Naunton Park Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a wonderfully positive and warm environment. The school's vision encapsulates the ethos of the school.

Everyone wants the very best for all pupils. As a result, pupils are highly motivated and achieve well. They thoroughly enjoy learning and many produce work of a high quality.

The school is a calm and orderly place. There are high expectations for behaviour. Most pupils follow these well.

This begins in Reception where children quickly learn the rules and routines. Pupils are polite and well mannered. They play well together during social times.

Pupils recognise how the school rules encourage them to try their best. For example, pupil...s know that it is okay to make mistakes because they learn from them. This helps them to learn about resilience and perseverance.

A significant number of pupils benefit from the many extra-curricular clubs that the school offers. These include choir, cross country, music clubs, sporting activities and drama. The opportunities the school provides help pupils to expand their interests and to discover and develop new talents.

Pupils take part in a wide range of enrichment activities. For example, visiting the local literature festival and attending outdoor learning activities. These opportunities help pupils to broaden their experiences beyond the classroom.

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

The school is highly inclusive. There is clear ambition for all pupils to 'achieve great things, in a great way'. There has been a relentless drive to develop the curriculum.

This work is on-going. The school is continuing to refine the curriculum in a few subjects. As yet, in those subjects, the curriculum does not set out the precise knowledge that pupils need to learn to ensure that their understanding builds over time.

Most teachers ably support pupils to learn new content. Consequently, pupils confidently talk about what they are learning. They are beginning to make links to what they have learned before.

This is more secure in reading and mathematics. Teachers adapt learning well in these subjects. This helps pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

Learning is not yet as effectively adapted for pupils with SEND across all subjects.

The school has rightly prioritised the development of reading and mathematics. In these subjects, pupils build on what they already know to develop a strong understanding.

Systems for checking what pupils know and remember are well established. For example, teachers identify if pupils are falling behind and adapt subsequent teaching to help them to catch up. This helps pupils to develop a secure understanding.

In a few subjects, while teaching checks what pupils know and remember, it does not address gaps and misconceptions as well.There is exceptionally high ambition for all pupils to learn to read and to develop a love of reading. There is a consistent approach to the teaching of reading.

Pupils learn to read fluently and confidently. They enjoy listening to the stories that teachers read to them. The school has carefully selected high-quality texts to expose pupils to a wide range of genres and authors.

These texts also help to enrich learning across curriculum.

The school has taken effective action to improve writing. This is beginning to have an impact.

For example, older pupils follow the school's structured approach to build their writing and use well-chosen vocabulary. However, some younger pupils do not secure the technical skills or the grammar and punctuation knowledge they need to be ready for later work. The school's work on this is in its early stages.

Lessons are calm and purposeful. The school provides effective social and emotional support for pupils who need it. For example, adults act swiftly to support pupils who need help managing their behaviour.

As a result, pupils learn without disruption.

The school is making improvements to the early years provision. It has designed and implemented a new curriculum.

This supports children's learning well in the indoor area. Children learn to play co-operatively and to take turns. However, some outdoor activities do not support children's development as well as they could.

For example, in helping children to develop their language and communication skills.

The school works with families to ensure that the expectations for attendance are clear. Many pupils attend regularly and on time.

Nevertheless, the school is continuing to develop its approach to managing attendance to ensure that all pupils attend regularly. Staff enjoy working at the school. They appreciate leaders' consideration of their workload and well-being.

Staff value the opportunities for professional development which helps them to improve their practice.

Pupils learn about keeping themselves healthy including their mental and physical health. There are a range of leadership opportunities such as the school council, house captains, eco-warriors and reading ambassadors.

These help pupils to learn about responsibility.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school is developing and refining the curriculum.

In a few subjects, it does not identify the essential knowledge that pupils should know and remember. Assessment of pupils' learning is less established in these subjects. The school should continue to refine the curriculum to ensure that it identifies the precise knowledge that it wants pupils to know and remember in all subjects and ensure that learning is adapted to meet the needs of all pupils, making effective use of assessment.

• The writing curriculum is less well developed than reading and mathematics. Some pupils do not yet secure the fundamentals of writing that they need to be ready for later work. The school should ensure that the new writing curriculum is fully embedded so that pupils achieve the best possible outcomes in writing, including their handwriting.