St Nicholas CofE Primary

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's vision of 'dream big, shine bright' permeates through all that the school does. The school welcomes pupils with a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and effortlessly meet their needs.

Pupils form harmonious relationships with their peers and staff. Pupils are happy and proud to be a part of this nurturing and caring school. The school dog, Bug, contributes to supporting pupils' wellbeing by providing them with emotional support when they need it.

Pupils' behaviour during lessons and at social times is calm and orderly. Pupils of all ages play well together. Right from the start, pupils in Reception learn how to share and are com...fortable playing independently or in small groups.

The school's outdoor play area is resourced well and encourages pupils to be active.

Pupils cherish the opportunities to take up leadership roles. The 'wellbeing warriors' promote positive mental health through hosting a range of calm activities from painting to crafts for their peers to get involved in at lunchtime.

Members of 'the Amazon protection society' are working hard to stop deforestation. Pupils also take the lead to organise fundraisers with a whole school 'water walk' and a bake sale. This helps pupils to play an active role in the community and beyond.

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

Leaders have high expectations of all pupils. There is a focus on supporting staff wellbeing and workload, and staff appreciate this. The school knows what its strengths are, and they have worked well with engaging the community.

As a result, parents also recognise what the school does well and are positive about the guidance their child receives.

The school has high expectations of what it wants its pupils to achieve. The curriculum is well sequenced and identifies what pupils will learn and when they will learn it.

Staff use a range of activities to engage pupils and grasp their attention. Teachers use assessment well to check pupils' understanding. In Reception, pupils excel and can articulate clearly what they are learning about and why.

However, this is not always the case in key stage 1 and 2 classes. Some staff do not systematically check that pupils have a secure understanding of the key concepts required for current learning. As a result, some pupils struggle to build on knowledge over time and do not develop fluency well enough.

The school ensures that all pupils receive the help they need to thrive. Pupils with SEND are assessed and accurately identified. Information is gathered from parents, multi-agencies, staff and pupils to outline strategies that will help them to access the curriculum.

Teachers know their pupils well and use these strategies to make adaptations to lessons or to provide extra support outside of the class. This helps pupils develop a secure understanding of the learning. As a result, pupils with SEND progress well.

Reading is a strength of the school. As soon as children start in Reception they learn to read. Pupils read books that are matched to their reading ability and any interests they have.

Pupils who struggle to read are identified quickly. They are given a range of support, including 'Year 6 reading mentors' who listen to their younger peers reading and small group sessions revisiting sounds they find challenging. As a result, pupils are catching up.

Story time is a highlight of the school day for many pupils. It is engaging with a focus on developing pupils' vocabulary. The school library is home to carefully selected books which cover a range of topics from different cultures to different types of families.

Pupils take books home that excite them. Workshops provide information to parents of how to support their child to read at home. This helps pupils to develop a love of reading.

As soon as pupils start in Reception, they are taught personal, social and health education. There is a focus on teaching pupils personal hygiene and the importance of being kind. As pupils grow older, they are taught a arrange of topics including how to stay safe, eating well and healthy relationships.

The school council promotes the key topics through their work. As part of the 'staying safe' topic they introduced the 'chatterbox' which are boxes located around school where pupils can write down any worries to be supported by staff in the school.

Pupils go on residentials to develop skills and explore nature.

The virtual school trip to Mount Everest base camp makes links to topics they are learning in class. Pupils can also take part in an immersive experience where they can travel to different parts of the world and learn about the different cultures. There are clubs on offer for pupils to attend.

However, a low number of pupils attend these. Leaders recognise that the extra-curricular take-up is not where they want it to be.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some staff do not systematically check that pupils have a secure understanding of the key concepts required for current learning. As a result, some pupils struggle to build on knowledge over time and do not develop fluency well enough. The school should ensure that staff are equipped to identify the key concepts pupils need to securely understand so they can make links to current learning, and to re-teach these concepts when needed.

• The provision to develop pupils' talents and interests beyond the curriculum is not yet as well developed as it could be. This means that pupils taking up extra- curricular activities is low. The school should ensure that the offer to develop personal interests and hobbies is increased.

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