Saffron Green Primary School, located in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, underwent an inspection on February 22 and 23, 2023. The overall effectiveness of the school was rated as requiring improvement, alongside the quality of education, behavior and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. However, the early years provision was rated as good. The school previously received a good rating in its last inspection in December 2017.
Parents, carers, and pupils generally recommend the school, acknowledging the improvements made by the leadership team. There is a growing involvement of families in the school community. Children in the early years are making a good start, but many older pupils struggle with reading, which affects their overall achievement. Some pupils do not enjoy reading and have fallen behind, indicating a need for more support to enhance their learning experiences. Additionally, behavior in certain lessons does not meet the expectations set by school leaders, and some pupils have irregular attendance, hindering their progress.
Most pupils demonstrate respect for diversity and are kind and caring towards one another. They are polite to visitors and staff, and reports of bullying are low. However, a small number of pupils use unkind language, and while pupils feel safe and confident to speak to trusted adults about their concerns, there is room for improvement in fostering a more inclusive environment.
The school offers a variety of extracurricular activities that pupils enjoy, and there is an increasing number of educational visits that support their learning. Despite the consistency in the early reading curriculum, it does not sufficiently enable pupils to read with the accuracy and fluency needed to access the broader curriculum. Many pupils in key stage one struggle with reading, and some do not read at home often enough to make significant progress.
The curriculum is relatively new in some areas, and while most pupils can learn and retain information well, some do not achieve their full potential across all subjects. The time between topics can lead to gaps in knowledge retention. In subjects like mathematics, staff are well-trained, and pupils learn effectively, but in other subjects, pupils may not enjoy the content due to a lack of success.
The early years curriculum is effective, providing a strong foundation for children. Leaders prioritize the early identification of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, ensuring they receive appropriate support to access the curriculum. However, there are concerns regarding low-level disruptions in some lessons, which affect learning, and high suspension rates among vulnerable pupils.
Persistent absence remains a significant issue, with a quarter of pupils missing more than ten percent of school time this year. Although the school has systems in place to monitor attendance, these have not yet led to a reduction in overall absence. Leaders and governors are actively working to improve the school's profile within the community and have plans to address key weaknesses. Parents recognize the positive changes brought about by the new leadership team.
Staff express satisfaction with their work environment, noting manageable workloads and valuable training opportunities. Governors play an active role in supporting and challenging school leaders, regularly assessing the effectiveness of improvement actions. The safeguarding arrangements are effective, with well-trained staff who understand their responsibilities in keeping children safe. Overall, while Saffron Green Primary School has made strides in certain areas, significant improvements are needed in reading proficiency, curriculum coherence, behavior management, and attendance to enhance the educational experience for all pupils.
