Great Massingham CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils here are happy and enjoy school. The school is a close community and older pupils naturally look out for and support the younger ones.

Pupils value the close links with the local village and the federated school, which helps them feel part of a larger community.

The school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour and they quickly learn the routines when they start school. Pupils are enthusiastic and work hard.

They feel safe and well looked after. Older pupils volunteer to take on various responsibilities, such as values leaders, and take these seriously. They help out both in school, running collective worship, and out in the village, for example, ...running litter picks.

Expectations for pupils' academic work have risen and pupils recognise how their written presentation and handwriting has begun to improve over time. They enjoy listening to stories that their teachers read to them. There is a strong focus on oracy and language, giving pupils a wide vocabulary.

Pupils regularly discuss key questions as part of lessons. As a result, they develop strong skills in comparing and contrasting different concepts.

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

The school has raised expectations of what pupils will achieve.

The school knew pupils were not leaving with strong enough core skills and sought advice from specialists. Comprehensive schemes of work for all subjects make it clear what should be taught and when. The quality of education now enables more pupils to become confident readers and mathematicians.

Pupils read a wide variety of challenging, high-quality texts, which interest them. These include themes of discrimination and are set in a wide variety of countries. As a result, pupils become more aware of the wider world around them.

Consistent teaching methods for phonics mean that pupils quickly learn the basics of reading. Most pupils regularly practise reading and so become fluent readers. Those who find it harder, get extra practise that helps them catch up.

The engaging texts and discussions in class make pupils enthusiastic writers. They are motivated to write at length and use the wide vocabulary that they have learned. However, pupils' technical writing skills are not as developed as they should be.

Too many have weak grammar and punctuation knowledge. Their handwriting is not always well presented. The school has ensured that, right from the start, pupils regularly practise letter formation, with the correct posture for writing.

However, this has not had an impact on the older pupil's writing.

The school makes sure that learning is engaging. Pupils take part in lots of practical activities to help them remember core subject knowledge.

Sometimes, explanations from staff are not as clear or precise as they could be. When this is the case, pupils do not learn as well as they should.

Pupils enjoy their learning.

Their work is often put together in collaborative project books. Pupils look at these with pride and reflect on their own and others' work. They generally behave well.

Pupils with special needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included well in the life of the school. The school has actively sought out expert advice on how best to help these pupils. As a result, adaptations in the classroom help them concentrate and make progress.

Detailed plans support staff in how best to help pupils with SEND.

The youngest children have a good start to their education. They join in with learning the same themes as the rest of the infant class, albeit adapted to their age.

This helps to expand their vocabulary and confidence. They also have plenty of opportunities to learn through play and exploration.

Pupils talk confidently about their school values.

They know what they mean in practice and model these to each other. The school ensures pupils get to experience larger gatherings by bringing the federated schools together for events and virtual assemblies. They access specialist teaching and facilities for physical education.

Staff work closely together and feel well supported by leaders. The governing body ensures that they meet statutory duties and are realistic about the further improvement needed, particularly in writing.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils have not been taught technical writing skills well enough. For too many pupils, weak use of grammar and punctuation, combined with poorly formed handwriting, means that they do not meet the age-appropriate standards for writing. The school needs to ensure that pupils are taught these skills in a coherent and effective way.

• Some explanations and teaching points from staff are not as precise or as clear as they should be. When this is the case, pupils do not learn and remember as much as they could. The school needs to ensure that staff receive appropriate professional development to improve further their delivery of the curriculum.

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