North Duffield Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are at the heart of everything that takes place at North Duffield Community Primary School.

Leaders work hard to ensure that decisions are made in the best interest of pupils and the community they serve. Their detailed knowledge of the school community and the local area informs their plans. This has resulted in a rich and diverse personal development curriculum that prepares pupils well for life beyond the school gates.

Leaders are ambitious for their pupils. They strive to fulfil their vision of 'Growing Learners for Life'. Pupils access a wealth of opportunities across the curriculum, such as the annual Year 6 enterprise competition, where children are able... to design, make and sell products.

Through the school's 'Metacognition Mascots', pupils are encouraged to develop attributes such as confidence and resilience. Pupils are cheerful and polite. They are proud of their school and enjoy discussing it with visitors.

Pupils are safe and happy at school. Pupils and staff have very positive relationships. Pupils report that there is no bullying and say they are confident that adults would deal with any issues should they arise.

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

Leaders promote a love of reading. Books are celebrated in all classes. Leaders make sure that all pupils listen to adults read every day.

The teaching of phonics is consistent and systematic. Leaders with expertise in reading provide support to colleagues. Pupils are supported to become confident and fluent readers.

Teachers use guided reading lessons to support discussion about texts and vocabulary. This is consistent across the school and is talked about enthusiastically by pupils.

Leaders have developed a broad and ambitious curriculum.

They have considered the key concepts that they want children to know and remember. Leaders have considered their longterm ambition in each subject. They can describe the general ideas and vocabulary that they want children to learn.

However, in some subjects, curriculum thinking is not as precise. It does not specify what teachers should deliver and in what order. In some subjects within the wider curriculum, learning does not build progressively from what pupils have already learned.

For example, in art, the curriculum does not specify that pupils need to know their primary colours before they learn to mix these in order to create secondary colours. Therefore, pupils do not learn to paint in a progressive order. Teachers do not always provide clear explanations.

They are beginning to check that pupils are remembering important facts and knowledge.

Children in the early years are happy and feel safe. Staff and children have positive relationships.

Staff are aware of children's needs. They help children to manage their own feelings and emotions. Leaders have begun to develop the early years environment in order to offer children a variety of experiences.

However, there is still much work to be completed so that the youngest children can access learning which supports them in developing independence. The early years curriculum is not well connected to learning in key stage 1 and beyond.

Leaders have carefully considered what pupils need to learn through their personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum.

Leaders plan targeted personal development opportunities to support pupils to manage any pressures they may face in their local community. Developing a better understanding of diversity is a priority. The PSHE curriculum supports pupils to develop an understanding of the fundamental British values.

Pupils are proud of their school council. They recognise the positive impact this role has across their school. For example, they have changed the name of the school house names.

These now link with their characteristics of learning. Leaders have also started an eco-club so children can learn how to take care of the environment

All pupils are supported to access a highly ambitious curriculum. Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well across the curriculum. Where needed, these pupils benefit from a personalised and inclusive curriculum offer. Leaders help staff to identify pupil needs and ensure all pupils are supported to work towards the same curriculum goals as other pupils.

Leaders are quick to get advice or support.

The governing body has a clear understanding of the school's strengths and priorities. Governors use their skills and experience to challenge and support leaders.

Senior leaders know their school and the wider community well. However, further work is needed in terms of record-keeping and improvement planning. During the inspection, leaders found some aspects of their record-keeping difficult to navigate.

Leaders struggled to demonstrate how wider areas for improvement were systematically identified and addressed.

Staff enjoy working at the school. Leaders are mindful of their workload and well-being.

Leaders are very supportive of all staff. This creates a collaborative approach to school improvement and a united culture.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders ensure that children are safe. The designated safeguarding leads are knowledgeable and committed to their role.

Leaders know the contextual risks their pupils face. They prioritise these aspects in training as well as within the wider curriculum. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when using technology.

Leaders build in regular opportunities for information sharing across staff. Therefore, pupils who may be at risk or who may need early help are identified. Leaders work closely with other agencies.

They are proactive in seeking support. Although the approach to reporting and recording concerns is detailed, leaders need to consider how this can become more systematic so that the recorded information can be analysed quickly and more efficiently.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The early years environment does not support children in developing their knowledge and skills across the early years foundation stage.

Children have limited opportunities to consolidate their learning, develop their independence or to practise new vocabulary. Leaders need to ensure the environment is planned purposefully and that resources are selected to meet the needs of children. ? Curriculum thinking in the early years is not precise across the seven areas of learning.

Some children are not well prepared for the next stage in their education. Leaders must review the early years curriculum so that it is coherently planned and sequenced to prepare children well for Year 1 and beyond. ? School leaders' record-keeping processes are not systematic.

This prevents leaders from tracking trends and patterns easily. Leaders must ensure that record-keeping processes are formalised to support the gathering of detailed information that is easily accessible. ? In some foundation subjects, planning is not precise.

Some teachers are unclear exactly which aspects of the curriculum planning they should teach and when. Pupils do not always have the prior knowledge necessary to access new learning. Leaders need to make sure that all curriculum plans clearly say what pupils need to learn and in what order.

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