Thornton in Craven Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Thornton in Craven Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a happy place with a strong sense of community and a 'family feel' to it. Pupils are kind and accepting of one another.

Pupils and staff form warm relationships. A culture of inclusivity permeates this small, rural, community school. Parents of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) speak glowingly about the care and attention that pupils receive to help them thrive.

Through the school motto, 'Working together for success', leaders have established high expectations across the school, and pupils rise to meet these. Pupils... are happy, very well behaved and enthusiastic. High ambitions are realised through a broad and engaging curriculum, adapted to include everybody.

Pupils enjoy learning and achieve well.

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. All pupils and their needs are known well.

Pupils are safe in school.

Pupils have opportunities to participate in a range of interesting trips and visits. For example, pupils take part in local walks, residential trips, and visits to zoos and ambulance stations.

They also enjoy the many after-school activities run by staff, such as dance, drama and various sports clubs.

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

The school's curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. In most subjects, the school has carefully identified the important knowledge it wants pupils to learn, from Nursery through to Year 6, in well-ordered steps.

Staff are clear about what they want pupils to know and remember. Pupils have regular opportunities to revisit prior learning. Therefore, pupils talk confidently about their work.

There is a focus on learning vocabulary, including in the early years.

In a small number of foundation subjects, such as art and design, the school has not considered fully the essential knowledge that pupils should learn. Assessment processes in these subjects are at the early stages of development, including in key stage 2.

This means that staff are less certain about the knowledge that should be taught and checked. In the early years, due to recent staffing challenges, staff expertise is developing. This means that some of the activities children complete do not always ensure that they learn what is intended.

The teaching of early reading is of high importance in the school. The school recently introduced a new scheme so phonics is taught consistently and with rigour. Children in Reception learn phonics right from the start.

Teachers present new learning well and adapt their input when needed. They ensure the books that pupils read are well matched to the sounds and letters they know. Staff have regular training in phonics.

Any pupil who is falling behind with their reading is identified quickly through regular assessment. Pupils receive effective support and they catch up quickly. Pupils read regularly at home.

As a result, pupils enjoy reading and achieve well.

The school identifies pupils with SEND at the earliest opportunity. It ensures that the needs of these pupils are understood and addressed effectively, through prompt and effective assessment.

Pupils with SEND are very well supported with adaptations in the curriculum. These pupils learn the curriculum well.

There is a well-developed curriculum for mathematics.

The school has clearly identified the knowledge that pupils need to learn at each stage, starting from early years. Staff explain concepts clearly. There are lots of opportunities for pupils to practise the skills that they have learned.

Staff routinely check what pupils have learned and address misconceptions quickly. They regularly revisit important knowledge. This helps pupils deepen their understanding and remember what they have learned.

In the early years, children enjoy learning about numbers and patterns. Staff help them to develop their number sense through interesting activities.

Pupils' behaviour is very good.

Pupils are polite and well mannered towards one another and staff. Lessons are free from disruptions. Pupils of all ages play well together.

Interactions are positive throughout the day. Pupils attend school well.

The school caters well for pupils' wider development.

There is a well-planned programme for personal, social, health and economic education. This age-appropriate knowledge is complemented by pupils' participation in wider enrichment opportunities, such as trips to the Houses of Parliament and visits to a centre in Saltaire to learn about different cultures. Pupils have a range of leadership responsibilities, including school and eco-council roles.

Governors are experienced and know the school well. They have an accurate view of the school's strengths and weaknesses. The school is considerate of staff workload and well-being.

Staff feel valued and their views are considered.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In the early years, staff are not clear enough about the most important knowledge that should be taught and checked.

As a result, teachers do not always provide children with activities that match the intended curriculum. Leaders should strengthen the expertise of staff in the early years and ensure that the work teachers set is consistently aligned with the aspirations that the early years curriculum entails. ? In some foundation subjects, such as art and design, the school's work to establish an effective approach to assessment is in the early stages of implementation.

As a result, teachers do not know precisely what pupils need to learn and remember. The school should continue to strengthen the subject knowledge of teachers and assessment processes in those subjects so that the tasks and resources teachers use help them identify gaps in pupils' knowledge, including in key stage 2.

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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2013.