South Avenue Primary School

Overview

The report describes a school where pupils are “happy and eager to learn” and benefit from an “ambitious curriculum” with clear guidance for teachers. Leaders maintain high expectations, fostering a supportive culture where pupils look after one another and feel safe.

Strengths

• Teachers deliver lessons that “encourage and inspire pupils to learn well,” making meaningful links across subjects.
• Pupils “read well” and develop a “love of story,” with effective interventions for those who have fallen behind.
• Children “develop their mathematical knowledge and skills confidently,” applying this understanding across various subjects.
• The school provides high-quality pastoral support, including a “Silver Room” for managing feelings and a self-regulation programme.
• Staff swiftly identify pupils needing additional support, and the culture of safeguarding “pervades the school.”

Areas to improve

• In subjects other than English and mathematics, teachers do not routinely check what pupils have learned, meaning they cannot “identify and address gaps in their learning.”
• Some activities for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) “lack purpose and challenge,” causing them to miss out on essential content.
• Governors do not yet have a “clear enough understanding of the quality and impact of the curriculum” in subjects beyond English and mathematics.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective,” noting that staff receive helpful training to quickly identify pupils at risk and that leaders follow up on concerns swiftly.