South Milford Primary School

Overview: South Milford Primary School continues to be a good school, with pupils being cheerful and welcoming, and staff having high expectations. The school's values of being kind and respectful, listening to others, keeping everyone safe, and trying hard at everything they do are brought to life by the pupils.

Strengths:

• Pupils are cheerful and welcoming, and their conduct is exemplary.
• Older pupils are keen to take on responsibilities around the school and organise activities for younger children.
• Parents and carers are positive about the school, feeling that their children 'couldn't be happier' and thrive at this school.
• Teachers have the subject expertise to present information clearly and adapt their lessons to ensure pupils have secured the knowledge they need before moving on in their learning.
• Pupils are excited about their learning and respond positively to the way teachers bring learning to life.

Areas to improve:

• Teaching does not consistently enable weaker readers to develop secure phonics knowledge, which means that some pupils struggle to read well. Leaders should ensure that staff check the articulation of sounds carefully to reinforce phonics knowledge so that weaker readers can catch up quickly.

Safeguarding: The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders ensuring staff have the training they need to identify when pupils are at risk of harm, and robust procedures in place for staff to pass on their concerns.