Naseby Church of England Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a harmonious, busy little learning community. Everyone supports and cares for everyone else.

Pupils feel very safe here, and behaviour is excellent. They say that staff set good examples for them. Pupils say they have never known any pupils to bully.

The school is one big family. If anyone ever forgets how they should behave, staff deal with it quickly.

Pupils get a good education here, and lessons are exciting.

Visitors come to teach them about the importance of the Battle of Naseby of 1645. Pupils create imaginary planets with papier mâché craters. They find out about Islam and Hinduism.

Children in early years learn about A...ustralia and the recent bush fires there. Best of all, teachers teach pupils to read well from an early age. Pupils love visiting the school's stunning double-decker 'library bus' to find new books.

Staff want every pupil to achieve their very best. There are many clubs for pupils to develop their talents.

Pupils are keen to take on many responsibilities.

They raise money for charities and organise the 'Golden Oldie' coffee mornings for local residents. Pupils are very proud of their school.

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

The head of school is ambitious for the education and success of all pupils.

She makes sure that staff meet the different needs of pupils well. This is particularly so for those who are vulnerable, or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff support these pupils, so they become confident and independent.

Staff are determined that everyone will achieve their potential. They work together closely and are proud to do their jobs. They feel well supported.

They appreciate the training they get to improve their knowledge and skills.

The early years leader ensures that, from the start, children understand the school's expectations. Staff are kind and children settle in quickly.

Children pay attention and work hard. Activities are interesting and challenging, and children are keen to learn. They plant beans and watch the roots grow.

They learn how to cook pancakes. Staff give them lots of practice in numbers, counting forwards and backwards by, for instance, doing giant strides outdoors.

Teachers see it as critical that all pupils learn to read without delay.

Staff are well trained and skilled to teach phonics. Children learn, for example, the 'oi' sound and to pronounce 'coin'. Pupils in Year 1 learn to identify incorrect spellings, such as when 'wear' is spelt 'wair'.

Teachers match the reading books pupils receive to the sounds they know. Those pupils whose reading skills are less secure get quick support to catch up. Pupils learn to decode well.

They develop good comprehension skills. They can identify the motives of characters in stories and infer meaning in texts. Teachers kindle a love of books in pupils, reading them stories by Beatrix Potter and the tale of Beowulf.

Pupils' overall achievement is good. They are well prepared for the next stages of their education. This is because teachers have planned many subjects carefully.

In some foundation subjects, such as design technology, art and design, geography, and computing, leaders have not yet decided exactly what pupils need to learn at each point. Here, learning is not sequenced well enough, so that it builds on what pupils already know. Staff are currently reviewing each subject systematically to attend to these weaknesses.

Leaders ensure that pupils' personal development is strong. Teachers teach them that they cannot always succeed first time and must keep trying. Staff show them how to be independent.

Children perform assemblies about the Holocaust. The Shakespeare Ambassadors go to Stratford-upon-Avon to perform play scenes. They consider moral issues such as global pollution.

Pupils put on art exhibitions for the village 'Open Gardens' event. They attend clubs to learn macramé, or to develop their creative writing skills. Pupils were very proud to show us the many trophies they have won from the sports tournaments they take part in.

Pupils are exceptionally well behaved. Their attitudes to learning are commendable. They pay consistent attention from Reception Year onwards.

They complete their work and wear their uniforms with pride. Around school, they are extremely respectful to each other and to all adults. On the playground, they encourage everyone to join in and have fun.

Pupils help each other out if anyone is worried or has an accident. They support each other to learn. There have been no exclusions for many years.

Attendance is consistently high.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff do all they can to keep pupils safe.

The head of school ensures that all staff receive regular training in safeguarding. This ensures that they are alert for any signs that a pupil is being harmed. Staff take their responsibilities seriously.

They do not hesitate to report their concerns to leaders. Leaders keep good records and make appropriate referrals to external agencies where needed.

Staff teach pupils well how to stay as safe as possible from a variety of risks, including from strangers, roads and deep water, as well as how to protect themselves online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The school's curriculum is not yet sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced in some subjects. Leaders have yet to identify the precise knowledge and vocabulary they want pupils to learn at different points. This risks pupils not remembering key content for future use.

However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to plan next year's curriculum and train staff in how to deliver it that they are in the process of bringing this about. For this reason, the transition arrangement has been applied in this case. The head of school should ensure that subject leaders have the support they need to plan a strong curriculum, and that they check that all teachers deliver this consistently well.

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