Summerswood Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 30 April 2024

Pupils like school and make friends. They have trusted adults who help with learning or with worries. Pupils know they are safe and cared for. Many pupils are diligent learners. They are proud to get 'superstar' medals and certificates. Pupils enjoy learning different subjects. Extra learning support is provided if needed. However, expectations of what pupils can achieve are not always high enough. Pupils across the school are capable of accomplishing more than they currently are. Leaders are aware of this and have started to make necessary improvements to the quality of education. Lessons are usually calm. Pupils know the school rules. They enjoy playing in the open spaces. Most pupils follow adult instructions. Pupils appreciate that behaviour has started to improve, but there are still instances where a minority of pupils do not follow what is expected of them. There are different clubs pupils can join like sports, arts and gardening. Older pupils take on 'ambassador' roles. Pupils express their views in the 'school parliament'. Pupils are proud of being a diverse school; however, would like to learn more about others' cultural heritage. Pupils who attend the specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (specially resourced provision), 'Hive', are well supported and succeed due to the expertise of the staff.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, including in early years, the exact knowledge that pupils need to know, and to what standard, is not laid out precisely enough for teachers to follow. This means that pupils receive work that is not always sufficiently detailed or ambitious. This hinders how much pupils can achieve. Subject leaders need to ensure the most important knowledge is clearly signposted for teachers across all subjects and that all staff understand and follow these high expectations. Leaders, including governors, need to provide strategic oversight of this.
• There are inconsistencies in how well the curriculum is taught across the school. This results in some pupils not having learning sufficiently tailored to meet their needs, which limits their achievement. Staff need continued subject knowledge and skills training from leaders so that they are confident in delivering and adapting learning activities to ensure all pupils achieve what they are fully capable of.
• Staff do not identify with sufficient precision how to overcome barriers to pupils' learning. This results in some pupils having gaps in knowledge that are not filled quickly enough, including in reading. Teachers need to ensure that pupils swiftly secure missing knowledge and catch up. Staff need to act upon the advice leaders provide to support them in this.
• Some unwelcome behaviours across the school are still not prevented or addressed consistently. This means a significant minority of pupils are disengaging from learning. Staff need to apply the new behaviour policy and recommended strategies consistently so that behaviour incidents continue to reduce and pupils with more challenging behaviours engage with their learning.

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