Yenton Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 30 January 2024

Yenton Primary is a warm and welcoming place to learn. The school has high ambitions for every pupil, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff want all pupils to succeed. Pupils make positive progress and learn the curriculum well. The school has embedded its values of respectful, excellent, successful, proud, exploring, communication and teamwork - the acronym RESPECT - into many aspects of school life. Pupils speak confidently about why these values are important. From listening carefully and working hard in lessons, to helping other pupils in the dining hall at lunchtime, pupils try their best. Pupils feel safe in school and know that trusted adults will help them to deal with any worries. There is a range of opportunities on offer, including after-school sporting clubs. Pupils enjoy the responsibility of being school councillors, playleaders and head pupil. All pupils learn how to play a musical instrument. Pupils value learning in the outdoors and how to swim. Many parents and carers are positive about the school and the support their children receive to learn well, work hard and prepare for life in the local community and beyond.

What the school should improve

• The school is still in the process of defining the small steps of learning in some foundation subjects. This means that pupils make stronger progress in some subjects than in others. The school should continue to strengthen its curriculum design so that pupils' knowledge builds sequentially and securely in all subjects.
• At times, teachers do not use assessment in some foundation subjects accurately enough to identify how well pupils are achieving. This means that the school does not have a clear enough overview of pupils' progress. The school should make sure that assessment systems in foundation subjects are purposeful and used effectively to ensure that the curriculum is impacting as intended.
• A significant number of pupils are absent or persistently absent from school. This impacts how well they learn and slows their progress. Leaders should continue to review how they work with parents and outside agencies to tackle pupils' poor attendance to ensure that all possible steps are being taken to improve pupils' attendance.

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