South Otterington Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.'

Our children love school' and 'The school has done everything they possibly can for our child' are typical comments from the very many parents who made their views known to the inspector. The school has gone from strength to strength since the time of the last inspection. The headteacher is passionate about improving the school.

Senior leaders have developed a very strong staff team. All are united in their desire to provide the very best education for pupils here. Children get off to a good start to their learning in the early years.

However, a few children are not always given hard enough work and so do not always rea...ch their full potential. The staff are very supportive and caring and so the children settle in well from the outset. Many pupils make rapid progress throughout the school.

Standards continue to rise and are almost always above average at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils learn very well because much of the teaching is outstanding. Expectations are high.

Pupils are helped to think for themselves and to gain an in-depth understanding of their work. Pupils say they feel very safe and well looked after by adults at the school. They say that behaviour is really good almost all of the time.

Respect for one another is high. All pupils are valued and treated as individuals and, as such, the school was awarded the highest level of the Inclusion Quality Mark. Pupils' spiritual, moral, cultural and social development flourishes in this outstanding school.

Pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain. Governors have considerable expertise and a keen insight into all aspects of the school's work. They are very supportive, but at the same time robustly challenge the school to ensure that it is doing the best it can for all of its pupils.

The school's leadership is significantly strengthened by its strong collaborative practice with other schools, such as within the alliance of teaching schools and the alliance of local small schools. The rich and wide curriculum is designed to capture pupils' interests and imagination. Pupils thoroughly enjoy very regular opportunities to learn in the nearby forest area.

Music, the performing arts and sporting activities are all given high priority. Pupils are passionate about environmental issues. Indeed, pupils on the eco committee recently led some training for pupils from other schools, encouraging them to be more environmentally friendly.

Pupils speak fondly about the many special times in the school calendar, such as when they all gathered to celebrate the lighting of the school Christmas tree during the inspection. All in all, this helps create a strong sense of community and belonging. With so many exciting activities on offer, it is no surprise that attendance rates are persistently high.

Information about this school

This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Numbers in each year group are sometimes very small. For example, since the previous inspection there have only been seven pupils in some year groups.

Children start school on a full-time basis in a mixed class of Reception and Year 1 pupils. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium has risen but remains below average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.

) Very few pupils are from minority ethnic groups and currently no pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs is just below average. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

The school works in collaboration with a number of local schools in a teaching alliance and in an alliance of small schools. The school has received a wide range of awards since the previous inspection. These include the highest level of the Inclusion Quality Mark, the highest level of the Eco Schools Green Flag, the Health and Well-being Award, a school games award and a commitment to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Award.

Also at this postcode