Great Berry Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Great Berry is a happy, calm and welcoming school. Pupils have positive relationships with staff. They feel safe in school.

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They work hard and behave well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs met well.

Pupils learn a curriculum that helps them build their knowledge in a range of subjects. They are keen to learn new things and recall what they have learned well. Staff help pupils to understand content that is tricky so that pupils succeed in their learning.

Pupils learn what it means to be kind, caring, resilient and curious. They use these values in all they do. Pupils are proud to h...ave leadership roles such as sports captains, pupil councillors and Year 6 head and deputy head pupils.

These roles help pupils to develop responsibility and play a wider role in the school community. Pupils make a difference in their local community through fundraising and food collections.

Pupils enjoy a range of extra-curricular activities and trips that help them to take risks and try new things.

These include 'kurling', animal handling and performing at music concerts.

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

The school has high expectations for all pupils. The curriculum begins in the early years and builds on pupils' knowledge as they go through the school.

In most subjects, the school has set out precisely what it wants pupils to learn. Where this is working effectively, the curriculum is more detailed and staff have a secure understanding of what to teach. They know how to check what pupils have learned and remembered.

In some subjects, this is not the case. This means that staff do not teach with the same level of detail and gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding are not always identified quickly.

Reading is a priority for staff.

They follow the school's phonics programme, but it is not taught as well as it could be for some pupils. Staff check what pupils have learned but the support put in place as a result of these checks does not always meet some pupils' needs. This means that a small group of pupils do not catch up quickly when they fall behind with their reading.

Staff work hard to ensure that most pupils become confident readers. This includes ensuring that pupils have books that match their reading stage so that pupils can practise what they have learned. Pupils are proud of their reading achievements and work eagerly towards receiving reading rewards.

Teachers use additional resources and adaptations that help pupils with SEND to learn the same curriculum as their peers. Staff know how to identify pupils' needs and the support in place is effective. The school works with a range of external agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND get the help and support they need to succeed in their learning.

In the early years, staff plan activities for children that target language development skilfully. Staff create opportunities for purposeful talk with children so that they can support language development effectively. Children engage in learning and show perseverance with tasks.

However, children do not get as many opportunities to explore and take risks across the different areas of learning. This means that some children develop gaps in their learning, such as scissor control, and are not ready to build on some skills in Year 1.

Pupils behave maturely and sensibly.

They know that behaviour choices have both positive and negative consequences. They work hard to always make the right decision. Pupils listen well in lessons and are calm when moving around the school.

The school promotes high attendance and is working with parents to reduce the number of pupils who miss school due to holidays in term time.

Pupils help to make decisions through the pupil council and know the positive impact this can have on their school. They understand the democratic approach to making decisions.

Pupils learn about healthy living, including nutrition, sleep, mental health and exercise. They know why being healthy is important and how this contributes to being a better learner. Pupils make good use of the activities and clubs on offer.

They have positive experiences of competitions and events that staff plan to enrich the curriculum.

The trust works with governors and school leaders to ensure that pupils' learning and progress are a priority. Governors know the school well.

Staff feel valued and are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, including phonics, the knowledge that pupils should learn is not identified precisely.

Teachers do not always check pupils' understanding systematically. As a result, gaps in some pupils' knowledge are growing. The school needs to ensure that the knowledge they want pupils to learn is clearly set out and that this is checked consistently in all subjects.

• In the early years, children do not get all the opportunities to explore and take risks across the different areas of learning that they could. This means that some children develop gaps in their learning. The school needs to ensure that children have the opportunity to express their creativity and develop their knowledge and understanding further across the seven areas of learning.