Parish Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very proud of their school and they are happy to come here.

They bring the school values to life daily. For example, Year 6 pupils recently enjoyed leading a session with families and their peers on generosity. Pupils respect one another and they are kind to each other.

Pupils are kept safe in school. If they have any worries, there is an adult to whom they can speak. Pupils said that staff are kind and caring.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. From the start of early years, children learn clear routines and these are embedded quickly. The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour and pupils live up to these.

They move around the sch...ool calmly and quietly with little staff intervention. Learning in lessons is very rarely disrupted. Breaktimes are calm and friendly.

Pupils in Year 5 act as play leaders to encourage all pupils to join in.

The school is ambitious for its pupils and expects them to do well. There is a broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils, which enables them to learn effectively.

Leaders review curriculum subjects regularly, and they make changes to reflect pupils' needs and their interests. For example, core reading texts have been reviewed to better reflect the diversity of the school community. Similarly, Year 6 pupils have led on the work to review the names of the school houses.

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

The school has made sure that pupils study a range of subjects in line with the national curriculum. The school has thought carefully about what subject content will be taught and in what order this will be done. As a result, pupils learn key ideas and knowledge in a subject in a logical order and they consistently build on their prior knowledge.

For example, in geography, children are introduced to the idea of maps when they learn about understanding the world in early years. The curriculum builds on this effectively with more formal map work in Year 1, when pupils look at their local area and their school within it.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge.

The school works closely with staff to identify any training needs and tailors the training to meet what needs to be prioritised. As a result, teachers use effective activities to deliver the curriculum as it is intended. Teachers check that pupils have remembered what they learned previously, for example with 'flashback four' in mathematics or 'geog your memory' in geography.

If teachers identify gaps in pupils' knowledge, they make sure that these are filled before moving on. Pupils have good recall of what they have learned before.

In early years, the school identifies children who need additional support effectively and swiftly puts measures in place to support these children to learn well.

While the needs of older pupils are also identified and they are given support, at times, the school does not consistently make clear the smaller steps of learning that some pupils with SEND need in order to successfully work towards the goals set for them.As a result, this may affect how well pupils with SEND are supported to progress through the curriculum.

Pupils love to read and are keen to talk about their favourite books and authors.

Leaders have made reading a key part of every day for all year groups. From the start of Reception Year, no time is wasted in teaching children to learn how to read using phonics. The school's approach is ambitious and implemented consistently well.

Pupils regularly read books that match the sounds that they know. They also take these books home to practise reading with their parents and carers. This helps pupils to become accurate and fluent readers quickly.

The school creates a calm and orderly environment in which pupils can learn to the best of their ability. Pupils are taught how to manage their own emotions and behaviour. Staff use the school values well to foster a sense of community.

Leaders have high expectations for pupils' attendance and they work closely with parents to avoid unnecessary absences.

Pupils' personal development is extremely well supported. Pupils are encouraged to participate in a wealth of lunchtime and after-school clubs and activities.

Large numbers of pupils participate, including pupils with SEND. Leaders have built trips and enrichment activities into their curriculum carefully. All year groups participate in an educational visit or workshop at least once a term.

There are numerous opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles. These include ambassadors for equality, diversity and inclusion as well as eco ambassadors and class captains. Of note, is that every Year 6 pupil holds a leadership position, for example class and subject lead ambassadors.

The school's work prepares pupils well for their transition to secondary education.

Leaders in the school and the trust have a vision to transform lives through learning. These aims are shared by staff, who feel well supported by leaders to deliver the curriculum, and in turn, to achieve this goal.

The school engages well with parents and the wider community. This can be seen in the weekly 'community hub', where parents, staff and guest speakers can meet over tea and coffee.

The trust knows the school well.

It provides support to leaders as well as putting in place the right level of challenge. The school benefits from this, but the trust also benefits from this school sharing its expertise with others in the trust.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Approaches to ensuring that some pupils with SEND receive the support that they require with their learning are, in some instances, not as strong as they could be in Years 1 to 6. For pupils with more complex needs, sometimes, expectations and aims for pupils' learning could be broken down further, enabling teachers to best support pupils' progression towards their intended end goals. The school should continue to strengthen strategies that support pupils with SEND to achieve the goals identified for them.

Also at this postcode