Victoria Road Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 May 2024

Pupils happily come into school each morning. They are welcomed by caring staff on arrival. Relationships between staff and pupils are especially strong. This enables pupils to be ready to learn. Pupils are keen to come to school and said that everyone is welcome at their school. Once inside their classrooms, pupils settle swiftly. They try hard with their work. The school's values of 'inspire, nurture, accomplish' are enacted in pupils' behaviour. Pupils listen carefully to their teachers. They participate in their learning with great enthusiasm. Pupils take into account the views of one another and they are keen to share their new learning. The school has high aspirations for the academic success of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Overall, pupils in key stage 1 and 2 gain a secure body of knowledge across a range of subjects. However, in the early years, children do not build up their knowledge as well as they should. This means that some children are not well prepared for Year 1. Beyond their lessons, pupils benefit from a range of activities. For instance, they enjoy attending clubs such as gardening, cooking and sports. Pupils are helped to develop as active citizens, both locally and globally. For example, pupils take part in litter picks to keep their local area neat and tidy and raise money for a school in Kenya.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of subjects, the school has not finalised the guidance and support that teachers need to deliver these curriculums as effectively as they could. This hinders teachers when designing learning for pupils. This prevents pupils from progressing as well as they should through these curriculums. The school should ensure that teachers have all the information that they need to deliver the subject curriculums well.
• In a small number of subjects, teachers' assessment strategies do not check that pupils are learning the most important knowledge over time. This means that teachers are not sure if pupils' learning is secure. The school should ensure that checks on pupils' learning identify and address gaps in pupils' understanding of key concepts.
• The school has not ensured that the staff in the early years have the expertise that they need to deliver the curriculum consistently well. As a result, children do not learn all that they should in readiness for their move into Year 1. The school should ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge about how children learn so that they are able to design learning activities that help children learn well.

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