Abbey Farm Educate Together Primary

Overview

This is a “welcoming and inclusive school” where pupils are “happy and sociable” and attend regularly. The report highlights that staff have “high expectations” which most pupils meet well, particularly in the early years where provision is “Outstanding”. Parents describe the school in “glowing terms”, noting it helps children to thrive.

Strengths

• The early years curriculum is “particularly well designed and taught”, resulting in “exceptionally strong” outcomes.
• Phonics is “taught effectively”, with extra practice provided for those who find reading tricky, improving their “fluency and confidence”.
• Pastoral provision is “strong”, with staff forging “supportive relationships with families” and prioritising pupils’ well-being through activities like mindfulness.
• The school “skilfully and swiftly identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)”, ensuring they learn the same curriculum as others.
• Staff morale is “high” and they feel “very well supported” by the trust regarding workload and professional development.

Areas to improve

• The teaching of reading beyond phonics is “not yet implemented consistently”, meaning pupils do not routinely develop wider skills such as comprehension.
• In some subjects, assessment strategies are “not sufficiently well developed”, so misconceptions are not routinely picked up and gaps in knowledge persist.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”