Camblesforth Community Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Camblesforth Community Academy is a welcoming and inclusive small school. Pupils feel safe and happy here. They appreciate the daily 'check-ins' with staff, which help them to identify how they are feeling.

Pupils all have adults to whom they can speak if they have any worries or concerns. Bullying incidents are rare and dealt with quickly. Pupils are rightly proud of their school and all the wonderful things they know and can do.

The school provides a varied set of personal development experiences for pupils. This includes making sure pupils attend educational visits and residentials trips. Pupils talk proudly of their leadership roles as restorative ambassadors, stu...dent councillors and members of the trust parliament.

They show an excellent understanding of democracy. Pupils relish these roles, and they take them seriously. There are plentiful opportunities for pupils to develop interests in sports and music.

During the inspection, pupils were joyfully singing in the choir. Participation in extra-curricular activities is high.

Leaders and staff are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Many achieve well, including children in the early years. Pupils embody the school's values of excellence, belonging, opportunities and respect. They are respectful towards their peers and adults.

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent spoke for many when they described the school as 'a small school with a big heart, where children learn and flourish.'

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

Since the previous inspection, leaders have improved the quality of education that pupils receive.

In the early years, children get off to a strong start. Teaching is sharply focused on developing children's communication and language. Adults skilfully model effective speaking and listening skills.

They interact positively with children. As a result, children quickly learn to develop positive relationships with their friends. They learn to take turns and follow routines.

Adults use assessment well to make changes to the provision. This ensures that the learning environment is stimulating and interesting. The early years curriculum is well planned, and it is linked effectively to the Year 1 curriculum.

Children are exceptionally well prepared for their next phase of learning.

The school is determined that every pupil will learn to read. This begins the moment children arrive in the Nursery.

The school's reading curriculum is well planned and progressive. Staff have received training to deliver the school's phonics programme. When pupils are learning to read, they are given decodable books that match the sounds they have been taught.

This helps pupils to read accurately and with increasing confidence and fluency. Pupils who fall behind with learning to read receive extra 'catch-up' sessions. The school encourages pupils to develop a love of reading.

For example, staff read aloud to their classes each day, which pupils enjoy. In addition, staff provide pupils with the opportunity to borrow books from the school library. Pupils talk about their favourite books enthusiastically.

The school has focused on refining the curriculum and identifying what it wants pupils to know in each subject. Leaders have thought about the mixed-age classes and how best to develop the curriculum so that pupils do not unnecessarily repeat the same content. However, in a few subjects, the curriculum is less well developed.

In these subjects, pupils do not sufficiently build on prior learning, which leads to gaps in their knowledge.

Pupils with SEND are well supported. The school identifies pupils' needs early, and teaching is adapted to meet the needs of these pupils within the classroom.

Additionally, adults support pupils well. This contributes to the ability of pupils with SEND to follow the curriculum alongside their peers.

Pupils are fantastic ambassadors for their school.

They understand the clear expectations for behaviour. Pupils, including children in the early years, behave well. The school environment is calm and purposeful.

Leaders have rigorous systems in place to make sure pupils attend regularly. Pupils' rates of attendance are high.

The school's aspirational personal, social, health and economic education curriculum supports pupils' personal development well.

What is taught in class is also covered in a well-thought-out programme of assemblies. Because of this, pupils have an in-depth understanding of the importance of the fundamental British values. They learn the importance of treating people with equality, fairness and respect.

The curriculum promotes an age-appropriate awareness of life in modern Britain.

Trustees and governors understand their statutory duties thoroughly, and they fulfil their responsibilities diligently. They use their detailed knowledge of the school to hold it to account effectively.

Staff value the opportunities for training and the consideration of their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a minority of foundation subjects, the curriculum is not fully developed.

In these subjects, the content does not precisely build on pupils' prior knowledge. This means some pupils do not consistently develop their knowledge sufficiently before moving on to new learning. The school must ensure that the curriculum in all subjects precisely identifies the crucial knowledge that pupils need to learn and the order in which they need to learn it.