Catfield CofE Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Catfield are happy and enjoy school.

They are really interested in their learning. Children in the early years settle well and get learning quickly. Leaders are ambitious for what pupils should achieve, and have put in place a comprehensive curriculum.

However, pupils do not make the progress that they could in knowing more over time as they move through the school.

Behaviour is calm and settled. A small number of pupils who find it hard to behave are now less disruptive, due to staff working closely with them and families.

Pupils enjoy playing with others of all ages on the playground, for example joining skipping games together.

...This is a small school, where everyone knows everyone. It works closely with the federated schools so that pupils have experience of being part of a larger community.

Pupils take part in sporting and cultural events together. They confidently sing and talk in front of an audience, for example at the Nativity performance.

Bullying rarely happens.

Pupils are very clear that they have at least five trusted adults they could go to if they had a problem or a worry. They feel safe.

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

The curriculum is detailed and clear on what leaders expect pupils to learn and when.

Some of this is very new. The way that this curriculum is put into practice varies across the school. Not all teachers have the knowledge to precisely plan out work in effective steps across a term.

This means that pupils do not always have the building blocks they need to tackle more complex questions. Some activities are not focused enough on the specific knowledge or skills that teachers want pupils to learn.

Leaders have faced a significant amount of staff absence across the federation over the last few years.

This has limited their ability to support colleagues to improve their practice. There is now a restructured leadership team, a special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and subject leaders in place. These have not yet been able to have demonstrable impact on the quality of education.

However, staff across the school feel well supported by leaders. The links between the federated schools mean that teachers in the early years and key stage 1 can plan together and share ideas. This has resulted in stronger planning for English.

The teaching of early reading is now getting pupils to be able to decode words and blend together sounds, supporting them to be fluent readers. Pupils who need additional support to keep up with their peers get it. Children in the early years love hearing and sharing books together.

This love of reading does not continue as strongly through the school. Staff are not all as knowledgeable in encouraging pupils to enjoy and understand texts to a high standard. As a consequence, pupils do not achieve as well in reading as they could.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) now have their needs clearly identified. Plans developed between the SENCo, teachers, parents and pupils make clear what adaptations or extra help pupils should get. The monitoring of the impact of this is at an early stage.

Teachers are not all as skilled at checking what pupils already know, or what they are struggling with in a lesson, as they should be. This means that adaptations for all, including pupils with SEND, are not always as effective as they could be. Although provision in the early years means these children with SEND have their needs met to a very high standard and achieve well, most pupils with SEND have the same gaps in their knowledge as their peers.

Classes are calm and pupils work hard. Records and discussions show that a small number of pupils do, sometimes, struggle with their behaviour. Incidents that disrupt others' learning, and related suspensions, have reduced in number this academic year.

Leaders have worked closely with pupils, parents, and staff to create a positive learning environment.

Pupils get lots of opportunities to learn about the world around them, both locally and much wider. They are highly articulate about what they have learned about different relationships and ways of life.

They excitedly describe the federation days, where they come together with the other schools, saying that 'you make lots of new friends'. They show their good understanding of values such as kindness and respect through their interactions with each other and visitors.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders' knowledge of pupils is excellent. Their record-keeping is highly comprehensive. Staff are well trained, and are updated on key safeguarding messages weekly.

This means that staff are highly confident in identifying any risks that pupils may face.

Leaders work very closely with parents and other agencies. They challenge where needed to be sure that every pupil gets the support they need.

Pupils are very well cared for in this school. They are taught well about how to keep themselves safe. They know adults will help them if they are worried, and there are lots of opportunities for talking things through, such as 'draw and talk' and time in the 'burrow' and the 'nest'.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• As pupils move through the school, the teaching of reading does not engage pupils as much as it might. As a result, older pupils are not always interested in the books and texts they read. Leaders need to ensure that staff are confident in how to inspire and enthuse pupils to read widely.

• Teachers do not consistently adapt activities in lessons to match pupils' understanding. This means that pupils do not always make enough progress in knowing more over time. Leaders must ensure that staff precisely identify what pupils know and can do and carefully match learning to this.

• The way that some lessons in a topic are structured does not always enable pupils to learn what they need before tackling more complex questions. This means the aims of the curriculum are not met. Leaders need to make sure that teachers are clear about how to structure learning in every subject.