they leave Starcross. Older pupils speak excitedly about their recent trip to London.

What the school should improve

• The quality of the curriculum design and implementation in some subjects is inconsistent. This hinders some pupils' achievements. The school must ensure that an ambitious, well- planned and sequenced curriculum is in place for all subjects. The school must make sure that the curriculum is implemented effectively so that pupils achieve as well as they should.
• The school has not ensured that all teachers have the expertise to check how well pupils have learned the curriculum. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge or develop misconceptions that go unaddressed. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge to check and address any gaps in what pupils know and remedy any misconceptions so that pupils learn more successfully.
• The school has not ensured that pupils in key stage 1 and children in the early years develop key learning skills. This means that sometimes these pupils lose concentration and do not focus on learning activities. Consequently, they miss important information and do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge and expertise to support pupils to behave well.
• Sometimes, the school does not communicate effectively with parents and carers. This means that some parents, particularly those of pupils with SEND do not understand what changes are being made and why. The school should make sure that communication with parents is positive and purposeful so that parents can support the school's work effectively.

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