Earl Sterndale CofE Primary School

Overview

This ungraded inspection found that aspects of the school’s work “may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection,” triggering a future graded inspection. While pupils feel “well cared for and supported” in a “warm and nurturing” environment, significant weaknesses in curriculum planning and behaviour management hinder learning.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and valued, with one noting, “If you need a friend, this is a good place to be.”
• The school places a “strong emphasis on pupils’ personal development,” offering “memorable and enriching experiences.”
• The phonics curriculum is “more carefully designed,” allowing younger children to make a “strong start.”
• Parents describe the school as being like a ‘family’, and staff appreciate support for their workload.
• Absences are “carefully monitored,” and the school ensures pupils attend well.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must ensure curriculum knowledge is “clearly identified” and that activities enable pupils to build sufficient knowledge, particularly in mathematics.
• The school should raise expectations for behaviour, ensuring a “clear approach to managing behaviour” and addressing low-level disruption swiftly.
• Leaders and governors must take action to remedy curriculum weaknesses to ensure pupils receive an “appropriate standard of education.”

Safeguarding

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