Black Torrington Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Together, the trust and the school have prioritised the development of the curriculum. They are ambitious for all pupils to be successful.

The work on the curriculum ensures there are high expectations in place for pupils to learn well. While leaders have taken steps to improve the quality of education pupils receive, it is still early days. The curriculum does not yet support all pupils to build their knowledge well.

Pupils feel safe in school and they are well looked after. The motto 'journeying together in hope and joy' is well understood by pupils. They know this means working together to help each other to succeed.

During social times, pupils look after ...one another and take pleasure in playing together.

The school provides many opportunities to promote pupils' personal development. Pupils benefit from clubs to develop their talents such as music and textiles.

Experiences are provided for pupils to socialise with peers in other trust schools. This helps to prepare older pupils for their transition to secondary school. Pupils attend residentials with other schools.

Pupils say that this helps them to make new friends and to develop skills such as learning how to surf.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has designed the curriculum to identify the knowledge pupils need to know and remember. However, the implementation of the curriculum lacks precision to ensure the needs of all pupils are met.

As a result, some pupils find it more challenging to learn the curriculum. Where this is the case, pupils find it difficult to remember important knowledge and to talk about their learning.

Assessment is used in some subjects to check how well pupils are learning the curriculum.

For example, in mathematics, gaps in pupils' knowledge are identified and pupils are supported to build their knowledge. However, assessment in other subjects is not used with enough precision. As a result, some pupils have unknown gaps in their learning.

These go unaddressed. This prevents pupils from building their knowledge based on what they already know and remember.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified early.

They are supported to learn the curriculum alongside their peers. However, some pupils do not currently get all the help they need. This is because learning targets lack precision to support pupils in building their knowledge securely.

As a result, some pupils make slower progress.

The school supports pupils to learn to read. Leaders have thought carefully about the books they want pupils to read.

These include texts that promote pupils' understanding of culture and diversity. While learning to read, staff match reading books to the sounds pupils know. This helps pupils to become confident readers.

The school is calm and orderly. A new behaviour policy has ensured that there are now high expectations of pupils in place. Staff support pupils to follow these well.

The school provides additional support for pupils who might struggle to manage their behaviour.

Pupils are supported well to develop beyond the academic curriculum. The school plans opportunities to enhance pupils' experiences.

For example, the annual trust event 'festival of hope' supports character development. Within this, pupils take part in community service such as litter picking. This helps pupils to be responsible and active citizens.

Pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain. They have a lived experience of democracy through their school council roles. For example, they have worked together to plan a charity event to raise money for 'Children in Need'.

Pupils are supported to understand the importance of equality. The annual 'rainbow day' celebrates diversity. As a result, pupils are inclusive of each other.

One pupil said, 'Everyone is different but all worth the same.'

Staff value the support from the trust. This includes training from subject experts to enhance the teaching of the curriculum.

Those responsible for governance know the school well, including the areas that need to improve.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the curriculum is not implemented effectively to meet the needs of all pupils.

As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge securely based on what they have learned before. The trust must ensure that the precise knowledge it wants pupils to learn is implemented well across the curriculum to help all pupils learn well. ? Assessment is not used effectively to identify how well pupils are learning the curriculum.

As a result, some pupils have unknown gaps in their knowledge and so do not build their knowledge well. The trust needs to ensure that assessment is used to identify pupils' gaps in learning so that future learning builds on what pupils know and remember. ? Some pupils with SEND do not receive all the support they need to catch up.

This is because some learning targets lack precision. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge securely over time. The trust must ensure that pupils receive all the support they need to learn the curriculum well.