Swinnow Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 April 2024

Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and caring in this school. Pupils have confidence that adults will help them if they have concerns or worries. Pupils enjoy playing cooperatively with each other at playtimes and lunchtimes. Pupils behave well in lessons. They are eager to learn. Leaders have made recent changes to the curriculum that pupils are taught. However, what pupils are taught in some subjects and how it is taught need development. The school does not have a clear picture of which areas of the curriculum this development needs to happen. Children get a positive start to their education in the early years. This positive start is not then continued into key stage 1 and 2. Some pupils do not achieve as well as they could in national assessments. Staff ensure that pupils follow routines. Pupils show independence and maturity when moving around school. Pupils who need it are supported effectively to make positive behaviour choices. Children in the early years are quickly supported to develop their independence. Leaders ensure that all staff understand the importance of promoting a culture of positive attendance. Leaders ensure that swift and effective support is put in place when pupils' attendance is too low. Leaders and staff build positive relationships with families.

What the school should improve

• The school does not have a clear picture of the gaps in pupils' phonic knowledge. The support some pupils get is not targeted closely enough to the parts of reading they find difficult. They do not catch up with their peers quickly enough. The school should ensure that the assessment of early readers, and those who need help with reading, is accurate and used to inform the support pupils receive.
• Pedagogy in phonics lessons is inconsistent and sometimes not in line with the school's agreed approach. Strategies to teach pupils to read are not embedded across phonics groups or support sessions. Some pupils do not learn to become fluent readers quickly. The support some pupils receive is not as effective as it could be. The school should ensure that staff understand the phonics approach and teach it consistently.
• The school does not regularly evaluate the impact of the support pupils with SEND receive in their learning. This means that the school does not have a clear picture of how well some pupils with SEND are achieving within the curriculum. As a result, support for pupils with SEND in lessons is not as successful as it could be. The school should ensure that there is regular review of how well pupils with SEND are achieving in the curriculum and that support and targets are adjusted in response to this to give pupils with SEND the best chance of being successful.
• The school does not have a clear view of how well subjects are being taught and the impact of the curriculum on pupils. Inconsistencies in pedagogy and areas of the curriculum that need more rapid development are not identified quickly. Pupils do not have opportunities to deepen their knowledge over time. The school should ensure that leaders have systems to clearly identify where the curriculum or pedagogy needs further development.
• The school has not checked that some elements of the PSHE curriculum are understood by pupils. Some pupils do not have a well developed understanding of protected characteristics. They are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be. The school should ensure that the PSHE offer for pupils is taught consistently so that pupils develop their understanding of diversity in society.

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