North Curry CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school motto 'Together Everyone Achieves More' permeates through the school.

Adults are role models that pupils look up to in helping them learn and to keep them safe. This extends to pupils themselves who act as role models for each other. During social times, older pupils value supporting younger pupils, including sharing books with each other during lunchtimes.

Parents and carers value the support the school provides to pupils. One parent summed up the view of many others by saying, 'The staff really care about the children and go the extra mile'.

Pupils learn in a calm and orderly school where staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve....r/>
Pupils rise to these and learn the curriculum well. This starts in the early years where children get off to a strong and settled start.

Pupils benefit from a wide variety of opportunities beyond the academic.

The school supports them to be active and responsible citizens through the many pupil leadership roles. For example, the 'worship warriors' support assemblies while the 'REW' (rights, eco, wellbeing) team organise weekly events to help the environment such as 'waste free Wednesdays'.

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

The school is determined for pupils to be successful.

It has worked on the design of an ambitious curriculum. Across most subjects, the school has considered the knowledge it wants pupils to learn, starting in the early years. For example, in mathematics, the school has identified the small steps of knowledge pupils need to know and remember based on what they have learned before.

This helps them to learn the curriculum well.

Teachers work together to consider carefully how pupils in mixed-age classes learn the curriculum. They identify the gaps in coverage to ensure pupils learn the intended curriculum throughout their time at school.

In some wider subjects, the school has not yet fully identified the important knowledge it wants pupils to know and by when. Consequently, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and so they are less prepared for future learning.

To support the teaching of the curriculum, staff benefit from training to strengthen their expertise.

As a result, they present new knowledge clearly to pupils to help them learn well. In lessons, pupils revisit previous learning to help them remember what they have learned before. For example, pupils demonstrated a secure depth of knowledge in history.

The school supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to access learning. For example, pupils are given visual prompts in mathematics to support their conceptual understanding. The school has a system in place to identify and support pupils with SEND.

However, on occasion, some pupils with SEND are not identified and supported quickly enough. There are also some inconsistencies in the precision of learning plans to address specific gaps in their knowledge. As a result, these pupils are not progressing well enough across the curriculum.

The school prioritises the teaching of reading. Staff teach phonics well as they benefit from regular training. The school identifies and supports those pupils who need help to keep up.

This helps to ensure that pupils become confident and fluent readers. A love of reading is promoted across the school. This starts in the early years where children are immersed in books, such as 'Owl Babies', to support their learning.

Pupils across the school are enthusiastic about the golden tickets and coins they receive for practising their reading regularly.

Pupils show positive attitudes to their learning. In lessons, pupils are focused and engaged demonstrating their eagerness to do well.

The school has clear routines for pupils to follow to help them to be successful. This starts in nursery where children know to wash their hands and to sit down together during snack time.

Pupils know they make a difference beyond their school through the many fundraising events that take place.

For example, they sponsor the education for a child in Uganda. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Pastoral support for pupils is a high priority for the school.

As a result, pupils are confident they will get the help they need if they have any worries.

Staff are proud to work at this school and want to make a difference. They value the support from colleagues and the trust to fulfil their roles.

Those responsible for governance have an accurate view of the school. Alongside the trust and school, they are ambitious for pupils to be successful.

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 subjects, the school has not identified with enough precision the important knowledge pupils need to know and by when. As a result, sometimes pupils are not progressing as well through the curriculum. The trust must ensure that the precise knowledge is identified and sequenced across all subjects and check that pupils are learning the curriculum well.

• Some pupils with SEND do not gain all the support they need to learn the curriculum well. This is because they are not identified swiftly enough or do not consistently benefit from precise learning plans. The trust needs to develop staff expertise to identify pupils' needs early and ensure they receive targeted support to learn the curriculum effectively.

Also at this postcode