Patrington CofE Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this nurturing village school. Pupils understand the school values of trust, friendship, and perseverance.

They learn about these through collective worship activities.

Pupils learn how to behave through the 'Patrington Path' behaviour curriculum. In addition to learning routines and expectations, pupils learn about their emotions.

In classrooms, pupils access 'regulation stations' to help them self-regulate if needed. As a result, pupils display positive behaviours around school.

The school has high expectations for all pupils.

Staff understand how to support all pupils with their learning, including those with special e...ducational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers adapt their lessons effectively to meet the needs of all learners. Parents speak positively about the support the school provides for pupils with SEND.

Pupils have access to a wide range of extra-curricular activities at lunchtime and after school, these include sewing and skateboarding. All pupils have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. Pupils feel safe at school.

They have trusted adults to speak to if needed and can report concerns to the 'I wish my teacher knew' box in each classroom.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has reviewed and re-designed all areas of the curriculum. The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND.

Leaders have carefully selected the knowledge they want pupils to learn. Leaders have sequenced the curriculum in a logical order. The knowledge that pupils learn builds in complexity over time.

The curriculum includes opportunities for pupils to revisit prior learning. This helps pupils to remember more. Pupils in mathematics and physical education (PE) could recall key areas of learning from throughout the curriculum.

Most of the time, teachers choose effective activities to deliver the curriculum. However, in some areas, including early years, the activities chosen to deliver the curriculum are not as effective as they could be. In these lessons, pupils do not make as much progress as they might.

Published outcomes in 2023 for pupils at the end of key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics were in line with national averages. However, some of the outcomes at the end of key stage 1 were significantly below national averages. The school has responded to this by implementing a new assessment system for core subjects.

This allows leaders to more effectively track pupils' progress and to identify any gaps in pupils' knowledge. Evidence from work in pupils' books shows that this has had a positive impact on pupils' progress across the school.

In the early years, relationships between children and adults are positive.

The early years curriculum sets out the information that children will learn. In some areas of the curriculum, the sequence of learning and the vocabulary that children should know is clearly identified. In other areas, however, this information is not clearly identified.

As a result, some activities and adult interactions are not sharply focused on exactly what children need to learn.

Reading is a priority at the school. In Nursery, children take part in pre-phonics activities.

From the first weeks of Reception, children begin to learn phonics. Staff regularly check pupils' progress through the curriculum. The school identifies pupils who fall behind.

These pupils receive support to catch up with their peers. Older pupils enjoy reading. They use the playground 'reading shed' to read at playtimes and enjoy guided-reading sessions in class.

The school quickly and accurately identifies pupils with SEND. Staff have participated in extensive training to help them to identify and support pupils with SEND. Staff support pupils with SEND through effective adaptations in the classroom.

As a result, pupils with SEND progress well at the school.

The school has robust and effective procedures to ensure that attendance remains high. These procedures are consistently implemented.

As a result, attendance at the school is higher than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic and above national averages.

The school's provision to support pupils' personal development is wide ranging. Pupils learn about relationships in an age-appropriate manner.

They understand the protected characteristics and fundamental British values. Pupils take on different leadership roles across school. The 'Pupil Parliament' has successfully campaigned to improve road safety outside the school gates.

Trustees and the local governing body have a strong oversight of the school. They have a good knowledge of the school's strengths and areas to still improve. The school works closely with the diocese.

Staff are happy and proud to work at the school. All stakeholders are committed to the continued improvement of Patrington CofE Primary Academy.

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 areas, including early years, the activities that are chosen to deliver the curriculum are not as effective as they could be. In these lessons, pupils do not make as much progress as they might. Leaders should ensure that teachers select appropriate and effective activities to deliver the curriculum in all areas.

• In some areas of the early years curriculum, the sequence of learning and the vocabulary that children should know is not clearly identified. As a result, some activities and adult interactions are not sharply focused on exactly what children need to learn. The school should focus on developing the full early years curriculum to provide high-quality learning opportunities for children in the early years across all areas of learning.