Needwood CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. Outstanding leadership and management have improved teaching and learning, and made teaching highly effective.

Consequently, pupils' achievement is excellent. Attainment is well above average in English and mathematics, and has been for several years. One reason for this is the consistently high level of attendance, which means pupils rarely miss out on learning.

The management of teachers' performance is robust, and excellent teamwork means staff readily help each other to improve. Teachers and support staff constantly encourage pupils to achieve their best. Pupils appreciate this, saying that if they did not have hard enough wo...rk, they would not learn as well.

Exceptionally well-focused marking in English and mathematics helps in this. However, marking rarely extends to showing pupils how to develop their skills further in other subjects. Pupils' behaviour is excellent.

Pupils are highly supportive of each other. They feel very safe in school and the school ensures they know how to keep themselves safe at all times. Subjects are brought together in highly engaging, exceptionally well-planned themes that provide pupils with many memorable experiences.

Reading and writing skills are consolidated consistently well in all subjects but opportunities are missed to promote mathematical skills as effectively.

Information about this school

The school, which has only two classes, is much smaller than the average-sized primary school, and almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, and children from armed-forces families, is also well below average.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported at school action is average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs. Both these figures have increased since the previous inspection. The school's most recent results cannot be compared to the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' achievement and progress, because : there were not enough pupils to make such comparisons meaningful.

The proportion of pupils joining different year groups other than at the normal times has increased and is now above average. All pupils are educated on site. The school does not use alternative provision to support any of its pupils.