Thorpe CofE Aided Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are caring and thoughtful at this nurturing village school.

They feel safe and know that teachers will deal with any concerns they have. Pupils know the school's rules, and teachers apply them consistently well. This helps pupils to behave well and encourage others to behave well too.

This begins in early years, where children quickly learn school routines. The school is a calm and happy place, where pupils have a clear love of learning.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), work hard to meet the high expectations of teachers.

Classrooms are busy and purposeful. They are alive with the sound of lear...ning. Pupils listen thoughtfully to their teachers and work together cooperatively.

As a result, pupils learn the skills and knowledge they need.

Staff encourage pupils to set ambitious future goals. Pupils enjoy visits from a range of adults who discuss their jobs.

The school enhances this with a range of activities. For example, pupils enjoy engineering days at local theme parks. They learn about a range of careers at annual citizenship events.

The school also offers specific sessions on aspiration for pupils from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. Consequently, pupils have high ambitions they are keen to share.

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

The school has responded swiftly to low national test results for the end of key stage 2 in 2023.

It has worked with a range of external partners to develop its expertise. As a result, the school has refined its ambitious curriculum further so that it meets the needs of all pupils. The curriculum sets out precisely the skills and vocabulary that pupils need to learn.

This begins with the important foundational knowledge children learn in early years.

The school knows its pupils very well. As a result, staff understand pupils' barriers to learning.

Teachers help pupils to overcome these by adapting their teaching or by providing additional support. This helps all pupils, including those with SEND, to achieve well.

The work that the majority of pupils produce shows that they achieve well.

This is also reflected in improved national test results in 2024. Pupils are well prepared for their next steps. This begins in early years, where children leave with fluent knowledge of number facts up to 10 and can recall the stories and rhymes they learn.

Teachers have secure subject knowledge which helps them to deliver the planned curriculum well. They design tasks and activities carefully. This enables pupils to practise the skills and knowledge they need consistently well.

Teachers model vocabulary and explain what pupils need to do clearly. The school has developed a variety of ways to check pupils' learning. In the most effective lessons, teachers use questions skilfully to address any misconceptions.

However, teachers do not always use these checks effectively to inform their future teaching. As a result, they do not always address gaps in pupils' learning.

The school has rightly prioritised reading in recent years.

Well-trained staff teach the chosen phonics scheme effectively. They identify pupils who are falling behind and offer appropriate support to help them to catch up swiftly. The majority of pupils become fluent readers by the time they enter key stage 2.

Older pupils read confidently and discuss the high-quality texts they read excitedly. Pupils in the early stages of reading read books that are matched closely to the sounds and letters they know. This enables them to practise their reading independently.

Pupils act as excellent role models. They move calmly through corridors and show positive attitudes to learning in class. Breaktimes are exciting and joyful.

Pupils enjoy the wide range of games and activities that staff plan for them. The school has worked hard to improve attendance. It tracks pupils' absence carefully and offers support and guidance to families who require it.

As a result, attendance has improved for all pupils over time. However, a small number of pupils do not yet attend frequently enough.

The school provides staff with training that builds their confidence and subject expertise.

Staff feel well supported by leaders. Governors ensure they are well informed. They support the school's ambitions effectively.

The school recognises the importance of pupils' personal development. It offers a broad range of opportunities that enrich the curriculum. For example, pupils visit local historical sites and experience history through hands-on activities.

Pupils learn to share their views confidently. They approach views that differ from their own sensitively. Pupils develop mature attitudes to diversity.

They celebrate the different cultures and beliefs in the school happily. Pupils also develop their skills and talents through the various clubs the school offers.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some lessons, teachers do not use assessment effectively to identify pupils' gaps in learning. As a result, teachers cannot always plan activities or interventions that fill gaps in pupils' knowledge or improve specific skills swiftly. The school must ensure that assessment for all pupils identifies gaps in learning accurately and allows teachers to plan activities that help pupils catch up quickly.