Nonington Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils feel a special sense of care in this small rural school. The school has significantly increased pupil numbers in recent months. Pupils value the warm relationships they have with staff.

Those new to the school feel welcomed and cared for. The school has more pupils with some form of disadvantage than the national average. These pupils and their families feel valued and included in all aspects of school life.

Staff are aspirational for pupils' learning. However, the school has not consistently realised the ambitions of the curriculum. As a result, not all pupils achieve as well as they could.

Pupils are eager to learn and are enthusiastic about what... they know. They are proud of learning about their links to the local coal mining heritage.

Pupils understand the school's clear expectations of how to treat each other.

They remember the 'golden rule' of treating others as you wish to be treated. As a result, at playtimes, all pupils play together kindly and inclusively. All pupils feel safe and trust staff, who they know are there to listen if they have any worries or concerns.

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

Children make a positive start in Reception. The curriculum is carefully planned to provide opportunities for children to engage with each other and key learning. Children build effective language skills through purposefully chosen activities.

They can access appropriate resources and equipment. Adults effectively model interactions and learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive expert care and attention.

As a result, all children are ready for the next stage of education.

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. The school has identified and ordered all the knowledge that pupils need to learn.

The school has done this effectively to reflect the mixed age range classes. In lessons, teachers do not yet consistently follow the curriculum or accurately teach the key concepts. This means pupils do not learn as well as they could.

The support of pupils with SEND is a key strength of the school. The school ensures that pupils with complex needs are identified effectively and supported to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Pupils love reading.

They access the library independently. For many they feel this is a safe space. Pupils talk passionately about their favourite authors and books.

The school has a clear plan for reading, including the teaching of phonics. However, adults do not typically follow the programme closely or give pupils correct examples. This leads to pupils making inconsistent progress through the reading curriculum and so pupils do not always achieve as well as they could.

Where teaching is more consistent, pupils who have fallen behind the reading programme are able to catch up with their peers.

Pupils are respectful and caring. The school has a rich mix of pupils with a variety of needs and life experiences.

The school has successfully built a culture of inclusive respect. This means that pupils get along and are keen to help each other be the best they can be. At break times, pupils across age ranges play together positively and show genuine care for their peers.

The school has had a large number of pupils join in the last year. This has had an impact on the school attendance figures. However, the school is doing everything possible to improve this.

There is evidence of the impact of these actions for the most vulnerable pupils.

Pupils have a keen sense of right and wrong. The school's personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum supports pupils to make informed choices about their lives.

Pupils thoroughly understand online safety and how to be responsible internet users. The school is an active part of its community through its work with the local church. Alongside this, opportunities such as those at the farm school help pupils become good countryside citizens.

The school chooses experiences carefully to broaden pupils' horizons and raise their ambitions.

The school leaders at every level have a deep understanding of inclusivity. The school has a small leadership capacity due to its size.

Governors meet their duties and show strong subject and professional knowledge. They have collaborated closely with the local authority. Staff feel well supported working with the pupils with complex SEND.

The cooperative culture of the school helps staff to feel valued.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The teaching of reading lacks consistency.

The sounds modelled to pupils and the routines for embedding this knowledge lack accuracy. As a result, pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read do not gain sufficient accuracy or fluency. The school must ensure all staff are equipped with the skills and knowledge to follow the chosen phonics programme closely and teach reading effectively.

• Staff do not routinely check what pupils know before moving on. As a result, the tasks that adults set do not build on what pupils have already learned. This means that pupils do not build their learning securely over time as well as they could do.