Five essential points

Values-based leadership and positive school culture are widespread 

In most schools, senior leaders demonstrate strong, values-led leadership with a clear focus on improving wellbeing. This values-based approach supports nurturing, inclusive environments and builds trust and collaboration across school communities.

Teaching quality is inconsistent

Learning environments are generally engaging and inclusive, but teaching quality is inconsistent.

While most children are motivated and benefit from increasing creativity, outdoor learning and access to digital technology, variability in pace, challenge, questioning and differentiation is limiting learning and progress in a minority of schools.

Wellbeing, inclusion and equality are strongly embedded

Wellbeing, inclusion and equality are strongly embedded, with some gaps in data use and target-setting.

Staff typically understand children’s needs well and use nurturing, trauma-informed and rights-based approaches. Some schools need more consistent use of wellbeing data and more measurable targets for children who require additional support with their learning and wellbeing.

Assessment and tracking are improving but need more rigour

Assessment and tracking are improving but need more rigour and broader coverage beyond literacy and numeracy.

Moderation is strengthening teacher judgement, but some schools still need to improve the quality of attainment data and ensure that they are using it more consistently. Some schools need to strengthen approaches to assessment and tracking across the wider curriculum.

Partnerships with parents and communities are a strength

Relationships and communication are generally strong (including Parent Councils), though some schools need to evaluate the impact of partnership working more systematically and involve parents more directly in improvement planning and evaluation.