St Nicholas Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

Teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now consistently good. Achievement in English and mathematics has risen in the last two years and is above the national average. Good teaching in the Reception class means that children make more than expected progress.

Teachers provide pupils with work that excites and interests them. Pupils enthuse about their work and are keen to do as well as they can. The pace of improvement since the school's federation in 2011 has been very rapid.

School leaders, and especially the headteacher, are relentless in their drive to improve teaching and raise standards. Pupils' behaviour is... exemplary, and they feel very safe in school. This supports their learning in lessons and ensures that the school is a calm and harmonious place to learn.

The governing body is exceptionally effective. Its members manage the federation very well and are highly focused in ensuring that all pupils do as well as they can. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Standards in mathematics have not risen as rapidly as those in English.

Teaching does not always provide more-able pupils with opportunities to expand their learning in English and mathematics. Pupils' cultural understanding of the world is limited and some have misconceptions about life in other countries.

Information about this school

The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.

There are fewer pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds than in most schools. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at 'school action' is above average.

The proportion who are supported at 'school action plus' or have a statement of special educational needs is also above average. An average proportion of pupils are supported by the 'pupil premium', which is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, in local authority care or whose parents serve in the armed forces. The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress.

Since the previous inspection, the school joined with another local primary school in a formal federation. Both schools now share the same headteacher and governing body. The school does not use alternative places for pupils to learn away from the school.