Cheswardine Primary and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and welcoming school where pupils love to learn. Staff know each and every pupil inside out and use this information to personalise the curriculum, maximising learning opportunities.

The school has high ambitions for every pupil, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils live up to these expectations by working hard and behaving very well both in lessons and at social times.

Pupils enjoy coming to school, and this is reflected in their positive attitudes to learning.

They say that they are happy and feel safe. Pupils understand the importance of treating everyone equally and wit...h respect. Staff and pupils view the school as a big family.

This is evident in the way that younger and older pupils harmoniously eat, play and socialise together.

The school ensures that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They do this through a carefully considered curriculum.

Pupils can talk confidently about fundamental British values such as respect and the rule of law and why these are important. Pupils participate in clubs and trips. They especially value camping in the school grounds when they are younger and then going on an outdoor residential in Wales in later years.

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

There is a clear and ambitious vision for the school that everyone shares. Since the last inspection, leaders have continued to drive improvements, resulting in positive outcomes for pupils.

The school has developed a broad and logically sequenced curriculum that supports pupils in knowing and remembering more.

There has been careful consideration about what the school wants pupils to learn. Leaders have identified the important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn across each year group and through the school. Teachers use this information well so that learning builds step by step.

This is also the case when there are pupils in different year groups in the same class. Some subject leaders are relatively new to their posts and are still developing in their roles. They have many ideas about how they plan to develop their subjects and to measure their work's impact over time.

Across the school, teachers have secure subject knowledge and present content clearly. At the start of lessons, pupils respond to questions relating to relevant, previous learning. Staff use these questions to check if pupils can remember what they have learned.

In all classes, pupils are keen to talk about their learning. However, at times, some staff do not have high enough expectations for handwriting and presentation of work, and some repeated spelling errors are not picked up.The teaching of phonics and reading is well led and managed.

Pupils read regularly at home and in school. Staff immerse children in stories and rhymes as soon as they start in Nursery. This develops their speech and language.

In Reception, daily phonics sessions help pupils to learn their sounds quickly. All staff have had training in the teaching of phonics so that they can support pupils effectively with their reading. The books pupils take home are carefully matched to the phonics sounds they know.

Pupils who need support have well-focused interventions to help them keep up. Most pupils read fluently by the end of key stage 1 and continue to read widely as they move up through the school. Older pupils talk about their favourite books and authors with understanding and pleasure.

Pupils with SEND receive good support and are fully included in all aspects of school life. The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND accurately. Regular training ensures that staff understand pupils' particular needs and know how to match learning to meet these needs.

Staff give pupils carefully considered resources that allow them to work alongside their peers. All of this means that pupils with SEND achieve well.

Leaders prioritise pupils' personal development.

Despite being a small, rural school, staff work hard to ensure that pupils get meaningful opportunities to deepen their learning and to try new things. Staff carefully plan trips, visitors and experiences that enrich pupils' day-to-day experiences. Community links are strong.

For instance, when the opportunity arises, pupils sing at the local residential home and make visits to support the community café. Pupils also take part in clubs such as multi-sports, dance and football. Staff prepare pupils well for their next steps in education.

Governors know the school well. They want pupils to succeed. Staff believe that they are well supported and respected.

They say that leaders consider their well-being and work-life balance. The school's focus on the mental health and well-being of everyone involved with the school is a particular strength. Staff appreciate this and say that it makes them feel valued.

Staff are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some subject leaders are still relatively new to their posts and are still developing their roles.

This means that they do not have a full understanding of how well pupils learn in these subjects. Leaders should continue to ensure that subject leaders have the time and expertise to be able to effectively measure the impact of their work and how it supports pupils to know and remember more over time. ? Sometimes, staff do not have high enough expectations for handwriting and presentation of work.

For example, in some work, pupils make repeated spelling mistakes or work is presented poorly. This compounds pupils' errors over time. Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently have high expectations for handwriting and presentation in all subjects and classes.