Great Paxton CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

Pupils achieve well and their attainment is above average by the end of Year 6. They make good progress across the school. Teaching engages pupils well and makes learning exciting.

New skills are introduced systematically and subjects are brought alive by the imaginative use of resources. Pupils behave well and feel very safe. They have good manners and enthusiastically take responsibility.

The school successfully promotes creativity and sport, and provides pupils with many memorable experiences. Consequently, pupils develop a love of learning as well as good confidence and self-esteem. The school is improving quickly again afte...r a period when pockets of underachievement had begun to emerge.

The new headteacher sets high expectations and does not willingly accept second best. His guidance and challenge are ensuring that both teaching and pupils' progress are improving at a rapid pace. The governing body supports the school well and provides good levels of challenge to other leaders.

Parents and carers are highly positive about the school and recent improvements. They especially like the way that the school focuses equally on both social and academic development. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Pupils make slightly slower progress in writing than in reading.

Teachers do not make consistently good use of marking and targets that identify next steps to show pupils how to improve their writing. There are a few occasions when the more able are not challenged well enough in mathematics lessons. Not all pupils take enough care with the presentation of their work.

Information about this school

This is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported at school action is broadly average.

The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average. The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding for children known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority and the children of service families) is well below the national average. In this school, there are no pupils in the last two categories in the current year.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress. An after-schools club is managed by the governing body. The headteacher took up post in April 2012.