Great Casterton Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school Leadership is outstanding. The executive headteacher has successfully developed an efficient leadership team and she communicates high expectations across the school.

Leaders fully support the headteacher's high expectations, and they are worthy role models for others in the school. This has encouraged high staff morale and contributed to the culture of raised aspirations. The governing body understands the school well.

Governors ask sharp, challenging questions about achievement, and equally provide high-quality support. Communications with parents are effective. Parents are actively involved in the life of the school and frequen...tly come in to help their children learn.

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding. This has lifted achievement to the excellent standard now seen across the school. Achievement is outstanding.

Pupils make considerable progress as they move through each stage in the school. Outstanding progress has led to high proportions of Year 6 pupils achieving Level 5 in reading, writing and mathematics in 2015. Children in the Reception Year make outstanding progress, and the proportion reaching a good level of development has consistently been above the national average for the last two years.

Phonics is very well taught and, as a result, Year 1 pupils taking the national phonics check are ahead of others nationally. Disadvantaged pupils make excellent progress in reading, writing and mathematics. By the end of Year 6, the small numbers of disadvantaged pupils, in recent years, have caught up with their classmates and successfully closed attainment gaps.

Care and support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are highly effective. The school's coordinator is committed to providing the very best fit for each individual. This underpins their rapid progress.

Pupils have exceptionally positive attitudes to learning and behave very well. Attendance has risen and remains consistently high. This shows the great value that pupils place on being in school and lies at the heart of their many successes.

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils develop excellent understanding and sensitivity towards others' beliefs. Full report

Information about this school

The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.

A new executive headteacher joined the school in August 2015. The school is in a federation with Empingham Church of England Primary School. The two schools are led by the executive headteacher and a single governing body.

Most pupils are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language. The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and, therefore, supported through the pupil premium is well below the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are in the care of the local authority.

The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is average. More pupils than are seen typically, leave and join the school in the older year groups. This is partly due to parents and carers who are in the employment of the armed forces.

The school runs daily breakfast and after-school clubs, which are overseen by the governing body. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics, by the end of Year 6. The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.