Repton Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Children get off to the very best start at this welcoming village school. They flourish in the exceptional early years provision, excelling in its nurturing and stimulating environment. Reception Year staff make the most of every moment, consolidating and extending children's understanding through high-quality talk.

Pupils achieve well at Repton. The school's ambition for every pupil is typified by its ethos of respect, pride and success. These three core values are woven through the school.

Pupils display them through their interactions and in their work. They show respect for people's differences. Pupils know that the protected characteristics are important as they ...help us make sure that no one is discriminated against.

There are warm relationships between pupils and staff. Pupils feel valued, safe and secure. They are cheerful and polite.

Pupils behave well in lessons and during social times. Classrooms are calm places. Pupils focus and listen well most of the time.

A plethora of high-quality enrichment opportunities and extra-curricular activities are available to develop pupils' talents and interests. These include learning to play a wide range of instruments and frequent occasions to perform on stage. Pupils also engage with an extensive variety of sporting clubs and competitions and a host of residential stays.

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

The school's curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced. Pupils are introduced to new knowledge, skills and vocabulary in a logical order. In many subjects, pupils remember their learning well, talking confidently about what they are doing now and what they have covered before.

However, pupils do not remember important knowledge securely in some areas of the curriculum. This is because teachers do not revisit important prior learning as effectively as they could in a small number of subjects.

Staff teach phonics well.

They show pupils how to read fluently, for instance by encouraging pupils to sound words out in their heads. The reading books that pupils take home are matched to the letter sounds they recognise. Any pupil who falls behind in learning to read gets extra help swiftly.

Pupils have positive attitudes to reading. They are fond of the stories they read together as a class. Their love of reading is fostered from the moment they start at the school.

Children are immersed in a world of books as part of the school's language-rich early years provision. Reception Year staff are experts in developing children's communication and language skills.

Teachers have good subject knowledge.

They ask questions that challenge pupils to think deeply. They demonstrate new concepts clearly so that pupils can learn from their examples. In the early years, staff show children how to solve problems and collaborate.

This helpful modelling leads to children being able to sustain their concentration. They learn on their own, as well as being able to work and play together effectively.

Teachers check closely on pupils' progress through the curriculum.

However, at times, they do not use this information well enough when setting work for some pupils. The writing tasks for some pupils are occasionally too hard for them. Staff sometimes ask these pupils to compose whole texts instead of spending time securing basic skills in spelling, handwriting and sentence construction.

Teachers support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) successfully. They know what works well for the pupils with SEND in their class. They make effective adaptations to the curriculum so that pupils with SEND can access learning and achieve well.

Staff teach pupils how to be effective learners and how to get on with each other. Pupils live up to these high expectations and behave well most of the time. Attendance is high.

The school supports families to improve their child's attendance if they are absent too of-ten.

The school's personal development provision is a strength. There are many curriculum-linked trips and visitors used to enhance pupils' learning and broaden their horizons.

The school makes the most of its local heritage, including celebrating Repton's Viking past. Pupils enjoy numerous leadership roles and responsibilities, such as being class ambassadors or members of the eco council. Pupils benefit from a comprehensive personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum.

Pupils understand the importance of equality and they are respectful of difference. Some pupils' knowledge of world faiths is less secure, though.

The school profits from strong leadership.

Leaders ensure that staff have the training they need to teach the curriculum well. Governors and the local authority provide effective support and challenge.

Staff like working at Repton.

They are unanimous in their praise for school leaders. Staff appreciate the consideration for their well-being and workload.

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 small number of foundation subjects, some pupils do not remember key curriculum content securely. Consequently, they cannot build on their prior learning and deepen their understanding. The school should refine its approach to the retention of important learning so that pupils gain a rich body of subject curriculum knowledge.

• Writing tasks are occasionally too demanding for some pupils. This prevents some pupils from mastering the basics of spelling, handwriting and sentence formation as quickly as they could. The school should ensure that pupils have secure knowledge and skills in transcription so they can access more complex writing tasks.

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