Stoke Lodge Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 November 2022

The school sits at the heart of its local community. Everyone is welcome. Pupils who join midway through the school year settle quickly because staff waste no time in getting to know pupils and families. Almost every parent or carer would recommend the school. Pupils are proud to be part of school life. They study a broad curriculum and the vast majority enjoy school. Staff's judicious use of praise makes pupils feel genuinely valued. A highlight for many pupils is receiving a 'shout out' postcard home to share notable achievements. Typically, pupils, including those in the early years, behave well, because they understand and follow the school rules well. Pupils know that staff are on hand to talk things through when something goes wrong. The resources around school, which pupils readily use, help them think about mutual respect and tolerance. The curriculum enriches pupils' experiences and knowledge. For example, pupils learn about contemporary composers and artists such as Errollyn Wallen and Barbara Hepworth. The school's residential visit programme is extensive and fosters teamwork well. Staff teach pupils that showing empathy and understanding diversity are central to becoming effective young citizens. If bullying happens, pupils are confident that staff sort it out.

What the school should improve

• Leaders' work to refine the curriculum so that it supports pupils' early language acquisition for pupils who speak English as an additional language is at an early stage. A small number of these pupils do not get the precise support they need. Leaders need to ensure that all staff's subject knowledge is consistently strong and that they adapt sequences of work so that pupils who speak EAL understand the context and the essential component knowledge within sequences of work so they progress well through the curriculum.
• At times, staff do not use all the information they have about what pupils know, or do not know, to plan teaching. On occasions, lesson sequences miss out important steps in knowledge or staff's interactions with children in the early years are not sufficiently precise. This slows learning down. Leaders must ensure that teaching is built firmly on what pupils need to know next and that any inconsistencies in curriculum quality are addressed successfully.

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