Coxhoe Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Coxhoe Primary School and many regard it as an extended family. One pupil summed this up well: 'It is a place where teachers really care about you. A warm, caring place where we are part of a second family.'



In early years, leaders plan around the children's interests and encourage them to say what they would like to see in school. Children are well supported by staff and grow in confidence. They independently collect the resources they need and share these with others.

Pupils respond to the high expectations set by teachers and behave well. They have positive attitudes towards learning and each other. Very little bullying happens in ...school, and pupils are confident adults will sort out any issues.

Pupils love being with Cooper, the school therapy dog. He contributes to pupils' well-being, acting as a comfort and confidante. Pupils who find it difficult to talk to others often express their feelings to him.

Cooper also helps pupils to overcome their fear of dogs.

There are some after-school activities such as football and dance. Pupils have been consulted by leaders about their interests and would like a wider variety of clubs to choose from.

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

Leaders have implemented ambitious 'curriculum drivers', including communication and language, culture and community, goals and aspirations, health and well-being and online safety. These underpin the curriculum planning in all subjects. Some curriculum areas, such as mathematics and computing, are highly structured.

Pupils' knowledge and skills are carefully built up over time. Subject leaders develop the planning and ensure teachers are well trained. Pupils gain a secure understanding in these subjects and are confident in connecting new learning with what they already know.

While the curriculum planning is in place in all subjects, in some subjects, leaders recognise that there is more to do to ensure the curriculum is well connected. For example, in some subject areas, teachers plan solely for their own year group and this leads to some curriculum gaps. In music, while pupils benefit from the wealth of knowledge of specialist teachers, the school music curriculum does not map specifically to the music service plans.

Curriculum leaders have good subject knowledge and support their colleagues well. Most subject leaders monitor their subjects well. However, some leaders rely on feedback from staff to inform next steps rather than looking at broader evidence.

Leaders invested in a new highly structured phonics programme to teach early reading. This starts in Reception Class. Pupils enthusiastically join in phonics lessons and learn more quickly than on the previous scheme.

Staff check pupils' learning and provide additional catch-up lessons for those who need them. All staff are trained to use the same techniques in phonics lessons and there is a consistent approach across the school.

Children in early years benefit from the well-considered environment, including a purpose-built climbing frame to develop core body strength.

All staff model speaking and listening and interact well with children. As a result, children are very confident in talking with each other and adults.

Well-developed plans are in place with targeted support to help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve the best they can.

Early years staff learn as much as possible about children transferring from nursery into school. They work with parents and services to ensure a smooth transition and arrange extra visits to school for children with SEND.

Pupils talk with confidence about gender equality.

They are respectful of each other and adults in school. The school curriculum ensures that pupils have a range of opportunities to understand the world around them. Classroom texts are chosen to support pupils in developing an understanding of diversity.

Older pupils volunteer to take on extra responsibilities. They delight in listening to younger children read and willingly help others at playtimes.

Governors draw on their expertise to check health and safety and lead on school building issues.

Senior leaders worked together during the COVID-19 school closure to continuously review the education for pupils. They made changes to the remote offer after taking feedback from pupils and parents. Families appreciated the variety in remote learning and the response to their suggestions.

Leaders have created a highly positive culture among the whole staff team. Staff appreciate that leaders consider their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe from harm, particularly from online dangers. Online safety is revisited on a frequent basis in the computing curriculum.

Safeguarding issues are discussed regularly at senior leadership and staff meetings.

The safeguarding governor is trained and has oversight of the pre-employment checks on staff.

Staff receive appropriate safeguarding training. They are alert to any sign that indicates a pupil is at risk of harm.

Pupils are confident that there is an adult they can talk to if they need help. Leaders work closely with external agencies to ensure that pupils' needs are met.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In the majority of subjects, leaders have identified the knowledge they want pupils to learn and when.

In some subjects, this is not as clear. Teachers do not know precisely what should be taught. Leaders should ensure that teachers know the exact content leaders want pupils to learn, so that pupils know and remember more.

• Some curriculum leaders are not checking and evaluating the effectiveness of the curriculum on pupils' learning. As a result, curriculum leaders do not know what works and what needs to be improved so that pupils know more over time. Curriculum leaders should ensure that they monitor the effectiveness of the curriculum regularly, making amendments and refinements when required, to ensure that the curriculum and learning areas effective as possible.