Marton and District CofE Aided Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Marton and District CofE Aided Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in this vibrant and happy school get on well with one another. They enjoy school life. Pupils, and children in the early years, told the inspector that the school is like a big happy family.

Pupils feel safe at school. They said that they forge positive relationships with staff. Any incidents of bullying are dealt with swiftly by adults.

Leaders expect pupils to achieve well. Pupils apply themselves diligently to their work. They develop positive attitudes to learning.

Pupils, and children in the early years, progress well through the curricul...um.

Pupils behave well around the school site. They live up to leaders' high expectations of their behaviour.

During breaktimes, they make sure that nobody is left to play alone in the school's extensive grounds.

Pupils appreciate the wide selection of clubs that staff provide. These range from cross-country running to mindfulness and cookery.

Pupils also enjoy regular educational trips and visits from external speakers. Older pupils spoke enthusiastically about the residential visits that are planned each year.

Pupils play a positive role in the wider school community.

They said that they enjoy taking on responsibilities such as being a play leader or a member of the school council.

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

Reading is at the heart of the school's curriculum. Children learn to read accurately during their time in the Reception Year.

Teachers are highly skilled in providing carefully delivered lessons that help children and pupils to develop their phonics knowledge. Any children or pupils who struggle to read are given the help they need to keep up with their peers. As they move through the school, pupils develop a love of reading.

Teachers introduce pupils to a wide range of books and authors. These are carefully chosen to inspire pupils to read more widely and often. As a result, many older pupils become avid readers.

They talked confidently with the inspector about their favourite authors and the different types of books that they liked to read.

Leaders have worked with staff to develop a broad, balanced and challenging curriculum. In many subjects, leaders have defined the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn and in what order.

As a result, teachers know exactly what to teach to pupils in these subjects. They also know how to design learning so that pupils successfully build up their knowledge in a logical order. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders have not set out the key knowledge that pupils need to learn and remember.

In these subjects, teachers are sometimes unsure of what essential information to teach to pupils and in what order. This hinders some pupils from building a deep body of knowledge in these areas of the curriculum.

Children in the Reception class love playing and exploring together.

The early years curriculum helps children to gain confidence and to develop into happy competent learners. It is well delivered. Children in the early years are well prepared for the demands of key stage 1.

Across the early years and key stage 1, most teachers make appropriate checks on pupils' learning to address misconceptions and misunderstandings. In most subjects, they also use leaders' assessment systems well to check how securely pupils are learning the content of the curriculum.

Leaders have ensured that staff are able to identify pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) at an early stage.

Staff provide effective support for pupils with SEND. This means that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as their peers and take part in all aspects of school life. As a result, these pupils enjoy their learning and achieve well.

Pupils of all ages are highly respectful towards each other and the adults who teach them. Low-level disruption is highly unusual and does not disturb learning. The school provides well for pupils' broader development.

For example, pupils learn about a wide range of religions, beliefs and cultures. They develop a good understanding of issues relating to equality. Pupils understand that no one is the same but that everyone is equal.

Staff enjoy working at this school and feel extremely well supported. They appreciate the consideration that leaders and governors give to their workload and welfare. Staff are fully committed to the pupils at the school.

They share the headteacher's dedication to supporting pupils and their families.

Governors know the school well. They provide strong support and appropriate challenge to the leadership team.

Governors play an active role in school life and are diligent in carrying out their statutory responsibilities.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school.

Leaders ensure that all members of staff receive regular and appropriate safeguarding training. Staff are vigilant and understand how to identify and respond to potential safeguarding incidents. They are quick to report any concerns that they may have about a pupil's welfare or well-being.

Leaders work closely with parents and external agencies where necessary to keep pupils safe.

Pupils are taught how to look after themselves and how to stay healthy. They learn about road safety and how to stay safe when working or playing online.

Pupils know who to speak with if they have any concerns or worries.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, leaders have not set out the key knowledge that pupils must learn. Nor have they specified the sequence in which this knowledge should be taught.

As a result, some pupils do not develop the secure understanding that they need in these subjects to build a strong foundation for future learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers know exactly what to teach and when to teach it.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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2017.