Thorpe CofE Aided Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher leads a happy and inclusive school. Senior leaders and managers form a collegiate team that works hard to provide the best quality of education for every pupil.

Staff are reflective and responsive to change. They work closely with leaders to address aspects of the school that need to be better. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well.

Most make good progress by the end of key stage 2, especially in reading and mathematics. All parents and carers who spoke to inspectors were very positive about the school's caring culture. This included parents of children in Reception and of pupi...ls with SEND.

Children get off to a good start in the early years, where they make good progress from their different starting points. Most pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds make good progress across the school because : leaders give their outcomes a high priority. The local authority and diocese are providing increasingly effective support and guidance for school leaders.

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength because the school's curriculum and values-based ethos support this aspect of their education well. The culture to keep pupils safe is strong. Staff are vigilant and understand what to do if they have concerns.

Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe and are cared for well in school. The school's curriculum meets the needs of its pupils well. They enjoy the extra-curricular opportunities the school offers, especially in the arts and in sport.

Leaders' work to increase pupils' attendance has been successful. Despite this, the rates of absence of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are still too high. Outcomes for most-able pupils are not as strong as they could be because teachers' expectations are not consistently high enough.

Leaders and governors have an overly positive view of the quality of some aspects of provision in the school.

Information about this school

This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. As a school with a distinctive Christian ethos, it was last subject to an inspection under section 48 of The Education Act 2005 in June 2014.

Since the last full inspection in January 2014, the school has continued to expand year on year, adding its first Year 6 cohort in September 2016. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. There are small numbers of pupils from other ethnic backgrounds.

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is much higher than the national average in primary schools. The proportion of pupils known to be supported by the pupil premium is lower than the national average in primary schools. Pupil mobility is high in some cohorts, impacting significantly on the school's national test and assessment results at the end of key stage 2.