Marner Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Marner Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are articulate, mature and reflective. They treat each other with respect and value each other's opinions.

Leaders have extremely high expectations for all pupils. They ensure that pupils understand about stereotypes and celebrate differences. Pupils behave sensibly and are excited about future opportunities here.

They are extremely happy and safe. When bullying occurs, pupils are confident to report it to staff, who deal with any incidents seriously.

Pupils enjoy the range of outdoor areas they can use.

In early years, children use the large, well-equipped ...area positively. Older pupils enjoy a range of activities in the playground, such as football and tennis. The whole school makes good use of the garden and forest area.

Sports coaches help pupils to use the school's climbing wall, which pupils thoroughly enjoy.

Staff organise many opportunities for pupils to broaden their experiences, such as visits to museums and farms. Pupils develop their interests through many clubs, including sports, music and origami.

A Saturday school run by school staff is open to all and is well attended.

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

Leaders have developed a curriculum which enables pupils to develop their subject-specific understanding. The curriculum is broad, balanced and ambitious.

In most subjects, leaders have made sure that the knowledge pupils need is identified explicitly. In these subjects, such as mathematics and science, leaders' curricular thinking builds on what children know from Nursery through to Year 6. For example, Reception children make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur.

This prepares them for naming parts of plants and the human body in Year 1. Subject leaders give careful consideration to how the content that pupils are taught is broken down into small steps.

In some subjects, leaders do not break down the exact knowledge that pupils should know.

In history and geography, for example, leaders are not typically clear about the key knowledge pupils should learn and what teachers should check for. In these subjects, leaders' curricular thinking does not consider how to build on children's understanding from the early years.

Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge across most subjects.

Subject leaders develop their own subject expertise and use this to support staff. Leaders encourage staff to reflect on the best use of strategies to help pupils to succeed in their learning. Teaching is highly skilled in developing pupils' understanding.

Teachers use pupils' assessment information well to identify gaps and for checking for any misunderstandings. Teachers routinely review pupils' prior learning and introduce new content sequentially. This helps pupils to build a deep body of knowledge across different subjects.

In early years, children access all areas of learning through carefully planned activities and focused teaching.

The majority of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers. Staff support them well.

Leaders work closely with external agencies to identify and meet pupils' needs. Leaders take into consideration the views and experiences of all pupils with SEND.

Leaders prioritise reading.

They ensure that no pupils are left behind in reading. All staff have regular training. The majority of staff deliver phonics teaching consistently.

On occasion, staff do not pick up on pupils' incorrect pronunciation of sounds. As a result, a minority of pupils do not develop their reading fluency as well as they should. Pupils who join the school at the earliest stages of reading are identified quickly and provided with effective support.

Books pupils read are well matched to the sounds that they know. Pupils at the school develop a love for reading. They talk enthusiastically about the books that teachers share with them in class.

Teachers ensure pupils have regular opportunities to read high-quality texts.

Leaders help pupils to prepare for life in modern Britain. They teach pupils about rights and responsibilities in society.

Pupils listen to each other and are taught to respect different opinions. They concentrate in class, and low-level disruption does not get in the way of learning. Leaders help pupils to understand the importance of staying physically and mentally fit.

Staff love working here. They feel incredibly well looked after and supported. They find the workload manageable.

Parents and carers valued the positive working relationships their children have with staff and the education they receive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders know their local context and families well.

They engage with external agencies to make sure that pupils are supported as best they can. Leaders ensure there is a vigilant culture of safeguarding at the school. All staff, including members of the governing body, are aware of their statutory duties.

They know how to identify and report any concerns. Leaders have rigorous systems in place to follow up on any concerns made by staff.

Pupils are taught how to keep safe online.

They all have at least one trusted adult they can talk to about any worries.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, leaders do not break down the exact knowledge they want pupils to know and remember. In these subjects, teachers are not routinely clear what they need to focus on or what they are assessing pupils against.

Leaders need to clarify what they want taught in these subjects across the school, including how content builds sequentially from early years. The phonics programme has only recently been implemented. There are a few inconsistencies in the delivery of phonics teaching.

As a result, a minority of pupils do not receive the support they need to read fluently. Leaders should ensure that all staff who support pupils' early reading implement the programme consistently.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2011.