Valley Road School

Overview

Valley Road School continues to be a good school, characterised by “caring relationships” and an ethos where “family is what springs to mind”. Pupils are described as “eloquent and zestful”, with “impeccable” behaviour and a strong sense of safety. The inspection confirms that leaders have successfully maintained high standards since the previous judgement.

Strengths

• Leaders have implemented a “new and improved curriculum” with a “clearly set out” knowledge journey from Reception to Year 6.
• Core subjects are of “high quality”, particularly mathematics, where teachers’ “subject knowledge is excellent” and concepts are explained simply.
• Staff follow a new phonics programme with “greater consistency and flair”, ensuring most pupils are “firmly on track” in reading despite the pandemic.
• Aspirations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are “the same as for any other child”, with robust assessments and consistent support strategies.
• Governors are “deeply committed” and bring a “wealth of experience” to their roles, ensuring rigorous training for new members.

Areas to improve

• In some subjects, teachers are “swayed by creative activities” that are “not challenging enough”, which “sell pupils short in gaining more knowledge”.
• Leaders need to support teachers’ “pedagogical content knowledge” to ensure tasks are “ambitious” and “demanding enough” to secure knowledge consistently.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff trained regularly and a trained counsellor employed to support children’s mental health, although some recruitment checks were not correctly recorded initially.