Epping Primary School

Overview

Pupils at Epping Primary School “enjoy coming to” the school and are “proud of their school,” benefiting from a curriculum that is “thoughtfully planned” with a “logical order.” Leaders maintain “high expectations” for academic work, resulting in pupils who “work hard” and are “very well behaved.” The school fosters a positive environment where bullying is “rare” and staff are “highly committed” to meeting the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Strengths

• The curriculum is well-structured, with teachers ensuring pupils can “ably use resources that support their learning” to help them “learn and remember more over time.”
• Pupils are “confident readers and writers,” producing “high-quality writing” due to a strong focus on grammar, spelling, and a “wide and interesting selection of books.”
• Staff provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who are “fully included in all aspects of school life.”
• Behaviour is excellent, with “very little disruption to learning,” and pupils demonstrate a good understanding of school values and different cultures.
• Senior leaders work as a “close group, with a shared vision,” and staff feel “valued and supported.”

Areas to improve

• Leaders must ensure the phonics programme is “embedded throughout the whole school approach to teaching English” to address inconsistencies in how reading is practised.
• Senior leaders need to provide new subject leaders with the “time and guidance to develop their roles further” so they can effectively support colleagues and monitor curriculum implementation.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are “effective,” with staff well trained to identify risks and ensure pupils receive help quickly, while policies follow the “latest published guidance.”