Codnor Community Primary School Church of England Controlled

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Codnor Community Primary School Church of England Controlled continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be part of Codnor Community Church of England Primary School. They are committed to the 'Codnor Stars' of safety first, respect, responsibility, aspiration and supporting their community. These values are important to pupils.

Pupils behave well. Incidents of poor behaviour are rare, minor in nature and quickly resolved. Pupils are polite, courteous and extend a warm welcome to anyone who is new to the school.

It is an inclusive community.

Bullying is very rare. Pupils have a clear understanding of what bullying is a...nd the different forms that it can take.

They know what to do should it occur. They are confident that the adults in school will help them.

Pupils enjoy homework.

The homework 'buckets' help them to try new and important things, like baking bread, reading a book in a strange place and preparing a healthy meal with their family.

All pupils are able to make good use of the many extra-curricular activities that are on offer. These include a wide range of sporting activities, a knitting club and a Christmas club.

Pupils enjoy taking part in musical activities, including learning to play musical instruments and being part of the school choir. The inspector saw an impressive performance by the school 'Rockband'.

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is tailored to meet the needs of pupils at the school.

It helps pupils to develop academically, personally and socially. The curriculum is well sequenced. In most subjects, the curriculum sets out the most important things that pupils need to know and remember each term.

Lessons build systematically on what pupils know and can do. However, a small number of subjects, including history, are not as well planned. They focus too much on the skills that pupils should develop.

They do not make clear enough which are the most important parts that pupils should know and remember. This makes it difficult for leaders to check what pupils have learned in some subjects of the curriculum.

The early years curriculum has recently been improved.

It is well sequenced and ambitious. It sets out what children should know and do in each term in the Nursery and the Reception Years. The activities that teachers provide are well designed.

They help children to learn the curriculum over time. Children get off to a good start in their education in the early years.

Phonics teaching is well organised.

Curriculum plans show which sounds pupils will learn each week. Pupils who are not keeping up with the expected standards for their age are quickly identified and receive extra help. Teachers make phonics lessons fun.

However, there are some minor inconsistencies in the way that phonics is taught. Some adults help pupils to practise sounds more often than others. Leaders are in the process of addressing this so that all pupils receive a consistent approach to help them build their phonic knowledge.

The reading curriculum is well sequenced. Pupils experience a wide range of authors and genres. They learn different ways to read and find information, such as skimming and scanning.

They enjoy earning 'raffle tickets' for reading at home. They read widely and often. Teachers read to pupils regularly.

Pupils enjoy this and it is helping to deepen their understanding of vocabulary.

Leaders make sure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, get the help they need. Any pupil who begins to fall behind is identified quickly.

The school 'provision map' sets out the support that pupils will get. Leaders check regularly to ensure that support is effective.

Leaders have an accurate view of their school.

They know what is working well and what needs to improve further. They have built a united team that is ambitious for pupils to 'learn, strive and achieve'. Adults know pupils well.

Relationships are consistently positive. The school is a happy place.

Governors are ambitious for the pupils of the school.

They have strengthened the way that they hold leaders to account. They provide effective challenge and support.

The majority of parents hold the school in high esteem.

They appreciate what leaders did in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are positive about what the school did to maintain learning and to support families during the initial lockdown periods. One parent told the inspector: 'I don't know where I'd be without the help and support of the school.'

This comment was typical of the views of parents.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are vigilant.

They know their pupils well and are quick to pick up on any concerns which they might have. Adults receive regular training about how to safeguard pupils. Leaders work closely with families and other agencies to ensure that the right support is provided to pupils if required.

Record-keeping is well organised. This helps senior leaders to maintain a clear oversight of the arrangements for safeguarding.

Pupils know what to do if they have a problem or concern.

They understand how to stay safe online. Through the curriculum, assemblies and special events, they learn how to manage the risks they may encounter in school and in the local community.

Governors review the school's safeguarding work regularly.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, curriculum plans do not make clear the most important things that pupils are expected to know and remember for each unit of work. This means that pupils do not learn and remember subject matter as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that curriculum plans set out explicitly what pupils are expected to know.

This will help subject leaders to check if any gaps in pupils' knowledge emerge so that they are better placed to adapt the curriculum if necessary. ? There are some minor inconsistencies in the way that phonics is taught. This means that a few pupils do not learn and practise sounds consistently as well as others do.

Leaders should ensure that adults teach phonics in a similar way. This will help all pupils to build their knowledge of phonics coherently.Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2016.