Downfield Primary School

Overview

The inspection team found that senior leaders and staff create a “caring and welcoming environment” resulting in a “calm ethos for children to be ready to learn.” Children are described as “friendly, motivated” and keen to discuss their learning, while staff effectively develop approaches to nurture and inclusion. The report concludes that the school has the capacity to continue to improve, with no further visits planned in connection with this inspection.

Strengths

• Senior leaders and staff work effectively to create a “caring and welcoming environment” and a “calm ethos for children to be ready to learn.”
• Children are “friendly, motivated” and “keen to discuss their learning,” enjoying working with each other and leading aspects of wider school life.
• Staff provide “targeted and universal nurturing provision” which is “increasing significantly children’s readiness to learn” and improving wellbeing outcomes and attendance.

Areas to improve

• Continue to raise the attainment of all children at each stage across the school.
• Continue to improve the quality of teaching across the school.
• Develop the curriculum together with parents and partners to reflect better the high expectations for children’s progress.
• Strengthen approaches to leading and monitoring change to develop important school improvement priorities at an improved pace.

Safeguarding

The report states that staff’s effective work to develop approaches to nurture and inclusion is “improving wellbeing outcomes,” and the evaluation for “Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion” is rated as “good.”