Horrington Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Horrington primary has been through a turbulent time. There have been recent changes to leadership, staffing and the way in which classes are organised.

Leaders have a strong vision and high expectations. Pupils are adapting well to the new arrangements. There is a clear plan of action to increase pupils' knowledge of the school's curriculum.

However, currently, pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

The personal development of pupils is a strength of the school. Pupils take part in sporting competitions and events.

These develop their confidence and resilience. Pupils make visits to places of interest, such as Glastonbury Abbey and events, su...ch as Wells Literature Festival. Through opportunities such as these, they develop a broad understanding of life beyond their village.

Pupils attend well. They are inquisitive about the world around them and are eager to share their learning. They know that a trusted adult will help them if they have any worries.

Pupils are proud of the responsibilities they hold. These include being school councillors and house captains. Pupils develop independence through such leadership positions.

Pupils understand what it means to be a good role model. Older pupils are 'buddies' to the youngest children and help them to settle into school.

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

The school has made many positive alterations to the curriculum recently.

However, there is still significant work to do to ensure that pupils benefit from this. In many subjects, the curriculum is not yet fully developed or implemented. Consequently, pupils are not supported well enough to build up their subject knowledge.

Where the curriculum is established, regular checks are not made on how well pupils understand the curriculum. Therefore, some pupils move on to new learning with ongoing gaps in their knowledge.

While the school has taken some steps to improve the early years curriculum, this is at an early stage.

It does not set out clearly the important knowledge children need to learn. As a result, children do not develop their knowledge across all areas of learning.

The school now prioritises reading.

Published outcomes do not reflect current pupils' phonic knowledge. Now, as soon as children start school, they are fully immersed in stories, books and rhymes. At this stage, children read books that match the sounds they know.

However, due to the legacy of the previous reading curriculum, some older pupils do not have the skills and knowledge they need to read with fluency. Such pupils do not always receive effective support to help them to catch up.While there is some effective work to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), some pupils do not benefit from this.

This is because the school does not always identify pupils' academic needs promptly.

The school has recently reviewed the way in which pupils' behaviour is managed. This is built around the school's STARS values.

Pupils conduct themselves sensibly around the school building. However, there is more work to do to ensure that behaviour expectations are understood by pupils and applied by all staff.

Pupils have a comprehensive understanding of British values.

They know what is meant by 'individual liberty', for example. Pupils make thoughtful links between democracy and opportunities to vote within school. They talk with knowledge about protected characteristics.

Pupils know how to look after their physical and mental health. For example, they understand the importance of a healthy diet and regular exercise. Pupils are knowledgeable about how to stay safe in the wider environment and when online.

They use periods of reflection to 'reset' and prepare themselves for further learning.

The school and the trust have the necessary expertise to remedy the areas that require improvement. Their actions have begun to have some positive impact on pupils' experiences at the school.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They have embraced the recent improvements made to the curriculum and feel well supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In many subjects, the curriculum is not fully developed or implemented as intended. Consequently, pupils are not supported well enough to build their subject knowledge over time. The school and the trust should ensure that the curriculum in all subjects is well designed and implemented.

• Where the curriculum is established, the use of assessment is not sufficiently developed to check that pupils have learned the curriculum. Therefore, gaps in pupils' understanding are not identified and rectified. The school needs to ensure that the use of assessment supports pupils to learn successfully.

• The school has not ensured that expected routines and learning behaviours are consistently applied. As a result, some poor behaviour disrupts learning. The school should ensure that the agreed approach to managing pupils' behaviour is put in place and understood by all.

• The school does not always identify the needs of pupils with SEND promptly. As a result, pupils do not receive the support they need in a timely manner. The school should ensure that all staff have the skills to identify the needs of pupils and support them effectively.

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