Nocton Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Nocton Community Primary School is a small school with a big ambition. It lives out its vision of 'Opening Doors and Opening Minds'.

Parents and carers commented on how the school is at the heart of this community. They value the staff and what they do for their children and say that every child is 'celebrated' as an individual. Pupils perform at the local care home and support the 'Random Acts of Kindness' in the village.

Pupils are very proud of their school. They behave well because they know it is the 'right thing to do'. Play times are social occasions and pupils enjoy playing together and look after each other.

Pupils feel safe and know that there are t...rusted adults they can talk to if they have any worries. When the occasional fall out happens, the 'Well-being Warriors' help to quickly resolve it.

The personal development offer of the school is of high quality.

Pupils' interests and talents are well catered for. Sporting events are carefully planned to meet the needs of all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They enjoy the enrichment opportunities provided to them, such as visiting local farms and the Galleries of Justice.

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

Reading is prioritised across the school and begins promptly in the early years. The knowledge that pupils need has been carefully identified throughout the school. Staff are skilled at delivering phonic sessions and identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind.

Any pupils who are not where they should be are provided with support so that they 'keep up' not 'catch up'. Staff model how to read individual sounds and use this to help children start to read basic words. Pupils read widely and often and can discuss their favourite books and authors in depth.

The curriculum is well planned and sequenced. It identifies the core knowledge that is needed so that the pupils learn more and remember more. Most pupils develop detailed knowledge across the curriculum.

Assessment systems are in place using 'Thinking Squares' so that pupils progress is tracked carefully. However, in a small number of subjects, the school has not ensured that the curriculum is implemented in a way that allows knowledge to build and deepen, particularly for pupils with SEND.

Children in the early years foundation stage (EYFS) get off to a strong start.

They enjoy listening to and responding to stories. There is a strong focus on language and communication. They enjoy the different and engaging learning opportunities on offer.

Leaders have created a rich curriculum and are continuing to refine this, so all individual learning needs are fully catered for. This will support the learning development of pre-school and part-time children even further. The learning environment is bright and welcoming.

This is an inclusive school. Staff are skilled in identifying pupils with SEND and accessing a range of external services to meet their individual needs. Leaders are passionate for every child to succeed and carefully monitor pupils' progress.

Support plans are detailed and take into the account the views of parents and pupils. There is a range of interventions in place to support learners. However, the curriculum is still being refined to ensure the that the needs of pupils with SEND are being met even better.

Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. For example, they can describe the importance of democracy and rule of law. Staff have created a comprehensive personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum so that differences and diversity are celebrated.

For example, pupils learn about Alan Turing and Mala Yousafzai. They have a detailed understanding of the protected characteristics and their importance. As one pupil said, that is reflective of many: 'I wish everything would be a protective characteristic, so it puts an end to discrimination.'

Pupils enjoy taking part in debates and discussions and learning about different careers.

Pupils attend well and are eager to learn. This applies to pupils with SEND and other disadvantaged pupils.

The school has precise recording and monitoring systems that alerts them when the absence of a pupil becomes a concern. Leaders then provide some support for the family to help them improve their child's attendance. This has led to a strong improvement in the rates of pupil attendance.

Governors ensure that all leaders are well supported and challenged. They share the ambitious vision to provide all pupils with the very best education and range of opportunities. Leaders know the school well and quality assure the school's work carefully.

All staff feel leaders are very supportive of their workload and well-being. There is a high quality and comprehensive training offer in place for all staff, using external support where needed.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some lessons, the curriculum is not adapted as successfully to meet the needs of all the learners as it could be. This means that some pupils with SEND are not learning the intended curriculum as well as they should. The school should continue to further refine their curriculum adaptations and implementation so that all pupils succeed well.

• In the EYFS, staff do not always match their implementation of the curriculum to the learning needs of the children. As a result, some children are not always being taught specifically to meet their learning needs. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum planning makes clear the desired implementation so that all children can achieve their potential.