St Mary’s Church of England Primary Norwood Green

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Mary's Church of England Primary Norwood Green continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is an inclusive and happy school. Leaders' vision of 'good ground grows well' accurately describes pupils' positive attitudes. Pupils enjoy lessons and are keen to learn.

They take part with enthusiasm in the many extra-curriculum opportunities provided. These range from learning musical instruments and singing in the choir to taking part in sporting competitions. A range of visits aim to enhance pupils' learning across the curriculum.

For example, pupils go on trips to Windsor Castle and London Zoo.

Leaders have high expectations of all pup...ils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils take pride in their work and try their best.

They are proud of their school. Parents and carers are also positive about the school. Many commented on how the school's strong communication and sense of community help to provide their children with an enjoyable education.

Pupils behave sensibly in their classrooms and around the school. They have positive working relationships with adults. The school is a calm and orderly place.

This helps ensure that pupils are safe and feel safe at school. They know to speak to adults should they have a concern. Pupils trust staff to listen if they have any worries.

Bullying is rare and adults are quick to deal with any issues if they occur.

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

Pupils learn to read well. This is because leaders have ensured that reading is a priority.

Staff receive regular training on how to teach phonics effectively. From the early years onwards, children read books that are closely matched to the sounds that they know. This helps them to read with increasing accuracy.

Pupils enjoy reading a variety of books and speak enthusiastically about reading. Weaker readers are identified and receive effective support. On occasions, however, extra help with phonics is not finely tuned to aspects that these pupils need to practise and embed.

The curriculum in the early years has been well designed. It ensures that children are provided with a secure foundation for later learning. For example, children in Reception explore a range of dance movements.

This helps them to develop their whole-body movement and control, in readiness for the physical education curriculum in Year 1 and beyond.

In other year groups too, the curriculum is ambitious and organised effectively in most subjects. Leaders have planned learning with a focus on ensuring that pupils learn and practise important ideas in a subject.

For example, in physical education, pupils practise throwing, catching and dribbling skills before applying these in games of rugby and basketball. However, in a few subjects, leaders have not identified as clearly the concepts pupils need to learn, practise and remember.

Teachers typically check that pupils understand their work.

They ensure that pupils build on their prior knowledge. They also make learning new ideas manageable for pupils. However, sometimes teachers do not check that pupils have fully grasped these new ideas.

This leads to misconceptions in pupils' understanding.

Leaders have ensured that pupils with SEND are swiftly identified and receive the specialist support that they need. Staff are knowledgeable about these pupils.

They ensure that pupils with SEND are helped to access the same curriculum as their peers.

Pupils are supportive of each other and are confident to share their views and opinions. They try hard to embody the school's values of 'love, faith, respect, perseverance and service' in their behaviour and through their positive attitudes to learning.

The wider development of pupils is prioritised. Pupils enjoy visits to museums and places of interest. Leaders organise these with the aim of bringing learning to life.

Leaders and staff also organise many enrichment activities in school. Provision in sport and music is rich and well planned. For example, pupils can learn the piano and ukulele.

Pupils are also proud to represent their school in sports competitions.

The board of trustees, with the support of the diocese, has worked quickly to ensure the school has stable leadership. This has kept staff morale high.

Staff work well together and are a strong team. They feel that school leaders are mindful of their well-being and have made positive changes to manage workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils' well-being and safety are a priority. The whole staff team is trained and skilled in helping to keep pupils safe. Appropriate pre-employment checks are carried out on adults who work in the school.

Staff are vigilant in identifying signs that a pupil may need help. They know how to report concerns and the procedures they need to follow. Systems in place are robust and ensure that leaders and staff identify and support any pupils at risk of harm.

The curriculum is designed to help pupils know how to keep themselves safe. For example, pupils learn about the potential dangers they could come across when they are using the internet. They have received regular online safety training and know how to report any issues or concerns.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In most subjects, leaders have identified the important ideas that pupils should learn. However, this is not the case in a small number of subjects. Where these ideas have not been clarified, pupils do not develop a rich and deep body of knowledge.

Leaders should ensure that they are explicit about what pupils should learn and remember in all subjects. They should ensure that teachers check pupils' understanding of important ideas across the curriculum, and when needed, address pupils' misconceptions. ? Weaker readers receive regular extra support, but in a few instances this support is not sharply focused on the things that pupils need the most practise with.

This affects how well pupils are able to strengthen their reading fluency. Leaders should ensure that all weaker readers have well-targeted opportunities to revisit and practise their phonics in order to support their early reading.

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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

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

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2017.