Sudbury Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils enjoy attending this small, rural primary school and feel safe. Pupils enjoy breaktimes. They say that there is plenty of play equipment and lots for them to do, including, for example, football.

The highlight of most pupils' week is their time in the forest school. They enjoy learning outside the classroom.

Expectations of pupils' behaviour are not consistently high enough.

Staff do not always act or report when pupils do not show positive attitudes towards each other, including when pupils show a lack of respect of others' differences.

Pupils say there are incidents of bullying, including online. These are not always resolved and are of...ten repeated.

Most pupils are ready to learn in lessons. However, in the early years, some children struggle to behave well. They disrupt other children's learning.

The early years curriculum and some wider subjects in key stages 1 and 2 are not yet fully developed. Where this is the case, children and pupils do not build up their knowledge well enough over time.

Parents and carers are happy with the improvements that the new leadership has brought about.

Parents of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) say their children are well supported.

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

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to achieve as well as they can. Leaders have prioritised the curriculum developments in mathematics and reading.

There are clear consistencies in the teaching of these subjects. As a result, most pupils know and remember what they learn in mathematics and reading. However, this is not yet the case in some other subjects.

Leaders are reviewing their approaches to checking what pupils know. Many of the developments they have brought about as a result of this review are new this year and are not used consistently by staff. For example, leaders have started to check what pupils know in some of the wider subjects.

Leaders have yet to check the accuracy of these assessments.

All staff have received training to teach the new early reading programme. The teaching of early reading starts in the early years.

Pupils read books that match their phonic knowledge. Those key stage 1 pupils who require it receive support to help catch up. This support helps some of these pupils to read with increased confidence and fluency.

This support is not yet extended to any key stage 2 pupils who struggle to read. Pupils say they enjoy reading and visiting the library for quiet reading time.

Leaders have prioritised the provision for pupils with SEND.

All of these pupils access the whole curriculum. Some teachers adapt their teaching to support pupils with SEND well. This is not yet consistent in all classes.

Children in the early years enjoy a bright and vibrant learning space. The environment is rich with vocabulary to support their communication and language skills. The activities children complete do not always match what teachers want them to learn.

For example, a task asking pupils to match words to pictures about minibeasts did not enable children to link what they were doing with what they already knew. Children can talk about what they are doing but do not always know why they are doing it. Most children in the early years do not remember their previous learning.

Not all pupils feel listened to when they report other pupils' poor behaviours. Some have stopped reporting incidents due to adults not taking actions to resolve poor behaviour.

There is a range of activities available to develop pupils' interests and talents.

These include sporting competitions and visits to the theatre and the local community. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online.

Pupils have limited knowledge and understanding of different faiths, cultures and British values.

Leaders struggle to provide meaningful opportunities to teach pupils about diversity. Pupils do not always display an understanding or kindness towards each other. They are not being prepared for their next steps as well as they should be.

Leaders have brought about noticeable improvements since the last inspection. However, some of these improvements have not occurred quickly enough. Leaders, including governors, regularly check the quality of the school's provision.

However, they have not ensured that all aspects of the provision are of a good enough quality.

All staff are proud to work at the school. They say leaders are supportive of their well-being and workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that they prioritise the safeguarding of all pupils. Leaders know the families and pupils at the school well.

They readily spot signs when pupils are not themselves. All staff receive training to identify any pupils who may be at risk of harm. Teaching staff report any concerns they have.

Leaders act effectively to ensure that the right actions are taken. They work well with external agencies to get the support for pupils.

Pupils speak confidently about how to stay safe.

They say they have trusted adults in school they can speak to if they have any worries.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The key knowledge that pupils need to learn in the wider subjects is not sufficiently well sequenced, including in the early years. It is not yet fully clear what pupils should learn and by when in these subjects, to build their knowledge securely over time.

Leaders should ensure that curriculum thinking for all subjects sets out the knowledge that all pupils, from the early years to the end of key stage 2, should know and by when. ? In the early years, adults do not always plan activities that focus precisely on what they intend children to learn. In completing activities adults have planned, children sometimes miss key learning, fail to make connections with previous learning or struggle to remember what they have learned previously.

Leaders should ensure that all planned activities are focused clearly on the intended learning and help children to remember more of what they learn. ? Not all staff have high enough expectations of pupils' behaviour, including during social times. Some staff do not challenge poor behaviour effectively.

Leaders should ensure that all staff have consistently high expectations of pupils' behaviour and that they deal with poor behaviour quickly, and in line with the school's behaviour policy. ? Not all pupils are prepared well enough for life in modern Britain. Pupils do not develop a secure understanding of different faiths, cultures and British values.

Some pupils do not respect difference. Some do not always show kindness and respect to others. Leaders should ensure that pupils receive appropriate opportunities to understand diversity and the need to show respect to those different to them, so that they are well prepared to be effective citizens.

• Leaders' and governors' checks on the quality of education have not ensured that all aspects of the school's provision are of a high enough quality. Leaders do not always address the school's weaknesses promptly enough to bring about the necessary, timely improvement. Leaders, including governors, should ensure that their work to improve the provision ensures that all aspects of the school are of the highest quality, so enabling all pupils to flourish and leave well prepared for their next steps.