Cornholme Junior, Infant and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have established the mission statement, 'Together we will learn and grow'.

This inspires everyone in school to be welcoming to all. Staff live this welcoming approach out in their interactions with pupils and each other. Pupils follow these examples and treat each other with kindness and respect.

Pupils behave well most of the time. If they struggle to manage their emotions, adults help them to get back on track. Leaders have created an inclusive culture that helps pupils to feel happy and safe.

Leaders have begun to establish a curriculum that has increasing ambition for pupils. Some subjects are in the early stages of development. Pupils do not lear...n consistently well across all areas.

Teaching is not sufficiently adapted to support some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This limits pupils' learning in some subjects.

Leaders make sure that pupils have opportunities to explore their interests and talents.

Many pupils take part in the exceptional school orchestra and school choir. They enjoy the frequent opportunities that leaders provide for them to perform, in school and beyond. Some pupils help in the school garden at lunchtime.

Others work as school councillors, supporting charitable events in the local community. These opportunities are helping to prepare pupils well for their future lives.

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

Leaders are in the process of developing the curriculum.

In many subjects in the wider curriculum, leaders have not defined the most important knowledge that they want pupils to learn. This makes it difficult for pupils to build their knowledge step by step. Currently, pupils are not learning well enough in subjects across the wider curriculum.

There is too much variation in how teachers adapt teaching to support pupils with SEND. For example, insufficient attention is placed on some of the specific barriers that some pupils experience in reading and in processing written questions. This limits pupils' learning, particularly when trying to solve written problems in mathematics.

In some areas, curriculum improvements are gaining traction. For example, in music, the curriculum is fully established. Leaders make sure that every pupil learns to play a musical instrument.

Pupils develop the ability to play these instruments and master complex rhythms and sequences. Pupils understand about pitch, dynamics and pulse. They apply these concepts confidently in their performances.

Leaders make reading a priority. They ensure that staff have the training that they need to help pupils to learn to read. Staff model the sounds that pupils need to learn consistently well.

This helps pupils to master phonics and become fluent readers. Pupils who struggle receive targeted support from skilled adults. From the earliest years, leaders have made sure that children have a well-chosen variety of books to enjoy.

Staff show children what being a great reader looks like by reading to them every day. Pupils across school talk enthusiastically about the books that adults share with them. Leaders make sure that pupils have many opportunities to develop a love of reading.

Pupils have spoken online with a famous author and worked with a local poet. These opportunities contribute to pupils' enjoyment of language, story and rhyme.

Staff make sure children in early years get off to a flying start in mathematics.

They give children lots of opportunities to develop their mathematical knowledge. For example, children explore numbers to 10 by keeping score when playing games. Children become confident with number quickly.

Teachers help older pupils to build their mathematics knowledge step by step. Teachers routinely check what pupils know and remember. This means that by the time pupils leave school in Year 6, most pupils are confident mathematicians.

Leaders and staff show pupils how to treat everyone with kindness. This is helping pupils to develop respectful attitudes towards each other. Pupils build on this by applying for the various leadership roles in school.

Some pupils lead as house captains, some work as school librarians, and others provide help at lunchtime. These opportunities to lead start in the earliest years. Each week, adults choose a child to be the 'lovely leader'.

This child leads their class when lining up in the classroom and takes home the class cuddly toy, Pete the cat, to care for. These opportunities support all pupils to be active citizens, caring for their school community.

Those responsible for governance challenge and support leaders to improve the school.

Governors ensure that they have the skills they need to fulfil their statutory duties. They make sure that everyone focuses on providing pupils with a high-quality education.

Staff feel that leaders support them well.

They see the school as one big family and are proud to be part of that family.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders take safeguarding seriously.

They make sure that staff are trained well and receive necessary updates to safeguarding guidance. Staff work hard to build strong relationships with families. As a result, they know pupils and their families well.

Staff are vigilant and know how to identify any risks that pupils may face. Leaders are tenacious in using links with external agencies to help pupils and families get the support that they need.

Teachers help pupils to learn how to stay safe.

Pupils of all ages show a strong understanding of how to stay safe online. Pupils are confident to speak to adults in school if they have any worries. They know that adults will support them.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not defined the most important knowledge that they want pupils to learn consistently well across all areas of the curriculum. This means that pupils are not consistently able to build the important knowledge they need. The school should ensure that the knowledge they want pupils to learn and remember is precisely defined.

• In some areas of the curriculum, teaching is not adapted precisely enough to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This means that pupils are not moving through the curriculum as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that staff receive the training and guidance needed to adapt teaching more precisely to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.