Norton Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Norton Primary is a big school, set on two different sites.

It retains a firm 'family' feeling. Leaders and staff know the pupils and their families very well. Pupils say that they are proud and happy to attend this school.

They say that they feel safe because the staff care for them.

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. They have developed a curriculum that is both academic and teaches pupils important life skills.

They want pupils to communicate effectively and know how to be healthy, both physically and mentally. Older pupils have opportunities to explore wider interests through a variety of sports clubs or by joining the choir. Leaders are planning ...to extend these clubs to younger pupils.

Pupils' mental health and well-being are central to everything that happens in this school. There is a relentless focus on care, respect and kindness. This can be seen in the way in which pupils and staff speak to each other.

Consequently, behaviour is very good. From the earliest days in Nursery, children listen well. Pupils have a positive attitude to learning.

At playtimes, they play well together. They say that bullying is very rare and are confident that it would be dealt with quickly and fairly if it happened.

Pupils are encouraged to take on roles and responsibilities, such as those of sports and pupil voice ambassadors.

They are proud of being democratically elected to take on these roles.

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

Leaders have worked successfully to develop the school's curriculum. In most subjects, they have ensured that learning has been sequenced to build from early years through to Year 6.

Core knowledge for each subject has been identified, along with key vocabulary and a rich selection of books to support learning. In some subjects, assessment systems have been introduced to check whether pupils are remembering what has been taught. Leaders recognise that there is more to do to check that assessment is used consistently.

This is to identify any misconceptions and to plan future learning.

In subjects such as geography, teachers ensure that subject content is remembered. They revisit past learning regularly and use songs and rhymes to help pupils remember important facts.

However, this is not the case for all subjects. In some subjects, teachers do not plan activities that help pupils to build knowledge over time. Leaders recognise that subject leaders need to monitor some subjects more closely and ensure that all lessons are delivered as they intend.

The curriculum for mathematics has been planned well. Leaders have ensured that learning is sequenced effectively and there are regular opportunities for pupils to revisit past learning. However, some teachers' subject knowledge is not strong enough.

They do not always adapt the curriculum well enough to ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), understand what is intended.

Leaders have changed the way in which reading is taught in the school. They have created a curriculum that focuses on 'hooking' pupils into reading.

High-quality texts are used to interest and engage pupils. Core texts are used to support pupils' learning in areas of the wider curriculum. There is a determination to ensure that pupils enjoy books and know authors.

Recent links made with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Northern Ballet are used to show pupils how texts can be brought to life through dance and drama.

Leaders have recently introduced a new phonics programme. All staff have received training to help them to support pupils' learning consistently.

Staff in Nursery support children's communication and language. This enables children to get off to a great start with the early stages of learning to read. Pupils practise their reading with books that match the sounds that they have learned.

Staff check pupils' progress carefully. There are still a number of pupils in key stage 2 who have gaps in their phonics knowledge. Leaders ensure that they have daily extra 'catch-up' sessions.

Leaders and staff in early years are knowledgeable. They have created a caring and fun environment. They help children to make a great start at school.

Leaders plan activities to encourage curiosity, problem-solving and independence. For instance, children worked successfully to create a water trail with drainpipes and channel stands. Adults skilfully support children to explain what they are doing.

There is a strong focus on developing children's communication and language skills.

This is an inclusive school. Leaders are highly ambitious for pupils with SEND.

When a pupil's needs are accurately identified, staff support the pupil well in the classroom. This is done through effective use of resources, such as visual timetables. Leaders know that there is more to do to ensure that all support plans are precise and help pupils to make swift progress against their individual targets.

There have been recent changes to the governing body. New governors are supportive and informed. They visit the school regularly and work well with leaders to identify strategic ways to improve the school further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding is central to the work of the school. It is everyone's responsibility.

Staff receive regular training and leaders ensure that there are regular updates about areas of concern. Staff are very clear about systems and procedures to report concerns. Leaders ensure that any reported issues are dealt with quickly.

They liaise with external agencies to seek support for pupils and families when it is needed.

Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe. Pupils know that they can press the 'worry button' on the school's website and a trusted adult from school will help them with any problems.

Pupils have an excellent understanding of online safety.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not clarified how teachers should use assessment effectively. This means that the information gained from assessment is not always used purposefully to support pupils' learning.

Leaders need to develop systems of assessment, across the curriculum, so that teachers can plan and adapt lessons to build on what pupils already know. ? Leaders are not monitoring the intended curriculum closely enough. As a result, they are not aware of some inconsistencies in teachers' subject knowledge and pedagogy.

This means that, in some lessons, pupils do not achieve as well as they could and do not retain the intended learning. Leaders need to ensure that subject leaders monitor subjects with precision and that class teachers have sufficient skills and knowledge to teach all subjects to a high standard. ? Variances exist in the accuracy and quality of individual support plans written for pupils on the SEND register.

For some pupils, the barriers to learning and areas of need do not accurately match. As a result, targets are set that do not precisely support the needs of pupils. Leaders should ensure that targets closely match the needs of pupils, and that pupils are supported to make swift progress against their targets.