Pupils are well mannered and courteous. They enjoy coming to school and appreciate the friendly atmosphere. Most behave well. A few pupils struggle to manage their behaviour. When this happens, staff help them. However, leaders have not recorded incidents of poor behaviour, including any bullying, carefully. They have not analysed the type or frequency of incidents. Leaders want all pupils to achieve well. In some subjects, such as mathematics and science, what pupils learn builds on what they already know. This helps them to remember new learning. However, the school’s approach to teaching pupils to read does not work well for all pupils. The curriculum in some subjects is not planned to develop pupils’ knowledge year on year. Leaders do not ensure that all pupils are safeguarded against potential risks because they are sometimes slow to act and follow up concerns. Procedures for checking staff’s suitability to work with children do not meet requirements. Staff take time and care to support pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn about different cultures, faiths and lifestyles. One pupil said, ‘We are unique, but we all swim together.’ What does the school do well and what does it need to do better? Leaders and governors have not acted with urgency to tackle the school’s weaknesses. They have not focused enough on making sure that all pupils are kept safe and achieve well. In some subjects, it is not always clear how pupils will develop their subject knowledge as they go through the school. What pupils learn does not always build on what they have learned in the past. In some year groups, pupils spend much of the time learning English and mathematics. They have fewer opportunities to learn in other subjects. The order in which pupils learn sounds helps them to read words and sentences, yet some pupils do not understand what some of the words they read mean. Pupils are not developing their vocabulary well enough. This makes it difficult for them to make meaning out of the printed words. Teachers do not support pupils well when they begin to fall behind. Teachers do not check often enough which sounds pupils have remembered. They do not put support in place quickly enough to help these pupils to catch up. The support these pupils receive is sometimes not good enough to help them improve. The books chosen for weaker readers are sometimes too hard for them. Some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive extra teaching. Leaders do not know whether these sessions are helping pupils to remember more. Sometimes the staff who run these sessions do not have the Inspection report: Fosse Primary School 13–14 November 2019 2 subject knowledge needed to help pupils. Staff who give pupils one-to-one support in class help them to take part in whole-class learning. In early years, children are well behaved, and staff take care of their welfare needs well. Leaders plan to build children’s knowledge to prepare them for Year 1. However, some staff do not expect enough of children. What teachers ask children to do is sometimes not demanding enough for them to achieve well. Children are sometimes busy with activities that do not help to develop their knowledge. Teachers do not ensure that children make a strong start in developing their understanding of phonics. Mathematics, science and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education are well planned. In mathematics, teachers use ‘flash-back Friday’ to check what pupils have remembered. They then build on what pupils already know. Most pupils behave well. However, when incidents of poor behaviour do happen, leaders do not record them accurately. Some incidents are not recorded at all. They have not always recorded what they have done as a response to poor behaviour. They have not analysed records to spot patterns of poor behaviour. Staff prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. They have made sure pupils know and understand British values. Pupils respect each other’s similarities and differences. They take part in debate and are open to hearing the opinions of others.