Cutthorpe Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this school.

They talk with enthusiasm about their teachers and the help they provide. Pupils have a sense of ownership of the school. They create class charters with their teachers to ensure everyone understands how to behave.

Children in the early years learn about emotions and how to manage them.

Leaders have high expectations. They help pupils to achieve well and to broaden their horizons.

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. They take pride in their work. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere in classrooms.

Staff and pupils have respectful relationships. Pupils talk about welcoming new starters to the... school. Children in the early years are polite, confident and able to speak with visitors.

Pupils are not worried about bullying. They share any concerns they have with teachers.

Pupils' learning and development is not limited to the classroom.

Leaders organise visits which help pupils to learn more about what they are studying in their lessons as well as engage with the wider world. For example, trips to Boggle Hole to learn more about coastal erosion and visits to the theatre connected with pupils' work on writing. Pupils take part in sporting and leadership opportunities.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), follow this curriculum. Leaders have logically organised the knowledge, skills and vocabulary they want pupils to learn.

They have included topics to help pupils learn about the world beyond the community in which they live. In the early years, leaders have also planned what pupils will learn and when. This prepares pupils for their learning in key stage 1 and beyond.

Pupils across the key stages develop their knowledge over time. However, teachers do not always help pupils to make connections between the different topics they have studied or deepen their understanding to think like a geographer, or a scientist, for example.

Teachers deliver lessons with clarity.

They have secure subject knowledge. Teachers check pupils' understanding using questions and other effective strategies. In the early years, teachers skilfully identify and correct pupils' misconceptions.

Leaders are yet to establish assessment systems in the foundation subjects.

Teachers quickly identify and support pupils with SEND. They adapt resources and model activities before pupils complete them.

Teachers and teaching assistants have established positive relationships with pupils with SEND. This is apparent in all classes, including in the early years. Staff have a good understanding of how to help the pupils with SEND to learn the curriculum.

Leaders have recently adopted a new phonics programme. Staff have completed training. They deliver phonics sessions, which engage pupils and help them to improve the speed of their reading as well as their comprehension.

Staff support pupils who need extra help effectively. Pupils read fluently from books, which match the sounds they have learned. However, the new phonics programme is not yet fully embedded in key stage 2.

Leaders have adopted a well-sequenced personal development curriculum. Pupils learn about money, values and how to keep themselves safe. Pupils know the school values and fundamental British values.

They are not always aware of how these values relate to their lives beyond school.

Leaders have planned for pupils' wider experiences. Many pupils join in with a range of sporting activities, including running, basketball and football.

There are some opportunities for pupils to engage with music and the arts. Pupils benefit from taking part in forest school activities.

Pupils take their learning seriously.

Staff and pupils have high expectations of behaviour. On the rare occasions when pupils make the wrong choices they apologise. They learn how to make better choices in the future.

Pupils support one another. A weekly celebration assembly motivates pupils to do their best. Teachers link rewards to school priorities, such as writing.

Pupils take on leadership roles by delivering assemblies about their interests and achievements. Older pupils act as 'mini-leaders' and run activities for younger pupils at lunchtime. All pupils vote for the school parliament and for 'bronze ambassadors'.

Pupils learn about beliefs different to their own. This begins in the early years.

Governors engage fully with school life.

They participate in the monitoring of the curriculum and regularly visit school to discuss their link subjects. They fulfil their statutory duties. Staff are very positive about workload and well-being.

They participate in well-being and team-building activities. Leaders have introduced new systems, which are helping to improve pupils' experiences of school. They have not yet evaluated the impact of all their new policies.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have created a culture of safeguarding. Staff are well trained.

They know how to report concerns. Leaders and governors follow safe recruitment practices. Governors complete safeguarding training alongside school staff.

Leaders work with other agencies effectively, when necessary, to safeguard pupils.

Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe. Older pupils talk confidently about how to stay safe online.

Pupils learn about healthy relationships at an age-appropriate level. Pupils say that they feel safe and would share any concerns they have with staff.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not yet ensured that there are routine checks of pupils' knowledge in foundation subjects.

This means leaders are not yet able to precisely identify gaps in pupils' knowledge in the subjects which make up the wider curriculum. Leaders should ensure that there is a consistent approach to checking pupils' knowledge in the wider curriculum subjects and that this approach does not place unnecessary burdens on staff or pupils. ? Leaders have introduced a range of new strategies and policies.

These strategies include a new phonics programme and new ways of checking pupils' understanding in core subjects. There is not yet an evaluation of the impact of all new strategies. Leaders should ensure that they continue to embed new policies and evaluate them in order to better understand their impact.