East Harling Primary School and Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. Warm relationships between staff and pupils reassure pupils that they are safe and listened to.

Bullying is rare and pupils know that if they have a worry, they can go to an adult who will sort things out. Pupils say that the best things about this school are 'teachers and friends'.

Pupils are enthusiastic about learning.

This is because they enjoy the way that teachers teach. Pupils find the topics they study in the new curriculum interesting. Teachers create a calm and orderly environment for pupils to learn in.

Pupils know and appreciate the way that everyone is different. They say that being different is a good t...hing at this school.

Pupils enjoy the range of clubs, trips and visits that leaders have planned for them to experience.

These include, for example, dodgeball, choir and 'boogie bounce'. Pupils can also take on a variety of responsibilities. The active school council is, as pupils say, a 'big democracy'.

School council members work with their friends to make positive changes to the school. This helps pupils to develop a sense of responsibility and influence.

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

Since the previous inspection, leaders have grasped the nettle of curriculum improvement.

They have changed the wider curriculum in subjects, such as art and geography, for the better. Curriculum documents now set out, step-by-step, the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn. Teachers know how to teach subjects in a way that helps pupils to understand.

As a result, pupils are learning more and remembering more. In art, for example, pupils apply their skills with flair and 'personality'. This shows in their artwork, which is detailed, unique and colourful.

Children start their reading lessons as soon as they join the school. Staff are well trained. Lessons help pupils to focus on the letters and sounds they are being taught.

Lessons also provide for plenty of practise. The books that pupils use for practise match the sounds they are learning. Staff give extra support to pupils who need to catch up.

Leaders have also created a new reading curriculum that helps pupils to develop their reading fluency and introduces them to more sophisticated reading material.

Leaders' intended curriculum is being taught effectively by teachers. Teachers often check whether pupils have learned what they are taught.

However, sometimes they do not do this as well as they could. Leaders' checks on this are at an early stage of development. As a result, there is a limit to which leaders are able to adapt their curriculum to reflect what works well and what could be improved.

Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength at this school. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND get the most out of their learning experiences in class. For example, they provide high-quality training to staff who support pupils with SEND to access the curriculum.

Teachers also provide additional support that is bespoke to pupils' needs. This includes adaptations to classroom tasks.

Staff use a common approach to managing behaviour, both in the classrooms and outside.

Staff use consistent words and phrases to help pupils settle and focus on their learning. Teachers know the pupils well. They give praise when pupils are kind, when they are successful and when they follow instructions well.

The school's programme of personal development prepares pupils for future responsibilities in a diverse world. Teachers teach pupils how to stay healthy, how democracy works and how to navigate friendships. There are opportunities for spirituality and reflection.

Pupils learn about and appreciate different cultures through a well-designed programme of religious education.

Teachers provide children in the early years with opportunities to develop their communication. This includes opportunities to listen to stories and sing songs.

Teachers also provide daily teaching in mathematics, reading and the topic of the moment. Adults adjust activities in response to their checks on children's individual needs. Warm relationships help children to develop a positive attitude to learning.

Occasionally, teachers plan activities that do not have a clear learning purpose and so children do not learn as well as they could.

Governors, some of whom are new to their roles, have equipped themselves with a strong understanding of high-quality education. This helps them to ask useful questions about how well the curriculum is being implemented.

School leaders and governors are mindful of teachers' workload and well-being. They have reached out to parents and built positive relationships with the community.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Governors, school leaders and staff know the signs that pupils might be at risk of harm. They know how to report concerns and how to secure help for vulnerable pupils quickly. Safeguarding records are detailed.

These are checked by leaders regularly. Leaders' checks on the suitability of staff to work with children are thorough. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, in the early years, activities are engaging but do not have a clear learning purpose. Children take part in these activities but do not always learn and practise new knowledge and skills. Leaders should provide training for staff in how to maximise opportunities for learning within the setting's continuous provision, so that children's opportunities to learn and practise their new knowledge and skills are maximised.

• In some subjects, leaders' monitoring is at an early stage of development. The current checks on curriculum implementation, including the use of assessment, are not sufficiently robust to give leaders absolute assurance that pupils are benefitting fully from the new curriculum design or to guide them on what improvements might be beneficial. Leaders should review and, where appropriate, adjust their systems of monitoring to give deeper insights into how effectively the curriculum is being implemented.