West Butterwick C of E Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This school is going through a period of change. This change is happening at pace. Leaders' actions are beginning to make a difference to pupils' learning.

Some of their actions are at an early stage of having impact. Leaders are creating a more ambitious curriculum for pupils. Children in the early years do not benefit from a good start to their education.

Pupils are happy at school. There are warm and positive relationships between adults and pupils. Pupils feel confident to share their concerns with adults.

Adults address pupils' concerns quickly and effectively. Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. They have positive attitudes to their studies....r/>
Where the curriculum is beginning to be more ambitious, pupils speak enthusiastically about what they have been taught.

Pupils behave with respect to each other. They develop a strong moral compass during their time in school.

Pupils have mature attitudes and perspectives about why it is important to be kind and considerate to other pupils and people in wider society.

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

The school has recently begun to develop the quality and ambition of the curriculum taught to pupils. This development is focused on a small number of subjects, including mathematics, phonics and history.

There is a clearer curriculum in place for these three subjects and several others.

Across the wider curriculum, the precise knowledge and vocabulary that leaders want pupils to learn is not clearly enough defined.

The curriculum in the early years is not defined clearly.

In some areas of learning it is not clear what will be taught and when.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers. There are clear systems for identifying pupils who may need additional support.

Teachers are making adaptations to help pupils with SEND access the curriculum.

There is a clear phonics curriculum in place. This has been recently introduced.

Phonics teaching begins in Reception. Pupils read books that are matched to the sounds that they have been taught. Leaders support staff to help them to understand how to teach the phonics curriculum well.

Staff subject knowledge of early reading is developing. Leaders have identified the gaps in pupils' phonic knowledge. They know which pupils need additional support with reading.

However, these pupils are not receiving the support that they need to catch up with their peers. Pupils value reading. They enjoy listening to stories.

In early years, children enjoy listening to a range of stories and rhymes. The school is beginning to promote a positive culture around reading.Pupils move around school calmly.

The routines that staff have put in place help pupils to learn. In the early years, these routines are developing but are not as consistent as they are in key stages 1 and 2. Pupils take responsibility for keeping their classrooms tidy.

They show care and consideration when they play with each other during the more unstructured times of the school day. Children in the early years are enthusiastic and keen to learn. They play imaginatively.

Staff build positive relationships with them. Leaders have taken action to improve attendance. This action is having a positive impact.

Pupils are attending more regularly. Fewer pupils are persistently absent.

Pupils understand that there are people and groups in society who face prejudice.

They are taught to understand and appreciate different world faiths and cultures. Pupils are taught how to stay physically and mentally healthy. They understand how to stay safe online.

Leaders have increased the range of opportunities and experiences on offer to pupils beyond the classroom. For example, all pupils have the chance to represent the school in sporting activities during the academic year. Pupils develop their understanding of diversity through the books that are read to them.

Pupils speak with enthusiasm about the charities they support. The school has provided some opportunities for pupils to take on responsible leadership roles. These are continuing to be developed.

For example, the role of play leader has recently been introduced.

Leaders have an increasingly accurate understanding of the school's strengths and the areas that require improvement. Governors are developing their understanding of their strategic role.

They are beginning to hold leaders to account more robustly. Currently, some governor activity does not give the school the information needed to evaluate the success of the school's improvement plans incisively. Leaders are beginning to check on how well subjects are being taught.

Some of these checks are not precise enough. Staff feel supported with their workload and well-being.

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 does not provide additional support for pupils who do not keep up with the phonics programme. As a result, pupils with gaps in their phonic knowledge do not catch up quickly. The school should ensure that pupils receive the targeted support that they need to close any gaps in their phonic knowledge.

• The core knowledge and vocabulary that leaders wish pupils to know is not defined across the foundation subjects in the curriculum. As a result, pupils do not have the chance to build their knowledge over time in some subjects. The school should ensure that the key knowledge and vocabulary is clearly defined, and taught consistently, across the whole curriculum.

• The early years curriculum is underdeveloped in some areas of learning. As a result, opportunities are missed for children to develop their knowledge and understanding over time. The school should ensure that the early years curriculum in all seven areas of learning is clearly defined, delivered well by staff, and understood by leaders, teachers and teaching assistants.

• Governors do not have access to the information that they require to challenge and support the school effectively. As a result, some aspects of school improvement are not moving forward as quickly as they should be. The school should ensure that governors strategically evaluate the impact of leaders' actions consistently and identify clearly, the areas that need further development.

• The school does not monitor the curriculum routinely. As a result, pedagogy and curriculum in some subjects is not developed well. The school should ensure that the checks that leaders make on their areas of responsibility highlight aspects that require further improvement.