Palterton Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Palterton Primary School.

They take their education seriously and want to do well. They learn to be responsible and caring members of their school community from the very start of school. In the Reception Year, children look after their class caterpillars.

They are delighted when they pupate. They show their care as the butterflies emerge from the chrysalis by giving them sugar water. Older pupils have a range of school jobs.'

Team Smile' keeps a close eye on pupils' well-being and the 'Pet Team' look after the school guinea pigs and the chickens, Whitney and Blue, who have free rein of the school field.

Relationships betwe...en adults and pupils are warm and nurturing. Pupils know how the adults expect them to behave.

They strive to live up to the school's values: respect, innovation, challenge and happiness. Pupils get on well together. They are polite and friendly.

They help each other as they work and play. They know that sometimes they will not agree. One pupil said: 'Everyone can give their opinion and we don't fall out.'

Because of this, the school is a happy and calm place to learn.

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

The school has experienced significant challenge in the recent past. The school has worked with determination to ensure that pupils have not felt the impact and continued to learn in a safe and happy environment.

Governors have supported the school through this time. They have ensured that the school has kept a steady course while fulfilling their own statutory responsibilities.

The school has developed an ambitious and purposeful curriculum.

It is sequenced so that pupils' knowledge increases over time. For example, in science, Year 2 pupils learn about the human life cycle, Year 4 pupils learn about states of matter and in Year 6, pupils learn how light travels and reflects and how colour is seen. In a few subjects the small steps of learning that pupils need to make as they work towards these ambitious end goals have not been identified.

Across the curriculum, key vocabulary is identified. 'Vocabulary volcanoes' set out the most important words that pupils are expected to use in their discussions and written work. It becomes increasingly sophisticated as pupils move through the school.

In geography pupils use 'climate zone', 'hemispheres' and 'biomes' in their work as they learn about different parts of the world.

Reading is given a high priority. Children in the Reception Year become accomplished in using the 'phonic code' to read words.

By the time pupils leave Year 2 most are confident and fluent readers. Pupils who find reading more difficult receive extra help. Teachers make regular checks to ensure that pupils remember new sounds.

Teachers use this information well to ensure that pupils' reading books are closely matched to the sounds they know.

Mathematics is taught well right from the start of school. Every opportunity is taken to promote a secure understanding of number in the Reception Year.

As children line up, they count forwards and backwards to check that everyone is there. Across the school, teachers explain new learning well. However, pupils' ability to solve mathematical problems is weaker.

Pupils say they find this hard. Staff's confidence to teach these key skills are not as secure as other aspects of the subject.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in the life of the school.

The school ensures that their needs are identified and met. Pupils' plans provide clear guidance for staff to follow. Pupils with SEND benefit from bespoke support that enables them to experience success.

The school's personal development is well-considered. Pupils learn about healthy relationships as well as looking after their own physical and mental well-being. Healthy competition is encouraged.

Pupils are proud of the houses they belong to that are named after Olympic venues: Riverbank, Wembley, Hyde Park and Copper Box. They enjoy working as a team as they represent their house in school competitions. They learn how to win with humility and accept the disappointment of losing.

Pupils are taught to show empathy for others. They are reminded to: 'put themselves in the shoes of others'.

Staff agree that the school is a supportive and happy work environment.

They say that leaders are mindful of their workload and well-being, particularly during the recent difficulties the school has experienced.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects the curriculum plans that identify the small steps of learning that pupils need to make, as they work towards the school's identified end points, are not fully completed.

As a result, it is not consistently clear how pupils' knowledge builds up step by step over time to deepen and extend their understanding so that they can achieve highly in all subjects. The school should prioritise refining and integrating these plans so that it precisely identifies the essential knowledge it intends pupils to learn. ? Pupils do not develop a full range of strategies to enable them to solve mathematical problems.

Pupils say they find this aspect of mathematics more challenging than developing their knowledge and skills in calculation. This prevents them from doing as well as they could. The school should provide staff with the training they need to teach problem solving strategies with confidence and ensure that pupils are given time to practise and secure this key skill across the school.