Corsham Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Corsham Primary is a welcoming school where everyone gets along. Dedicated staff greet pupils warmly when they arrive. Most pupils flourish academically and socially because staff provide high levels of care and nurture.

The school works diligently to refine and improve the curriculum so that pupils learn more over time. This helps pupils get off to a positive start to their education.

The school is a safe place to learn.

Staff expect pupils to behave well and follow the 'golden rules', and they do. If pupils have any worries, they feel confident talking to adults or using the 'I wish my teacher knew' box. A highlight for many pupils is the 'celebration assem...bly', which recognises pupils' achievements.

This inspires pupils to aim high.

The school provides many memorable experiences to broaden pupils' horizons and expand their minds. These include residential trips, talent shows and fundraising events, such as 'Indhu Rani' day.

Older pupils take on responsibilities, such as becoming peer mediators and sports ambassadors. Younger children look up to them for support and guidance.

The overwhelming majority of parents praise the school's work.

They report that their children thrive and develop a love of learning.

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

The school's enquiry curriculum is ambitious. Pupils learn across a broad range of subjects.

For example, they enjoy being scientists, historians, mathematicians and artists. Teachers have a comprehensive overview of what pupils need to learn and when. In many cases, pupils' learning builds on previous learning.

For example, older pupils use their prior knowledge of materials to investigate conductors and insulators. In art, pupils make simple pinch pots in key stage 1 before producing more complex Mayan sculptures in Years 5 and 6. However, in a few subjects, further work remains to identify the precise 'sticky knowledge' pupils need to learn and remember over time.

Reading is at the core of the school's curriculum. The inviting libraries and class reading areas are home to a range of high-quality books. Staff have carefully mapped out the books pupils will encounter as they move from year to year.

These inspire pupils to read more widely and use more adventurous vocabulary in their writing.

From day one of Reception Year, children begin to read quickly. The school's phonics programme and matched books help pupils develop reading accuracy.

By the end of Year 1, most pupils gain a strong grasp of phonics. Any pupil who falls behind in their reading gets swift support to help them catch up. Despite this, the transfer of reading skills into writing is less developed, especially for disadvantaged pupils.

Some groups of pupils make repeated errors with punctuation, spelling and letter formation. The school has firm plans in place to sharpen the implementation of writing further to address this.

Teachers' subject knowledge is secure.

They present information clearly and revisit important knowledge at the start of lessons. Teachers use wall displays and quizzes to help pupils make sense of the enquiry questions that drive the curriculum. The school's process for identifying pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is comprehensive.

Staff give well-targeted support to help pupils overcome barriers to learning. This includes emotional literacy and speech and language support. For the most part, pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers and experience success.

Pupils learn without disruption. This starts in early years where children listen carefully and sustain concentration for long periods. Well-trained staff provide effective support to meet pupils' social and emotional needs.

For example, pupils learn the importance of teamwork and to manage risk in the forest areas. Feeding the pigs and chickens helps other pupils with their well-being.

The curriculum fosters pupils' personal development well.

A recent careers week introduced Year 6 pupils to future career possibilities. Mock elections to run the school for the day explore the concept of democracy. Visits from the local police and volunteers help pupils learn about online and bike safety.

Pupils enjoy a variety of clubs and extra opportunities, including sports, first aid and book writing. Nonetheless, more work could be done to encourage disadvantaged pupils to take up these opportunities.

Governors and trustees know the school well.

They bring a strong set of skills and experience to their roles. They ask searching questions to hold school leaders to account for pupils' outcomes and attendance. Across both sites, staff value the opportunities to work together.

They appreciate how school leaders consider their well-being and listen. This makes for a happy and committed staff team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's high expectations for writing are not consistently met by all groups of pupils, especially disadvantaged pupils. Some pupils make repeated errors with punctuation, spelling and letter formation. The trust and school should ensure that writing routines are clearly established so that pupils have sufficient opportunities to develop and practise their writing and secure age-appropriate knowledge and skills.

In a minority of subjects, the school has not been clear enough about the important knowledge it wants pupils to learn and remember. Consequently, in these subjects, pupils do not deepen and connect their knowledge well over time. The trust and school need to define more clearly the most important knowledge so that pupils build on their learning and have the same depth of knowledge as they do in other subjects.

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