Norris Bank Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

The school is very well led and managed by an acting headteacher who has the full support of staff members, governors and parents in her work to raise standards for pupils. As a result, the school is improving. Governors are highly skilled and fully involved with the school.

They know its strengths and exactly what it needs to do to improve further. Pupils benefit from an outstanding curriculum which inspires them and helps to develop their love of learning. Pupils' attendance is well-above average.

Their behaviour is outstanding in all aspects, and exemplary in class. Pupils enjoy learning and have exceptionally good relationsh...ips with their teachers. Teaching is good.

Teachers know their pupils well and plan activities in lessons which pupils find both interesting and engaging. Teachers work well with teaching assistants to support pupils with a wide range of abilities. Pupils' attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 has been significantly above average overall for several years.

Pupils' attainment by the time they left school at the end of Year 6 in 2014 was significantly above average in each subject, as it has been overall for four of the last five years. The proportion of pupils attaining the highest possible Level 6 in mathematics and grammar, punctuation and spelling in 2014 was well-above average. The progress of most pupils including disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils was good by the time they left school at the end of Year 6 in 2014.

The number of parents who responded to the online questionnaire (Parent View) was exceptionally high. The overwhelming majority of parents are of the opinion that the school is well led and managed. They are happy that their children are safe and well looked after.

Early years provision is good in all aspects and has improved since the previous inspection. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Pupils' progress in reading, writing and mathematics is not always good in every class because pupils are not always fully challenged by the work they are given. Marking is not always of a high enough standard.

Teachers do not always clearly identify how pupils can improve their learning, or check closely enough to see if their advice is acted on. Middle leaders are yet to have a full role in improving the quality of teaching.

Information about this school

This school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below average. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding is well-below the national average. (The pupil premium is additional government funding to support those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.

) The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below average; few speak English as an additional language. Reception provision is full-time. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

Since the previous inspection the school has grown and now has two classes in each year group. The school has been refurbished and two Year 6 classrooms were added in 2013. A number of staff, including a replacement early years manager, have been appointed.

Appointments have been made to the governing body. The school is currently led and managed by an acting headteacher, while recruitment and selection takes place for a substantive headteacher. Pre-school and after-school services operate from the site; these are subject to a separate inspection.

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