Norden Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Norden Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They enjoy being with their friends.

They behave well in lessons and around school. They are happy, polite, confident and respectful.

Leaders have high expectations for pupils' learning.

This includes pupils with special educational needs/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders and staff expect all pupils, including children in the early years, to do their best. Pupils work hard in lessons and take pride in their work.

They achieve well.

Pupils feel safe in school. They know that adults care for them.

Pupils kno...w that if they have any worries, they can speak to a member of staff. Leaders deal with any incidents of bullying or misbehaviour quickly and effectively.

There are many extra-curricular activities in school.

Pupils can learn to play a variety of musical instruments or take part in a range of sports clubs, such as trampolining. They can perform in the rock band, act in plays or do pottery. Older pupils have many leadership roles.

These include well-being ambassadors, play leaders or supporting children in the early years with their reading.

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

Leaders and staff have designed a detailed and ambitious curriculum. In most subjects, they have identified what pupils should learn and when this should happen.

However, this is not the case for a few subjects. This means teachers are sometimes unsure about what content they should teach and when pupils should learn this. As such, in some subjects, pupils develop gaps in their knowledge.

Leaders have ensured that staff are knowledgeable about the subjects they teach. They introduce new learning skilfully. Assessment strategies are used effectively to check what pupils know and remember.

Children in the early years develop their vocabulary and communication skills well. This helps them to be ready for Year 1. Children in Reception have a great start to early reading.

They learn phonics from their first day. Staff are well trained to deliver the new phonics programme. They ensure that pupils receive extra support when they are struggling to keep up.

Leaders ensure that pupils read books that match the sounds they have learned. Children in the early years and pupils throughout the school enjoy reading.

Pupils with SEND access the full curriculum.

Staff identify pupils with SEND quickly. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND get the help they need so that they achieve well.

Throughout the school, pupils behave well.

They understand the importance of good behaviour in class to help each other learn. Learning is rarely interrupted by low-level disruption.

Pupils experience a rich variety of activities, which prepares them well for life in modern Britain.

Pupils visit different places of worship and learn about diversity. They develop a sense of citizenship. This includes support for the local hospice and charities.

Pupils develop a range of skills in the woodland space. Pupils learn about being healthy. They also learn about respectful, loving relationships in an age-appropriate way.

Staff morale is high. Leaders consider staff's workload and their well-being when making decisions about the school. Staff know that they could speak to any school leader if they had any concerns.

Governors are effective. They have a clear overview of the strengths and areas of development for the school. They are well trained, know the school well and are regular visitors.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make sure that staff get regular safeguarding training. Governors, leaders and staff know how to raise any concerns about a pupils' welfare.

They understand and carry out their safeguarding duties effectively.

Leaders make sure that pupils and their families get the support they need as soon as possible. They work well with a wide range of outside agencies.

The procedures to ensure concerns are identified, recorded and reviewed are effective.

Throughout the curriculum, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations, including when online and in the local community.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, it is not clear what pupils should learn and when this will happen.

This means teachers are not able to design learning that ensures pupils build their knowledge effectively over time. Leaders should ensure that the knowledge pupils must learn is clearly identified so that pupils know and remember more over time.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2012.