Scorton Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Scorton Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

All the pupils we spoke with said they like coming to school. Pupils enjoy learning and are very responsive in class.

They are eager to answer questions, find out new things and share their ideas during class discussions.

Pupils feel safe and cared for in school. They told us that they like the school's small size and the fact that everyone knows each other.

Pupils appreciate the school's beautiful rural setting. They enjoy learning about the natural world and looking after the school's guinea pigs.

Pupils behave well.

They told us, 'Our... school is unique because everyone is kind.' They also told us that there is no bullying. Teachers make pupils think hard, particularly in mathematics, reading and spelling.

Pupils really enjoy playing the guitar, trumpet, piano and West African djembe drums.

Pupils are known in the village for their sporting achievements, especially in table tennis and football. They enjoy dodgeball, cross-country running and curling.

Pupils in Years 5 and 6 relish their annual visits to London and Borwick Hall.

Pupils are conscientious and imaginative. They organise 'crazy hair day' and 'own clothes day' to raise funds for good causes and to help improve sanitary conditions in developing countries.

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

Pupils achieve highly in a wide range of subjects, including reading, writing, mathematics, science, history and art. This is because the school provides a good and improving curriculum. Leaders have high expectations of pupils.

They are clear about what pupils need to know and understand as they move through the school from the early years to Year 6. Pupils' good behaviour helps them to learn well.

Leaders place a very high priority on reading.

Pupils read every day. Older pupils read aloud with good expression. They are avid readers and are familiar with the work of a range of writers.

These include Michael Morpurgo, JK Rowling, Roald Dahl and William Shakespeare. Pupils also love poetry. For example, some pupils can recite from memory 'The Kraken' by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

There are daily lessons in phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) in the Reception class and across key stage 1. The teaching in these lessons helps pupils to read unfamiliar words with increasing accuracy.

Teachers are trained well so they have a secure knowledge of the subjects they teach.

For instance, in mathematics in key stage 1, teachers ensure that pupils can calculate well and remember basic facts about numbers. Similarly, in science, teachers help pupils to know more and remember more over time. For example, pupils can use what they have learned to help them make predictions in a science investigation.

Leaders make sure that the curriculum meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with parents and carers to ensure that they know exactly what their children are learning and how well they are doing. The SENCo's work with specialist partners ensures that pupils get the support they need to make strong progress in their learning.

Children in the early years achieve well in all areas of learning. This includes phonics, where children soon learn to identify different sounds and read simple words. In mathematics, children count single-digit numbers accurately.

Their understanding of concepts such as 'larger' and 'smaller' is developing well. Teachers are skilful at helping children to learn what they need to be successful in Year 1.

Children are well behaved.

They are confident learners, curious to explore the world around them. Children are happy and safe and form strong bonds with adults. They follow rules closely and become familiar with routines quickly.

The school's curriculum extends beyond developing pupils academically. For example, teachers help pupils in Years 5 and 6 to understand democracy through their visits to the House of Commons and 10 Downing Street. Pupils know about the different cultures that there are in Britain.

However, they are less sure about different families, such as those with same-sex parents.

Pupils take on their roles as school council and eco council members enthusiastically. As science ambassadors, they like to help their teachers prepare experiments.

Play leaders look after younger pupils. They help them to enjoy taking part in sports and games at playtimes.

Staff told us that leaders treat them fairly and respectfully and that the headteacher is considerate of their well-being.

Staff said that the workload can be challenging. However, they also said that working together and sharing good teaching practice with a local school eases workload pressures.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and governors responsible for safeguarding are trained well. The school has effective systems in place for reporting and recording safeguarding concerns.

Pupils say that they always feel safe in school.

Staff are alert to any possible signs of neglect or abuse. They know what to do if they are worried about the welfare of a pupil. Pupils understand how to stay safe when online and know about the dangers of child exploitation.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Most of the time, the curriculum carefully maps out what pupils need to learn and when. The teaching in almost all subjects helps pupils to know more and remember more. However, the aspects of the curriculum which aim to promote pupils' personal and social development are not as strong as they could be.

Specifically, pupils have a limited knowledge of the range of family types in modern Britain. Leaders need to ensure that staff develop their subject knowledge to strengthen the delivery of the curriculum in this area.Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2011.