William Alvey School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 March 2022

Pupils are punctual and eager to arrive at this school every morning. They say that they look forward to learning new things every day. The 'living museum' in the on- site air raid shelter, for example, brings the curriculum to life. The relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Teachers know the pupils in their classes well. Pupils in Year 5 act as 'buddies' for younger children in the early years through to Year 1. This helps younger children settle quickly into this large school. Pupils say they feel safe and happy. Staff have high expectations of pupils. Pupils are polite and demonstrate good manners. They greet visitors with 'good morning' and 'good afternoon'. During lesson changeover times, pupils known as 'corridor captains' are on hand to open doors and keep the corridors tidy. This helps maintain the calm learning environment around the school. Pupils have a good understanding of what bullying is. They say it rarely occurs. They are very confident that teachers will not tolerate any form of bullying. Many parents and carers agree that this school is a place where pupils thrive and flourish.

What the school should improve

• Leaders have ensured that the curriculum planning sets out the sequence of pupils' learning in all subjects. They have identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn. Some of this planning is relatively new in some foundation subjects. The teaching in these subjects is still not consistently well embedded. As a result, pupils are unable to gain a depth of knowledge across the full curriculum. Leaders should ensure that teaching in all subjects is consistently well embedded in order to help pupils successfully build their knowledge and understanding over time.
• Some teachers do not have the necessary subject knowledge to teach some parts of the curriculum effectively. These teachers do not use the resources provided well enough, to impart the most important knowledge so that pupils remember it. Leaders must ensure that all teachers have the appropriate subject knowledge and training to deliver subjects they teach well.

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