Sutton Courtenay Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly and nurturing school. Staff know pupils well.

This helps them to feel cared for and safe. Most pupils behave responsibly in lessons because expectations are clear. Pupils know and understand the school's values of 'ready, respectful and responsible'.

Conduct around school is calm and orderly for all but a few. Staff waste no time in teaching children routines in the early years. In lessons, pupils work cooperatively.

While leaders are keen for all pupils to achieve well, some aspects of the quality of education need to improve swiftly. Teachers' checks on pupils' learning are not precise enough across the curriculum. As a result, the school... is not aware of where gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills are.

However, this is not the case in phonics and art. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not achieve as well as they should in key stages 1 and 2. This is because learning activities have not been adapted to meet their needs consistently.

Pupils in key stage 2 welcome the opportunity to extend their talents and interests through clubs and after-school activities. The 'star challenge' encourages Year 6 pupils to take on responsibility and develop their citizenship skills. Younger pupils enjoy contributing to the Sutton Courtenay Class Award, which teaches them vital skills of teamwork and collaboration.

Older pupils relish the opportunity to serve on the student council.

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

The school's curriculum is broadly ambitious. Recent improvements to the curriculum mean that the school has identified the knowledge and skills that staff want pupils to learn.

Most pupils experience a well-structured curriculum that builds over time gradually. However, staff training and development has not ensured that consistently effective teaching of the school's ambitious curriculum takes place across all subjects, apart from phonics. In key stages 1 and 2, some pupils do not learn well enough in mathematics.

This is because teachers do not systematically identify what pupils know and can remember before they move on. Too many pupils have gaps in their knowledge and skills.

There are, however, some areas of strength.

Importantly, early reading is taught consistently well. Staff ensure that all pupils develop key skills and become avid readers. Although pupils build a wide range of vocabulary, some pupils cannot always use this in the correct context.

Across the school, pupils read a range of high-quality texts. Staff help pupils who fall behind with reading to catch up quickly. Poetry features in the school prominently.

This helps pupils develop a love of reading widely. Pupils thrive in art. They learn about different artists, remember who inspires them and know how to apply carefully chosen techniques to their own work skilfully.

The school has identified the needs of pupils with (SEND) accurately. However, staff do not always provide appropriate support for their needs. This is not the case in the early years.

Here, staff know children's needs precisely and adapt their teaching to support them successfully.

Children in the early years get off to a strong start. Staff set high expectations, then do all they can to help children achieve them.

Staff support children to practise and build their knowledge and understanding of numbers effectively. The school's focus on personal, social and emotional development is highly effective. Children enjoy learning outdoors and treasure crunching in the leaves as they learn 'What makes leaves crispy in the autumn?' This topic skilfully links learning new vocabulary with finding out about the world around them.

In Nursery, a strong focus on rhymes and singing helps build confidence and important communication skills.

The provision for the wider development of pupils is strong. The personal, social, health and citizenship education curriculum is well designed.

The school has thought carefully about what pupils should learn and when. Through elections to the school council, pupils learn about voting and democracy. Pastoral care is strong.

Expert staff provide carefully considered support to pupils who need it. Pupils are proud that their school is inclusive. They celebrate each other's different faiths and beliefs.

Pupils recognise that some of their peers need extra support. They are respectful of each other.

Staff feel well supported by the school.

They enjoy working at the school and value the strong sense of togetherness that exists. Staff feel that leaders consider their workload when planning for improvement. The trust has provided extensive curriculum support for the school and helped to raise aspirations.

Improvements to the quality of provision have not been rapid enough in some critical areas, for example to ensure that pupils with SEND achieve their best outcomes.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not established a clear and effective approach to assessment in all subjects.

This means that not all teachers check how well pupils have learned the curriculum systematically. Most teachers do not use what they know about how well pupils have learned the curriculum to inform their future teaching. The school needs to ensure that there is precise and consistent use of assessment across the school so that the intended impact of the curriculum is realised.

• The school does not make effective adaptions to learning activities for pupils with SEND across all subjects in key stages 1 and 2. This means that pupils with SEND do not make the progress they should apart from in the early years. The school needs to ensure that all teachers have the right training to support all pupils with SEND to achieve their best outcomes.

The school does not always consistently check how well its actions to improve specific aspects of the school are working. As a result, some strategies that it is working on are not having sufficient impact. The trust needs to ensure that it monitors and evaluates the impact of improvements more precisely.